SFO - CTU

$437 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Chengdu

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Chengdu departing on 4/16. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Chengdu

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Chengdu, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Chengdu, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$724
Overall average: $860
China Southern
Thu 8/27Mon 9/14
SFO - CTU • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way
$437
Typical prices: $442-$547
China Eastern
Thu 4/16
SFO - CTU • 1 stop
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $724 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.6 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
Not available
There are currently no direct flights between San Francisco and Chengdu. You'll need at least 1 connection.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $985 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 18h 50m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 35% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Chengdu!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Chengdu (SFO-CTU)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Chengdu that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Chengdu

Thu, Aug 27 - Mon, Sep 14
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 8:40 pm
SFO
-
CTU
29h 05m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
1:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
22h 40m
2 stops
$724China Southern
Thu, Aug 20 - Mon, Sep 14
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 5:35 pm
SFO
-
CTU
26h 00m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
9:00 am - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
26h 40m
2 stops
$752China Southern
Mon, Aug 17 - Thu, Sep 17
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 5:35 pm
SFO
-
CTU
26h 00m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
9:00 am - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
26h 40m
2 stops
$765China Southern
Tue, Aug 18 - Thu, Sep 17
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 3:40 pm
SFO
-
CTU
24h 05m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
1:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
22h 40m
2 stops
$808China Southern
Thu, Aug 27 - Mon, Sep 14
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 3:40 pm
SFO
-
CTU
24h 05m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
10:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
37h 40m
1 stop
$815China Southern
Thu, Aug 20 - Thu, Sep 17
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
SFO
-
CTU
33h 15m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
6:55 am - 9:05 am
CTU
-
SFO
17h 10m
1 stop
$819China Eastern
Tue, Aug 18 - Wed, Sep 16
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 10:45 am
SFO
-
CTU
19h 10m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
7:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
40h 40m
2 stops
$832China Southern
Mon, Apr 13 - Thu, May 14
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
SFO
-
CTU
33h 15m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
6:55 am - 9:05 am
CTU
-
SFO
17h 10m
1 stop
$838China Eastern
Mon, May 11 - Mon, May 18
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 1:20 am
SFO
-
CTU
22h 20m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
6:55 am - 9:05 am
CTU
-
SFO
17h 10m
1 stop
$843China Eastern
Thu, Aug 20 - Mon, Sep 14
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 8:40 pm
SFO
-
CTU
29h 05m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
10:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
37h 40m
1 stop
$845China Southern
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to Chengdu flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Chengdu to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Chengdu?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Chengdu, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to Chengdu is November, where tickets cost $738 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,858 and $1,721 respectively.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$437
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 27% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 1% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Chengdu

When to book flights from San Francisco to Chengdu

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Chengdu based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to Chengdu

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Chengdu was $437 for a one-way ticket and $724 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San Francisco and Chengdu?

    Yes, you'll most likely have to show a valid passport before boarding the plane in San Francisco and on arrival in Chengdu.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Chengdu, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Chengdu, Cathay Pacific or China Southern?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Chengdu are Cathay Pacific and China Southern. With an average price for the route of $1,035 and an overall rating of 7.6, Cathay Pacific is the most popular choice. China Southern is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $969 and an overall rating of 7.4.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Chengdu from San Francisco is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Chengdu with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and CTU can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Chengdu from San Francisco up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from San Francisco to Chengdu

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Chengdu. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Chengdu? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.6
Cathay PacificOverall score based on 1216 reviews
7.6Comfort
7.3Food
7.8Entertainment
7.9Boarding
8.1Crew
Airline reviews

when i ask for help all the crew members had a look like why are you calling me? very terse and rude.

4.0 Okaycogitate, Mar 2026
SFO - HKG
Read more Cathay Pacific reviews

when i ask for help all the crew members had a look like why are you calling me? very terse and rude.

Good service and food. However, we paid over $400 for aisle seats for my disabled husband and me, and we were given window and middle seats. This was dangerous for our health condition on such a long flight. We needed to stand up and walk around frequently, but we were stuck in our seats. Please give us a refund of our seat payment since you chose not to honor our request.

After each meal was served I didn't see any flight attendant offer coffee or tea to the passengers after the initial drinks were offered. Other flights I had been one it was standard procedure to offer hot drinks after the meal service.

Selected ovo lacto meal because I’m ok with milk products but not any meat. It was terrible. We had the same selection back in October when we had traveled and it was pretty good at that time. It was gross this time.

Poor links to cathay meaning it's not possible to check in online or reserve seats. Incorrect information provided by cathay regarding check in and transfer at HKG. Delay in flight required is to be escorted / run to make the connecting flight and no opportunity to use the business lounge. Luggage did not make the connection so we arrived in Manchester with no luggage

Very bad Instead 22 hour it take me more that 35 hour to arrive from Los Angeles to Phuket and they changed my flight in Hong Kong to Shanghai china and in order to get my bag I was forced to vet china visa entrry

There could have been more options on the entertainment section Nothing was available for non English speaking passengers

I wear hearing aids in both ears the infotainment system is hard to hear.

I didn't have much experience with Cathay Pacific airlines because of delay and missed connections, the bulk of the trip was on Japan Airlines.

Flight delayed first from bad weather, then after boarding there was a problem with the plane. We had to get off and onto another plane...connections were missed and the trip took an additional 10 hours!! Pre-paid seatting was not honored due ro last minute carrier changes. Most of the trip was on Japan Airline.

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

did not get a notification about seat selection ahead of time. We didn't end up sitting together.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

In my return flight they couldn’t identify my ticket or boarding pass, I had to go to 3 different counters until I was able to get my boarding pass. The food was on, it was the bear minimum. They didn’t even recognise that I was a Muslim and can’t eat meat, chicken or pork. In one of the trays I believe they served me pork. The staff were very pleasant, but they need to be aware of their surroundings more carefully, one of them stuck her lower belly right into my face! I was shocked and very uncomfortable.

Overall I had good experience with China Southern airline. Nothing to claim. I hoped they could improve the meal quality that is.

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The connection between LA and Atlanta was too much stress

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

On time. Friendly and helpful flight attendants. The plane was clean. Having a wine available would have been nice.

Your staff was exceptional. Could teach the other airlines-rules on etiquette, and service. Excellent landings on flights, carried out by your pilots. Only complaint is long delay on return flight in Beijing, onto Vancouver.

Worst than I expected, crew was not attentive, meal was as disgusting , they didn’t even drink selections as they would to other passengers. I felt discriminated

cannot get seat information for LAX to IAH when check in in XI,AN

UA is ok. But check in was a very bad experience

I hate that you cannot check in online and when you are at the airport, there aren't any aisle seats left. Also, they could work a little on subtitles for their movies (not everyone is a native English speaker).

Nothing to complain of, the only reason I am not giving better marks is that I am used to flying with ANA and they are the top.

It's terrible that we can't do online check in because we didn't buy the tickets directly from Air china. It was not explained until I contacted Chatdeal and we could not sit together.

Communication between the captain/crew and the passengers needs to be improved.

Food and service are good. Bathroom was lack of lotions and cleaning. That should be improved.

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers. A BIG ISSUE FOR NON-CHINESE PASSENGERS IS THE ABILITY TO CHECK IN ONLINE, by making so difficult or almost impossible there is no chance to get a seat assignment ahead of time then go to the airport and get what is left. THIS IS NOT a SKY TEAM modality.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

2 parts to the journey. First leg covered in a newer plane with decent staff + POOR FOOD QUALITY but the second half didn’t leave a positive impression at all as the plane itself was an older built and the crew didn’t serve properly. Language is an issue with China Eastern flights as always, but unmotivated crew just makes it even bad.

Small plane with only two lavatories at the back. You must have a good plan to use it before or after the meal, if you make a bad decision, you will end up with standing in front of the toilet for a while till the food carts empty. The good thing is even there’s a slightly delayed, the plane is still arriving on time which is superb!!

The only personel that smiled at all were the flights attendants. Desk agents, lounge people none of them had a smile or even a hello. They were like dealing with dead fish. Again flight attendants were good. All other personnel looked like they didn’t want to be there or help.

good flight. food is only so so. I actually did not eat the snack. it does not look too good on the passenger next to me.

Food no variations only beef of chicken no veggie meals

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to Chengdu

Information on your arrival and departure airports