SFO - CTU

$438 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 8/24. 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
$912
Typical prices: $1,021-$823
Air China, China Southern
Fri 10/2Sun 10/18
SFO - CTU • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way
$438
Typical prices: $389-$396
China Southern
Mon 8/24
SFO - CTU • 2 stops
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $944 (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 $999 (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

Fri, Oct 2 - Sun, Oct 18
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:41 pm - 11:25 am
SFO
-
CTU
26h 44m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
37h 40m
2 stops
$912Multiple Airlines
Tue, Aug 18 - Wed, Sep 16
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 11:45 am
SFO
-
CTU
20h 10m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
5:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
42h 40m
2 stops
$944China Southern
Thu, Oct 22 - Wed, Oct 28
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 6:30 pm
SFO
-
CTU
39h 30m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
2:35 pm - 10:00 am
CTU
-
SFO
34h 25m
1 stop
$949China Eastern
Thu, Oct 1 - Fri, Nov 13
Air China Logo
5:41 pm - 9:55 am
SFO
-
CTU
25h 14m
2 stops
Air China Logo
9:00 pm - 9:30 am
CTU
-
SFO
28h 30m
1 stop
$955Air China
Thu, Oct 1 - Fri, Nov 13
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 1:20 am
SFO
-
CTU
22h 20m
1 stop
China Eastern Logo
2:35 pm - 9:00 am
CTU
-
SFO
34h 25m
1 stop
$973China Eastern
Fri, Aug 28 - Sun, Sep 13
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:25 pm - 9:55 am
SFO
-
CTU
26h 30m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
40h 40m
2 stops
$984Multiple Airlines
Fri, Sep 11 - Sun, Oct 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:25 pm - 9:55 am
SFO
-
CTU
26h 30m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:00 pm - 8:40 pm
CTU
-
SFO
40h 40m
2 stops
$988Multiple Airlines
Mon, Aug 31 - Tue, Oct 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:35 am - 5:35 pm
SFO
-
CTU
26h 00m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:55 am - 6:50 pm
CTU
-
SFO
26h 55m
2 stops
$989Multiple Airlines
Wed, Oct 21 - Mon, Oct 26
China Eastern Logo
8:55 am - 3:15 pm
SFO
-
CTU
39h 20m
2 stops
China Eastern Logo
8:10 am - 10:00 am
CTU
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
$990China Eastern
Sat, Aug 22 - Sun, Sep 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:00 pm - 1:20 am
SFO
-
CTU
22h 20m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:55 am - 6:26 pm
CTU
-
SFO
26h 31m
2 stops
$992Multiple Airlines
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.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Chengdu?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Chengdu departing in October.

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 $2,011 and $1,721 respectively.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$438
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 28% drop 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 services does EVA Air offer for economy passengers on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    EVA Air offers the following services for economy passengers including inflight Wi-Fi for all cabin classes, inflight entertainment with a wide range of video, music, and gaming options, creative new meal choices, available for purchase, and access to charging points.

  • How do I go from Chengdu Airport (CTU) to the city center?

    You can take airport buses No. 1 or 3, depending on where your destination is located in the city center. These buses run regularly and are relatively inexpensive. Additionally, Metro Line 18 connects Chengdu Tianfu Airport with the city center. Alternatively, from Terminal 1 or 2, you can take line 10 and transfer to line 3 to get to the city center. You can also take a taxi from the airport to the city center, although the fare may vary depending on the route and time of day.

  • What seat options does Japan Airlines provide on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    Japan Airlines provides seat selection options for its passengers on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu. Passengers traveling in First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy Class, or Economy Class on Japan Airlines can select their seats in advance. Seat selection is usually available 24 hours before flight departure for flights operated by Japan Airlines (JAL).

  • What is the luggage allowance on Asiana Airlines on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    The luggage allowance on Asiana Airlines varies depending on the class of travel. Economy class passengers are generally allowed 1 or 2 pieces of checked baggage, each weighing up to 50 lbs, although the exact policy may depend on the fare purchased. Passengers are generally allowed 1 or 2 pieces of carry-on baggage, each weighing up to 22 lbs, depending on the travel class.

  • 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 $438 for a one-way ticket and $912 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 $995 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.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from San Francisco to Chengdu?

    In the past 3 days, the cheapest round-trip tickets from San Francisco to Chengdu were found on China Southern ($944) and China Eastern ($949).

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San Francisco to Chengdu

  • Asiana Airlines offers the following services to passengers with reduced mobility on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu. These include wheelchair assistance, a motorized wheelchair if necessary, and special Needs Access facilities and services at airports. It is important to note that passengers with reduced mobility are advised to inform the airline of their needs at least 48 hours before departure.
  • Lufthansa is taking various actions to reduce carbon emissions, including using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) that save at least 80% of carbon emissions compared to conventional kerosene including for flights from San Francisco to Chengdu.
  • Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA) are both known for being family-friendly airlines and offer services to families with kids on flights from San Francisco to Chengdu. These include special airport support services for families with children, such as strollers and priority boarding.
  • Flights to Chengdu departing from San Francisco Airport (SFO) typically depart from the International Terminal (Terminal G), but it's always best to check with the airline or review the flight itinerary for specific terminal information.
  • US citizens generally need a visa to travel to China including Chengdu. Travelers must obtain a visa prior to arrival and have a passport with at least six months of validity remaining. The requirements and procedures for Chinese visa applications by foreign citizens in the US, include providing a photocopy of a green card, visa, I20, or I94 to prove legal residence.

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 1314 reviews
7.3Food
7.6Comfort
7.9Boarding
7.8Entertainment
8.1Crew
Airline reviews

Later on, when there was no more bottled water, the water we received had a strong chlorine/disinfectant odor. On my flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, there was a male flight attendant who had a mean attitude throughout the whole trip, and he was very impatient during meal service “Furthermore, we purchased a Hong Kong SIM card as part of our flight package, but we received no instructions—neither by email nor SMS—on how to activate or use it. Consequently, we were unable to use the service at all. We request a full refund, as this appears to be a deceptive charge

6.0 GoodAnonymous, May 2026
LAX - HKG
Read more Cathay Pacific reviews

Later on, when there was no more bottled water, the water we received had a strong chlorine/disinfectant odor. On my flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, there was a male flight attendant who had a mean attitude throughout the whole trip, and he was very impatient during meal service “Furthermore, we purchased a Hong Kong SIM card as part of our flight package, but we received no instructions—neither by email nor SMS—on how to activate or use it. Consequently, we were unable to use the service at all. We request a full refund, as this appears to be a deceptive charge

I do not think there was much that could have been done to make it better. The delayed flight was due to bad weather. The turbulent patches were very unavoidable. Am simply thankful that there were no sudden and / or sharp drops during the flight. I do extend my compliments to captain Marcus I believe was his name and the rest of the crew. They all did an excellent job. My only question is whether I get a refund since the seats I had chosen and paid for were reassigned.

The crew and the food were excellent. The plane was kept quite clean.

Crew were not engaging. Only engaged if requested. Food taste was mediocre

My seat had many issues. First the chair was broken where reclining was difficult. My usb plug was also broken so charging was impossible.

The flight from Hong Kong to Hyderabad didn’t have any power points to charge my mobile. Given we are no longer allowed to use power banks, giving customers the ability to charge even on short flights is critical part of the overall experience.

Multiple late or canceled flights. Lounge was 100 degrees. Food was terrible. The plane was incredibly old, and best of all, a screaming child for 3 hours. All for the low low price of $2,600 one way Hanoi to Shanghai. No idea how Cathay is ranked so high. Cathay is not much better than American Airlines or Spirit. In the future I will go out of my way to not fly Cathay.

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.

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.

The flight was delayed. The staff made us wait in the room that is too small and it was crowded and with no seats available for waiting. They did not tell us why the delay occurred.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking at the gate, then there was another ticket checking at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Not sure which idiot made this absolutely unnecessary arrangement.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking by the gate, then there was another ticket checking right at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Don't understand why the duplication?

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

Plane was good. But food was bad and air host was so rude. I will never fly with China Eastern again

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.

The meals were not the greatest and lacking of appetite but everything else was spot on

Overall, excellent: check-in, boarding, service, and food. The Business Class seating is a little less private and spacious than the world's premier airlines, but still very good for a long haul flight.

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports