SFO - CTU

$389 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 12/1. 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
$694
Overall average: $1,087
Air China
Wed 2/4Wed 2/25
SFO - CTU • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$389
Typical prices: $964-$1,298
China Southern
Mon 12/1
SFO - CTU • 2 stops
Top airlines
Air China
Cheapest • from $694 (round-trip)
Cathay Pacific
Best reviews • 7.6 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 22% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
August
Cheapest • 26% price drop
November
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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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

Wed, Feb 4 - Wed, Feb 25
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 9:55 amSFO-CTU
29h 55m1 stop
Air China Logo
8:00 am - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
17h 30m1 stop
$694Air China
Find Deal
Mon, Jan 26 - Tue, Feb 17
China Southern Logo
11:35 pm - 11:20 pmSFO-CTU
31h 45m2 stops
China Southern Logo
8:30 am - 7:40 pmCTU-SFO
27h 10m1 stop
$715China Southern
Find Deal
Wed, Feb 18 - Wed, Feb 25
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 9:55 amSFO-CTU
29h 55m1 stop
Air China Logo
9:00 am - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$729Air China
Find Deal
Sat, Jan 31 - Mon, Feb 16
China Southern Logo
11:35 pm - 2:10 pmSFO-CTU
22h 35m1 stop
China Southern Logo
12:30 pm - 7:40 pmCTU-SFO
23h 10m2 stops
$733China Southern
Find Deal
Sat, Jan 31 - Wed, Feb 18
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 9:55 amSFO-CTU
29h 55m1 stop
Air China Logo
9:00 am - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$762Air China
Find Deal
Wed, Jan 28 - Wed, Feb 18
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 2:00 pmSFO-CTU
34h 00m1 stop
Air China Logo
9:00 am - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$763Air China
Find Deal
Sat, Jan 31 - Wed, Feb 25
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 12:30 pmSFO-CTU
32h 30m1 stop
Air China Logo
9:00 am - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
16h 30m1 stop
$779Air China
Find Deal
Wed, Jan 28 - Tue, Feb 17
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 12:50 amSFO-CTU
20h 50m1 stop
Air China Logo
8:30 pm - 9:30 amCTU-SFO
29h 00m1 stop
$785Air China
Find Deal
Mon, Feb 16 - Wed, Feb 25
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 12:55 amSFO-CTU
20h 55m1 stop
China Eastern Logo
5:25 pm - 9:00 amCTU-SFO
31h 35m1 stop
$817China Eastern
Find Deal
Wed, Jan 28 - Wed, Feb 18
China Eastern Logo
8:28 am - 12:35 pmSFO-CTU
36h 07m2 stops
China Eastern Logo
2:35 pm - 9:00 amCTU-SFO
34h 25m1 stop
$857China Eastern
Find Deal
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’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Chengdu?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Francisco to Chengdu clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Chengdu on a Thursday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to San Francisco, you should consider flying back on a Friday, and avoid Thursdays for better deals.

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 August, where tickets cost $859 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $2,068 and $1,534 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to Chengdu?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure 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 average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco to Chengdu, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 22% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$389
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 7% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 22% lower on average.
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 $389 for a one-way ticket and $694 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 $1,066 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 $992 and an overall rating of 7.5.

  • 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.

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 5 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 1045 reviews
7.6Comfort
8.1Crew
7.3Food
7.8Entertainment
7.9Boarding
Airline reviews

Leg room wasn't that great. Other than that it was a good flight

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Oct 2025LAX - HKG
Read more Cathay Pacific reviews

Leg room wasn't that great. Other than that it was a good flight

If my return flight was not so much better, I would have given an excellent review.

Seats in the absolute back row of the plane even though we booked ages ago :( Crew was awesome though

The only problem was my connecting flight to Chiang Mai on Hong Kong express that I booked through Cathay Pacific was canceled and I was never told about it. I was rescheduled on a flight 10 hours later. Very long day at rgr airport in Hing Kong after a 13 hour flight but that's OK, I understand things change but I think I should have been told. I would have prepared myself for a long wait. Great flights all around though. Thank you

I am Vegetarian also has Gluten free food. However they gave me chicken and fish which is gluten free, but i am a vegetrain and i requested crew Hindu meal vegetarian, they said they will come back. .but they never showed up even i asked 2nd time. They could have compensate. I also request airline industry to have another option Gluten Free for Vegetarin people as well. Because Vegetarin people will have gluen issue...

I was only given 2 meals, and my screen showed that there were 3 meals. Second meal was 1-2 hours late according to the screen.

Just want to do a little more clean up so does not smell like urine.

The economy seats are incredibly tight. A large percent of the traveling public will not fit. I will not fly Cathay again because of this. You are literally squeezing passengers for profit. The CEO should fly some economy flights.

They ran out of food and were offering random food to passengers.

The food and service was great. You have to pay a lot for in flight Internet though which is lame.

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 airport didn‘t give me the ticket. I called customer service to ask for a refund but they kept giving me a perfunctory response and refused to refund me.

The flight was delayed hours and most flights from CS are always delayed. Plane was efficient and got us home but not the best food and no entertainment system at all.

Not good - chair back could not move back for premium economy. Not worth the price

Same as last comment. Food sucks. Quality. Not surprising most people have no clue about nourishment Clearly

We were in business class. the angled seats in that class do not have a real window view & the placement of the controls are bad. But we knew that. But the food options were mediocre. The taste was fine, but the size was for a child. It’s just really feels like United is skimping on everything. Even when we were in the Polaris lounge they did not have diet sodas. They said they were out no Coke zero no Diet Coke, etc. I do not think the portion of nuts they serve on the plane could get any smaller. Really a minimal service and offer for what you’re paying for in business.

We had to deboard 2 times due to maintenance issues. They changed the plane, and then we got deviated to LAX due to maibtenance issues on the other plane, had to sleep at LAX and los a full day.

From the first moment you interact with United Airlines, you can expect nothing less but extreme frustration. The baggage handler at the bag drop seems completely unbothered by the presence of customers waiting in line. No help was extended to load the baggage whatsoever. And if any of your bags is overweight by 0.01 pound they will make you re-distribute everything in your suitcase just to play power trip. When it was time to board no help was extended to customers to locate their seats. Moreover. It was a chaotic mess at the gate when it was unclear who should board first and everyone just bunched up, trying to get on the plane. I am sure the crew was doing their best to perform their jobs while being paid their wages however it shouldn’t be that hard to smile once or twice when you’re in the business if serving customers. It is a shame for the United States of America to have a flagship carrier of such low caliber. Our flight was also delayed by about an hour and a half due to further delays prior to our inbound flight. Being someone who has travelled for both business and leisure in Asia, Europe, and South America I have never experienced such poor quality of service.

The pilots were late and it made us 1 hour late. The meat was tough and bok choy was also tough.

Stuck on tarmac for two hours plus a 5.5 hour flight. Rude flight attendant. And no meals, not even for purchase!

I learned that seating towards the end of plane that a line forms for the restroom and people use your chair as a hand railing, bumping your seat consistently. I was seated in the aisle. I think that next time if I am towards the back row I would want to sit in the middle or window seat.

The best airline I have ever travel , really good customer service, attention and service !!

Everything was great. Only thing that could’ve made it better was buy on board options for hot food, but the snacks were decent. The flight attendants were great. I had no complaints. I was able to make it to my destination safely

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

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

Super surprised with the entire experience. Business class is incredible. Flight attendants around the world could learn customer service from these people. Simply fabulous experience all the way around.

Pillow and blanket are dirty. My son got multiple bites during the flight

Flight was on time. My group paid for seat’s so that us four can be seated next to each other. We all got separated. We all got middle seats, which made it more difficult to be able to get up and stretch or use the restroom. We tried talking to the employees at China Eastern and they were of no help. We will not be taking this flight or recommend this route to others in the future. Also I will be contacting customer service on how I can get our money back for paying for assigned seats.

China eastern was fantastic. I had read so many bad reviews that had made me nervous. However, I found that the flight attendant’s, and customer service check in etc. etc. was excellent. I had no problems. I would fly with them again!

Excellent! I had read some negative reviews but I found out that it was not all was not true! The staff was courteous and helpful. The flight take off and landing was nice & easy. The food was good! I asked for a second and I got it easily and without an attitude! All was wonderful!

Excellent experience however older aeroplanes used by China Eastern Airlines.

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.

Food & service very good next I will pick up again

Chinese flight attendants didn't speak english well. They didn't care enough to remember that I (east asian who isn't Chinese) wasn't Chinese and spoke English. Announcement in english on board was poor and I find it very difficult to understand what was announced. Also, a cabin bag allows only 5kg!

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

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