$354 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to China

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 China departing on 9/15. 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

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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to China

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Shanghai
Shanghai1 stop$627
Beijing
Beijing1 stop$609
Guangzhou
Guangzhou1 stop$627
Fuzhou
Fuzhou1 stop$667
Chengdu
Chengdu1 stop$697
Shenyang
Shenyang1 stop$636
Shenzhen
Shenzhen1 stop$785
Qingdao
Qingdao1 stop$626
Wuhan
Wuhan1 stop$656
Hangzhou
Hangzhou1 stop$627
Chongqing
Chongqing1 stop$666
Xi'an
Xi'an1 stop$667
Xiamen
Xiamen1 stop$699
Nanjing
Nanjing1 stop$667
Kunming
Kunming1 stop$629
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou1 stop$667
Changsha
Changsha2 stops$778
Dalian
Dalian1 stop$751
Tianjin
Tianjin1 stop$724
Harbin
Harbin1 stop$765
Shanghai
Shanghai1 stop$627
Beijing
Beijing1 stop$609
Guangzhou
Guangzhou1 stop$627
Fuzhou
Fuzhou1 stop$667
Chengdu
Chengdu1 stop$697
Shenyang
Shenyang1 stop$636
Shenzhen
Shenzhen1 stop$785
Qingdao
Qingdao1 stop$626
Wuhan
Wuhan1 stop$656
Hangzhou
Hangzhou1 stop$627
Chongqing
Chongqing1 stop$666
Xi'an
Xi'an1 stop$667
Xiamen
Xiamen1 stop$699
Nanjing
Nanjing1 stop$667
Kunming
Kunming1 stop$629
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou1 stop$667
Changsha
Changsha2 stops$778
Dalian
Dalian1 stop$751
Tianjin
Tianjin1 stop$724
Harbin
Harbin1 stop$765

Book Cheap San Francisco to China Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to China 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.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to China

Thu, Sep 4 - Tue, Sep 16
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:40 pm - 10:50 amSFO-PEK
30h 10m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
7:40 pm - 10:40 pmPEK-SFO
18h 00m1 stop
$609Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 11 - Mon, Oct 6
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 1:00 pmSFO-PEK
34h 00m1 stop
China Eastern Logo
7:00 am - 9:05 amPEK-SFO
17h 05m1 stop
$615China Eastern
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 11 - Mon, Oct 6
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 11:20 amSFO-PKX
32h 20m1 stop
China Eastern Logo
7:45 am - 9:05 amPKX-SFO
16h 20m1 stop
$615China Eastern
Find Deal
Tue, Oct 21 - Wed, Nov 12
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:20 am - 9:05 pmSFO-CAN
29h 45m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
10:15 pm - 9:15 pmCAN-SFO
15h 00m1 stop
$627Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 11 - Thu, Oct 23
China Eastern Logo
12:00 pm - 11:50 pmSFO-PEK
20h 50m1 stop
China Eastern Logo
7:00 am - 9:05 amPEK-SFO
17h 05m1 stop
$627China Eastern
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 26 - Tue, Sep 9
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 11:05 amSFO-PKX
19h 30m1 stop
China Southern Logo
5:30 pm - 8:40 pmPKX-SFO
18h 10m1 stop
$674China Southern
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 2 - Wed, Sep 10
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 2:15 pmSFO-PKX
22h 40m1 stop
China Southern Logo
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmPKX-SFO
40h 00m2 stops
$676China Southern
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 22 - Wed, Nov 19
Air China Logo
1:00 pm - 11:20 amSFO-CAN
31h 20m1 stop
Air China Logo
6:30 am - 9:15 amCAN-SFO
18h 45m1 stop
$702Air China
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 1 - Wed, Oct 22
Air China Logo
1:00 pm - 10:05 amSFO-SHE
30h 05m1 stop
Air China Logo
9:05 am - 10:30 amSHE-SFO
16h 25m1 stop
$703Air China
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 25 - Sat, Feb 7
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 9:55 amSFO-TSN
19h 25m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 3:00 pmTSN-SFO
20h 05m1 stop
$862Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Booking Insights

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

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco to China flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to China from San Francisco found in the last 72 hours was to Shanghai, at $620 round-trip. The most popular route is from San Francisco (SFO) to Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $620.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Francisco to China?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 3 stops layover the cheapest option at $1,616 on average.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to China, 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 China is September, when tickets cost $968 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,562 and $1,524 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to China?

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

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

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

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 China, 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 China, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 15% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$354
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 14% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 14% lower on average.
Flight from San Francisco to Beijing Capital Airport

FAQs - booking China flights

  • What are the available amenities at Shanghai Pudong International Airport?

    Many amenities include Wi-Fi, a business center, left luggage offices, mother-and-baby rooms, an art gallery, a children's park, and a maritime exhibition. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about such facilities, especially after a long journey.

  • Are there direct flights from San Francisco to China?

    Most flights offer indirect services making one, two, or three stops along the way. Flights making one-stop are more expensive and take a shorter time to reach the final destination than those making two or three stops.

  • Which are the arrival airports in China?

    Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), and Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) are the arrival stations in China. PVG is southeast of Shanghai city, CAN is in southern China, and PKX is south of Beijing City. All these airports are in some of the best cities in China.

  • Which airlines offer indirect flights from San Francisco to China?

    Philippine Airlines, EVA Air, Air Canada, China Airlines, ANA, Malaysia Airlines, and Etihad Airways offer indirect flight services. The planes make one, two, or three stops before reaching the final destination. Again, time duration and flight tickets vary among these flights.

  • Which is the cheapest route from San Francisco to China?

    Traveling from San Francisco to China via Shanghai Pu Dong is the cheapest route. However, the cheap flight ticket fluctuates from time to time. Therefore, you should check the price ticket before booking, especially if you have a tight budget. The flight can be one-way or round-trip.

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

    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 China.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco to China 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 China?

    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 from San Francisco to China with an airline and back with another airline.

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

    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 from San Francisco to China up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to China?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to China is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $1,003 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to China is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,250.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to China

  • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a play spot for kids to have fun before the departure. This airport also offers wheelchair services to help travelers with disabilities to get in and off planes. You can also take a shower and continue with your journey feeling fresh and relaxed. Upon arriving at the airport in China, you can go to the love channel to access a baby stroller if you have a toddler or a wheelchair if needed.
  • Flights departing from San Francisco also serve other cities in China, including Anshan, Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Jieyang, Nanning, Yanji, Yiwu, Dali, Hohhot, Hefei, and Shanghai.
  • There are many cities offering airport services. However, flight ticket varies depending on the airport the plane arrives at. Thus, you should check this advantage before booking a flight. Again, you should check whether the flight offers direct or indirect services to various airports in different cities.
  • If you are touring China, you need a tourist visa. The passport remains valid for six months before it expires. Just make sure you renew it early enough if you want to stay there longer.
  • In China, it’s mandatory to have car seats for children. Therefore, most rental car companies in China have car seats installed to avoid violating the law. If you have a child, you should ensure to rent a vehicle that has a car seat for children for your child's safety. Risking by choosing a car without a car seat may land you with problems with the law.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to China

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to China? 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 968 reviews
7.6Comfort
7.8Entertainment
8.1Crew
7.3Food
7.9Boarding
Airline reviews

Check in process at the kiosk, crew in flight and overall comfort was good. Food selection could have been better. Flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles did not have any vegetarian main course option, it was either sea food or chicken. Being a vegetarian I could only eat yogurt and fruit. Most international flights have one vegetarian main course dish which I found missing in Cathay Pacific menu.

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

Check in process at the kiosk, crew in flight and overall comfort was good. Food selection could have been better. Flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles did not have any vegetarian main course option, it was either sea food or chicken. Being a vegetarian I could only eat yogurt and fruit. Most international flights have one vegetarian main course dish which I found missing in Cathay Pacific menu.

Cabin crew is very helpful and nice, it is another level of service compared to Air Canada

Entertainment for kids was good. Good was terrible, needs lots of work.

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

I had high expectations but met with a below average experience. I hope the Airline will take a notice and improve.

I've stomach problems after 2 hours of flight, Iris, the flight purser not only did her best to make me feel comfortable, she went above and beyond providing pain relievers medicines and ointment. She look and found a doctor passenger on the flight to provide advise. She even report on ground staffs about my condition and provide wheelchair upon arrival. Kudos to her and Cathay Pacific!

Everything was fine and I have no complaints or things to note.

Overall, it was ok. However, the food was very sub-par.

The economy seats are much indeed roomier. Meals needs improvement.

It was okay overall but the food was very, very bad.

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

The back of the chair - premium economy could not move back - not worth the price

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.

Very comfortable (upgraded to business class). The audio on my screen didn’t work, but I managed to play the audio through my phone while watching the screen.

Flight was late as pilot crew had to land at different airport in their previous flight. Passengers boarded and had to wait for pilots inside plane. Series of incomplete and unnecessary announcements by an annoying voice, rather than complete, informative announcements.

Breakfast was not loaded at SFO due to catering company change. Seems like a major airline at a major hub would have thought of something else or warned passengers to pick up food before boarding a 3 hour flight.

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

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 was not satisfactory - the flight was delayed, staffs were ok but they didn't speak English well. I am from east Asia (not Chinese) and they didn't care enough to remember that I wasn't Chinese but persistently spoke chinese to me. The flight announcement in english wasn't clear to understand.

I wish I had been able to choose a vegetarian meal. Crew friendly and helpful. Seat was ok. All quite efficient and pleasant. Would recommend for inner China travel for sure.

The flight is not bad, but the Business Lounge is not big enough for the quantity of people they accept and there is a limited options for food and beverages.

It was simply bad and on top of that my luggage hasn't been delivered until now. They can't even localize it which is just unacceptable when they are supposed to scan the bar code they put when we check in

We bought premium Economy, thinking it would be more comfortable, but the seat is so narrow ,that my legs and feet are swollen , I can't wear shoes !

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.

The crew were excellent, service amazing, blankets and pillow good, cabin temperature perfect, the flight on time, food was unusual selection however plentiful, price for tickets unbeatable through Kayak. Older aeroplanes used by China Eastern was the only down side.

Delay in off-boarding due to customs at SFO... pilot announcement should have come earlier so passengers don't clog aisles.

Better good than most, if not all European airlines. If you’re stuck in an economy seat anyways, China Eastern is a good choice because of shorter flight time, being able to overfly Russia

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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