SFO - HEL

$346 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Helsinki - Compare and Save

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 Helsinki departing on 8/1. 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 Helsinki

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Helsinki.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to Helsinki.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$818
Typical prices: $632-$1,029
Scandinavian Airlines
Sun 11/29Wed 12/9
SFO - HEL • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$346
Typical prices: $541-$1,391
Multiple Airlines
Sat 8/1
SFO - HEL • 2 stops
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $818 (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 Helsinki. You'll need at least 1 connection.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $581 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 13h 59m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 36% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Helsinki (SFO-HEL)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Helsinki 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 Helsinki

Sun, Nov 29 - Wed, Dec 9
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 1:35 am
SFO
-
HEL
22h 50m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 2:50 pm
HEL
-
SFO
18h 35m
1 stop
$818Scandinavian Airlines
Wed, Sep 30 - Tue, Oct 6
Finnair Logo
1:27 pm - 3:25 pm
SFO
-
HEL
15h 58m
1 stop
Finnair Logo
5:15 pm - 12:43 am
HEL
-
SFO
17h 28m
1 stop
$819Finnair
Thu, Dec 3 - Tue, Dec 8
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 8:20 pm
SFO
-
HEL
17h 35m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:05 pm - 2:50 pm
HEL
-
SFO
32h 45m
1 stop
$824Scandinavian Airlines
Wed, Sep 23 - Fri, Oct 2
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:41 pm - 2:00 pm
SFO
-
HEL
15h 19m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 12:59 am
HEL
-
SFO
17h 44m
1 stop
$837Multiple Airlines
Wed, Sep 23 - Fri, Oct 2
KLM Logo
3:16 pm - 5:40 pm
SFO
-
HEL
16h 24m
2 stops
KLM Logo
7:00 am - 11:45 am
HEL
-
SFO
14h 45m
1 stop
$839KLM
Tue, Sep 15 - Wed, Dec 2
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 3:20 pm
SFO
-
HEL
12h 35m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
6:15 am - 2:50 pm
HEL
-
SFO
18h 35m
1 stop
$845Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Sep 15 - Wed, Dec 2
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 8:35 pm
SFO
-
HEL
17h 50m
2 stops
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
4:05 pm - 2:50 pm
HEL
-
SFO
32h 45m
1 stop
$847Scandinavian Airlines
Tue, Aug 18 - Tue, Sep 8
Turkish Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 11:55 pm
SFO
-
HEL
19h 10m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
7:35 pm - 4:40 pm
HEL
-
SFO
31h 05m
1 stop
$853Turkish Airlines
Wed, Sep 30 - Tue, Oct 6
KLM Logo
2:20 pm - 5:40 pm
SFO
-
HEL
17h 20m
2 stops
KLM Logo
7:00 am - 4:02 pm
HEL
-
SFO
19h 02m
2 stops
$856KLM
Mon, Aug 10 - Wed, Aug 26
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:55 pm - 6:40 pm
SFO
-
HEL
19h 45m
1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
12:05 pm - 10:50 am
HEL
-
SFO
32h 45m
1 stop
$861Turkish Airlines
Booking Insights

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

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Helsinki 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 Helsinki?

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 Helsinki departing in November.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Helsinki, 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 Helsinki is October, where tickets cost $564 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,369 and $1,286 respectively.

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

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 Helsinki, 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 Helsinki, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonOctober
Cheapest flight$346
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 36% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 55% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to Helsinki

When to book flights from San Francisco to Helsinki

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to Helsinki 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 Helsinki

  • Will I need a visa to fly from San Francisco to Helsinki?

    Since Finland is part of the Schengen area, US residents do not need to apply for a visa before traveling to Helsinki. As long as you have a Schengen visa you can stay in the country visa-free for as long as 90 days. The only requirement will be a valid passport with at least six months left and two blank pages for each stamp. There is also a currency restriction of 10,000 € for entry and exit.

  • Can I get a train from Helsinki Airport to the city center?

    Yes, there is a train service that connects Helsinki Airport to the city center. You can get it from the airport train station, located on the arrivals level between Terminal 1 and 2. You should know that the train service runs from 4:00 am to midnight so not reliable for any arrivals past midnight. The bus and taxi offer a more reliable option as they run 24/7 although a taxi is significantly more expensive relative to the train and bus.

  • How can I fly between San Francisco and Helsinki?

    At the moment, there aren’t any airline carriers offering direct connections between San Francisco and Helsinki. Most flights involve one or two stops on the way with the fastest option being about 1h 35min. The layover options on the route vary depending on the airline with British Airways having their layovers in London while KLM has its layover scheduled for Amsterdam.

  • Which airline should I book with to enjoy the lounges at San Francisco Airport?

    The airport has multiple lounges where you can hang out while waiting to board your flight to Helsinki. These lounges offer comfortable seating along with complimentary food and drinks for travelers to enjoy. You can get access to these lounges by booking with the affiliated airline. For instance, out of the international carriers serving this route only Air France and KLM have a joint lounge which is open to travelers flying with either of the two airlines.

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

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Helsinki was $385 for a one-way ticket and $818 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to Helsinki from San Francisco.

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

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

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

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

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to Helsinki, Finnair or Air France?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to Helsinki are Finnair and Air France. With an average price for the route of $1,195 and an overall rating of 7.6, Finnair is the most popular choice. Air France is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $971 and an overall rating of 7.5.

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

    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 Helsinki.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Helsinki 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 Helsinki?

    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 Helsinki with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and HEL 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 Helsinki?

    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 Helsinki 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 Helsinki

  • You can choose to fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) instead of San Francisco (SFO) if you’re looking to avoid the long queues and busy nature of SFO. The airport is less than thirty miles away from San Francisco and also offers connections to Helsinki.
  • British Airways has onboard Wi-Fi available for its passengers. This would be a good airline option to consider if you plan on taking advantage of the long flight to get some office work done or even catch up with your favorite TV show.
  • Lufthansa has an unaccompanied minor service that makes it possible for you to book a ticket for your child to travel alone. This service ensures the safety of your child throughout the entire trip including any transfers.
  • Different airlines have different seat classes available for this route. For instance, an Economy ticket with Lufthansa allows you a carry-on and checked bag while KLM only allows a carry-on with any checked bags incurring an additional cost.
  • While there are multiple options to get to San Francisco Airport from downtown, a taxi is the quickest one if you’re running out of time. It is also very convenient if you have a lot of luggage as it will pick you up at any point and drop you off at the airport terminal.

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Helsinki. 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 Helsinki? 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
FinnairOverall score based on 1415 reviews
6.7Food
8.2Crew
6.9Entertainment
7.7Boarding
7.4Comfort
Airline reviews

The seats are very uncomfortable. They never have tomato juice. Usually late

4.0 OkayAnonymous, Jun 2026
LAX - HEL
Read more Finnair reviews

The seats are very uncomfortable. They never have tomato juice. Usually late

Finnair was not able to get our luggage on a connecting flight and there was a substantial delay of two days to obtain our lugguage. They did not communicate well, and we had to travel a significant distance to finally get our luggage. It has been a very negative experience.

On a more than 8 hours flight was only one meal included, which I have never experienced before. Always two meals on the overseas flight. It was very weird.

Business seating is soooo uncomfortable. You can sit straight up or lay down. You need pillows behind you because the back doesn’t lay down. Those are need to “prop” you up. The chair has no padding whatsoever. Food was gross. I’ve eaten on Finnair before and the food was exceptional. This time it gave 2 people in our party diarrhea. It was the chicken dish. I took 2 bites and didn’t eat anything more. The flight attendants were nice. You needed an additional lounge in Terminal D at DFW Airport. After waiting 40 minutes to enter, we finally gave up and went to a bar across from the club doors. I’m unsure if I’ll ever book a Finnair flight again.

It was a good flight, very comfortable seats for sleeping in business class. Probably the most comfortable business class seat I've ever had (20+ times in business class on various airlines). Service was good, but the only downside is my screen didn't work and it had to be reset multiple times to get it to shut off. I had to block my eyes because the screen was white almost the entire flight and I wore an eye mask when I slept. But when eating and reading in my seat, my eyes hurt because the only way to turn the screen off was reset it and the screen would only be off for a few minutes at a time.

Everything was wonderful! AirBus seats are more comfortable to sleep in as compared to the Boeing planes.

Great. It was awesome to have boarding from the front and back of the plane as it made the process go very quickly

We had an excellent trip with Finnair. This was our first time and we’re very pleased. The only issue was with the boarding - it was a little bit confusing and needs a little bit of streamlining.

The staff were all particularly great. The plane was clean and fresh. The bassinet worked great. It was all very nice.

flight was excellent. The crew was very helpful. Finnair made this 10 hour flight flyby. The entertainment screens on every seat really help save the battery life of your personal devices. We were served dinner and even a light breakfast, both of which were tasty. The crew even did all they could to help one group of passengers with their child, as to keep them comfortable during the flight.

Terrible airlines, kept lying to me about the fact that my connection flight was cancelled. Left me hanging until last min. NEVER AGAIN

Cancelled flight, wasn't refunded paid selected seats. Poor customer service. Called airline and they didn't realize the flight was cancelled until several hours after the email notice was sent.

5 of my 7 pieces of luggage are missing and they cant call to find out where it is. I have to fill out a form and wait for them to mail it to me in several days (if they find it). That does not work for my travel itinerary. I need my full ticket cost refunded please.

Fantastic. The only thing - out of my six luggage one was lost in Copenhagen, however it was delivered Home 3 Days later so all great..

Amazing! Everyone was so nice and the food was so good!!

I was surprised how good an American airline can be - I was really impressed.

Over all experience was good. However the connection time was too short at CPG. We missed our connecting flight to AMS as the passport control line was too long and by the time we got our passport control done it was too late I wish there were some SAS staff to help us out at the passport control center Though they put us in a KLM flight from CPG to AMS, That flight was also delayed by over two hours

No vegetarian option was provided for the regular meal or the pre-landing snack.

Great logistics and timeliness as we arrived quite early. Flight smooth and fast. Excellent entertainment. Plane itself was a bit tired and the crew mostly indifferent. Baggage took forever but that’s on CPH. Would use SAS again for sure.

Business class seats narrower and the most uncomfortable Business class I've ever experienced. Clothes on the seats was itchy, head of the bed was elevated causing us to slude down even though they were "lie flat seats". Plane was way too hot. My partner and I were both sweating just sitting in our seats. Staff appeared sad or depressed

No extra snacks were available. Meals quality is terrible. Crew was not friendly.

Lost one piece of luggage even though I checked in 2.5 hours before the flight

It was perfect! United Airlines staff was extremely caring, super friendly and professional

United has maintenance issues and can then never recover. No operations ability and simple issues always turn into multiple hours long cascading delays. Worst airline on earth.

I paid for a confirmed upgraded aisle seat and was moved to a center seat in the back of the plane at the last minute.

Horrifying Almost 2 million miles. Bring your own food and drink. One coffee or drink every three hours. Have to order meals on app more than 24 hours ahead Tiny and dirty bathrooms

Easy of boarding, helpfully staff at check in, surprisingly comfortable seating

Lost of requested seat assignments. Lost my husband's meal choice

My service dog and I were asked to deplane just before they closed the door - clearly very last minute they couldn’t find the documentation that I have filled out many many times before that is for flying service animals. I purposely purchase 3seats (a whole row) since he is large and not all passengers want to sit next to a dog on a cross country flight. The plane departed with my husband on it!!! They made me fill out a hard copy of the same form and had to reschedule me on a later flight where they could find 3 seats together!! I’ve done this so many times before - clearly the error was on their part in a technology glitch - but really people - do better!! Very traumatic - and my husband had to wait for us when he landed ….so bad. Poor pup was confused and tired.

My flight time was changed without any notification to me which ruined my time sensitive plans so I ended up completely changing my travel plans and no reimbursement.

Flight was delayed multiple times without giving any particular reason and the only thing that was communicated was that 'Aircraft is getting ready'. I was stuck at SFO airport for 15 hours and finally took Southwest Airlines flight back home to Dallas.

I was not clear if food was offered or not.

Agency very bad had to cancelled my booking too many changes in the flight changed my flight to 1 week

Take-off delayed an hour because of a missing flight officer, so,arrived in Charlotte lates causing many passengers to miss connections. Otherwise a very good flight, safe and comfortable, with an excellent professional crew.

B-class on an old plane with antiquated amenities and poor service. Landed in Rome w/o bag that didn’t make the connection (plenty of time in London). Bag will come to hotel NOT the day it lands but the following night!! Still waiting for bag…BA had nothing to offer in support and couldn’t even tell me their comp, told to submit receipts and then I’ll learn what is or isn’t covered.

Premium Economy Good crew, good service, excellent food. Seat back screen just not bright enough.

The SFO Lounge crew were amazing. The bartender Faris was great. Thanks!

Not good. One of my luggage is missing. And until now they can’t find it

It was spectacular. I had basic Economy and was given so much space and their seats lean back so far. Staff was superb, food was superb, everything was superb, Finnair is Fantastic.

Awful customer service on the phone. No phone number on the website to call a real person. Website says changes are no charge but this is a lie. I had a cheaper ticket through Kayak therefore Finnair wouldn’t change it unless I would pay the entire fare again. I begged but their agents at the airport were rude and the online chat person cut off the call with no help. Super disappointed. Wont fly this airline again and will tell everyone I meet how bad it is. Crew on the flight was nice but otherwise huge disappointment.

Flight attendants were fine, seats a bit hard but I use a cushion for extra support. The only issue was it was a bit too cool and I needed to ask for and received and extra blanket. I survived!!!

Food choices limited & not enticing Seats quite uncomfortable & difficult to control

Boarding was disorganized. The door to one to the toilets wouldn’t lock. The plane was shockingly cramped, and clearly used for domestic flights due to the menus for items to sell domestic travelers. United should be ashamed of its small seats, tiny unclean toilets, and money grubbing stance toward services, compared to Lufthansa, Emirates, and most international carriers United is awful.

Service and food were excellent. Incredibly friendly and competent staff. Flight was delayed over and hour and I had to run between terminals to get my connecting flight.

Everything was really great just The aircraft was too old and sounded it will break during takeoff

Extremely pleased with the crew. Best flight attendants ever! Very friendly, genuinely caring and attentive.

Cheapest airlines I have ever been on. I got downgraded and never got on united. I got rerouted through Vancouver onto jetwesf

Very small and uncomfortable seats, Hard to hear entertainment system sound. Horrible food. Staff doesn't care much about the passengers. 2nd time they didn't give me my vegetarian meal. They asked me regular food with meat. The airline and staff was from United airlines.

Lufthansa charged me $280 to take skiiis when in the US the boot bag and skiis are one check-in bag. This was not advertised and a real shock at the airport. They only took the boot bag as a check-in item. The seats have been squeezed together like any economy airline and legroom is not as good as it used to be. Otherwise, the flight was fine and staff was helpful for making my connection.

Professional crew and staff, very organized boarding and on time flights, baggage handling. Indian vegetarian meals were good, though could improve by offering Indian bread (naan/paratha/roti) as well. Very helpful pre flight emails with details of onboard experience 👍 Above average selection of movies. Consider offering more movies with subtitles and ratings indicators (e.g., IMDB scores).

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports