$144 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Houston - 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 Houston departing on 8/5. 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

Save 20% or more on flights. Compare deals from all over the web.

Never overpay with our price tracking tools.

Filter searches by price, airline and more to find your best flights.

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$263
Typical prices: $294-$475
Frontier
Fri 10/9Mon 10/12
SFO - IAH • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$344
Typical prices: $457-$637
United Airlines
Sat 12/12Sun 12/13
SFO - IAH • Non-stop
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $263 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with United Airlines. Average duration is 4h 05m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 90% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 27% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
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 Houston!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Houston (SFO-HOU)

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

Fri, Oct 9 - Mon, Oct 12
Frontier Logo
12:31 pm - 9:20 pm
SFO
-
IAH
6h 49m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:15 pm - 9:18 pm
IAH
-
SFO
25h 03m
2 stops
$263Frontier
Thu, Sep 3 - Mon, Sep 7
Frontier Logo
10:59 pm - 12:58 pm
SFO
-
IAH
11h 59m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:10 am - 10:15 am
IAH
-
SFO
6h 05m
1 stop
$264Frontier
Fri, Aug 28 - Tue, Sep 1
Southwest Logo
3:00 pm - 10:20 pm
SFO
-
HOU
5h 20m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:25 am - 1:15 pm
HOU
-
SFO
7h 50m
1 stop
$284Southwest
Wed, Aug 26 - Tue, Sep 1
Southwest Logo
1:25 pm - 11:10 pm
SFO
-
HOU
7h 45m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
6:50 am - 11:05 am
HOU
-
SFO
6h 15m
1 stop
$289Southwest
Thu, Aug 20 - Wed, Aug 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:35 pm - 10:03 am
SFO
-
IAH
9h 28m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:16 pm - 9:07 am
IAH
-
SFO
16h 51m
1 stop
$306Multiple Airlines
Thu, Oct 15 - Mon, Oct 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:22 am - 9:04 pm
SFO
-
IAH
12h 42m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 11:17 pm
IAH
-
SFO
12h 17m
1 stop
$307Multiple Airlines
Sat, Dec 12 - Sun, Dec 13
United Airlines Logo
7:10 pm - 1:11 am
SFO
-
IAH
4h 01mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
5:05 am - 7:20 am
IAH
-
SFO
4h 15mnonstop
$344United Airlines
Tue, Sep 29 - Mon, Oct 5
United Airlines Logo
4:10 pm - 10:15 pm
SFO
-
IAH
4h 05mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
9:40 am - 11:44 am
IAH
-
SFO
4h 04mnonstop
$349United Airlines
Sat, Aug 29 - Sat, Sep 12
American Airlines Logo
7:25 am - 3:26 pm
SFO
-
HOU
6h 01m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:59 pm - 11:28 pm
HOU
-
SFO
6h 29m
1 stop
$368American Airlines
Fri, Aug 21 - Mon, Aug 24
American Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 9:03 am
SFO
-
HOU
7h 33m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:14 pm - 11:10 pm
HOU
-
SFO
6h 56m
1 stop
$369American Airlines
Booking Insights

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

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

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 Houston departing in September.

Flight prices are below average for this route right now.

Flights to Houston from San Francisco usually cost between $299 and $509 in September.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $264 on Frontier (Sep 3-Sep 7).

What is the cheapest San Francisco to Houston flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from San Francisco to Houston costs $340 on the route between San Francisco (SFO) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH). It is also the most popular route.

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

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

When flying from San Francisco to Houston, you should consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Mondays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Fridays and the most expensive ones on Tuesdays.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Houston, 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 Houston is January, where tickets cost $360 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $492 and $488 respectively.

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

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 Houston, 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 Houston, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 27% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 21 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San Francisco to Houston

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
John Walton

John Walton

Expert on IAH

Independent aviation journalist John Walton took his first flight at eight weeks old and hasn’t stopped travelling since. A world-renowned expert in airlines and the passenger experience, he writes in depth on aviation, is a resident expert on travel in Japan and France, and offers a uniquely queer perspective on travelling the world.

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

Good to know

Cheapest flight

$144
Flight from San Francisco to Houston George Bush Airport

When to book flights from San Francisco to Houston

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

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

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Houston was $144 for a one-way ticket and $263 for a round-trip.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to Houston from San Francisco?

    Denver is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to Houston.

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

    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 Houston.

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

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

    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 Houston with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline.

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

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

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to Houston?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from San Francisco to Houston.
Find which airlines fly direct from San Francisco Airport to Houston, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

San Francisco to Houston

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Houston to San Francisco

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Houston. 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 Houston? 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4226 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
7.0Food
Airline reviews

I think Southwest is the number one airline that anyone can fly I have flown for the first time Frontier and what a joke and their customer service United was a very strange experience I'm only sticking to Southwest from here on out for sure

10.0 Excellentkelly, Jul 2026
SFO - PHX
Read more Southwest reviews

I think Southwest is the number one airline that anyone can fly I have flown for the first time Frontier and what a joke and their customer service United was a very strange experience I'm only sticking to Southwest from here on out for sure

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

As always, the entire Southwest experience was wonderful, from online booking to flight to baggage retrieval. Very grateful.

The weather could have been better. There was a 40 minute ATC delay in SFO because of marine fog and a micro cell storm delayed landing and take-off at Nashville. The gate was changed 5 minutes from boarding from gate B3 to gate C23 at Nashville airport.

The cabin was quiet for the redeye flight. The area was clean. The staff was great. The 787 Max was in good condition. Drawbacks were that the seat widths were tight for some passengers. The seat padding was at best average and for a long flight uncomfortable.

Employees were kind and funny, as always! Flight was late but no announcements were made for people with tight connections to help them transition quickly. No service due to turbulence.

Service was great, boarding and exiting went smoothly, and the flight was very pleasant.

I used to fly SWA all the time. I know the crew has their little acts that are often fun, and entertaining. On this flight one of the crew was just not nice. Very surprising.

The crew and flight went well. My issue was internal communications. I had a connecting flight that initially was changed to a later time since first flight was delayed, then they changed back to original time because “the captain thought hed make it”. Upon arrival at connecting airport, the flight attendant assured that the connecting flight was still there and I should run to the gate after deplaning…well that was inaccurate. The plane had departed and gate was empty. I was stuck at airport 4 hours hungry and irritated and also had to again cancel my transportation plans at destination. After informing the help desk I was given a dry oh well and a measly $15 food voucher that barely could afford anything at that airport.

There were over 40 people in the “preboard” group. It’s not fair for southwest to charge for an upgraded boarding fee (a1-a15) and then let over 40 people board before.

Crew was absolutely fantastic and we’re so welcoming and friendly ❤️

Flight delayed four separate times. I’m now one hour hours late to landing.

The plane was an older model, so it wasn’t as comfortable as others. The flight attendants were not helpful during onboarding. It was a full flight so there was chaos finding space for baggage.

Awesome! On time flight, early arrival, and a complimentary upgrade!

Delta’s staff is unmatched. From the gate agents, to the pilots, to the flight attendants… all top of the industry.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

Excellent flight, the planes were newer, they did a nice job with boarding, great service overall.

Thank you for not flipping the plane on the run way. You guys get a 5 star rating for the flight!!!

Boarding is, as it always is… horrible. Gate lice. Slow moving zones. Too many people with carry ons

New boarding doesn't make sense. Filling front first is slow.

Boarded from a very small gate at LAX. Staff at gate had us line up, then waited 25 minutes to board without a word of explanation. Plane arrived on time then waited 20 minutes for a plane to vacate our gate. Majority of bags arrived after 15 minutes but it took an hour for a small number of remaining bags to be off-loaded despite my “priority” bag tag.

The boarding process on the departure from LA was rather slow even though I was in Group 1. For first class, I was not expecting to have to pay for Wi-fi but I did and then the wi-fi was spotty. The entree was surprisingly good and so that was a pleasant surprise. However, once I got to Houston, it was terrible. Unfortunately there was bad weather but the constant gate changes for my connecting flight was difficult to manage due to having to navigate back and forth between different terminals.

No screens or meal options. Freezing cold. Dirty seats. Left late.

Boarding was again a "free for all". We were boarding group 4, and almost the entire plane was able to board before us. It's a shame that someone who follows the rules, gets the short end of the stick. Not fair.

My flight was canceled a few hours before boarding. I was rebooked on Copa airlines and missed an important meeting .

Complimentary light meal would be appreciated. But great flight crew service on all legs

I boarded flight UA#1318 at Sacramento International Airport going back to Houston TX. The flight was scheduled at 5:10am. I was able to check in virtually using the United Airlines app. When I entered the airport, there was no one outside assisting with checked bags as it was for Delta Airlines. Immediately upon entering, there was a LONG, EXTREMELY LONG line to the kiosks to get boarding passes. I stand in line to get boarding passes then had to move to ANOTHER EXTREMELY LONG line to get my bags checked in. While standing in this line, we noticed an agent taking customers to 3 at a time to her station to check their bags in. Lucky for me, she called me back, checked my bags for me and I was on my way. I then encountered another long line at the TSA check and to avoid I ending up having to sign up for CLEAR to bypass it. So glad, I did.,...Both of my flights were great with no issues, butthe check in progress at Bush Airport was so much smoother. Check-in at SMF airport needs to be anaylzed and corrected. Do better United, I know you can....thanks

I was in first class. The outlets at my seat did not work. The plane was shabby and run down. I had prepurchsed a day subscription for internet that was not redeemable. I had to repurchase the internet for my flight and then it didn’t work anyway. Quite disappointed in what was supposed to be the launch of a great vacation.

United sent me a mileage plus number last year but that number is invalid so I can’t use it to check into flights or collect mileage. There is human to speak about the problem, only computers who keep asking me if I am using the correct email. It’s so frustrating and I cannot resolve it.

Awful. I got stuck next to a person carrying a dog and behind someone with a dog. People need to board these dogs downstairs. The cabin is crowded enough with your pets

Not good. Flight crew, was not friendly and just shoved stuff at us. Not the way I like to travel.

Aside from the little delay, overall was flight good. Made it safely. Thanks!

Over the course of 7 months of travel, I can count on my hand the number of times the flight has departed on time. Majority of the instances have been related to non-weather reasons. Would not recommend flying this Airline

I had no problems but the changing of planes that I was supposed to be on was confusing. Maybe it would be helpful to let people know your flight changed. Not everyone understands airports or how flying works.

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.

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

Dloght delayed by 2.5 hrs . Common theme in my last four american floghts

Delayed flight, so I switched fights to SFO to Phoenix , Phoenix to DSM. Excellent service through American Airlines

After several delays and being rebooked onto a layer flight, I had to speak to three AA agents for baggage claim to get an attendant. All were in foul mode and reluctant to assist or offer any assistance.

Mobility assistance at DFW is A JOKE!!! Totally disorganized, ineffective and annoying. Ended up having to walk and find our own way for a good part of the very, very long walk between gates. Worst assistance I have ever experienced.

I really didn't like anything. Paid for my checked luggage online ($79) and then was told that I would have to paid another $79 for my carry on. Was not allowed to enter the terminal until 3 hours before my flight and when I finally was allowed to check my bag and enter, my flight was delayed 3 times. When I finally landed, we were all instructed to "run off the plane" as they had to do a quick turn around to Las Vegas. Me and several of my flying companions will never fly Frontier again.

They didn’t offer a water, even after I asked

When I wanted to check in 3 hours prior to boarding time, the employees mentioned “a little over an hour delay” so I waited for an hour then I went to go look for food in the terminal and most people from that flight were in the same area looking for food. Finally I decided after food to check to see if it’s anytime closer and now it’s 2 mins until boarding closes?! What are you kidding me? I didn’t receive anything via sms about boarding now nor via email or on the intercom. I luckily made it through, barely, and then there’s no room for my carry on mind you I’m in the very first row so I had to place my purse in one further row back and my carry on sections down. Not sure who pays for better seats to get your stuff placed all over the plane but that was the worst experience I’ve ever had flying with anyone.

Frontier had yet another flight cancellation. Have never made a complete round trip with this airline without at least one leg getting cancelled. Miserable flights - dirty, uncomfortable planes that apparently always have issues since I've had multiple delays and cancellations with them.

No frills for sure. No gate announcements about flight delay, not even water to drink on the flight.

I loked walking out on the tarmac to board and no first class. I didn't like that they have no snacks or onboard wifi to bide your time.

It was a redeye flight, so every passenger just wanted to sleep, but through the entire flight, the flight crew made announcements over the loudspeaker at maximum volume every few minutes making sleep impossible. For example: it’s 2am, and the crew decides to give an extremely detailed announcement about snacks and beverages for sale. And 3am is the perfect time to wake up everyone with a lengthy announcement about how to get a coffee refill and how to take advantage of new offer from frontier for a credit card.

While booking it was not obvious that I had to pay for carryon. Realized it only during check-in. Overall, meh!

Stop changing gates at sfo. When you are elderly going back for it’s not fun.

After 5 hours of delay, they cancelled the flight. Very disappointed

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports