$243 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Panama - Compare and Save

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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Panama

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Panama City
Panama City1 stop$768
David
David2 stops$1,221
Panama City
Panama City1 stop$768
David
David2 stops$1,221

Price, demand and travel trends for San Francisco to Panama flights

Use KAYAK data on prices, travel dates, airlines and seasonal trends to compare options and book flights with more confidence.

Are flights from San Francisco to Panama cheaper or more expensive than last year?

Fares from San Francisco to Panama are running about 10% higher than they were around this time last year, averaging $726 round-trip.

What are the cheapest fares from San Francisco to Panama right now?

The cheapest fare from San Francisco to Panama in the last week was $768 round-trip, to Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY).

What’s the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Panama?

April is the cheapest time of year to fly, with average fares of $669. Prices are highest in December, when average flight costs increase to around $1,045.

When is the best time to book flights from San Francisco to Panama?

Book your flights 13 weeks before your trip. KAYAK data collected over the past 12 months shows that booking in this window can save you around 25% compared to booking last-minute (within 2 weeks of departure).

Which airport in Panama is the cheapest to fly to from San Francisco?

All flights from San Francisco to Panama arrive at Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY). On average, round-trip fares are around $788.

What’s the cheapest day to fly from San Francisco to Panama?

Wednesday tends to be the cheapest day to fly from San Francisco to Panama, while Monday is the most expensive. Fares run about 7% higher that day, based on the past 12 months of KAYAK data.

What's the cheapest time of day to fly from San Francisco to Panama?

Data from the past 12 months shows it's cheapest to fly to Panama during the afternoon with average prices of $600. The morning is the most expensive time to fly, with average prices of $885.

Key details for San Francisco to Panama flights

Low season

September

Cheapest flight

$243
Beat the crowds with an average 52% drop in travelers.
The most popular month to fly with an average 21% increase in travelers.
One-way flight from San Francisco to Panama City

Your San Francisco to Panama flight questions, answered

Find helpful answers about this route, including flight times, airports, airlines and booking tips.

  • Is now a good time to book a flight from San Francisco to Panama?

    Fares from San Francisco to Panama are around their usual level right now. A round-trip under $667 is considered a good deal, so it's worth keeping an eye out, or setting a Price Alert to catch price changes.

  • How much should I budget for a flight from San Francisco to Panama?

    Over the past 12 months, round-trip fares from San Francisco to Panama have ranged from $667 to $985.

  • What are the main airports serving Panama?

    Flights to Panama all arrive at Panama City Tocumen Intl (PTY).

  • What airlines fly nonstop from San Francisco to Panama?

    Based on the flight schedule for the next 3 months, just one airline regularly flies nonstop from San Francisco to Panama: Copa Airlines.

  • Where in Panama can I fly nonstop from San Francisco?

    Based on the flight schedule for the next 3 months, you can only fly nonstop from San Francisco to Panama City.

  • Is it cheaper to fly with a layover from San Francisco to Panama?

    Yes. Nonstop flights from San Francisco to Panama average $813 over the past 12 months. Flights with a layover can cost less, cheapest when connecting through San Salvador El Salvador Intl (SAL) from $613 or Los Angeles (LAX) from $691.

  • How long is a flight from San Francisco to Panama?

    Flights from San Francisco to Panama take 7h 12m on average.

  • How often are flights from San Francisco to Panama delayed and what's the average delay?

    7% of flights on this route are delayed by at least 15 minutes. The average delay is 1h 45m.

  • Which cabin classes are available on flights from San Francisco to Panama?

    On flights from San Francisco to Panama you can book Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Business Class or First Class.

  • What are some popular landmarks in Panama?

    KAYAK travelers' favorite landmarks in Panama include:

    • ATLAPA Conventions Center
    • Panama Old Cathedral
    • Veneto Casino
    • Ancon Hill

  • What are the earliest and latest flights from San Francisco to Panama?

    The earliest nonstop flight from San Francisco to Panama departs at 12:33 am and the latest departs at 8:36 pm. Nonstop flights take about 7h 12m.

Your guide to booking San Francisco to Panama flights

Get tips on when to book, when to fly and what to know before your trip.
  • If you can plan ahead, the sweet spot for booking your flight is 13 weeks before your trip. KAYAK data shows fares in this window are around 25% lower than last-minute bookings (made within 2 weeks of departure). Not ready to commit? Set a Price Alert and we'll let you know when prices change.
  • If your travel dates are flexible, book your trip for April when flights are typically cheapest and avoid December when prices are at their highest.
  • Flying on Wednesday is usually the cheapest. Flights on Monday cost about 7% more on average, so being flexible with your travel dates could help you save.
  • Start your trip in Panama City, which is the most popular destination in Panama. From there, it's easy to continue on to other popular destinations such as Bocas del Toro, Río Hato and Boquete.
  • If you want the shortest trip, choose the San Francisco to Panama nonstop route. If you'd rather save money, the route via San Salvador El Salvador Intl (SAL) is usually the cheapest.

Reviews of the top 3 airlines serving from San Francisco to Panama

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Panama? 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
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 1548 reviews
6.9Food
7.8Boarding
7.4Comfort
8.1Crew
6.9Entertainment
Airline reviews

We where skipped for this flight will not head to Panama until tonight..

2.0 MediocreRussell, Jul 2026
Read more Copa Airlines reviews

We where skipped for this flight will not head to Panama until tonight..

It would have been better if they don't separate families in seating. We were seated in the aile row in the middle of a family of four. It would have been better if they they seat the family of four together than separated.

It was good, plane is a bit older so seats are somewhat flat

Very good flight and crew Food was a surprise on a short flight

Biggest issue was that they only had two restrooms in the back of the aircraft. Too many people for only two restrooms. The trash was overflowing and there was paper on the floor too. Long lines in the isle to use it. Food was also a bit meh. They don’t offer snacks with drinks, so you might want to buy a snack to hold you off on a longer trip, since the meals are very small.

Everything was smooth and crew was very polite and friendly.

I like that they served a mail, I’m not sure about the in-flight entertainment. I didn’t really check. staff helped me with my luggage. Smooth boarding smooth takeoff smooth flight

The seats had plenty of leg room and the staff were very nice.

Copa performed as expected for the amount of money I was willing to spend for the flight; it wasn’t exceptional but it was not bad in any way either. The crew was good; friendly and straightforward. The food was airplane food, so no expectations there and the entertainment was lacking but that was my fault for owning an IPhone with a charging port that’s not compatible with the rest of the world. I’d fly Copa again.

Left my bags in origin city on a business class ticket , spent about 2-3 days in the same clothes plus the flight .

Better management of the boarding process. Is there any way you could forward all the window seats first? That's the Way Reno Air used to do it, and they had the fastest boarding in the industry!

overall a very good travel experience - left on time, arrived early. Mostly a smooth flight. Polaris seats were excellent, very good service and nice food with options.

Flight was over two hours late, but they notified us early in the morning. They ended up changing planes the food on board that was extremely mediocre and we were in premier class.

Food was very bad Crew was not so welcoming. Chairs was so uncomfortable

The business class had to wait to board last. Unacceptable

The air hostess was excellent. I have taken so many flight domestic and international, this is the first time the air hostess was so caring. She was a delight

We paid extra to check our bags ($90*2=$180) but our luggage remained in Frankfurt. VERY DISAPPOINTED as we were promised that our luggage would go to our destination. We had to pay 90€ to take a taxi back to the airport in Split the next day to get our bags so we would not miss our next step on our trip. We think we should be reimbursed for our checked bags. How can we coordinate this?

This was an auto-rebook due to being delayed from an earlier UA connecting flight. The boarding was fine, but they sat me in a middle seat when my original booking was a window seat. Overall, the flight was fine as it still got me to my final destination.

Sitting in coach even in the larger leg space is extremely uncomfortable and the staff pay no attention.

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

Staff are the rudest in the industry … awful customer service … will never fly Avianca again

Here we have another airline flying to Guatemala but doesn't have a plus or a less, just in the middle. Why? Well, first we don't have even free water Movie selection is poor Seats don't recline in some places Food selection is carb based Forgot to mention, customer service on the web is the worst. Good things; Very reliable on schedule Kind crew

I had to go to the boarding counter for them to enter my return flight as it’s not with Avianca. There was a long queue as there were lots of people being called to the counter.

Boarding, crew were excellent, food was ok and entertainment need to improve

There isn't much space in-between seats and even water needs to be paid for during the flight.

We were not aware carry-on bags cost extra until we arrived at the airport so, we were charged $240.00 for two small carry- on bags! There was a substantial fee for drinks and snacks. No wifi, or other entertainment was available. Waiting areas were crowded and uncomfortable.

Ok, but these people don’t give you nothing no snack no water

No water for a 5 hour flight entertainment not working seats with little room for knees when person in front of me reclined kept bumping my knees.

Awful. I checked in online and there was no option to pay for baggage, at the airport when I checked in my baggage was received and Iwas not charged. When I got to LA during the boarding process I was told I didn't pay for baggage, the crew resolved I was let in the plane. When I got to my final destination my baggage was not there. It took me two days to receive my baggage. Bad service ever!

Wasn’t able to take the trip and no one could help me with a refund or rescheduling

More options for your flight from San Francisco to Panama

Complete your trip to Panama with a hotel stay or car rental