SFO - SJO

$152 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to San José

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 San José departing on 10/10. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San José

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to San José.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to San José.
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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to San José (SFO-SJO)

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

Mon, Oct 13 - Thu, Oct 23
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:14 pm - 7:04 pmSFO-SJO
43h 50m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 10:06 pmSJO-SFO
16h 36m2 stops
$394Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 15 - Thu, Oct 23
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:04 pmSFO-SJO
12h 04m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 12:05 amSJO-SFO
18h 35m2 stops
$397Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 10 - Thu, Oct 16
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:04 pmSFO-SJO
12h 04m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 12:05 amSJO-SFO
18h 35m2 stops
$410Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Aug 24 - Wed, Sep 3
Southwest Logo
7:05 pm - 12:45 pmSFO-SJO
16h 40m2 stops
Southwest Logo
8:50 am - 9:25 pmSJO-SFO
13h 35m2 stops
$415Southwest
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 30 - Wed, Sep 10
JetBlue Logo
9:25 pm - 11:55 amSFO-SJO
13h 30m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
1:00 pm - 11:10 pmSJO-SFO
11h 10m1 stop
$417JetBlue
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Sun, Oct 26 - Fri, Oct 31
JetBlue Logo
9:45 pm - 11:56 amSFO-SJO
13h 11m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
1:01 pm - 11:24 pmSJO-SFO
11h 23m1 stop
$420JetBlue
Find Deal
Sat, Aug 30 - Fri, Sep 12
Copa Airlines Logo
1:30 am - 1:54 pmSFO-SJO
11h 24m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
10:57 am - 11:39 pmSJO-SFO
13h 42m1 stop
$422Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Aug 31 - Wed, Sep 10
Copa Airlines Logo
1:30 am - 4:52 pmSFO-SJO
14h 22m2 stops
Copa Airlines Logo
10:05 am - 11:39 pmSJO-SFO
14h 34m1 stop
$427Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Nov 4 - Wed, Nov 12
Southwest Logo
7:10 pm - 1:15 pmSFO-SJO
16h 05m2 stops
Southwest Logo
9:00 am - 8:10 pmSJO-SFO
13h 10m2 stops
$439Southwest
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Mon, Oct 6 - Fri, Oct 24
American Airlines Logo
11:59 pm - 12:00 pmSFO-SJO
11h 01m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:44 am - 5:17 pmSJO-SFO
11h 33m1 stop
$454American Airlines
Find Deal
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San Francisco to San José

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
SFO

For a seamless start, use curbside check-in at SFO. Airlines like United and Delta offer this service, making it ideal for families or those with heavy luggage.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
SJO

At SJO, arrange ground transportation in advance for convenience. Hotels often provide reliable options, making your arrival smoother and more efficient.

Read more about SJOby Mark Chesnut
Our travel experts
Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Expert on SJO

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. The 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark is the author of the book “Prepare for Departure” and has covered air travel for multiple top consumer and trade media outlets.

Read more
Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

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.

Read more
Useful Info

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

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

Find cheap flights to San José
Find cheap flights to San José

Planning a trip from San Francisco to San José? KAYAK’s data-powered insights will help you find cheap flights. Learn the best time to fly, how early to book your ticket, and other tips to secure great prices.

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

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

If you are looking for a flight deal from San Francisco to San José, look for departures on Tuesdays and avoid leaving on a Thursday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from San José, Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly and Monday is the most expensive.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to San José, 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 San José is September, where tickets cost $483 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,002 and $667 respectively.

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

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 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $1,356 on average.

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

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 San José, 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 San José, you should book around 2 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$152
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 21% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 65% increase in price.
Flight from San Francisco to San José

When to book flights from San Francisco to San José

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

  • Where can I sleep when at SFO?

    Depending on your preferences and budget, there are a variety of places you can stay while at the airport. In the airport, near the airport travel agency on Level G in the Main Hall, you may access nap rooms that are less expensive than hotels. These nap rooms provide Wi-Fi, a desk, mirrors, and showers. The Grand Hyatt at SFO, La Quinta Inn and Suites, Aloft San Francisco Airport, Westin San Francisco Airport, San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, and Vagabond Inn Executive San Francisco Airport are a few of the nearby hotels you can choose from. These hotels are typically between 10 and 30min away from the airport.

  • Does the SFO have a business center?

    Finding a place in the airport where you can conduct business while traveling, or even join that virtual meeting, may be a fantastic idea. At the airport's Trip Tel Business Center, which is situated in the Main Hall of the International Terminal, you may access other services like faxing, copying, and renting mobile phones. Additionally, working spaces are offered at the desks in the sleep rooms, and free Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the airport.

  • What are my transportation options from SJO?

    You might want to keep an eye out for a few possibilities for getting from the airport to the city core. Numerous significant bus terminals exist, including the Terminal del Caribe, the Terminal Atlantica, the 7-10, and the Pulmitam. You can get to a bus terminal in downtown San Jose by boarding a bus from any of these locations. Private and shared shuttles are both options for getting you to downtown San Jose. Although shared shuttles must be accessed by taxiing to Denny's restaurant, private shuttles can be taken at the airport. You might also think about employing a taxi service, which is more practical because it gets you exactly where you want to go.

  • Where can I find food when at SJO?

    There is only one level of the San Jose Airport, which you can reach via the escalator. On this level, you can find a café, Starbucks, and Quiznos where you can get some food to eat. Additional dining options include Café Lavazza in the Landside Lobby Mezzanine, as well as the Airside Brioche Doree and Bar Imperial, all of which serve drinks.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to San José was $152 for a one-way ticket and $394 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from San Francisco to San José?

    On your way to San José, you’ll fly out from San Francisco. You’ll be landing at San José Juan Santamaria Intl.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San Francisco to San José?

    Only Alaska Airlines offers inflight Wi-Fi service on the San Francisco to San José flight route.

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

    The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San Francisco to San José flight route.

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

    Star Alliance is the only airline alliance operating flights between San Francisco and San José.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San Francisco to San José?

    There are nonstop flights from San Francisco to San José on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to San José, Alaska Airlines or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to San José are Alaska Airlines and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $694 and an overall rating of 8.0, Alaska Airlines is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $731 and an overall rating of 8.0.

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

    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 San José.

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

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

    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 San José with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline. Booking your flights between San Francisco and SJO 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 San José?

    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 San José 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 San José

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $746 or less round-trip.
  • When arriving at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), proceed to the check-in area where you will locate Sky Cap, which provides porter and baggage wrapping services.
  • Rental options for baby equipment are available at the Cloud of Good shops in the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Online purchases can be picked up in-store. You can rent a car seat, a stroller, and other things.
  • If you require any assistance while at the airport, you can take advantage of the information desks located in each terminal at SFO.
  • To help you unwind before your trip, the Wag Brigade has trained canines with the message "Pet Me!" posted all over SFO.
  • Look for the Aviation Museum at Landside in the Mian Hall of the International Terminal if you are looking for a place you can take your family as you wait for your flight.

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to San José?

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

Direct departures

San Francisco to San José Juan Santamaria Intl

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

San José Juan Santamaria Intl 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 San José

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to San José. 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 San José? 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 10000 reviews
7.1Food
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
7.1Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

Paying for first class and then they want $8:00 for wifi.

4.0 OkayGreg, Jul 2025SFO - SEA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Paying for first class and then they want $8:00 for wifi.

fine. only problem,,,, for some,,,,was that many people started trying to exit from the back of the plane,, . lots of irate people. there should be a flight attendant mid plane..to be sure that doesn't happen. The crew up front had no idea what was happening. One big guy started it..then a bunch of others followed his lead. could have gotten ugly... One man stepped in and questioned those rule breakers.. nothing bad happened,,,but......

Big delay of over 7 hours on next leg of trip with Alaska. Would have been nice to have food or something

We were late so that was what was worst part

Flying on Hawaiian Airlines was good. But, getting a boarding pass was a hassle. I booked what I thought was an Alaska Airlines flight that was actually a Hawaiian Airlines flight. I couldn't check in online. I had to wait for the Hawaiian Airlines counter to open so I could get my boarding pass which was a requirement for me to get in The Club or the Centurion Lounge. (I had no check in luggage so I didn't expect to have to physically check in.) The Alaska Airlines staff blamed the FAA for the problem.

Great, overall. Thicker seat cushion would be nice. My butt hurt the whole flight.

All good! No entertainment on this new plane yet but ok for this short flight. Great on time flight! Thanks

No non-alcoholic drinks available except water and small apple juice cans.

It was very frustrating that the people that got in th plane before I did had all taken the storage area above my seat so I had to go all the way town to store my luggage. My seat was 7c and I had to go all the way to 16 to find a place for my carry on. How is that even allowed! The worst part was trying to get my luggage when we landed.. such a headache and so unnecessary. If I’m in row 7c I should be able to store my carry on above where I’m sitting. It’s ridiculous that o need to go all the way down and struggle at the end of the flight to get my carry on.

The flight was delayed over two and a half hours thus causing me to miss my best friend’s funeral. All because the flight crew had to get more rest. That was the reason stated. I understand however very unfortunate. Glad everyone is well rested and resting in peace.

The flighr attandants were very rude they ignored me didnt offer me anything to drink throughoit the 4 hour flight i feel i was targeted and ignored because i was a darkskin latino man.

I selected first class expecting excetional service. It was mediocre at best. The food service was cold, meal choices was poor and on one leg they did provide dessert. I did enjoy the lay day seat but the movies were old and nothing current. Boarding the plane is always hot. So boarding is quite warm until your in the air. I took a small personal air fan. Update the meals and movies.

Very happy with my flight. I would definitely recommend it.

Did upgrade, travel in business it was great (more room I could sleep)

We had a five hour layover in the way home from Colombia. I read the "bout your flight" email carefully before we checked bags. We had to go through security right at the gate. Almost lost our ground coffee because that airport only allows 16 ounce of coffee and we had 18. I've been to 48 countries and never heard of a coffee restriction. I can't follow a rule I don't know about. I requested they bring our coffee to our checked luggage. Instead tey gate checked our bag for free. Back to planning transfers in Dallas I guess

It was ok. However, the food was quite poor since I don't eat pasta.

Tell people to remain in their seats during the meal/beverage distribution. Enforce boarding by group numbers. No one was checking. Tell people to turn their electronics speakers off. Bigger cups for drinks.

Placed us in the last rear row of the plane so could not recline seats because of the rear wall, and also made it more of a tight space when the passenger in front reclined their seat. While understand seat assignments, every passenger should be afforded a reclining seat. The odor control scent from the restrooms was overwhelming strong. My wife and I could not deal with it, and she suffered a terrible headache as a result. I kept getting hit by the crew since I was on the ilse seat. No apologies, nothing. They made me feel like I was supposed to take the beating for a 3 hr flight.

There was no individual at the front check in when I arrived. I waited for at least 15 minutes and walked around asking security/janitors if they could help and they did not have a solution. So I had to take my checked bag through security and they threw away some of my items. I ended up making it to the gate only a few minutes before it closed due to my waiting for an agent at check in.

The flight was delayed twice and I could not speak with anyone at the airport about checking in. The phone number to Copa - the customer service agents were polite. They are just limited at helping because they are not at the airport

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.

They hired a new catering company the same day of my flight. They botched the job by not delivering the right carts and after THREE HOURS waiting, the flight crew timed out (flight was 19 hours long and FAA rules state crew can’t work more than 14 hours long). So they CANCELED OUR FLIGHT!! Worst experience ever. Avoid UAL at all costs.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

While the staff was pleasant and helpful, the following observations are for your awareness. There was some delay on the tarmac on take off and landing. The paid lunch/food offerings were limited. Entertainment was only available on WiFi at a cost.

get E+, a must for 5 hours flight if you are tall

AA re-routed flight from HNL to LAX due to delay. My group of 3 with reserved seats in row 9 was broken up, with one assigned to a middle seat, another in the last row of the plane. Not happy. No explanation to the delay. No apologies. No compensation. Would have been nice to be offered an Admiral Club admission or a voucher for the extra 3 hours of layover in LAX. Could not hear the boarding gate announcements in LAX. Adjacent gate was boarding at the same time. Loud speakers were competing against each other. Barely made my boarding group.

Almost a 6 hour flight and the only food option is a cheese plate… and chips. Also how is it there are no options for texting on American. I’ll be going back to delta and united.

Bad food, small seats that didn’t recline. I thought I was buying a quantas ticket so I feel like I got scammed

The chair cushions may need an upgrade. I have been noticing they are so worn out, thin so you’d sit in a dip 😄. Other than that, all was an enjoyable trip. Thanks AA!

Cramped seats. FAA should make airlines have more legroom, for even short people complain

Flight was full, and would have preferred an aisle seat, but due to getting a late ticket ,the seat I had was adequate. The flight crew were very help full and hard working. Food and drink were excellent for the 11hr flight. Overall I was pleased with flight, and would recommend British Airways again.

Eventless. It was a good flight and good crew. Can’t complaint.

Very helpful ground crew after an earlier flight delay and being rebooked on a different flight.

British Airways staff are very polite and willing to help.

The plane was late and then sat on the runway for almost 45 minutes before taking off.

It was horrible. My experience with Avianca. I didn’t know it was Pakistan international Airlines but anyway, whatever it is it is bad horrible you guys need to upgrade everything in those planes. And you guys charge $130 for a carry-on did they wanna let me in with my carry-on that I travel everywhere with the luggage you guys are such a dog thank you

why did we have to go through security mid flight

Boarding was excessively slow. They do it by groups in a way that it doesn’t make sense. After business class , ppl that need assistance and any other priority group they should have ppl board from the back to the front. First rows 20+. Then 15+. Then 10, etc. having ppl sitting in the back board last makes no sense. The libe backame long as soon as ppl on rows 10 or so where told to board. The line went all the way up the ramp and tunnel for 25 mins.

Seats are very tight even in Plus, no complimentary snacks or beverage

The chicken that was served in business class was cold!

I receive a service for what I pay, so it is fair.

Terrible, We had to stay in Bogota for two days due to weather but the airline did not provide for the same day flight. Only two days later

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

We did not know about the bag fees until check in. They are way too high. It’s insane. We also had a huge delay and everything costed extra which was very annoying.

Boarding was somewhat confusing in that the wrong messages were being displayed at the gate. It was somewhat annoying that I got off one flight and straight onto another (from the same gate), but in between they re-checked my hand luggage and made me get rid of my water (which they charge for on the plane). I was sitting in their 'Plus' seating, but the leg room was still too small to be able to sit square. The food options on the flights are pretty cheap quality (but not price). They got me from 'A' to 'B' on-time and for a relatively good price, but the experience itself was below average.

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