$416 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Shanghai

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 Shanghai departing on 3/12. 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 Shanghai

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

Cheapest round-trip
$715
Overall average: $979
China Southern
Tue 4/21Thu 5/7
SFO - PVG • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$932
Typical prices: $1,169-$1,332
China Eastern
Mon 2/16Mon 3/9
SFO - PVG • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
United offers free meals in economy on long-haul flights.
Use the Maglev train for a quick ride from PVG to downtown.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
China Southern
Cheapest • from $715 (round-trip)
Korean Air
Best reviews • 8.4 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top routes
SFO
-
PVG
Cheapest
SFO
-
PVG
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 10% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
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We hope you love your trip to Shanghai!
Flight Deals
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Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Shanghai (SFO-SHA)

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

Tue, Apr 21 - Thu, May 7
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 4:30 pm
SFO
-
PVG
24h 55m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
6:25 pm - 8:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
17h 05m
1 stop
$715China Southern
Tue, Apr 21 - Wed, May 6
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 8:30 pm
SFO
-
PVG
28h 55m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
9:55 pm - 8:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
37h 35m
2 stops
$717China Southern
Mon, Feb 9 - Tue, Mar 31
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 11:55 am
SFO
-
PVG
20h 05m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 3:00 pm
PVG
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
$719Asiana Airlines
Tue, Apr 21 - Thu, Apr 30
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 3:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
24h 30m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
8:35 am - 3:00 pm
PVG
-
SFO
21h 25m
1 stop
$721Asiana Airlines
Tue, Apr 28 - Wed, May 20
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 11:20 am
SFO
-
SHA
19h 45m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
9:50 pm - 8:30 pm
SHA
-
SFO
37h 40m
2 stops
$721China Southern
Mon, Apr 6 - Mon, May 4
Korean Air Logo
12:40 pm - 8:10 pm
SFO
-
PVG
16h 30m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
8:50 am - 10:40 am
PVG
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
$723Korean Air
Sun, Apr 12 - Sun, Apr 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:50 am - 2:15 pm
SFO
-
PVG
22h 25m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:00 am - 8:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
26h 30m
1 stop
$727Multiple Airlines
Tue, Mar 24 - Tue, Mar 31
Korean Air Logo
12:40 pm - 12:35 pm
SFO
-
PVG
32h 55m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
1:40 pm - 10:40 am
PVG
-
SFO
36h 00m
1 stop
$731Korean Air
Tue, Mar 24 - Tue, Mar 31
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:25 pm - 12:20 pm
SFO
-
SHA
32h 55m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:20 pm - 10:55 am
SHA
-
SFO
36h 35m
1 stop
$747Cathay Pacific
Tue, Mar 24 - Tue, Mar 31
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:25 pm - 12:20 pm
SFO
-
SHA
32h 55m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 8:03 pm
SHA
-
SFO
21h 43m
2 stops
$772Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

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

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco to Shanghai flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from San Francisco to Shanghai costs $682 on the route between San Francisco (SFO) and Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG). It is also the most popular route.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Shanghai, 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 Shanghai is January, where tickets cost $757 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,558 and $1,520 respectively.

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

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 Shanghai, 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 Shanghai, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 10% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San Francisco to Shanghai

 
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
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or on the sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

Expert on China Eastern

One of the web's original travel bloggers, Robert launched his first site Leave Your Daily Hell in 2009. Since then, he's expanded into destination niche sites (one each for Japan, Thailand and Taiwan), in addition to having written for the inflight magazines of Singapore Airlines and Korean Air. Overall, he's visited nearly 100 countries, and flies business as often as possible.

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Expert on PVG

Daniel Scheffler is a travel writer, podcaster, and producer. Born in Africa, bred in Europe and now living in America he has traveled to 140 countries (and all 50 U.S. states). Plus he has stayed at over 2500 hotels across the globe. His original shows Everywhere and Without Maps (available on Spotify) showcase his beliefs, travel is about humanity and sharing that beauty. And thus it reminds you that you shouldn’t believe everything you think.

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$416
Flight from San Francisco to Shanghai Pudong Airport

When to book flights from San Francisco to Shanghai

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

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to Shanghai was $416 for a one-way ticket and $715 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes, you'll most likely have to show a valid passport before boarding the plane in San Francisco and on arrival in Shanghai.

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

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

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

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

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

    Hong Kong is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from San Francisco to Shanghai.

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

    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 Shanghai.

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

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

    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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai?

    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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai?

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

Direct departures

San Francisco to Shanghai

Monday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Shanghai to San Francisco

Monday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

China Eastern, United Airlines

China Eastern, United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to Shanghai. 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 Shanghai? 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.
8.4
Korean AirOverall score based on 1188 reviews
8.2Entertainment
8.1Food
8.5Boarding
8.3Comfort
8.7Crew
Airline reviews

The boarding process was efficient and quick. The seats were comfortable. The food was good. The service was excellent. We had a lovely flight from Seattle on Korean air

10.0 ExcellentVivian, Nov 2025
SEA - ICN
Read more Korean Air reviews

The boarding process was efficient and quick. The seats were comfortable. The food was good. The service was excellent. We had a lovely flight from Seattle on Korean air

Flight crew was fantastic. The aircraft was meticulously cleaned at all times. The crew was continuously checking to see if the passengers were ok.

They were trying to get people to check luggage because the over head compartments were full but when we boarded there were lots of empty places that people could have put the luggage.

It was good, I liked the self-serve snacks but it was a little difficult to get the alcohol, which is understandable since I wouldn't want kids sneaking it.

Friendly flight attendants and gate agents. Very clean plane and food was good!

This was an amazing flight. The crew was great. The service was great. The food provided was great.

I was unable to select decent seats, and so I was stuck in the middle seat because it was selected for me

There was a lot of partial tv shows but not enough to last the flight. The food was incredible! The crew were so helpful and patient. Lots more space than what I usually get on an international flight. Very comfortable!

Stingy on the drinks - 15 hour direct flight and could barely get attention for some water

Not many people, so you can lay down on two seats

Better screens, it would have been nice to have more comfortable seats.

2nd major delay due to maintenance issues. 1st delay missed my connecting flight.

It was great, but my bag was not loaded onto the connecting flight. I'm currently getting it resolved. If this isn't a problem, everything else was excellent.

Very clean ,flight attendants very professional,nice , Boarding was very easy

The aircraft was massive (A-380) and became crowded with 400+ passengers on board.

My luggage didn’t arrive with my flight. Flight was delayed by nearly 2 hours while we sat on the plane and I almost missed my connecting flight and subsequently missed the last train from the airport so it took me another 2 hours to get to my destination after arriving, Crew skipped me several times when offering beverages, and I couldn’t get their attention at times because they wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. They didn’t give me a form for disembarking so I had to go to the back of the line after waiting an eternity for immigration. Paid for on flight wi- fi that didn’t work for most of the flight.

Love flying Asiana. Been using it for over a decade now.

I had a bad experience coming from America to Thailand. On my connecting flight my check in suitcase was not put on the departing aircraft, I received my suitcase 24 hours after arriving in Bangkok and when I open my luggage my hand swelled up. The next morning when I put on an outfit from my suitcase my face swelled up and became numb. My entire vacation was ruined it seems that some kind of chemical was sprayed into suitcase and ruined my clothes and got me sick. The staff at my hotel called the airline and spoke to someone and they told me to file a complaint and gave my a website to do so. I did not file a complaint I felt like it would have fell on death ears. I had to throw away my brand new vacation clothes and suitcase and I had the worst vacation ever due to this happening to me.

The staff was courteous and the flight was very smooth. It was so nice to see the captain greeting the passengers at the end of the flights.

The beefsteak on the lunch menu was excellent! I usually do not eat airplane food. I loved it.

I didn't have much experience with Cathay Pacific airlines because of delay and missed connections, the bulk of the trip was on Japan Airlines.

Flight delayed first from bad weather, then after boarding there was a problem with the plane. We had to get off and onto another plane...connections were missed and the trip took an additional 10 hours!! Pre-paid seatting was not honored due ro last minute carrier changes. Most of the trip was on Japan Airline.

Crew and food were great in-flight. We had a 2 hour delay, no communication, and just got left in a limbo. The crew arrived late and they were running checkouts on the plane (which is important, but why not doing it earlier?) Cathay did nothing to about the delay, and a lot of people missed their connection flights. I had to run and got stuck at checkpoint, which made my entire trip very unpleasant. Got to my gate 5 mins prior to them closing it.

The experience was efficient, on time, and provided great service.

one hour transit not good. cathay pacific is not helpful at all

My flight was suppose to be at 7:45pm to fly but it didnt fly out until 8:55 to dallas so then all of my other flights was late and delay ihad to wait at the airport for extra 14 hours to be able to get on a different plane

There were delays at boarding and landing. These events resulted in a tight transfer time in HK. Poor signage for transfers. Finally, lost luggage at final destination.

It was good. The planes needed to be updated though, they were dated and the entertainment systems were old. Service was amazing. The pre-booked meals were lacklustre.

Super delayed. Unnecessary. Need more competent people doing logistics to keep things moving on time. Totally unacceptable.

Overall, not good. Super late boarding in Hong Kong because some last minute issue with a plane. The boarding process is chaotic. Kathy Pacific should seek to do better with punctual departure time. Caused a lot of trouble with missed connecting flight.

The flight crew where really good. Better then the crew from BNE to SFO

Food should be changed in menu Many muslims travels in this airlime they need to add one Halal meal

left on time, reasonable boarding process arrived early luggage came out quickly

Some flight attendants were great others were cranky. Seats were very tight and sitting on an aisle was very hard as the carts and people walking constantly bumped shoulder and arm.

Pushed back only to get deplaned due to a tire damaged by ground crew. They did at least go pretty fast. The bathrooms should be banned under the Geneva convention. No room to even sit straight on the toilet. The under-seat entertainment units block what little leg room there is.

United airlines has the best customer experience from booking to arrival. I always fly United airlines. The mileage program is excellent

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Not pleasant trip cross country when the entertainment and WiFi system not working. No entertainment for entirety of route. Staff was rather nonchalant in that they dismissed the problem due to age of plane. It would have been nice to know this up front so I could have come prepared to read or download movies before boarding Coincidentally or not, there was a similar issue with the entertainment system on my previous flight I took on my fist leg of the trip. There are no seat TVs, so you must rely on the app when it works. United can do better. Also, what use it it to pay for boarding group 2 when half of the passengers are in the same line as you?

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers. A BIG ISSUE FOR NON-CHINESE PASSENGERS IS THE ABILITY TO CHECK IN ONLINE, by making so difficult or almost impossible there is no chance to get a seat assignment ahead of time then go to the airport and get what is left. THIS IS NOT a SKY TEAM modality.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

2 parts to the journey. First leg covered in a newer plane with decent staff + POOR FOOD QUALITY but the second half didn’t leave a positive impression at all as the plane itself was an older built and the crew didn’t serve properly. Language is an issue with China Eastern flights as always, but unmotivated crew just makes it even bad.

Small plane with only two lavatories at the back. You must have a good plan to use it before or after the meal, if you make a bad decision, you will end up with standing in front of the toilet for a while till the food carts empty. The good thing is even there’s a slightly delayed, the plane is still arriving on time which is superb!!

The only personel that smiled at all were the flights attendants. Desk agents, lounge people none of them had a smile or even a hello. They were like dealing with dead fish. Again flight attendants were good. All other personnel looked like they didn’t want to be there or help.

good flight. food is only so so. I actually did not eat the snack. it does not look too good on the passenger next to me.

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports