$420 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 5/12. 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

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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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Shanghai

 
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.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Shanghai

KAYAK's recommended round-trip deals from the most popular airlines that fly from San Francisco to Shanghai.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:40 pm - 11:55 pmSFO-PVG
19h 15m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
5:40 pm - 10:40 pmPVG-SFO
20h 00m1 stop
$731Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 26 - Tue, Sep 16
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:40 pm - 11:55 pmSFO-PVG
19h 15m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:20 pm - 5:30 pmPVG-SFO
20h 10m1 stop
$739Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Wed, Aug 27 - Thu, Oct 23
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 9:30 amSFO-PVG
17h 55m1 stop
China Southern Logo
6:35 am - 8:30 pmPVG-SFO
28h 55m2 stops
$808China Southern
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 1 - Thu, Sep 18
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 4:30 pmSFO-PVG
24h 55m1 stop
China Southern Logo
6:20 pm - 8:30 pmPVG-SFO
41h 10m2 stops
$827China Southern
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 2 - Wed, Oct 15
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 11:45 amSFO-PVG
21h 15m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:35 am - 3:30 pmPVG-SFO
18h 55m1 stop
$849Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 11 - Sat, Sep 13
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 11:45 amSFO-PVG
21h 15m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 3:00 pmPVG-SFO
17h 50m1 stop
$884Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Oct 22 - Sun, Nov 9
Korean Air Logo
1:10 pm - 8:10 pmSFO-PVG
16h 00m1 stop
Korean Air Logo
8:50 am - 7:56 amPVG-SFO
38h 06m2 stops
$921Korean Air
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 26 - Tue, Oct 21
Korean Air Logo
12:50 pm - 9:40 amSFO-PVG
29h 50m1 stop
Korean Air Logo
1:40 pm - 10:40 amPVG-SFO
36h 00m1 stop
$924Korean Air
Find Deal
Fri, Sep 19 - Thu, Oct 23
EVA Air Logo
1:10 am - 4:30 pmSFO-SHA
24h 20m1 stop
EVA Air Logo
7:40 pm - 6:50 amSHA-SFO
26h 10m1 stop
$1,073EVA Air
Find Deal
Sat, Oct 4 - Sun, Oct 12
EVA Air Logo
8:19 pm - 4:30 pmSFO-SHA
29h 11m2 stops
EVA Air Logo
7:40 pm - 6:50 amSHA-SFO
26h 10m1 stop
$1,075EVA Air
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 1 - Sun, Sep 14
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San Francisco to Shanghai

 
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.
Airlines
United Airlines

United Polaris features lie-flat seats with aisle access for long-haul comfort.


United offers free meals in economy on long-haul international flights.

China Eastern

Consider extra legroom in Economy for added comfort on long-haul flights.


Business Class offers lie-flat seats in a 1-2-1 configuration for enhanced comfort.

Airports
SFO

SFO offers curbside check-in for United, Delta, and Southwest, making it easier for families and travelers with heavy luggage.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
PVG

Take the Maglev train from PVG to downtown Shanghai in under 10 minutes for a quick and efficient transfer.

Read more about PVGby Daniel Scheffler
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

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.

Read more
Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

Expert on China Eastern

Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

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.

Read more
Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

Expert on PVG

Daniel Scheffler

Daniel Scheffler

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.

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 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?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Shanghai.

Our data shows that the cheapest route for a return flight from San Francisco to Shanghai cost $766 and was between San Francisco (SFO) and Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG). On average, the best prices are found if you fly this route. The average price for a return flight for this route is $766.

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

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

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

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 February, where tickets cost $1,015 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,724 and $1,526 respectively.

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

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 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $4,616 on average.

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 4 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 21 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$420
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 $420 for a one-way ticket and $731 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?

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

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

    Taipei City 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?

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
See more direct flights

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 1066 reviews
8.2Entertainment
8.1Food
8.7Crew
8.3Comfort
8.5Boarding
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025ATL - ICN
Read more Korean Air reviews

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

The delay in Korea was a pain and set us back a day. I have to give big props to Korean Air for setting up a hotel with dinner and transportation to and from the hotel. I also needed assistance with a wheelchair and they did an outstanding job.

Great except for the delay in Korea. Korean Air did a great job setting up a hotel for the night. I also needed assistance with a wheelchair and they were outstanding.

The flight was on time and very quick, as expected, but the leg room isn't great in coach seats.

Just a typical domestic poor flight nothing more. There is no food choices in such a flight. Crew doesn't really care if you are on-board or not

long flights are difficult but the crew and amenities made it a very good experience

Our seat row plus one ahead and behind we're completely overlooked during beverage service...

I loved everything, I was just a little confused on my bag allowance. When I checked in it said I was allowed 2 check in bags, but when I got there they said I was only allowed 1 so I had to pay an additional 200 dollars! Other then that everything was great! I would love to use your Airlines again when I fly out to Manila again in late May, however I want to be able to have 2 bags included this time lol 😆

Need to have space for Cary on when traveler boarding any zone

When I selected my seats, it showed row 29 as the front row, so I paid extra to sit in what I thought would be the front row, but when I boarded the plane, row 29 was the second economy row. I was disappointed that I'd spent almost $100 more for no actual benefit.

Most relaxing long distance flight I have been on. And I have flown on many.

I don’t think I’ll be flying them again. Tight seats, no flowing air or air nozzles that you can turn air on you, for those who could have motion sickness this would be your worst nightmare. The pilot was great and experienced (which is what you want when flying 12 hours) overall I’m thankful knowledgeable pilots!

My ticket did not indication which group I was in for boarding; the gate attended help me

Very routh cabin crew food is only 2 meals for 13 hours fry with them They should get better training how to service good super routh language and talking with customer

staff are super nice and effiecient! It was a very comfortable and relaxing flight

When I booked a premium economy ticket. I then had to pay $100+ to book my seat.

Boarding could have been a little bit better but other than that it was a pretty good experience. I think because of the stowaway to Paris France recently they are being extra diligent about boarding passes at the gate. But they boarded the back of the plane first, and that's something I really think needs to start in the USA.

I did not take the flight, tried to cancel it right after I booked it, but was unable to reach anyone. I blame Kayak for this situation because they sent the booking through another company and I was unable to get anyone to talk to me about the situation. I had to just take the hit and pay for another flight through Cathay Pacific, which was wonderful. I will never use Kayak again. (I bet they don’t post this review!) I’ll just post about them on social media sites. I don’t want anyone to have to go through the hassle and expense I dealt with.

Bars and restaurants in Taipei close early. The lounge isn’t very good, but better than the public areas.

The food was the only thing that could have made the experience even better. Everything was stellar but the food. The staff was superb. I’ve been flying with ANA for years as my go-to and I think I may have found my new favorite. 😍

I've stomach problems after 2 hours of flight, Iris, the flight purser not only did her best to make me feel comfortable, she went above and beyond providing pain relievers medicines and ointment. She look and found a doctor passenger on the flight to provide advise. She even report on ground staffs about my condition and provide wheelchair upon arrival. Kudos to her and Cathay Pacific!

I have a Peanut Allergy and the Steward staff were very accommodating in ensuring my safety as my allergy is life threatening. Very professional and so vested in their profession.

Everything was fine and I have no complaints or things to note.

The economy seats are much indeed roomier. Meals needs improvement.

flight delayed 45 mins - missed connection - 1 hr layover became 8 hr layover waiting for next flight -

Fast boarding flight on time boarded plane back to front instead of stupid zone groups like US airlines do...

Baggage delayed for 2 days and still chasing for reimbursement of basis items. Very horrible customer care service.

Horrible airline. Missed my baggage and don’t want to reimburse for the basis items. Pathetic customer service

Food was hood for airline food with good poftion and variety in meals. Frequency of beverage service was very low and amount of soda with meals was inadequate.

bad… no veg food was provided eventhough i pre ordered special meal

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

Compared with other carriers business class for an overnight was not worth the extra expense.

Easy to board. Flight was super crowded though so I didn't sleep well on that cross country red-eye flight. The aisles seem ot have gotten narrower and the seat smaller whn luggage and people are getting bigger so it would be AWESOME to have more space and breathing room in general ;)

Pilot Erika DeLong made us feel safe and at ease in a frankly scary time to be flying. Her warm smile and greeting and excellent command of the aircraft in foggy bumpy weather helped us all to calm our nerves and get us home safely.

AWFUL. I have had the experience of traveling with many airlines across the world, and hands down United Airlines is the worst. Not one flight was on time, and I don’t think I met one crew member or staff member who wasn’t rude.

For an 8.5 hour flight the service on board lacked a bit. Service start was slow, the food was worse than usual and they skipped the snack they were supposed to deliver before landing.

Wish movie and music choices changed more often. Mostly same from a month or two ago when I last flew.

It was good. Just that the seats could not be reclined. The people behind were not ready to let the chairs be reclined

Checkin was painful and slow! Lady didn’t seem to know what was going on and couldn’t explain the delay. Seemed ahe couldnt see the computer scree and we couldn’t hear her talk through her mask.

Plane left & arrived early- 5 Crew great. Wi fi - paid for 2, only 1 worked - so so. Waste of $. Coolie was good

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.

Pillow and blanket are dirty. My son got multiple bites during the flight

Flight was on time. My group paid for seat’s so that us four can be seated next to each other. We all got separated. We all got middle seats, which made it more difficult to be able to get up and stretch or use the restroom. We tried talking to the employees at China Eastern and they were of no help. We will not be taking this flight or recommend this route to others in the future. Also I will be contacting customer service on how I can get our money back for paying for assigned seats.

China eastern was fantastic. I had read so many bad reviews that had made me nervous. However, I found that the flight attendant’s, and customer service check in etc. etc. was excellent. I had no problems. I would fly with them again!

Excellent! I had read some negative reviews but I found out that it was not all was not true! The staff was courteous and helpful. The flight take off and landing was nice & easy. The food was good! I asked for a second and I got it easily and without an attitude! All was wonderful!

Excellent experience however older aeroplanes used by China Eastern Airlines.

The crew were excellent, service amazing, blankets and pillow good, cabin temperature perfect, the flight on time, food was unusual selection however plentiful, price for tickets unbeatable through Kayak. Older aeroplanes used by China Eastern was the only down side.

Delay in off-boarding due to customs at SFO... pilot announcement should have come earlier so passengers don't clog aisles.

Better good than most, if not all European airlines. If you’re stuck in an economy seat anyways, China Eastern is a good choice because of shorter flight time, being able to overfly Russia

The temperature of the plane cabin is too hot. Sweat and uncomfortable. Also my food tray was broken down drinks fall off

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

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