$503 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 9/2. 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
$749
Typical prices: $986-$770
Asiana Airlines
Mon 8/24Sat 9/5
SFO - PVG • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,196
Typical prices: $1,260-$966
China Eastern
Thu 10/22Thu 11/12
SFO - PVG • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
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
Cheapest • from $749 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.4 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with United Airlines and China Eastern. Average duration is 13h 45m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 87% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
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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

Mon, Aug 24 - Sat, Sep 5
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 10:05 am
SFO
-
PVG
19h 45m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:05 am - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
29h 25m
1 stop
$749Asiana Airlines
Thu, Sep 17 - Tue, Oct 6
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 10:05 am
SFO
-
PVG
19h 45m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
14h 10m
1 stop
$750Asiana Airlines
Sun, Aug 30 - Sun, Sep 13
Korean Air Logo
1:10 pm - 8:10 pm
SFO
-
PVG
16h 00m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
8:50 am - 10:40 am
PVG
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
$754Korean Air
Sun, Aug 23 - Sun, Sep 6
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 11:45 am
SFO
-
PVG
21h 25m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:40 am - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
18h 50m
1 stop
$756Asiana Airlines
Tue, Sep 8 - Tue, Oct 6
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 9:45 am
SFO
-
SHA
19h 25m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 3:30 pm
SHA
-
SFO
19h 35m
1 stop
$763Asiana Airlines
Mon, Aug 17 - Thu, Aug 27
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 9:45 am
SFO
-
SHA
19h 25m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 4:00 pm
SHA
-
SFO
20h 05m
1 stop
$769Asiana Airlines
Sun, Aug 23 - Sat, Sep 5
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 11:45 am
SFO
-
PVG
21h 25m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
17h 20m
1 stop
$773Asiana Airlines
Thu, Oct 22 - Thu, Nov 12
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 pm - 8:20 pm
SFO
-
PVG
34h 35m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:00 pm - 1:38 pm
PVG
-
SFO
39h 38m
2 stops
$790Multiple Airlines
Tue, Sep 1 - Mon, Sep 7
Korean Air Logo
4:15 pm - 5:05 pm
SFO
-
SHA
33h 50m
2 stops
Korean Air Logo
6:25 pm - 10:40 am
SHA
-
SFO
31h 15m
1 stop
$817Korean Air
Wed, Sep 2 - Wed, Sep 9
Korean Air Logo
12:50 pm - 5:05 pm
SFO
-
SHA
37h 15m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
6:25 pm - 10:01 am
SHA
-
SFO
54h 36m
2 stops
$829Korean Air
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.

How much is a round-trip flight from San Francisco to Shanghai?

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 Shanghai departing in August.

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 $778 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 November, where tickets cost $427 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are May and January, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $2,206 and $1,980 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 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 25 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
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.

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.

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$503
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 $503 for a one-way ticket and $749 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?

    Seoul 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 1216 reviews
8.2Entertainment
8.5Boarding
8.7Crew
8.3Comfort
8.1Food
Airline reviews

AAAAHHHH... It was shocking in a very positive way, the attention to detail, the courtesy, the manners of all personnel on board, the constant honest smiling. You can see and feel they take pride in all they do no matter how trivial. The plane in general was very comfortable. I can't wait to do it again

8.0 ExcellentCarlos J, Apr 2026
TPA - ATL
Read more Korean Air reviews

AAAAHHHH... It was shocking in a very positive way, the attention to detail, the courtesy, the manners of all personnel on board, the constant honest smiling. You can see and feel they take pride in all they do no matter how trivial. The plane in general was very comfortable. I can't wait to do it again

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

Humm, I should have known that the seat I peaked on my flight from Inchon to Manila was designed for a toddler or very small person.

The staff hold my luggage to steel and exchange my stub, i was very disappointed.

Kayak along with airfare assay are attempting to steal my money. Charges are being pressed.

Customer service and attention to details. The food was good.

When one asks for water because they are dehydrated, bring more then a sip or two in a small cup. Bring them a whole bottle.

I’d have rated Asiana good except an unfortunate incident in which I felt one of your employee didn’t really help us. During the first leg of the trip, the flight from LAX to ICN, I left my backpack on the plane. When I realized, I reported to one of your employee who promised me that it’d be taken care of, that my backpack will be there at HCM city. When we arrived there, HCM people had no idea and my backpack was still at Incheon airport who denied any knowledge whatsoever. I was left in the cold and felt helpless. I was very disappointed. I’d like someone to look into this and let me know.

I am thankful that I was able to fly using Asiana

It was my first time flying Asiana but i was very pleased with how professional and understanding the flight crew is with little kids. One flight attendant held my 3 year old daughter’s hand guiding her to the exit after landing while i had my hands full with luggage and my infant. She was very helpful.

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.

I do not think there was much that could have been done to make it better. The delayed flight was due to bad weather. The turbulent patches were very unavoidable. Am simply thankful that there were no sudden and / or sharp drops during the flight. I do extend my compliments to captain Marcus I believe was his name and the rest of the crew. They all did an excellent job. My only question is whether I get a refund since the seats I had chosen and paid for were reassigned.

The crew and the food were excellent. The plane was kept quite clean.

Crew were not engaging. Only engaged if requested. Food taste was mediocre

My seat had many issues. First the chair was broken where reclining was difficult. My usb plug was also broken so charging was impossible.

The flight from Hong Kong to Hyderabad didn’t have any power points to charge my mobile. Given we are no longer allowed to use power banks, giving customers the ability to charge even on short flights is critical part of the overall experience.

Indian Vegetarian food was bland and I had to repeatedly ask for Salt. Movie selection is out dated.

when i ask for help all the crew members had a look like why are you calling me? very terse and rude.

Good service and food. However, we paid over $400 for aisle seats for my disabled husband and me, and we were given window and middle seats. This was dangerous for our health condition on such a long flight. We needed to stand up and walk around frequently, but we were stuck in our seats. Please give us a refund of our seat payment since you chose not to honor our request.

It was great. It was my first time with Cathay Pacific and I really recommend.

Very bad Instead 22 hour it take me more that 35 hour to arrive from Los Angeles to Phuket and they changed my flight in Hong Kong to Shanghai china and in order to get my bag I was forced to vet china visa entrry

Some crew were unfriendly or in some cases just straight up rude.

Outstanding service, efficient & friendly crew, flight was safe, comfortable & on time

United Airline crews were very friendly and very attentive. 12 hours flight was gone like in a shorter one.

Flight itself excellent, but delayed so missed connection & got to destination 2 hrs later

Due to cancellation of connecting flight (Lufthansa) I didn’t fly with United

It was a red-eye, but the flight felt surprisingly quick. The seats were very comfortable, and that made resting much easier. I also want to thank the gentleman seated next to me, who graciously moved so my mom could sit beside me. We slept almost the entire way. The cabin crew was respectful in not disturbing us, while also being courteous and professional throughout. Thank you, United.

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.

It was perfect! I've never flown with United before, but I definitely will in the future

the entire flight felt off. The crew seemed uninterested and disengaged. The food service was really bad - overcooked, bland, weird food service. They actually woke us up to serve chicken wraps in the middle of the night, after dinner and before breakfast. Made no sense. Ultimately, I was glad they did though, because the breakfast had been held for so long it was inedible. Eggs, potatoes, sausage - all disgusting. We were asked to "honor" the lavatories for premium customers and stay in our own cabin: this was also strange. So people in economy didn't pay enough to use the closest toilet to them??? It's a toilet. All in all, not the experience I have come to expect from United Airlines. The return flight from Paris to SFO was better, btw.

They delayed the flight from 9:00 to 11:55 At 11:45 they canceled the flight. I paid a premium price for the tickets with poor service

The flight was delayed. The staff made us wait in the room that is too small and it was crowded and with no seats available for waiting. They did not tell us why the delay occurred.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking at the gate, then there was another ticket checking at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Not sure which idiot made this absolutely unnecessary arrangement.

While boarding at PVG, there was a ticket checking by the gate, then there was another ticket checking right at the bottom of the escalator, which created quite a dangerous congestion. Don't understand why the duplication?

I was traveling alone with an infant, so the crew was incredibly helpful. Both the international and subsequent domestic flights were impeccable.

Plane was good. But food was bad and air host was so rude. I will never fly with China Eastern again

The flight was delayed by 2 hours, although to their credit they delayed my connecting flight so people could reach it. Also their site is a nightmare to navigate on a phone. Everything else was good.

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports