$325 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 9/5. 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 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 (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

Wed, Oct 22 - Wed, Nov 12
Air China Logo
1:00 pm - 10:40 pmSFO-SHA
18h 40m1 stop
Air China Logo
7:45 am - 9:50 amSHA-SFO
18h 05m1 stop
$703Air China
Find Deal
Wed, Aug 27 - Tue, Oct 28
Air China Logo
1:00 pm - 10:00 amSFO-SHA
30h 00m1 stop
Air China Logo
7:25 pm - 10:50 amSHA-SFO
30h 25m1 stop
$705Air China
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 10 - Wed, Dec 24
China Southern Logo
11:35 pm - 9:35 pmSFO-PVG
30h 00m2 stops
China Southern Logo
10:05 pm - 7:40 pmPVG-SFO
37h 35m1 stop
$720China Southern
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 10 - Thu, Dec 25
China Southern Logo
11:35 pm - 9:35 pmSFO-PVG
30h 00m2 stops
China Southern Logo
6:55 am - 7:40 pmPVG-SFO
28h 45m2 stops
$721China Southern
Find Deal
Tue, Oct 21 - Thu, Oct 30
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:55 pm - 11:55 pmSFO-PVG
20h 00m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
9:30 am - 5:20 pmPVG-SFO
22h 50m1 stop
$837Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 15 - Tue, Sep 23
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:05 am - 12:05 pmSFO-SHA
21h 00m1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
4:50 pm - 10:40 pmSHA-SFO
20h 50m1 stop
$846Cathay Pacific
Find Deal
Fri, Aug 29 - Mon, Sep 8
Korean Air Logo
1:10 pm - 12:25 pmSFO-PVG
32h 15m1 stop
Korean Air Logo
1:40 pm - 10:40 amPVG-SFO
36h 00m1 stop
$856Korean Air
Find Deal
Sun, Aug 24 - Sat, Sep 20
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 11:45 amSFO-PVG
21h 15m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
4:25 pm - 3:30 pmPVG-SFO
14h 05m1 stop
$857Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Sep 2 - Fri, Sep 12
Korean Air Logo
12:50 pm - 5:05 pmSFO-SHA
37h 15m1 stop
Korean Air Logo
6:25 pm - 10:40 amSHA-SFO
31h 15m1 stop
$876Korean Air
Find Deal
Sun, Aug 24 - Sat, Sep 20
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 5:00 pmSFO-SHA
26h 30m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
6:10 pm - 3:30 pmSHA-SFO
36h 20m1 stop
$878Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
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

Take advantage of curbside check-in at SFO for a smoother departure, especially useful for families. Remember to tip accordingly.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
PVG

Use the Maglev train for a quick 10-minute ride from PVG to downtown Shanghai. It's faster than taxis or buses.

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 $661 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 $661.

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 Thursdays and avoid leaving on a Saturday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from Shanghai, Wednesday 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 April, where tickets cost $989 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,595 and $1,525 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. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 2 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$325
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 $325 for a one-way ticket and $703 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?

    Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between San Francisco and Shanghai, with Star Alliance 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 1088 reviews
8.5Boarding
8.3Comfort
8.2Entertainment
8.1Food
8.7Crew
Airline reviews

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!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, May 2025LAS - ICN
Read more Korean Air reviews

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

Korean Air is unlike any other major airline I have flown with. The grace and respect that the staff has from check in to de-boarding is unmatched. The flight attendants this time were especially wonderful to my five little children. They helped us rearrange to more suitable seating, brought our children’s meals, and patiently waited for them in the aisles when they had to use the bathroom. We felt so welcome and comfortable. I really appreciate the meal voucher when our flight was delayed. I am grateful to have had such an stress-free experience.

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...

Been flying with China Airline over years many times. Good experience with them, no issues.

China Airlines crews are very excellent doing their job. Very friendly and hardworking. I will always choose China Airlines over and over. Thank you all for making my flight comfortable. God bless to all the staff. :)

Staff was so nice and very helpful with directions aswell!

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

I would like to commend the staff from this flight. They all looked happy and I can tell they love what they are doing and constantly smiling while serving the passengers. Special mention to the guy FA in our section. I did not get his name but he is so far the best F.A I have ever encountered!

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.

Short staffs, I ask stewardess to bring me cognac twice during dinner but they didn't bring it!

The food and service was great. You have to pay a lot for in flight Internet though which is lame.

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!

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

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

When comes to Taiwan airlines China airlines is the best rest are pure trash

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

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

Liked fold flat bed. Didn’t like having no window. Didn’t like poor choice of food and being served dinner very late, hours after take off of a 7:40pm flight. Servers not friendly. Food horrible in business class.

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. 👍👍

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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