SJO - SFO

$219 Find Cheap Flights from San José to San Francisco

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 José to San Francisco departing on 7/22. 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

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

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

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

Fri, Aug 22 - Sun, Aug 31
Copa Airlines Logo
5:57 am - 11:39 pmSJO-SFO
18h 42m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
1:30 am - 1:54 pmSFO-SJO
11h 24m1 stop
$412Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 5 - Wed, Aug 13
 Logo
7:30 am - 10:25 amSJO-SFO
27h 55m1 stop
 Logo
11:20 am - 8:19 pmSFO-SJO
31h 59m2 stops
Tue, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 19
JetBlue Logo
1:00 pm - 11:40 pmSJO-SFO
11h 40m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
9:25 pm - 11:55 amSFO-SJO
13h 30m1 stop
$423JetBlue
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 4 - Tue, Aug 12
Alaska Airlines Logo
12:50 am - 5:20 pmSJO-SFO
17h 30m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
3:48 pm - 11:30 pmSFO-SJO
30h 42m2 stops
$429Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Jul 28 - Mon, Aug 4
 Logo
4:13 pm - 7:44 pmSJO-SFO
28h 31m2 stops
 Logo
11:20 am - 8:19 pmSFO-SJO
31h 59m2 stops
Tue, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 26
JetBlue Logo
1:00 pm - 11:40 pmSJO-SFO
11h 40m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
9:25 pm - 11:55 amSFO-SJO
13h 30m1 stop
$432JetBlue
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 25 - Tue, Sep 16
JetBlue Logo
1:00 pm - 11:40 pmSJO-SFO
11h 40m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
10:15 pm - 11:55 amSFO-SJO
12h 40m1 stop
$437JetBlue
Find Deal
Mon, Aug 4 - Tue, Aug 12
Alaska Airlines Logo
12:50 am - 5:20 pmSJO-SFO
17h 30m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
3:48 pm - 11:30 pmSFO-SJO
30h 42m2 stops
$449Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 19 - Tue, Aug 26
Avianca Logo
5:05 am - 12:35 pmSJO-SFO
8h 30m1 stop
Avianca Logo
10:50 am - 11:15 pmSFO-SJO
11h 25m2 stops
$456Avianca
Find Deal
Tue, Aug 12 - Tue, Aug 26
Avianca Logo
3:05 pm - 11:55 pmSJO-SFO
9h 50m1 stop
Avianca Logo
7:25 am - 11:35 pmSFO-SJO
15h 10m2 stops
$458Avianca
Find Deal
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San José to San Francisco

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

For a smooth departure from SJO, use the self-check-in kiosks at Terminal A. Arrive early as security line lengths can vary.

Read more about SJOby Mark Chesnut
SFO

Upon arrival at SFO, consider using BART for a cost-effective ride to the city. The station is in the International Terminal.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
Our travel experts
Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Expert on SJO

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

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

Read more
Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

Read more
Useful Info

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

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

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

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to San Francisco on a Saturday and more expensive on a Monday. On your return trip to San José, you should consider flying back on a Tuesday, and avoid Saturdays for better deals.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to San Francisco, 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 José to San Francisco is September, where tickets cost $421 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are April and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $567 and $554 respectively.

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

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $556 on average.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to San Francisco, 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 José to San Francisco, you should book around 4 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 9 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonMarch
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$219
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 9% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 8% increase in price.
Flight from San José to San Francisco

When to book flights from San José to San Francisco

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

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San José to San Francisco was $219 for a one-way ticket and $412 for a round-trip.

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

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

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

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

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

    Iberia, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San José to San Francisco flight route.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San José to San Francisco are Alaska Airlines and Copa Airlines. With an average price for the route of $650 and an overall rating of 8.0, Alaska Airlines is the most popular choice. Copa Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $459 and an overall rating of 7.5.

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

    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 José to San Francisco.

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

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

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to San Francisco with an airline and back to San José with another airline. Booking your flights between San José and SFO can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San José to San Francisco?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San Francisco from San José up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San José to San Francisco

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $200 or less one-way and $426 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from San José to San Francisco?

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

Direct departures

San José Juan Santamaria Intl to San Francisco

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Monday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Tuesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Wednesday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Thursday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Friday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

Sunday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San José to San Francisco. 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 José to San Francisco? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 10000 reviews
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
7.1Entertainment
7.1Food
Airline reviews

The seats in first class are very dated and quite uncomfortable. I don’t need lie-flat seats for a 6 hour flight, but more recline is really necessary.

6.0 GoodJasmit, Jun 2025JFK - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

The seats in first class are very dated and quite uncomfortable. I don’t need lie-flat seats for a 6 hour flight, but more recline is really necessary.

One of the stewardess, Tre, went above and beyond to ensure my comfort!

Passengers were not informed timely of delays. The staff appeared like they didn't really care about the passengers.

Flight was delayed for weather, then delayed for mechanical, then just cancelled. Once mechanical problems started I wish you had just started offering rebooking options (at the same airport). I felt my trip was not a priority for you. I called you, I asked for a better option (than changing airports), then I had to literally run around the airport making it happen. Do better.

always delayed. toilet is too stinky worse than smells in sf homeless distriction

It was too cold for the first quarter of the flight.

Check in, they should have told me that upon arrival i needed to exit the secure area and re-check in with Eva Air. I wasn't sure what to do upon arrival at S.F.

Get more efficient check in staff. My boarding pass was printed with different name. My son who was traveling with me had his boarding pass printed in duplicate and we were interrogated like it was our fault that I may have lost my own boarding pass when the staff knew very well she just handled and tore the piece she need. This was with PAL.

Laney was very helpful. I am computer illiterate. She helped me obtain a boarding pass and preferred seat. She was warm, friendly, helpful, and smiled. I was impressed.

Flight was delayed. Crew was not helpful in the plane.

Had to go through security at the gate again. Had to take off shoes and go through the whole thing again even though we have global entry. They asked us to check in items bought at duty free during our layover and since we checked our luggage at the original departure airport, they forced us to check in a small backpack. None of this ever happened with other airlines. In addition, no vegetarian food option and no snacks during a 7 hr flight. Luggage limits are unusually small. This is unacceptable. Will NEVER fly Copa again and will tell friends and family to avoid this airline.

We paid extra with copa for seats near one another The plane was changed and we lost our seats We were all Separated. We have not received a refund for our seats despite emailing and calling.

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

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

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

We were in transit from Lima (flight at 1.10am) and we were in stand by in our flight from Panama to Washington. We wait from 4.30 am to 18.30pm in the Airport. The company give us 2 x 15 dollars for eat during the day and a personnal travel voucher of 400 dollars each. Do they buy food one time something in the Airport ??? And one of us live in France so the voucher is not usable. More than 24 hours travel !! And our place were near the toilets, with 8 children around us. The boy behind my seat stamped his feet on my back all the flight. Really Wonder full ! So we are totally unhappy with our travel. Thanks Copa Airlines....

I upgraded myself to Business Class at the last minute so I had a DREAMS window seat. Seeing as I've never flown Business before everything was novel and fun for me and it made the 7 hour flight much more enjoyable for sure.

Great from check in all the way to the end. Very happy with Copa

Copa stranded us ans then tried to charge us thousands to leave Panama.

Friendly flight team and seamless travel from one stop to next.

My flight was delayed a very short period of time but they did not hold my connecting flight to San Diego, also through United. So they closed the doors before we got off our plane. They would only have to help the door open for another five to ten minutes. So I missed a court deadline for a manditory mediation settlement conference for my client. I had to get an associate to be there in person and be on the phone with him relaying what he needs to do the entire time. The court was very upset with me and so was my client. United cannot be trusted.

Really good 😊 the woman at the gate entrance was a little rude checking in our carry-on but i dont think she worked for the airline, she worked for the airport at sacramento, other than that amazing.

Boarding was mayhem. Late boarding by 15 minutes because of lack of staff (missing 1 flight attendant. We had to wait for an arrival of another plane before we could board). Flight was a little rough, but cannot blame on airlines.

Airbus plane, nice and polite staff, entertainment even as it was a short flight.

United out of SFO is having issues with catering so none of our meals were loaded on the plane and no offer of compensation for our tickets purchased was offered.

Its good expeince but in enternteiment please be like you tube the music i like or movie

I needed to make changes to my flights. When I called customer service, they assisted me with care professionalism.

A bit rush for transit. Food and entertainment are not available

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

This was a horrible experience. For a first class experience, my chair was held together by 3M tape - and I have a photo. The crew weren’t very attentive, somewhat dismissive and forgot my drink and snack, the chair reclined about 3 inches on a 6-hour cross country flight. I was also not informed that there was no lounge available in Newark airport because of renovations, so all around this was one of the worst experiences and I would actively avoid both American and Alaska Air going forward.

Boarding was very efficient. Everyone got on board and we got on our way very quickly. It was frustrating that the entertainment app was not functioning properly. I was not able to activate some of the movies offered. The crew on this flight appears to be pretty grumpy. They had no smile on their faces. I felt like they were doing us a favor for being there.

Loved the staff, boarding and drink options! Wish the comfort of the seat could have been better nevertheless

Honestly, I haven’t flown American in years, probably due to the pandemic and my being unable to travel for certain periods in the last two years, but it was a good experience to dig out or obtain a new American Airlines account after many years of traveling for business with American in the past.

Long 5 hour and 45 min flight and only one drink service and cookie snack

One bottle of water and a package of cookies for comfort plus. We had to literally beg a flight attendant for an extra bottle of water later in the flight due to feeling dehydrated.

When I'm on a 5hr 22 minute flight I expect food to be purchased. Especially when American makes a very tight connection time where u have to run to make the long flight. Chips and nuts are unacceptable and being told you should be in first class to get a meal is also unacceptable. I didn't change the flight times American Airlines did.

Flight boarded from Gate 39 at OGG, the farthest gate in the terminal. There were no Hawaiian themed amenities for the flight. The first class service was mediocre at best; I received not special welcome or recognition as an executive platinum member of American Advantage program. The flight attendants were more concerned with their cell phones than saying "thank you" to the passengers as we disembarked. Fortunately, the flight arrived at LAX a few minutes early.

Bigger seats. Board back to front! Disembark front to back!

Extraordinary service in business class, and very good breakfast and snacks. A really lovely flight.

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

The chicken that was served in business class was cold!

Late departure. When the flight arrived in Medellin the plane sat at the gate for 20 minutes waiting for a bus for us to get off the plane.

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

A few years ago long flights 6 hours or so used to have video screens and they offered ear phones. The food cart used to come and drinks. Now absolutely nothing. Avianca is as bad as Spirit Airlines. Avianca will now be my last choice when booking my next flight.

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

Purchased a business class ticket and got a economy seat with center seat blocked they call it business. 3100usd ticket on a flight where economy costs 500usd The biggest scam insult have had on a regular airline. Avianca should be in the low cost category and kicked out of Star Alliance. I want the difference to be credited. Ets see what Avianca does. No reply so far. Avianca = low cost airline. Beware

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

COP 7,000 for a cup of mediocre coffee. I thought I was on Spirit Airlines for a minute. Otherwise the flight was fine. Nothing exceptional to report.

Overpriced checked bag price of $120 and they charge you for carryon if the size is not minimal of $120.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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