SJO - SFO

$178 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 11/19. 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 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.
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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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$371
Typical prices: $420-$740
JetBlue
Sat 1/17Fri 1/30
SJO - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$570
Typical prices: $616-$688
United Airlines
Wed 3/18Tue 3/31
SJO - SFO • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-generated summary based on content written by travel experts
Use self-check-in kiosks at SJO's Terminal A.
Consider BART from SFO for a cost-effective city ride.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
JetBlue
Cheapest • from $371 (round-trip)
Alaska Airlines
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 12% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 14% price drop
December
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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We hope you love your trip to San Francisco!
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Flight 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

Sat, Jan 17 - Fri, Jan 30
JetBlue Logo
1:45 pm - 11:30 pmSJO-SFO
11h 45m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
8:45 pm - 1:48 pmSFO-SJO
15h 03m1 stop
$371JetBlue
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 4 - Sun, Dec 7
JetBlue Logo
10:00 am - 11:35 pmSJO-SFO
15h 35m1 stop
JetBlue Logo
9:44 pm - 8:52 amSFO-SJO
9h 08m1 stop
$376JetBlue
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 4 - Mon, Dec 8
Copa Airlines Logo
11:00 am - 11:17 pmSJO-SFO
14h 17m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
12:36 am - 1:53 pmSFO-SJO
11h 17m1 stop
$391Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 4 - Sat, Dec 6
Avianca Logo
5:00 am - 6:47 pmSJO-SFO
15h 47m2 stops
Avianca Logo
1:35 am - 11:25 amSFO-SJO
7h 50m1 stop
$394Avianca
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 9 - Tue, Jan 20
Alaska Airlines Logo
1:30 am - 7:45 pmSJO-SFO
20h 15m2 stops
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 11:59 pmSFO-SJO
14h 29m1 stop
$398Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 7 - Tue, Jan 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:39 pm - 12:24 amSJO-SFO
37h 45m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:17 am - 11:59 pmSFO-SJO
10h 42m1 stop
$407Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Jan 22 - Thu, Jan 22
Avianca Logo
6:00 am - 5:47 pmSJO-SFO
13h 47m2 stops
Avianca Logo
11:10 pm - 1:40 pmSFO-SJO
12h 30m1 stop
$409Avianca
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 2 - Mon, Dec 8
Copa Airlines Logo
8:10 am - 11:17 pmSJO-SFO
17h 07m1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
12:36 am - 1:53 pmSFO-SJO
11h 17m1 stop
$412Copa Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 4 - Tue, Dec 9
Multiple Airlines Logo
12:39 pm - 1:18 pmSJO-SFO
26h 39m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:40 am - 11:48 pmSFO-SJO
10h 08m1 stop
$419Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 10 - Tue, Jan 20
Alaska Airlines Logo
1:30 am - 11:59 pmSJO-SFO
24h 29m1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:17 am - 11:59 pmSFO-SJO
10h 42m1 stop
$424Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Booking Insights

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.

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

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 José to San Francisco departing in January.

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 Wednesday and more expensive on a Monday. On your return trip to San José, you should consider flying back on a Tuesday, and avoid Thursdays 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 $469 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $634 and $618 respectively.

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 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 12% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 9 weeks before departure.

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

Good to know

Low seasonJune
Cheapest flight$178
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 6% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% 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 $178 for a one-way ticket and $371 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?

    All the following airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San José to San Francisco flight route: Iberia, Lufthansa, Alaska Airlines, Delta, British Airways, and American Airlines.

  • 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?

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

  • 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 $573 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 $458 and an overall rating of 7.6.

  • 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 $169 or less one-way and $437 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 11237 reviews
7.1Food
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

10.0 ExcellentSara, Oct 2025JFK - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

This was more with the third party booking through Kayak but my KTN for Pre-TSA, even though I entered it, wasn't assigned to my ticket when I got to the airport. I had to go through regular security. Also the Alaska app had trouble loading my ticket in the first place and I had to ask for it to be printed. Alaska Airlines was great but wanted you to know about this hiccup in the ticketing interface.

this was the THIRD time in four Alaska flights that were 2 hours late. Only one was due to weather. The intentionally posted each flight as only 1 hour and 55 minutes late so that they wouldn't have to give out vouchers. And then the flights all ended up more than 2 hours late. Makes United look like a premium carrier.

It was fine, mostly I was just happy to be on my last leg home. No in flight entertainment but that's forgivable since it was only a 2 hour flight.

Flight was cancelled, then rebooked on a flight that I was unable to get through since they had closed the gate.

This was likely the smallest, oldest plane I've been on. It didn't handle turbulence well and we were all jostled a lot more than I'm used to. At least it was a short flight.

Boarding process was poorly handled by the gate crew and the onboard crew. No effort was made to provide equal treatment to passengers with overhead bin space. Crew seemed disengaged and unfriendly.

It was a good experience! Thank you:) No sparkling mineral water… 🥲

On time, WiFi worked, reasonable legroom, helpful staff. Unfortunately there was no water for handwashing in the rear lavatory.

Miss bigger screens for movies Staff was friendly Seats comfortable Bathroom line long

Some of the Air hostesses are not that friendly. Need improvement

They were super friendly bumped me up to exit row free of charge, All flight legs were on time

Boarding was quick & efficient; they gave boarding groups due priority; staff & air crew were very cordial and helpful, pleasant flight.

We had a great flight just wished they had a tv so we can see a movie that would of made my trip excellent.

horrible service, food was an embarrassment, no charging for cellphones, stay away

Great experience with a crew always thinking in the passenger

Very happy with my flight. I would definitely recommend it.

Did upgrade, travel in business it was great (more room I could sleep)

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.

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

I found the staff to not be very attentive at all. When paying for Business Class you expect a certain type of service and that was not found. They were almost rude even

Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.

I really enjoyed flying with United airlines amazing experience , good customer service and great food

1.It will be better if sandwich is warm. 2.The food is too salty. 3.Breakfast needs some vegetables or fruits.

The flight was two hours late due to a computer fault and resulting maintenance. Nothing was offered as compensation beyond bottles of water during the time we were deplaned and waiting in the terminal.

Very pleasant flight attendants. Gate crew rather loud chatting with each other.

Four plus hour flight delay in New York caused us to take off after 11:30pm. We didn’t arrive at our hotel until five hours after check in. Started the trip off feeling exhausted.

Friendly crew. Poor food service maybe due to full flight. All in all, you get what you pay for.

Plane was in bad shape. TV’s and WiFi didn’t work. Plane need a refresh. Not enough room for bags.

Everything was great. I liked the text updates so that I never miss a gate change & I have all the latest info.

I don’t usually fly budget airlines or airlines in the United States. It was as good as any other airline. The seats are comfortable and the airline attendants are not rude & surly. Very nice flight (s).

They have the most inexperienced / rude flight staff I’ve encountered

very difficult boarding process - aggressive passengers not the friendliest crew

WiFi was not eorkig (again) And the plane was from 1990 with the screens which were.not touch and most didn’t even work and if lucky could tune in tv

6 hour flight and have to pay for everything 100 dollars to add a carry-on bag is insane

Horrible experience. Flight cancelled. Arrived at destination 12 hs later. No one gave us an answer or any information. Very very poor service. We won’t ever travel again with Avianca

Did not fly with Pakistan International Airlines. Have never flown with Pakistan International Airlines.

Usb plugs for charging your phone does not work in every flight. uncomfortable chairs even in higher categories.

The seats were uncomfortable and barely reclined at all. Very little leg room despite being business class. The crew was friendly and the food was good. Had to use my own phone for in-flight entertainment.

The check in is the only positive thing in Avianca. The seat is the most uncomfortable I have traveled, the distance is minimal.

Not what it used to be. The sale of food makes them look greedy!

Avianca is not what it used to be. So disappointing

It was horrible. My experience with Avianca. I didn’t know it was Pakistan international Airlines but anyway, whatever it is it is bad horrible you guys need to upgrade everything in those planes. And you guys charge $130 for a carry-on did they wanna let me in with my carry-on that I travel everywhere with the luggage you guys are such a dog thank you

why did we have to go through security mid flight

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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