$506 Find Cheap Flights from Shanghai to San Francisco - Compare and Save

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Shanghai to San Francisco departing on 6/20. 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 Shanghai to San Francisco.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Shanghai to San Francisco.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$786
Typical prices: $1,446-$776
Asiana Airlines
Thu 9/10Sun 9/13
PVG - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,263
Typical prices: $1,415-$1,043
United Airlines
Wed 9/9Wed 10/21
PVG - SFO • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
China Eastern includes free baggage on long-haul fares, adding clear value.
For Shanghai-SFO, compare economy value first; premium perks here are mostly business-only.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $786 (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 11h 40m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
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Avoid delays
Most punctual • 83% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 12% compared to booking last minute.
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KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to San Francisco!
Flight Deals
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Shanghai to San Francisco

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

Thu, Sep 10 - Sun, Sep 13
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:40 am - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
18h 50m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 3:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
24h 40m
1 stop
$786Asiana Airlines
Thu, Oct 15 - Sun, Oct 25
Asiana Airlines Logo
10:55 am - 3:30 pm
SHA
-
SFO
19h 35m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 5:15 pm
SFO
-
SHA
26h 25m
1 stop
$803Asiana Airlines
Wed, Oct 14 - Sun, Oct 25
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:05 am - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
29h 25m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 9:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
30h 15m
1 stop
$807Asiana Airlines
Mon, Jun 29 - Mon, Jul 27
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 3:35 pm
PVG
-
SFO
38h 40m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
12:50 pm - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
34h 15m
2 stops
$818Air Canada
Mon, Oct 19 - Sat, Jan 16
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 3:21 pm
PVG
-
SFO
14h 26m
1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:25 pm - 4:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
29h 35m
1 stop
$827Air Canada
Thu, Sep 10 - Sun, Sep 13
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 12:07 pm
PVG
-
SFO
35h 12m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
4:35 pm - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
30h 30m
1 stop
$829Air Canada
Wed, Oct 21 - Wed, Jan 13
Multiple Airlines Logo
3:55 pm - 12:07 pm
PVG
-
SFO
35h 12m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:37 pm - 4:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
25h 23m
2 stops
$831Multiple Airlines
Mon, Sep 7 - Mon, Nov 16
China Southern Logo
12:50 pm - 8:40 pm
SHA
-
SFO
22h 50m
2 stops
China Southern Logo
11:35 pm - 3:15 pm
SFO
-
SHA
23h 40m
2 stops
$1,109China Southern
Sat, Sep 12 - Sat, Nov 21
Air China Logo
7:55 am - 10:30 am
SHA
-
SFO
17h 35m
1 stop
Air China Logo
12:00 pm - 1:55 pm
SFO
-
SHA
33h 55m
1 stop
$1,140Air China
Mon, Jun 29 - Sun, Jul 26
Cathay Pacific Logo
10:30 pm - 11:15 pm
SHA
-
SFO
39h 45m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:20 am - 3:35 pm
SFO
-
SHA
23h 15m
1 stop
$1,160Cathay Pacific
Booking Insights

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

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai to San Francisco departing in September.

What is the cheapest Shanghai to San Francisco flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from Shanghai to San Francisco costs $1,264 on the route between Shanghai Pu Dong Airport (PVG) and San Francisco (SFO). It is also the most popular route.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Shanghai 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 Shanghai to San Francisco is November, where tickets cost $410 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $901 and $703 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 14 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Shanghai to San Francisco

 
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
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.

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.

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$506
Flight from Shanghai Hongqiao Intl to San Francisco

When to book flights from Shanghai to San Francisco

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

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

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Shanghai to San Francisco was $506 for a one-way ticket and $786 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to San Francisco from Shanghai.

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

    When flying out of Shanghai you will be using one of these airports: Shanghai Pu Dong or Shanghai Hongqiao Intl. You will be landing at San Francisco.

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

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

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

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

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

    Seoul is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Shanghai to San Francisco.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Shanghai 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 Shanghai to San Francisco.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Shanghai 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 Shanghai up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Prefer to fly direct from Shanghai to San Francisco?

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

Direct departures

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

Direct returns

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

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

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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.
8.4
Korean AirOverall score based on 1218 reviews
8.3Comfort
8.5Boarding
8.7Crew
8.2Entertainment
8.1Food
Airline reviews

The business class is excellent. I loved the food, and the crew was very attentive and professional. From boarding to arrival, everything felt smooth and well-organised.

10.0 ExcellentFiruz, Apr 2026
ICN - LAX
Read more Korean Air reviews

The business class is excellent. I loved the food, and the crew was very attentive and professional. From boarding to arrival, everything felt smooth and well-organised.

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

Great service and comfort level. You can have more of vegetarian food options.

It’s great, long flight and arrive safe at destination

Everything was excellent as I expected. They also had a very caring crew. I had a headache and asked a Tylenol. The crew members kept checking with me how I was doing.

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.

I can't believe they put my wife and I in the two middle seats! It is a very long flight and we had single flyers on either side of us blocking the way to the bathroom! There's no reason to not give one of us the isle seat so we could have managed bathroom needs and snacks with convenience. So I think very poorly of Korean air to put us both in the middle, I've never had that happen before and will probably avoid this airline in the future because of this. We tried to have them change it but they didn't so you pretty much lost a customer because of it.

One of the flight attendants stepped on my foot. I was on the aisle seat. A lady inside needed to get out. So Instood. Just then, a flight attentendant came wuicklybtheoughbthe aisle and stepprd on my sock covered toes. I let out a small sound. She stopped momentarily, but didn’t ask how I was just took off of the aisle. Never came back to see how I was. Fortunately, I was not really hurt other than a slight soreness in my toes. But I found that to be very negligent.

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.

It's good overall. Flight was packed. Inflight entertainment choices were lacking.

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

Felt like the oldest plane in Asiana Fleet. Screen was 5-6in only and no charging at all. Movie selection wasn't great.

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.

Food could be better it was okay. Entertainment seems dated it was something but in this day and age could be a lot better.

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 great, but my bag was not loaded onto the connecting flight. I'm currently getting it resolved. If this isn't a problem, everything else was excellent.

The aircraft was massive (A-380) and became crowded with 400+ passengers on board.

The plane hasnt left im stuck in seatle still my flight has been grounded for almost 5 hours

Love flying Asiana. Been using it for over a decade now.

Poor seats. Not helpful crew. The food was awful.overall very very bad experience. Traveled with the family of 5

did not get a notification about seat selection ahead of time. We didn't end up sitting together.

I was denied boarding at the Brisbane airport and it seems like I won’t get any refunds from the airline

In my return flight they couldn’t identify my ticket or boarding pass, I had to go to 3 different counters until I was able to get my boarding pass. The food was on, it was the bear minimum. They didn’t even recognise that I was a Muslim and can’t eat meat, chicken or pork. In one of the trays I believe they served me pork. The staff were very pleasant, but they need to be aware of their surroundings more carefully, one of them stuck her lower belly right into my face! I was shocked and very uncomfortable.

Overall I had good experience with China Southern airline. Nothing to claim. I hoped they could improve the meal quality that is.

Wow very impressed by the quality and attentiveness of service of China Southern. Lived the blankets! Will definitely fly with them again. Despite language barriers, a few attendants know enough English to understand our rudimentary Mandarin and respond to basic questions. Although they don’t explain the beverage and meal service on the website or ticketing documents, they offered regular beverage cart and snacks during the beginning hours and end hours of the long, transoceanic flight. A full meal at the beginning and end of the flight as well, and a midflight small sandwich (dinner roll sized) but we weren’t hungry and didn’t try that one. The expectation is that every sleeps during the middle of the flight. We were on a “redeye” departure from LAX with a morning arrival in China, so I don’t know if this service pattern is the same for other flights. The domestic flight we took from Guangzhou to Harbin offered conventional refreshments and meals like a US flight service. Note that they didn’t offer diet sodas. If you like to stay hydrated, I recommend bringing plenty of your own. It is served in small cups like any other drink. You can ask for a bottle but they’re tiny - about 6 ounces.

China Southern was not the problem. I booked my flight through Kayak and also received a booking reference and alert details regarding departure time and gate numbers… however Kayak NEVER actually booked my flight! We were stranded at the airport without a flight for a long awaited holiday!

The connection between LA and Atlanta was too much stress

Terrible boarding experience,,food is very poor that I I . Never going book this airline again.

The crew were kind, patient and responsive. The service was excellent, even though we travelled the cheapest economy class. We arrived at our destination 40 min early, which for a 15+ hour flight is a great bonus. The boarding seemed a bit "loose", but got us boarded on time, and the plane was off exactly @ 0:30 hrs.

This was an overnight flight, and in the morning they did know coffee service. How you can throw passengers in a San Francisco airport at 5:40 a.m. in the morning and not giving them Coffee is a crime.

Our flight was delayed several Times due to mechanical issues. Although I understand this may happen at times, it was very inconvenient and we had to book a hotel for an overnight stay. We were traveling with my 3-yo grandson and waiting at the airport from noon until 6:30pm with no reassurance that our next rescheduled flight would depart, we had to decide what’s best for him. A day later, I found out that I may be able to demand compensation if my flight is delayed more than 4 hours. I will hav to read the fine print next time.

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Crew was great! Good meals. Had room to stretch out

How can you rate a flight when it is canceled after you leave the gate & 3 hours into sitting there or in remote area of airport after mechanical problems

Seat pitch is horrible especially on the 15 hour flight. Gate crew at SFO was Outstanding. The flight crew was also great.

6 1/2 hours from Tampa to SFO on a Boeing 737. Cramped. No Service. No real food. One pass for coffee at the beginning and a second pass THREE hours later. And check-in in Tampa was nasty even by United standards. And I am at almost TWO million miles on United. It's a non-stop. But terrible service.

First class ticket gets you no seat back entertainment? I have to bring my own laptop to see a movie? And most of their movies have ADS? No thank you. Worse: Tiny snacks only on a 2 hr flight?

Late plane. Only one crew on the ground so we b had to wait for Denver flight to come in, board, and depart. At 78 yrs of age I was not pleased trying to get my connection. What really made me angry was the notification you sent me to hurry up or I would miss my connection. Why tell me to hurry up when you got me in late. It was not a good way of treating customers.

No complaints other than luggage carousel was incorrectly guiding passengers to the wrong carousel on the screen.

This was my first time ever flying China Eatern and it will not be my last. I was very satisfied with my whole experience and trip. Thank you very much and until soon.

It was just fine. The sirlines did live up fully to my expectation.

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports