$445 Find Cheap Flights from Shanghai 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 Shanghai to San Francisco departing on 5/6. 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
$669
Overall average: $1,549
Philippine Airlines
Tue 9/1Tue 9/29
PVG - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,196
Typical prices: $1,088-$1,414
China Eastern
Mon 4/20Mon 9/21
PVG - SFO • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
China Eastern offers free baggage for long-haul flights.
Use BART at SFO for a cost-effective city trip.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $666 (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 32m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 80% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 13% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Start a new search
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
Booking Insights
Expert advice
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

Tue, Sep 1 - Tue, Sep 29
Philippine Airlines Logo
4:00 pm - 9:10 pm
PVG
-
SFO
20h 10m
1 stop
Philippine Airlines Logo
12:30 am - 2:30 pm
SFO
-
PVG
23h 00m
1 stop
$669Philippine Airlines
Wed, Jun 10 - Wed, Aug 19
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 12:13 pm
PVG
-
SFO
35h 18m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
7:30 pm - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
27h 35m
1 stop
$678Air Canada
Fri, Jun 12 - Sun, Aug 16
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 1:07 pm
PVG
-
SFO
36h 12m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
12:50 pm - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
34h 15m
2 stops
$690Air Canada
Mon, May 11 - Sun, May 17
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:10 pm - 3:20 pm
PVG
-
SFO
17h 10m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 10:05 am
SFO
-
PVG
19h 15m
1 stop
$695Asiana Airlines
Thu, Jun 11 - Mon, Dec 7
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:40 am - 3:20 pm
PVG
-
SFO
18h 40m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 11:55 am
SFO
-
PVG
20h 05m
1 stop
$696Asiana Airlines
Fri, Jun 12 - Sun, Aug 16
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 1:07 pm
PVG
-
SFO
36h 12m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
10:47 am - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
36h 18m
1 stop
$701Air Canada
Sun, Jun 7 - Sat, Aug 22
Air Canada Logo
3:55 pm - 12:13 pm
PVG
-
SFO
35h 18m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
12:50 pm - 2:05 pm
SFO
-
PVG
34h 15m
2 stops
$704Air Canada
Tue, Apr 21 - Wed, Apr 29
Korean Air Logo
8:50 am - 10:40 am
PVG
-
SFO
16h 50m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
12:40 pm - 9:40 am
SFO
-
PVG
30h 00m
1 stop
$705Korean Air
Thu, Apr 16 - Wed, May 6
Korean Air Logo
6:25 pm - 10:40 am
SHA
-
SFO
31h 15m
1 stop
Korean Air Logo
12:40 pm - 5:05 pm
SFO
-
SHA
37h 25m
1 stop
$749Korean Air
Sun, Jun 14 - Thu, Dec 10
EVA Air Logo
7:40 pm - 6:45 am
SHA
-
SFO
26h 05m
1 stop
EVA Air Logo
11:30 pm - 4:30 pm
SFO
-
SHA
25h 00m
1 stop
$812EVA Air
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.

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 $1,059 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 February, where tickets cost $745 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,549 and $1,428 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 13% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 17 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$445
Flight from Shanghai Pudong Airport 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 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Shanghai to San Francisco was $445 for a one-way ticket and $666 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 1202 reviews
8.7Crew
8.1Food
8.5Boarding
8.3Comfort
8.2Entertainment
Airline reviews

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

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Nov 2025
ICN - SFO
Read more Korean Air reviews

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.

They were very accommodating of a dietary issue. Nice movie & tv selections. Non-stop helped get through a very long (15 hr) flight

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.

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

2nd major delay due to maintenance issues. 1st delay missed my connecting flight.

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.

Coming back to America was a peaceful flight everyone and everything was perfect

The staff was courteous and the flight was very smooth. It was so nice to see the captain greeting the passengers at the end of the flights.

After each meal was served I didn't see any flight attendant offer coffee or tea to the passengers after the initial drinks were offered. Other flights I had been one it was standard procedure to offer hot drinks after the meal service.

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

Selected ovo lacto meal because I’m ok with milk products but not any meat. It was terrible. We had the same selection back in October when we had traveled and it was pretty good at that time. It was gross this time.

I was mid plane and they were already out of the main beef entree....ugh!

Flight delayed first from bad weather, then after boarding there was a problem with the plane. We had to get off and onto another plane...connections were missed and the trip took an additional 10 hours!! Pre-paid seatting was not honored due ro last minute carrier changes. Most of the trip was on Japan Airline.

Vegetarian options should be included with every meal. Even just simple steamed vegetables and whole grains would capture a wide audience.

Cramped, hot and the plane was grubby. Also the plane was an hour late and it took an hour to get my luggage once I got to LAX.

Extensive delays, poor organization to board people, as it felt like chaos to get inside of the plane. No lines, everyone gathering together like a mayhem, very confusing. Passengers out of hand and rude, which is not the airlines fault. However, there should be rules, e.g., not letting one passenger take 2+ spots in the overhead bin.

The bed was alright in business class. Food variety and quality were not up to the mark compared to the business class airfare.

Food , drink experience were great with Cathay. Crew service was excellent. Clean toilet and full snack bars always, pilot took of 26minutes later when boarding at Hong Kong with extra US customs check at gate 9 for US flight, but he managed to arrive only 2 minutes later from flight tracker. Smooth flight .

Terrible experience! delay 2 time and say i dont have ticket

Flight attendants were friendly & good service, food sucks, seats uncomfortable, not many Asian movies or shows flying from Hong Kong

Flight attendants had a little attitude. Food tastes no good.

Overall we had a good experience during our flight from San Francisco to Houston.

Good flight. However, when booked flight with United, assumed the layover included by United in San Francisco of 1 hr and 40 minutes was sufficient . Not so and would recommend at least 2 hours or more. Needed to go through US immigration (very long lineups), then pick up bags, take all the way to another terminal, running because we did not have sufficient time. We made the flight because they held the door for us but luggage didn’t follow.

the whole trip was smooth, and as comfortable as flying is these days. flight crew was friendly and very courteous and helpful.

Very poor. The flight was delayed from Toronto because some forget to do there job . I got to my connecting gate in San Francisco 10 minutes before the departure.but this didn’t let me board even though the flight was still there for an other 30 minutes. The the gentleman at the unite airline desk told me that they usually wait for passengers but air Canada called and told them not to we I been rerouted to Manila instead of Hong Kong . In San Francisco they mad me check in my carryon bag . I was told the it will directly go yo ho chi minn cuyt but I was told that by the Vietnams airline desk that’s not there I’m 10 hours behind my scheduled flight and looks like I I’m going without baggage. I don’t have a chance of catching ..

First class ticket gets you a choice of chips or nuts. . Just like economy Southwest. Also no screen in the seats. This is first class???!

Flight arrived 30 min early and bag was waiting at the baggage pickup. United Club HNL was one of the nicest in the system

Mean flight attendant. I wanted to reuse my plastic cup, but he (Matthew) said he can't for safety. I then said "I don't want water then" and he poured me a glass. I hope Matthew gets herpes and spends the rest of his life poor, lonely, and homeless.

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

The ticket was last minute buy so no concerns about the pricing this time, but the crew in general could have been more accommodating, helpful.

CTU-KMG-CNX with 1.5 hr connection at KMG. Doable but just barely bc immigration exit from China is at the last flight leg, here: KMG to CNX. We hauled out of the domestic terminal to reenter at the international departures (luggage checked thru to CNX thankfully). Immigration had only two agents, even though KMG gets a HUGE number of foreigners. It took forever for such a shot line. Then security also took a while, so I just just made the connection. Recommend if you exit China with domestic international transfer, plan for 2+ hrs to avoid a heart attack. Airline personnel don’t suffer if you miss the flight, you do. Plan accordingly.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers. A BIG ISSUE FOR NON-CHINESE PASSENGERS IS THE ABILITY TO CHECK IN ONLINE, by making so difficult or almost impossible there is no chance to get a seat assignment ahead of time then go to the airport and get what is left. THIS IS NOT a SKY TEAM modality.

China Eastern as a member of Sky Alliance airlines should have the same standards overall of their partners, Besides the seats comforts everything else is bellow the standard for a business class travelers.

2 parts to the journey. First leg covered in a newer plane with decent staff + POOR FOOD QUALITY but the second half didn’t leave a positive impression at all as the plane itself was an older built and the crew didn’t serve properly. Language is an issue with China Eastern flights as always, but unmotivated crew just makes it even bad.

Small plane with only two lavatories at the back. You must have a good plan to use it before or after the meal, if you make a bad decision, you will end up with standing in front of the toilet for a while till the food carts empty. The good thing is even there’s a slightly delayed, the plane is still arriving on time which is superb!!

The only personel that smiled at all were the flights attendants. Desk agents, lounge people none of them had a smile or even a hello. They were like dealing with dead fish. Again flight attendants were good. All other personnel looked like they didn’t want to be there or help.

good flight. food is only so so. I actually did not eat the snack. it does not look too good on the passenger next to me.

Food no variations only beef of chicken no veggie meals

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports