$570 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 9/3. 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.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$706
Typical prices: $863-$1,552
Vietnam Airlines
Wed 8/26Wed 9/2
PVG - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$1,251
Typical prices: $1,104-$1,426
China Eastern
Thu 10/15Mon 10/26
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.
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Top airlines
Cheapest • from $706 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.4 score
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Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with United Airlines and China Eastern. Average duration is 11h 40m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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Direct flights
Direct flights
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Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
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Avoid delays
Most punctual • 84% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
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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

Wed, Aug 26 - Wed, Sep 2
Vietnam Airlines Logo
3:10 pm - 5:55 pm
PVG
-
SFO
41h 45m
1 stop
Vietnam Airlines Logo
10:50 pm - 12:40 pm
SFO
-
PVG
22h 50m
1 stop
$706Vietnam Airlines
Wed, Dec 16 - Sun, Jan 3
Vietnam Airlines Logo
3:25 pm - 5:00 pm
PVG
-
SFO
41h 35m
1 stop
Vietnam Airlines Logo
9:10 pm - 2:15 pm
SFO
-
PVG
25h 05m
1 stop
$708Vietnam Airlines
Thu, Sep 3 - Thu, Sep 10
China Southern Logo
11:05 am - 8:40 pm
PVG
-
SFO
24h 35m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 8:30 pm
SFO
-
PVG
28h 55m
1 stop
$724China Southern
Thu, Sep 17 - Thu, Sep 24
China Southern Logo
11:05 am - 8:40 pm
PVG
-
SFO
24h 35m
1 stop
China Southern Logo
12:35 am - 5:20 pm
SFO
-
PVG
25h 45m
1 stop
$725China Southern
Wed, Dec 16 - Sun, Jan 3
Air Canada Logo
5:35 pm - 1:51 pm
PVG
-
SFO
36h 16m
1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:30 am - 4:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
17h 30m
1 stop
$827Air Canada
Wed, Dec 16 - Sun, Jan 3
Air Canada Logo
5:35 pm - 5:23 pm
PVG
-
SFO
39h 48m
2 stops
Air Canada Logo
6:30 am - 4:00 pm
SFO
-
PVG
17h 30m
1 stop
$827Air Canada
Wed, Sep 16 - Tue, Sep 22
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:20 pm - 10:40 pm
SHA
-
SFO
24h 20m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
12:20 am - 12:05 pm
SFO
-
SHA
20h 45m
1 stop
$885Cathay Pacific
Thu, Oct 15 - Mon, Oct 26
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:40 am - 3:30 pm
PVG
-
SFO
18h 50m
1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 3:10 pm
SFO
-
PVG
24h 20m
1 stop
$889Asiana 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
$889Asiana Airlines
Wed, Oct 28 - Wed, Nov 25
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:35 pm - 10:15 pm
SHA
-
SFO
23h 40m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
10:55 pm - 3:20 pm
SFO
-
SHA
24h 25m
1 stop
$890Cathay 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 August.

Flight prices are below average for this route right now.

Flights to San Francisco from Shanghai usually cost between $948 and $1,588 in August.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $706 on Vietnam Airlines (Aug 26-Sep 2).

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 $1,163 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 $760 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and September, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,420 and $1,292 respectively.

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

$570
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 $570 for a one-way ticket and $706 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 1223 reviews
8.5Boarding
8.2Entertainment
8.1Food
8.7Crew
8.3Comfort
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

I took several flights that day, this was the only flight that was absolutely freezing!! It was so cold.

It was a comfortable flight and the flight crew were lovely!

They destroyed my Michael Kors Carryon luggage, they didn’t announce that only check in the carry on and when we get inside a couple of room to put the carry on bag. I was disappointed and sad because of the damaged of my luggage. They should replace it or fixed it.

The airplane very small , no space for put my carry on , they tell me loads my carry on I thought they will load my carry only Seattle to San Francisco but when I get off airplane at San Francisco they just tell me load my bags from Seattle to Bangkok Why they don’t tell me before load . I told them I don’t want load my bag from Seattle to Bangkok , because my carry on had medicine. Why crew from Seattle don’t help me , they only told my go to tell luggage claim Delta

Food was not great. Crew was lovely. There was no whisky on the first leg (BKK - ICN). And it took forever for my luggage to come out at LAX.

They let me board first because I'm a cancer patient & 75 years old. That was greatly helpful.

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

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.

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

Flight was too cold. I wore a regular cotton tee and it wasn’t enough. It was a night time flight so I would have thought a blanket would be provided to passengers. A 4 hour flight and no options for a meal? I flew Asiana the next day from Seoul to Manilla. Same duration, 4 hours. They give everyone a pillow and blanket and serve a meal. Why is United so cheap and holding back meals and amenities? Also, they promote too much gay stuff and DEI in their advertisements. Please be mindful of other beliefs and don’t shove your gay ideology down my throat.

Staff always with a smile and very helpful with my mom who has mobility issues.

The seats felt very small. We were supplied with pillows and blankets, which was nice. Lots of noise from the bathroom, plus exterior noise. Made it hard to hear the entertainment system, even using my own noise-cancelling headphones. The food was really bad. I generally request a vegetarian meal and one was supplied, but the pasta was cold and hard and there was nothing pleasant about it. Two meals were served on this flight; one was a repeat of the meal I had had on the flight immediately preceding this one, which was bad enough I didn't even try it. Drinks were very limited. All I wanted was water, and on a 10.5 hour flight, I was given 3 cups of about 3 ounces each.

The legroom in economy was better than other airlines. Since my legs are long, that means a lot. Also, the A380 from Los Angeles to Incheon gave passengers a smooth ride. Everything went smoothly from boarding to disembarkation in Incheon. I'd fly Asiana again!

The flight attendant, where kind of rude, there where hiding for almost 3 hours, without doing rounds to see if people needed water or pickup the water cups, the toilets were full of water cups, because they never come back to pick them up.

Amazing service and fabulous syaff. Loved the jumbo jet too, comfortable.

The entire experience convinced my wife, Cathy, and me that traveling Polaris on United is the only way we’ll fly in the future. From check-in and baggage drop to the end of the 12-hour flight, the customer service was exceptional, with numerous staff members exemplifying the very best in care. On board, Andre, our primary crew chief, was sincerely friendly, a consummate professional, and, along with Freddy, one of his team members, truly among the best of the best. The captain even came through the cabin to chat with passengers—a wonderful personal touch, especially on such a long journey.

The SFO lounge closes at 12 midnight. My flight took off at 2AM

Flight be on time would be a good start. Then train your flight attendants to be attentive and friendly. This time they completely forgot my row for the measly snack! United, do better!

We boarded the plane and were about to take off when we were notified that the tires had to be checked. Upon inspection, they were found to need replacement, so the entire plane had to be deboarded. After we exited the plane, United staff forced us to stay in the gate area by posting "Do Not Exit" signs on the doors connecting the gate area to the terminal. Many of us had already rebooked our flights and had no checked bags, but they told us we could not leave. This seemed inappropriate to hold people under false pretenses. When the agent told us we could leave, I asked them to please take down the "Do Not Exit" signs, as they were misleading. The agent refused, and I told them that it didn't feel right to hold people like that.

There was a piece of plastic baked into my buttermilk biscuit! I have a pictures. The flight attendants in first class were really apologetic, and tried to rectify the situation. I I am very appreciative that they were able to give me some packets of pretzels and gummy bears. I understand they don't personally handle the food until warming it up so I know it wasn't their fault. I don't know whether it was a newer aircraft, or different food packaging, but I was happy that when the food was being warmed up - it didn't smell like plastic. Jokes on me with finding plastic in my food.

United was excellent. We had very good experience flying the carrier. Certainly. We will opt to fly them for sure. Lufthansa is out.

The seat that I got this time is really good.

Excellent flight. On time. Great staff. Clean and crisp cabin.

The Manila airport was under renovation so there was no business class lounge. The double security check was disorganized and the flight attendants were grouchy.

Beijing PEK to SFO. I had an economy seat on this flight. The seat comfort was acceptable. My main complaint is with the FA’s lack of personality and absence from servicing the plane, specifically restroom care (I wish I could share a pic of the restroom that I captured) and care of travelers—drink cart/availability of drinks. I'm amazed at the level of service on other International travel where a passenger is most often appreciated.

Suck! Sat in plane on the tarmac (hot) over 2 hours

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.

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.

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

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.

Pillow and blanket are dirty. My son got multiple bites during the flight

Flight was on time. My group paid for seat’s so that us four can be seated next to each other. We all got separated. We all got middle seats, which made it more difficult to be able to get up and stretch or use the restroom. We tried talking to the employees at China Eastern and they were of no help. We will not be taking this flight or recommend this route to others in the future. Also I will be contacting customer service on how I can get our money back for paying for assigned seats.

China eastern was fantastic. I had read so many bad reviews that had made me nervous. However, I found that the flight attendant’s, and customer service check in etc. etc. was excellent. I had no problems. I would fly with them again!

I suppose to board the plane AC5110 to San Francisco on July 16 2026 @07:00 am and arrive San Francisco at 09:25 am. At 9:30am still in YVR I was told the plane was delayed until 11:30 am to take off. Not until 11:35am the pilot of the plane declared that due to hydraulic system problem this plane was cancelled. After waited in a long pile up for negotiating with the counter-staff, I finally got the tickets for myself and my wife Yim Mei KONG firstly to Seattle and then transferred to San Francisco on the plane AS 2014 & AS 791 with Alaska Airlines. I suppose to attend the funeral of our friend in San Francisco on July 18 and a Memorial Gathering for the Birthday of the deceased on July 16, 2026. I arrived San Francisco at 9:40 pm that day (12 hours later) and couldn't joint the Memorial Gathering. This upset me a lot. I am seeking for compensation of this failing trip. Please let me know how to and where to forward my complaint.

Horrible! Rude flight attendant, barely any service on such a long flight. I wouldn't recommend Air Canada to anyone.

not able to change flight, no customer service from KAYAK

Aircraft is designed with all 3 washrooms at the back of the plane, meaning that when there is service underway, there are no washrooms available and it gets very crowded at the back of the plane.

gave me complimentary food as the flight was not full and was attentive to my needs

Very disappointed with premier lounge. Food selection very poor, both coffee machines out of order. For the price you charge for an upgrade, the seats don’t fully recline, movie selection is old. Not very good value. Asian airlines are light years ahead at a more affordable price.

The stag were helpful, kind and liked the passengers. The plane was pristinely clean! Great flight!

The plane was delayed an hour. Heard from other passengers that the Vancouver connection to SFO was never on-time.

My experience was good with United too But only not so good thing was that at Calgary airport I was not given lounge access despite of flying business. Aspire lounge denied it to me, which was unfair I feel

The staff was great and made the long trip easy peasy!

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports