Cheap flights from San Francisco to China from $418

In general, August is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to China. Due to it being the ‘off-season’ during this time, you can expect flight prices to be around $844. If you aren’t able to travel during the month of August, then book flights to China from San Francisco during September instead. Flights to China in September, while not as cheap as those in August, still average around $852.

Our data shows that Monday is the least expensive day to fly to China. Tickets to fly out on this day can be as low as $906. Be sure to avoid booking your departure on a Wednesday as prices are generally higher than usual. According to our data, the average ticket price to China on Wednesday is $1,266.

Our data shows that the cheapest San Francisco to China flights are usually those with departure times in the evening. Our users have found flights to China in the evening for as low as $766. If you have a flexible travel schedule, then try to avoid flying at noon when prices are $1,305 on average. Flights to China from San Francisco at noon are generally more expensive because this time of day is more convenient for travelers’ schedules.

Fly from San Francisco to Shanghai Pu Dong for the best San Francisco - China flight prices

You are more likely to see cheaper flights to China from San Francisco when booking weeks ahead of your departure date. In general, you can expect to find flights to China for around $1,044 when searching weeks out. However, flight prices might be lower outside of this timeframe. For example, people recently found flights to China from San Francisco for as low as $881 on momondo.

Asiana Airlines, China Southern, and China Eastern are the most popular carriers operating from San Francisco to China

Cathay Pacific, China Southern and Asiana Airlines are the top three most popular airlines that fly to China from San Francisco according to our data. Cathay Pacific is the first choice among our users, with 41% of people opting to fly with this airline when traveling to China. Keep in mind that there are 14 different airlines that fly to China on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

Historically, on average around 19% of flights between San Francisco and China have experienced a delay on any given week. The average delay length over the past 12 months has been 170 minutes.

Generally, flights departing at night tend to experience fewer delays. Flights in the morning have, in the past, seen delays more frequently in comparison.

Tuesday is statistically the day of the week which experiences the fewest number of delays on this flight route. Wednesday has historically seen more delays on average compared to the rest of the week.

According to our data, China Eastern have had the least number of delays on this route over the last 12 months; with about 15% of their flights experiencing any sort of delay.

5 flights are operational daily from San Francisco to China as of May 2026. The most popular departure time for this route is 12:00PM, with 52% of flights per day taking off in the afternoon.

The number of flights available between San Francisco and China is 35 per week as of May 2026. The most frequent departure day is Tue, with 17% of weekly flights leaving on this day.