LAX - SFO

$84 Find Cheap Flights from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco departing on 30/10. 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

Save 15% or more on flights. Compare deals from all over the web.

Never overpay with our price tracking tools.

Filter searches by price, airline and more to find your best flights.

Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$131
Typical prices: $152-$352
Frontier
Fri 11/9Sat 19/9
LAX - SFO • 1 stop
Cheapest direct flights
$159
Typical prices: $176-$341
Alaska Airlines
Thu 27/8Thu 27/8
LAX - SFO • Direct
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $131 (return)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Direct flights
You can fly direct with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and others. Average duration is 1h 25m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 76% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 46% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 20% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches hundreds of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to San Francisco!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco (LAX-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Los Angeles 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 return flight deals from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Fri, 11 Sep - Sat, 19 Sep
Frontier Logo
08:50 - 15:46
LAX
-
SFO
6h 56m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
09:00 - 10:37
SFO
-
LAX
1h 37mdirect
$131Frontier
Mon, 14 Sep - Mon, 21 Sep
Frontier Logo
22:04 - 08:14
LAX
-
SFO
10h 10m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
12:07 - 13:43
SFO
-
LAX
1h 36mdirect
$135Frontier
Thu, 17 Sep - Mon, 21 Sep
Frontier Logo
08:44 - 10:22
LAX
-
SFO
1h 38mdirect
Frontier Logo
06:04 - 14:39
SFO
-
LAX
8h 35m
1 stop
$144Frontier
Thu, 27 Aug - Thu, 27 Aug
Alaska Airlines Logo
17:00 - 18:23
LAX
-
SFO
1h 23mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
20:57 - 22:29
SFO
-
LAX
1h 32mdirect
$159Alaska Airlines
Fri, 11 Sep - Fri, 11 Sep
Alaska Airlines Logo
17:00 - 18:23
LAX
-
SFO
1h 23mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
20:57 - 22:29
SFO
-
LAX
1h 32mdirect
$159Alaska Airlines
Thu, 10 Sep - Thu, 10 Sep
Alaska Airlines Logo
17:00 - 18:23
LAX
-
SFO
1h 23mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
20:57 - 22:29
SFO
-
LAX
1h 32mdirect
$159Alaska Airlines
Tue, 15 Sep - Tue, 15 Sep
Southwest Logo
13:20 - 14:40
LAX
-
SFO
1h 20mdirect
Southwest Logo
19:55 - 21:25
SFO
-
LAX
1h 30mdirect
$166Southwest
Thu, 10 Sep - Mon, 14 Sep
Southwest Logo
17:50 - 19:05
LAX
-
SFO
1h 15mdirect
Southwest Logo
15:00 - 16:30
SFO
-
LAX
1h 30mdirect
$166Southwest
Wed, 19 Aug - Wed, 19 Aug
United Airlines Logo
11:45 - 13:12
LAX
-
SFO
1h 27mdirect
United Airlines Logo
21:25 - 23:06
SFO
-
LAX
1h 41mdirect
$166United Airlines
Thu, 20 Aug - Mon, 24 Aug
United Airlines Logo
13:25 - 14:52
LAX
-
SFO
1h 27mdirect
United Airlines Logo
17:41 - 19:18
SFO
-
LAX
1h 37mdirect
$166United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Los Angeles to San Francisco flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a return flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

This analysis is based on the cheapest return trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco departing in September.

Flight prices are below average for this route right now.

Flights to San Francisco from Los Angeles usually cost between $178 and $340 in September.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was $131 on Frontier (11 Sept–19 Sept).

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

For Los Angeles to San Francisco, Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Thursday is the most expensive. Flying from San Francisco back to Los Angeles, the best deals are generally found on Saturday, with Thursday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco is October, where tickets cost $242 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and February, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $338 and $334 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 46% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

$84
Best time to beat the crowds (1% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 20% lower on average.
Flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco

When to book flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns 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.

Flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from Los Angeles to San Francisco 
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
Jan 2025
Bring water and snacks with shorter flights as some routes will not offer it.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
July 2024
Bring a sweater, just incase other people's ac makes you cool.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
LAX
-
SFO
May 2024
Please be prepared to check in your luggage even if there is available space in the overhead bins. Despite the availability of space, Alaska Airlines employees refused to allow us to bring our bags onto the plane and insisted that we check them in.

FAQs for booking flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco

  • Is Wi-Fi available at airports in Los Angeles and San Francisco?

    To cater to business and leisure travelers, LAX, San Francisco International Airport, and San Jose International Airport offer free wireless internet services.

  • What kind of dining options can I find at Los Angeles International Airport?

    With over 90 food and beverage outlets, LAX has something to suit your mood and preference. Enjoy a drink at the sophisticated Petrossian Caviar & Champagne Bar, dine on upscale French-Japanese fusion cuisine at Chaya, or grab a quick burger, frozen yoghurt, or coffee.

  • I’m traveling with kids. How can I keep them entertained at LAX?

    The LAX Beach is a beach-themed play area for children aged between 2 and 8 years old. Located at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, kids can play safely and burn off some energy before getting on a flight.

  • What are the public transport options from San Francisco International Airport to the center?

    BART operates a rapid rail service from San Francisco International Airport to San Francisco and the East Bay. Get the free AirTrain from any terminal to the SFO BART Station. SamTrans runs a bus service connecting the airport with San Mateo County and parts of San Francisco. A number of routes stop at the Airport terminals including SFO and ECR. The Caltrain Commuter Rail provides a rail service between San Francisco and San Jose. Take a SamTrans bus to Caltrain’s Millbrae Station to connect.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco was $84 for a one-way ticket and $131 for a return.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

    Alaska Airlines, Delta, American Airlines, JetBlue, and Japan Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Los Angeles to San Francisco flight route.

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

    The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Los Angeles to San Francisco flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

    oneworld is the only airline alliance operating flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

    There are direct flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco, Southwest or Alaska Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco are Southwest and Alaska Airlines. With an average price for the route of $338 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. Alaska Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $223 and an overall rating of 7.9.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to San Francisco with an airline and back to Los Angeles with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles to San Francisco

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $133 or less one-way and $182 or less round-trip.
  • Booking flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco? Depending on where you’re staying, you can choose from three airports to fly into to cut down on commuting time. San Francisco International Airport in located in San Mateo County, 13 miles south of the city center. This is a great choice if you’re staying in San Francisco or visiting Sonoma or Napa Valley. Oakland International Airport is 10 miles south of downtown Oakland and a good option if you’re traveling to Yosemite National Park or Lake Tahoe. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is located in San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
  • Flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco usually depart from Los Angeles Airport. If you want to do a little last-minute shopping before your flight, LAX rivals the top malls for shopping and has over 60 retail outlets, including international brands, gift shops, and newsstands.
  • To showcase the dynamic, creative spirit of Los Angeles, LAX has transformed many of its public spaces into art spaces with exhibitions and installations for the enjoyment of travelers. The 11 exhibition sites are located in Terminals 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
  • Before getting on your flight at Los Angeles International Airport, pamper yourself with a relaxing massage to improve your circulation. Manicures, pedicures, and other spa treatments are available at the XpresSpa, located at the Tom Bradley International Terminal and the Be Relax Spa in Terminal 1.
  • If flying stresses you out, the Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP) Program at LAX gives you an opportunity to relax before your flight. Therapy dogs in red “pet me” vests can be found on the departure level of each terminal, accompanied by helpful handlers. Children and adults alike can cuddle and pat a friendly puppy for a few minutes before departing.

Prefer to fly direct from Los Angeles Los Angeles to San Francisco?

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

Direct departures

Los Angeles Los Angeles to San Francisco

Monday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Tuesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Wednesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Thursday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Friday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Saturday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Sunday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to Los Angeles Los Angeles

Monday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Tuesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Wednesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Thursday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Friday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Saturday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

Sunday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +3 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +4 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 3 airlines flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles 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
SouthwestOverall score based on 4224 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
7.0Food
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

The flight was late. The crew was rude. There was no food. Cramped and uncomfortable. Nothing about this flight was good.

2.0 MediocreIrene, June 2026
DEN - SFO
Read more Southwest reviews

The flight was late. The crew was rude. There was no food. Cramped and uncomfortable. Nothing about this flight was good.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Terrible. Even though there’s assigned seating now, they are still the slowest boarding airline of anyone.

It was good from LAX to Phoenix, But the connection in Phoenix to Tulsa was not that great. The staff on both flights were great. The choice of free entertainment was ok nothing to brag about. The 45 min delay because of some electrical issue wasn't great from Phoenix to Tulsa. We sat there with hardly any air, The seat I had was between windows so the side of the plane pushed in on you. My being a bigger man it then made the seating area uncomfortable. The seats on the plane had no power to connect to recharge your phone or anything. I would recommend that they should look into a slot or clamp to hold your phone to enjoy while watching the entertainment choices hands-free. Also make it possible to raise the inner seat by the window be able to raise the arm rest up to make more room for larger people to set more comfortably. I would also say other then that stop price gouging the airfare or nickel and diming everything. Not fair for people having to fly for emergencies and be paying for higher prices due to the season or holidays. Your making your money either way and the cost of flying is still going to be the same regardless if there's 100 people or 200 people.

Flight boarded late after announcing on time boarding. Flight arrived only a little late despite late departure. Had trouble connecting to WiFi

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a not a great airport.

Can not wait for seating change to reduce the amount of pre boards - it’s disheartening the abuse. And then then deplaning

Flight was delayed more than 2 hour do the scheduling issues and then some confusing weight and balance matters, followed by a miscommunication with the tower on which runway was going to be used based on the airplane weight. All these things should have been figured out in advance. Instead of arriving at 12:30 a.m. we arrived at 2:30 a.m. very difficult to find a taxi or other transport at SFO. Luggage was delayed. An extension of an unpleasant flight day

The crew was fabulous, outstanding, friendly, attentive and just great, really made my flight one of the best I've ever had, thank you southwest crew flight #474, from Los Angeles to San Francisco on April 2,2024

It might not have been their fault, but there was a two hour delay due to weather. Then we boarded and were about to leave when they said there were more problems at the destination, took us back to the gate where we had to fully deplane. But then five minutes later, they said everything was fine and to get back on the plane. This was the part that pissed everybody off.

Was notified the departure would be late. Later on it was suddenly on time. Traffic by LAX was horrendous, and I missed the flight.

2 FLIGHT DELAYS? what an inconvenience to stay @the airport HALF THE DAY😳from 1pm till boarding @ 4pm pass 😠exhausting !

Flight was delayed - we left at 11:30 pm instead of 10:30 and it was extremely inconvenient. It affected both the day of the flight and the next day

Short flight so really no interaction with crew and there was no food. It was on time and comfortable. Liked the plugs in seat in front!

Quick, efficient, incredibly kind staff. It was a short flight (50 min)but still received beverage service. Treated my 5 year old like a star. Just endlessly appreciative.

Sat on tarmac for 30 minutes despite staring at three empty gates, one of which we eventually pulled into

The messaging about the change in flight destination and options for getting to SFO was poor. There should have been frequent updates. When I spoke to the boarding agent moment before we were supposed to board, he was flippant and offered no help before the announcement was made that transportation would be arranged. It was as poor of an experience that I've ever had.

Flight was cancelled, and we were stuck in LA for 36 hours.

A crowded flight, everyone on the ground and in the air did their very best

Charges unexpected. For seat that didnt recline. Please reverse extra seat and carryon charge. Bad business that is a bait and switch.

I couldn’t check in because the app didn’t work. It took 3 Frontier employees at the counter to get me checked in. Flight left 3 hours after departure time

Horrible! The short distance flight ended up taking 5 hrs! There was a 3 hr delay for the flight to take off and there was a 70 min wait on the tarmac for some bogus reason that the pilot said the gate he was supposed to board was taken up. After a 30 min wait he said the plane that was supposed to push out of the gate called a medical emergency and 40 min later he ended up boarding another gate. For the initial 3 hr delay there was no information/alert about the gate or delay in the app or the boards up until the boarding time and even beyond! Had to walk all the way to the end of the terminal to find the frontier staff to ask what was going on. Avoid this airline at all costs! If you have carryon bags or checked bags , their prices come equivalent to the prices of more reliable airlines. They are the worst in timeliness at 60% (reported as delayed) this year (check the data) by a high margin even compared to the second worst airline. If you are ok with having a miserable flight experience with the odds close to flip of a coin, feel free to try them. If you value your time , money and flying experience, stay away.

Our flight was delayed by four hours without notice, the app for getting my boarding pass is super confusing, and I wasn’t able to check a suitcase without paying for a higher cost package

First the gate was a total nightmare-no chairs anywhere! So over crowded and only one bathroom and nightmare of food service - took forever and NOT one place to sit. No inflight entertainment and had to pay 60.00 for a small carry on. I will never fly Frontier again!

Flight was 3 hours late leaving. Poor communication from the staff about delays. Impossible to get in touch with customer service (by design). And it actually didn't come out to be much cheaper than a non-budget airline! Not worth the headache, I'm never flying Frontier again

See my previous comment which is mostly about our flight from Phoenix to SFO

The check in at the airport was awful. Told I need to pay for a bag. The item was taken at screening. I went back to get my $ back and they gave me a coupon with a QR code that doesn’t work. Worst costumer service ever!!!!!

4 hour delay because they used our aircraft to fly a different segment (per the captain)

absolutely horrific. delayed flights, overbooking. over charging. nightmare service beyond words. stay away.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports