SFO - NYC

$171 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to New York

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to New York departing on 4/5. 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 New York

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to New York, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San Francisco to New York, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
$325
Overall average: $503
Alaska Airlines
Tue 21/4Tue 28/4
SFO - JFK • Direct
Cheapest one-way flight
$171
Typical prices: $211-$403
United Airlines
Mon 4/5
SFO - EWR • Direct
Advice from real travellers
AI-powered summary based on content written by KAYAK users. AI can make mistakes.
Construction at SFO may affect timing for United flights.
Bring your own food for the long flight to Newark.
User tips
User tips
User tips
User tips
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $325 (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 5h 34m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest • 2% average savings
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 89% 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 42% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 19% 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 New York!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to New York (SFO-NYC)

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

Tue, 21 Apr - Tue, 28 Apr
Alaska Airlines Logo
07:02 - 15:40
SFO
-
JFK
5h 38mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
17:28 - 21:09
JFK
-
SFO
6h 41mdirect
$325Alaska Airlines
Mon, 13 Apr - Tue, 21 Apr
Frontier Logo
22:03 - 20:59
SFO
-
LGA
19h 56m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
06:20 - 17:34
LGA
-
SFO
14h 14m
1 stop
$327Frontier
Tue, 21 Apr - Tue, 28 Apr
Alaska Airlines Logo
09:59 - 23:11
SFO
-
EWR
10h 12m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
07:59 - 11:25
EWR
-
SFO
6h 26mdirect
$339Alaska Airlines
Tue, 21 Apr - Sat, 25 Apr
Delta Logo
16:00 - 00:30
SFO
-
JFK
5h 30mdirect
Delta Logo
07:00 - 10:28
JFK
-
SFO
6h 28mdirect
$340Delta
Mon, 20 Apr - Tue, 5 May
Alaska Airlines Logo
21:53 - 06:30
SFO
-
EWR
5h 37mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
07:59 - 11:25
EWR
-
SFO
6h 26mdirect
$340Alaska Airlines
Mon, 20 Apr - Tue, 28 Apr
JetBlue Logo
22:50 - 07:26
SFO
-
JFK
5h 36mdirect
JetBlue Logo
08:00 - 11:34
JFK
-
SFO
6h 34mdirect
$342JetBlue
Tue, 7 Apr - Wed, 8 Apr
Frontier Logo
06:00 - 20:59
SFO
-
LGA
11h 59m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
06:00 - 19:19
LGA
-
SFO
16h 19m
1 stop
$346Frontier
Wed, 15 Apr - Fri, 17 Apr
United Airlines Logo
23:05 - 07:50
SFO
-
EWR
5h 45mdirect
United Airlines Logo
20:15 - 23:52
EWR
-
SFO
6h 37mdirect
$353United Airlines
Mon, 20 Apr - Wed, 22 Apr
Delta Logo
22:55 - 07:28
SFO
-
JFK
5h 33mdirect
Delta Logo
07:00 - 10:28
JFK
-
SFO
6h 28mdirect
$355Delta
Mon, 13 Apr - Fri, 17 Apr
United Airlines Logo
23:55 - 08:38
SFO
-
EWR
5h 43mdirect
United Airlines Logo
20:15 - 23:52
EWR
-
SFO
6h 37mdirect
$366United Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to New York flights

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

How much is a return flight from San Francisco to New York?

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco to New York flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from San Francisco to New York costs $297 on the route between San Francisco (SFO) and Newark Airport (EWR). Over the past month, this route was, on average, 2% cheaper than other San Francisco-New York routes. It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to New York?

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to New York on a Wednesday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to San Francisco, you should consider flying back on a Wednesday, and avoid Tuesdays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to New York?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to New York, 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 San Francisco to New York is January, where tickets cost $437 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $679 and $616 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from San Francisco to New York?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a stopover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop stopover the cheapest option at $493 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to New York?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to New York, 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 San Francisco to New York, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 42% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 20 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$171
Best time to beat the crowds (19% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (25% more expensive on average)
Flight from San Francisco to Newark Liberty Airport

When to book flights from San Francisco to New York

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San Francisco to New York 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 San Francisco to New York: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from San Francisco to New York 
ElenaFlew with United Airlines
SFO
-
EWR
June 2025
Construction in the terminal so allow for extra time in SFO. Very easy finding luggage and getting outside at Newark. Also, this time, took the Express Bus into Manhattan - $25 is a good price, though the bus arrived 20 minutes after the scheduled time.
MaryannFlew with United Airlines
SFO
-
EWR
Mar 2025
Bring your own food with you. Airport and airline food is expensive and you WILL need something to eat on such a long flight.
RobertFlew with Alaska Airlines
SFO
-
EWR
June 2024
Bring some food on board for the flight

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco to New York

  • Can I take an Uber from downtown to San Francisco Airport?

    In general, a ride on Uber won’t cost you too much, but traffic conditions can affect the price. You can meet your driver on level 5 of the domestic terminal garage or curbside on the departures level of the international terminal.

  • What is the most convenient way to get from New York LaGuardia to Manhattan?

    By far the most convenient way is to travel by car service, especially if you have a lot of luggage or are traveling in a large party. Your driver will be waiting for you at baggage claim and will happily transport your party and all the luggage to the car.

  • What is the most cost-effective way to get from New York John F. Kennedy Intl. to Manhattan?

    The combination of the AirTrain and the NYC subway system is the most cost-effective way to make the trip. The AirTrain will cost a few dollars, and the journey on the subway will cost even less; but be forewarned that this may be a difficult journey if you have several bags to carry.

  • If money is no object, what is the most luxurious way to travel from John F. Kennedy Intl. to Manhattan?

    If you’re really looking to splurge, US Helicopter flies to and from John F. Kennedy Intl. from three locations in Manhattan at the Wall Street Heliport: E. 34th Street and W. 30th Street. The cost for this service is $159 per person but please note you will be limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per passenger.

  • What is the cheapest flight from San Francisco to New York?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from San Francisco to New York was $171 for a one-way ticket and $325 for a return.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San Francisco to New York?

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

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

    The Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San Francisco to New York flight route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San Francisco to New York?

    There are direct flights from San Francisco to New York on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San Francisco to New York, Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San Francisco to New York are Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. With an average price for the route of $416 and an overall rating of 8.0, Alaska Airlines is the most popular choice. Hawaiian Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $508 and an overall rating of 7.8.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco to New York?

    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 San Francisco to New York.

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

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

    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 New York with an airline and back to San Francisco with another airline.

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

    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 New York from San Francisco 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 San Francisco to New York

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $220 or less one-way and $468 or less round-trip.
  • When passengers on flights from San Francisco to New York want to head to the airport in style, they often opt for a car service. San Francisco's Pleasant Limo has a wide variety of vehicles to meet your party's needs. The vehicles are clean and well maintained, the drivers are accommodating and will even highlighting points of interest along the route, plus your entire trip can be booked online.
  • If you are dropping off a rental car at San Francisco airport before your flight, the process could not be more straightforward. You drive to the Rental Car Center that is just southwest of the airport on highway 101 and, after dropping off your car, you can take the AirTrain Blue Line to all of the terminal buildings. The AirTrain is fully automated and runs 24 hours per day.
  • Passengers that are looking for something to eat before long flights from San Francisco to New York have a wealth of options at San Francisco Airport. The airport offers sushi at Tomokazu, classic burgers at the Burger Joint, top-flight wine, beer, and spirits at SF Uncork'd, and authentic Southwestern and Mexican fare at Urban Tortilla.
  • If you are planning on using frequent flyer points on flights from San Francisco to New York, remember that two of the biggest operators at San Francisco Airport, United, and American Airlines, reward travel based on zones. This means that the amount of points you will get will remain the same even if you cannot fly non-stop from your departure point to your destination.
  • If you have some time to kill before your flight, stop in at InMotion Entertainment in the International Terminal Hall at San Francisco Airport. InMotion has every everything a cross-country traveler would need like headphones, electronics, travel gear, and a whole host of travel accessories.

Prefer to fly direct from San Francisco to New York?

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

Direct departures

San Francisco to New York

Monday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Tuesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Wednesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Thursday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Friday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Saturday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Sunday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

New York to San Francisco

Monday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Tuesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Wednesday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Thursday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Friday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Saturday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

Sunday

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines,Delta, +1 more

Alaska Airlines,American Airlines, +2 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top airlines flying from San Francisco to New York

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San Francisco to New York. 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 San Francisco to New York? 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12014 reviews
7.1Food
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

Nice crew, healthy snacks and drinks available. Flight to Seattle was short and comfortable.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Feb 2026
SFO - SEA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Nice crew, healthy snacks and drinks available. Flight to Seattle was short and comfortable.

had to be rerouted due to a medical emergency onboard. Alaska crew treated the patient with utmost respect and continued to keep the passengers updated the entire way through, which I appreciate. But it took 4 hours from landing until we were able to be airborne again, causing us to not get into SFO until ~2 am. I understand it was a tough situation for everyone, but that was an indecent wait.

The plane was dirty, the seats were tiny, wasnt my favorite airline tbh

I love Alaska! We arrived on the later side without seat assignments only to find the had oversold the flight by 1. The attendants worked extra hard to find a way for our party of 7 to stay together and we made it on the flight! Loved the free WiFi also!

Delay for switching planes. Then delay after delay (mechanical) after boarding so that we were almost 3 hrs late, getting in at 230am. Crew was good.

The he whole flight was very smooth on every aspects.

I paid for wifi and it never worked... it was miserable. I couldn't access my shared files to work on the plane, it didn't work on my phone. I paid for nothing but frustration and continual refreshing, hoping it would work

The stewardess are very nice and pleasant, Someone onboard had a medical attention, and they attended that person non-stop all throughout the flight, and yet, did not forget to serve and help other passengers.

The Alaska Airlines app made it very difficult to find my boarding pass. It was very frustrating to use! The flight itself was flawless.

It wasn’t great. Your app is not user friendly unless you sign up for those points. It tries to force you and won’t show you flight/trip info until you sign up. You have to somehow get into get your boarding pass because your kiosks don’t offer boarding pass information only bag check. It was not helpful or user friendly. The app is useless unless you sign up for your rewards program. My daughters info was missing even though I checked us in we had to get out of security and go back to a ticket window the woman told us that it sometimes populates incorrectly so it didn’t have her information. It populated incorrect birth date. She said this is common. Luckily we were at Palm Springs and not JFK where leaving the giant security line would have been a much bigger problem. I will avoid your airline in the future if it’s possible. Also no food availability except dry snack boxes.

No charging outlets worked. Other than collecting trash attendants didn’t come around. No one could hear flight attendants announcements during the flight. Seat pads were horrible. Sitting on a board for 5 hours. What happened to Hawaiian airlines comfort, hospitality, and extras? Our pilots did an excellent job trying to minimize turbulence and incredible job in landing in windy conditions.

I like that if they asked you to checked in a bag at the gate they give you priority to board

I received several emails about my 3:10 flight. When I showed up to the airport at 12:30 to check my bags I was told the flight was actually at 1 pm. They grudgingly rebooked me for a flight at 5:22 to Vegas to get a connecting to LAX. I did find the gate for my original 3:10 flight but they were booked. I proceeded to receive status updates and gate change information for the 3:10 flight, even though I was apparently never supposed to be on that flight

The food options were limited and very specific. Some type of entertainment option for a 4.5 hour flight would have been nice.

Biggest issue: awfully narrow seats, + not a lot of leg room. Other than that, everything was good. Cabin crew seemed like very nice people.

The Kayak confirmation number did not work for checking in the day before. I checked in at 8.30 using my ticket number. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed that the flight was overbooked, and since I had checked in late, I did not have a seat. The Next flight was not until ten PM. I called my wife, who had been taking care of our kids all weekend, and she was upset, calling me a liar and telling me to stay in SD. It turned my weekend getaway into a nightmare! I blame the Kayak website and will not book flights using your app in the future.

comfortable but the food is horrible. I have flown Hawaiian several times now and no matter what they say the food is its the same squashed bread with melted goop inside. Tastes fake and isnt what they represent, its quite nasty. What happend to real food? And there is NO entertainment!! so not sure why they are asking for a review on that.

Good and friendly staff. Nicely enjoyed the complimentary drink and snack.

I was very, very cold and a stranger loaned me her sweater next to me. I didn’t wanna buy a blanket just for a four hour trip when I did not need the pillow or the earphones. I don’t mind purchasing a blanket, but I only needed that not all of it accessories. Cold air pretty much blew the entire trip. Two people in front of me both bought the blanket packages. Maybe that’s the idea. The crew was exceptionally nice and passed through multiple times.. the restrooms were very clean and usually accessible.

3 hour wait on customer service after flight was cancelled. Was bumped to a flight where I wouldnt have gotten to my destination for another 2 days. Had to fully refund flight and book a new one the following morning. Paid twice the amount for the flight than I had originally booked. Very disappointed I was not offered any sort of discount or points for all of the frustration, in fact the airline profited twice as much off of me by cancelling my flight and and changing my entire trip.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to New York

Information on your arrival and departure airports