Cheap Flights from JFK to SFO: When to Fly from New York to San Francisco

The cheapest times to fly from JFK to SFO are

• January 8th to March 25th
• April 16th to May 6th
• August 27th to November 11th

based on data collected exclusively by Champion Traveler across tens of millions of flights. Among all the dates above, the very cheapest time to fly from JFK to SFO is mid February. Prices can be as high as $852 for Sunday flights during late July, or as low as $250 for Tuesday flights around mid February.

When to Fly to San Francisco

Flying from New York, NY (JFK) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) will usually cost between $250 to $450 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is mid February with an average ticket price of $250. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is late July, with an average price of $478. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $228 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $286 can be considered a good price for a round-trip JFK to SFO flight.

See below for a graph of average weekly prices for the JFK to SFO route. All prices are for round-trip tickets in USD.

Compared to other flights, the JFK to SFO flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from New York. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.07, which is far below average.

Flight Prices by Day of the Week

Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to depart and return on this flight. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly out or take a return trip. Selecting flights on the least expensive days could save you up to $62 (18%) on this flight.

Departing prices are for round-trip flights returning on the day of departure. For example, a flight departing on Tuesday and returning a week later will cost an average of $282. Return trip prices are from the SFO to JFK flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from JFK to SFO can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 5 hour 37 minutes may be realistic.

Flight Questions Answered

Still have questions about flying from JFK to SFO? We’ve got answers.

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 11 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, China Eastern, Delta, Emirates, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from San Francisco International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 2579 miles or 4150 kilometers.

How long does it take to fly from JFK to SFO?

The real-world flight time for a nonstop JFK to SFO flight is about 5 hour 37 minutes.

How many flights go between New York, NY and San Francisco, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 51 available flights from JFK to SFO.

Airport Location Info

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from JFK to SFO tend to depart as late as the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 27% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 27% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave SFO heading for JFK about 18 minutes late. This does not significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in San Francisco, CA is about 1 minutes early. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• Delta: 28 minutes late
• American: 13 minutes late
• JetBlue: 13 minutes late
• Alaska: 16 minutes late
• Some airlines not reporting

Please note that while we’ve worked hard to analyzed tens of millions of flights to get you this data, we do not calculate current live prices or guarantee pricing. Please see our partners using the links above for current offers.