Cheap Flights from SFO to SAN: When to Fly from San Francisco to San Diego

 

The cheapest times to fly from SFO to SAN are

• January 8th to March 11th (except the week of February 12th)
• August 6th to November 18th (except the week of August 20th)

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 SFO to SAN is late October. Prices can be as high as $423 for Sunday flights during early August, or as low as $137 for Tuesday flights around late October.

 

When to Fly to San Diego

Flying from San Francisco, CA (SFO) to San Diego, CA (SAN) will usually cost between $138 to $196 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is late October with an average ticket price of $138. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is early August, with an average price of $220. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $83 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $142 can be considered a good price for a round-trip SFO to SAN flight.

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

Compared to other flights, the SFO to SAN flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from San Francisco. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.2, which is 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 $14 (9%) 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 $141. Return trip prices are from the SAN to SFO flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

 

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from SFO to SAN can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 1 hour 47 minutes may be realistic.

 

Alternative Nearby Airports

Champion Traveler tells you which airports are nearby and whether tickets might be cheaper alternative airports nearby. Sometimes it’s worth it to fly into a closer airport and then commute to your destination. Remember that there is a nonstop flight from SFO to SAN while comparing.

 

Flight Questions Answered

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

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 10 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, China Eastern, Delta, Emirates, Fiji Airways, Frontier, Singapore Airlines, Southwest, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from San Diego International Airport to San Francisco International Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 447 miles or 719 kilometers.

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

The real-world flight time for a nonstop SFO to SAN flight is about 1 hour 47 minutes.

How many flights go between San Francisco, CA and San Diego, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 55 available flights from SFO to SAN.

 

Airport Location Info

 

 

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from SFO to SAN 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 24% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave SAN heading for SFO about 7 minutes late. This does not significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in San Diego, CA is about on time. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• Southwest: 8 minutes late
• United: 7 minutes late
• Alaska: 6 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.