Flights from San Francisco to New York leave SFO for two airports: JFK, with nonstops on Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue, and Newark (EWR), where United runs about 76 nonstops a week. The flight east takes about 5 and a half hours. LaGuardia has no nonstop from SFO.
From 12 real fares found in our latest check, checked Nov 10, 2026, 5:23 AM EST. Prices are per person and can change.
Fares shown are the lowest found at the time of the snapshot, per person, and are subject to availability and change at the time of booking.
With 1 checked bag: $564, prepaid. Bag fee of $45 read from the airline on Oct 31, 2026. Fees differ by fare type and rise at the airport.
$154 between the cheapest and priciest fare
In this search the same route ranged from $519 to $673 - a 23% difference for the same journey. Comparing before booking is where the saving is.
12 real fares from our latest check, cheapest first. Prices are per person and can change until ticketed.
UA · United Airlines
1 stop · 7h 56m · Fri, Dec 25
UA · United Airlines
1 stop · 8h 41m · Fri, Dec 25
UA · United Airlines
1 stop · 10h 15m · Fri, Dec 25
AA · American Airlines
1 stop · 7h 13m · Fri, Dec 25
AA · American Airlines
1 stop · 7h 13m · Fri, Dec 25
| Route detail | San Francisco to New York |
|---|---|
| New York airports with nonstops from SFO | JFK and Newark (EWR). LaGuardia has none. |
| Nonstop airlines to JFK | Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue |
| Nonstop airline to Newark | United, about 76 flights a week |
| Flight time heading east | About 5 hr 30 min nonstop |
| Flight time heading west | About 6 hr 40 min or longer, into the headwinds |
| Distance | About 2,580 miles (SFO to JFK) |
| Time difference | New York is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco |
| Passport needed? | No. It's a domestic flight |
Airlines and weekly counts from published schedules and route data, checked November 10, 2026. Airlines change schedules by season, so the live fares on this page show what is flying on your dates.
Choose by airline first. United flies its SFO nonstops into Newark, about 76 a week over the last three months of KAYAK's data, so United flyers and MileagePlus members usually end up there. Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue all fly SFO to JFK instead.
Then choose by where you're headed. Newark is the easy pick for New Jersey, and AirTrain Newark links the terminals to NJ Transit and Amtrak trains. JFK suits Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, with AirTrain JFK running to the subway and Long Island Rail Road at Jamaica and to the A train at Howard Beach.
| New York airport | Nonstop airlines from SFO | Nonstops a week | Rail link into the city |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK | Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue | About 146 | AirTrain JFK to Jamaica (subway, LIRR) and Howard Beach (A train) |
| Newark (EWR) | United | About 76 | AirTrain Newark to NJ Transit and Amtrak |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | None | 0 | Connect elsewhere, or land at JFK or Newark |
JFK's count is for the New York to San Francisco direction in November 2026 schedules; Newark's comes from KAYAK's last three months of SFO to Newark flights.
Our advice: if two airlines are close on price, pick the airport nearest your first night's bed. A long ride across the city after a 5 hour flight wipes out a small saving.
No. The Port Authority's perimeter rule generally limits LaGuardia nonstops to cities within 1,500 miles, with exceptions only for Denver and Saturday flights. San Francisco is more than 2,500 miles away, so every SFO to LaGuardia itinerary has a stop.
A LaGuardia fare can still make sense if you live near the airport in Queens or the Bronx. Compare its total travel time with a JFK nonstop before you book: the one-stop trips in our fare check took about 7 to 9 hours on the way out.
Heading east, a nonstop takes about 5 and a half hours; KAYAK's average for SFO to Newark is 5 hours 28 minutes. Coming back west takes longer, about 6 hours 40 minutes or more, because the plane flies into the prevailing winds.
The clock makes the trip feel longer. New York is 3 hours ahead, so a nonstop that leaves SFO at 8:00 a.m. lands around 4:30 p.m. New York time. On the way home you get those 3 hours back: leave JFK at 6:00 p.m. and you land in San Francisco a little before 10:00 p.m. local time.
Add the bag before you compare fares. On most of the nonstop airlines, one checked bag each way adds about $90 to a round trip on a standard economy ticket.
| Airline | 1st checked bag | 2nd checked bag | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $45 | $55 | No discount for paying online in advance |
| American | $45 online, $50 at the airport | $55 online, $60 at the airport | Basic Economy's first bag is $50 online |
| Delta | $45 | $55 | For tickets bought on or after April 8, 2026 |
| JetBlue | $50 off-peak, $55 on peak dates | $70 off-peak, $75 peak | Peak dates include Nov 19 to 30, all of December and Jan 1 to 18, 2027 |
| United | $45 if added 24 hours or more ahead, $50 at the airport | $55 ahead, $60 at the airport | United's SFO nonstops to New York land at Newark |
Bag fees change often. Confirm the fee on the airline's website or in your booking before you pay.
When we checked on November 10, 2026 for a Christmas week trip, out December 25 and back January 1, the cheapest round trips our search found were all one-stop itineraries, on United, Southwest and American. Their outbound trips took about 7 to 9 hours, against roughly 5 and a half hours nonstop.
On a coast-to-coast trip a connection costs less time than it does on a short route, so a one-stop fare can be a fair trade if the saving is real. We'd still check where you change planes and how long the layover is before choosing it.
Fares shown are the lowest found at the time of the snapshot, per person, and are subject to availability and change at the time of booking. Fares on this route change daily, so check the live fares on this page before you book.
BART is the simplest way in and out of SFO without a car. BART says the ride takes about 30 minutes to downtown San Francisco.
Need help with a group, a multi-city trip or a tricky change? Call a Flyingscanner advisor on the number at the top of this page.
A nonstop flight from San Francisco to New York takes about 5 and a half hours heading east. The return trip west takes longer, about 6 hours 40 minutes or more, because of headwinds. New York is 3 hours ahead, so an 8:00 a.m. departure from SFO lands around 4:30 p.m. New York time.
Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue fly nonstop from SFO to JFK, according to November 2026 schedules. United flies nonstop from SFO to Newark, about 76 flights a week. No airline flies nonstop from SFO to LaGuardia, because of the airport's 1,500 mile perimeter rule.
Pick the airline first: United flies nonstop from SFO to Newark, while Alaska, American, Delta and JetBlue fly to JFK. Then think about where you're staying. Newark suits New Jersey and connects to NJ Transit and Amtrak, and JFK suits Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, with AirTrain links to the subway and LIRR.
No nonstop flights run from SFO to LaGuardia. A Port Authority rule generally limits LaGuardia nonstops to 1,500 miles, with exceptions only for Denver and Saturday flights, and San Francisco is more than 2,500 miles away. For a nonstop, fly SFO to JFK or SFO to Newark instead.
New York is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco. A nonstop that leaves SFO at 8:00 a.m. Pacific time lands around 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, even though you've flown about 5 and a half hours. Flying home, you get the 3 hours back, so evening flights from New York land in San Francisco the same night.
Alaska, American, Delta and United charge $45 for the first checked bag on standard economy tickets, with American and United charging $50 at the airport. JetBlue charges $50 off-peak and $55 on peak dates. Fees change often, so confirm them on the airline's website or in your booking before you pay.
Oakland had no nonstop flights to New York when we checked in November 2026, so trips from OAK connect, for example through Denver. We couldn't confirm a scheduled San Jose nonstop either, so check your dates in search. SFO is the Bay Area airport with nonstops to both JFK and Newark.
No passport is needed, because San Francisco to New York is a domestic flight. Adults need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another ID that TSA accepts, such as a U.S. passport or passport card. Check the TSA website before you travel if you're not sure your license qualifies.
About this page
Written and fact-checked by the Flyingscanner team, last updated 10 November 2026. The fares quoted here come from our own live search on 10 November 2026, not estimates. Fares change until the airline issues a ticket, so check the live search on this page before you book. How Flyingscanner checks fares
