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$96+ Cheap flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco (SBA - SFO)

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 4/21. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.
SBA — SFO
Apr 28 — May 51
Tue 4/28
Tue 5/5
1 adult, Economy
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Cheapflights Tip: The best prices from Santa Barbara to San Francisco are usually found in September or October, booked 85 days in advance, depart on a Friday or Saturday and return on a Saturday

Cheap flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Cheapest flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco
Explore the most affordable flight options available from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on March 29, 2026.

This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/24. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 4/218:31 pm
SBA
-
SFO
Nonstop1h 17m
United Airlines
Wed 4/228:49 am
SFO
-
SBA
1 stop5h 00m
United Airlines
Deal found 3/24$201
This flugladen.de deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/26. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure flugladen.de is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 4/252:53 pm
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop4h 45m
Alaska Airlines
Sat 5/27:15 am
SFO
-
SBA
1 stop7h 01m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 3/26$204
This Alaska Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/25. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Alaska Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 5/62:53 pm
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop8h 08m
Alaska Airlines
Tue 5/196:16 am
SFO
-
SBA
1 stop9h 01m
Alaska Airlines
Deal found 3/25$207
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/27. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 4/222:30 pm
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop4h 27m
United Airlines
Tue 4/2810:35 pm
SFO
-
SBA
Nonstop1h 23m
United Airlines
Deal found 3/27$209
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/25. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Tue 4/219:50 am
SBA
-
SFO
Nonstop1h 28m
United Airlines
Thu 4/2310:40 am
SFO
-
SBA
Nonstop1h 21m
United Airlines
Deal found 3/25$211
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/25. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 5/65:30 am
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop4h 20m
Southwest
Tue 5/192:50 pm
SFO
-
SBA
2 stops8h 00m
Southwest
Deal found 3/25$216
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/27. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 4/255:30 am
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop5h 35m
Southwest
Mon 4/275:05 am
SFO
-
SBA
1 stop6h 55m
Southwest
Deal found 3/27$219
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/27. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 4/222:10 pm
SBA
-
SFO
2 stops8h 35m
Southwest
Tue 4/288:55 am
SFO
-
SBA
1 stop4h 40m
Southwest
Deal found 3/27$224
This United Airlines deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/26. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure United Airlines is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Thu 4/165:50 pm
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop3h 35m
United Airlines
Mon 4/202:02 pm
SFO
-
SBA
Nonstop1h 28m
United Airlines
Deal found 3/26$225
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/27. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Wed 4/222:10 pm
SBA
-
SFO
2 stops8h 35m
Southwest
Mon 4/273:40 pm
SFO
-
SBA
2 stops7h 45m
Southwest
Deal found 3/27$229
This Southwest deal was found by Cheapflights users on 3/28. Clicking the “Pick Dates” button in this card will allow you to select your dates and further customize your flight criteria. From there, click “Find deals”, make sure Southwest is selected, and click “Compare selected” under the list of providers to see comparable flight deals.
Sat 4/1810:00 am
SBA
-
SFO
1 stop8h 35m
Southwest
Mon 4/203:00 pm
SFO
-
SBA
2 stops8h 25m
Southwest
Deal found 3/28$230

Find flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Discover tips and strategies to find the most affordable flight options for your journey from Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Francisco (SFO). Learn about various techniques such as flexible date searches, comparing prices across and setting up price alerts. Use these methods to find the cheapest flights available for your travel needs. Data last updated March 29, 2026.

Most accurate provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Most trusted provider

FlightHub
3 stars

Round-trip from

$201
(United Airlines)

One-way from

$96
(United Airlines)

Popular in

July

Cheapest in

September

Average price

$372

Good round-trip deal

$372 or less

Good one-way deal

$169 or less
Provider with most accurate pricing for Santa Barbara-San Francisco flight deals.
Search Deals
Provider most trusted by Cheapflights users for Santa Barbara-San Francisco flights.
Search Deals
From Santa Barbara to San Francisco
Search Deals
One-way flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco
Search Deals
Highest demand for flights based on searches. 11% potential increase in price ($43 potential increase over avg. RT price).
Search Deals
Cheapest flight prices on average. 3% potential price decrease ($11 potential savings vs. average RT price).
Search Deals
Average for round-trip flights in March 2026
Search Deals
Price to beat on a round-trip flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco.
Search Deals
Price to beat on a one-way flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco.
Search Deals

Cheapflights Fare Finder

 
Customize your flight search to find flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco that fit within your specific budget. Explore options based on user searches and filter the results based on your desired price range. Find flights that match your budget for a cost-effective journey. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated March 29, 2026.
Use the filters below to find and compare flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Depart

Return

Price

Cheapest round-trip

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Mon 4/27

2:16 pm-3:33 pm

Nonstop1h 17m

San Francisco

Mon 5/4

7:05 pm-11:44 pm

1 stop4h 39m

$209

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Sat 5/16

2:20 pm-6:56 pm

1 stop4h 36m

San Francisco

Wed 5/20

10:05 am-1:39 pm

1 stop3h 34m

$231

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Tue 4/28

10:10 am-6:30 pm

2 stops8h 20m

San Francisco

Thu 4/30

6:20 am-3:35 pm

2 stops9h 15m

$241

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Tue 5/19

2:17 pm-3:34 pm

Nonstop1h 17m

San Francisco

Sun 5/24

1:50 pm-3:17 pm

Nonstop1h 27m

$245

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Thu 4/16

4:10 pm-9:10 pm

1 stop5h 00m

San Francisco

Mon 4/20

3:00 pm-11:25 pm

2 stops8h 25m

$256

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Sat 4/25

5:30 am-11:05 am

1 stop5h 35m

San Francisco

Sat 5/2

1:50 pm-9:05 pm

2 stops7h 15m

$256

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Tue 5/19

10:10 am-6:30 pm

2 stops8h 20m

San Francisco

Sun 5/24

10:10 am-5:15 pm

2 stops7h 05m

$290
Quickest round-trip

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Sun 5/17

6:00 am-7:17 am

Nonstop1h 17m

San Francisco

Sun 5/17

6:45 pm-8:06 pm

Nonstop1h 21m

$309

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Fri 4/24

5:50 pm-9:25 pm

1 stop3h 35m

San Francisco

Sun 4/26

8:55 pm-10:24 pm

Nonstop1h 29m

$309

Santa BarbaraSan Francisco

SBA - SFO

SBASFO

Santa Barbara

Sun 5/10

6:00 am-7:17 am

Nonstop1h 17m

San Francisco

Sun 5/17

6:45 pm-8:06 pm

Nonstop1h 21m

$309

Flights are sorted by cheapest round-trip flights first.

Deals found on 3/24

Showing 1-10 of 22 resultsSorted by cheapest first
1
2
3

Compare providers for flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Provider information is updated monthly. Please note that these providers often have deals for this flight, but the availability may vary on a day-by-day basis on Cheapflights.
Use the table below to compare price accuracy, trust ratings, and cancellation policies for each provider offering flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Francisco in March.
ProviderPrice AccuracyTrust Score*
ExpediaPrice Accuracy1 starTrust Score*3 stars
FlightHubPrice Accuracy3 starsTrust Score*3 stars

*The Trust Score is based on feedback from users after their booking experience. It measures overall satisfaction, helping us identify issues like hidden fees, problems during the ticketing process, and the quality of customer service. This score is our best indicator of the provider's quality and reliability.

  • Most accurate provider: When it comes to deals on Santa Barbara-San Francisco flights, users find the pricing of FlightHub to be most consistent on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub Users can find the same prices on Santa Barbara-San Francisco flight deals on Cheapflights vs. FlightHub >95% of the time. Price accuracy is based on data collected from Santa Barbara-San Francisco flight searches over the past month and is updated monthly.
  • Most trusted provider: When it comes to deals on Santa Barbara-San Francisco flights, Cheapflights users trust FlightHub the most. FlightHub has received a user feedback score of 3 out of 3 stars (3 being the best), meaning they have been trusted the most by Cheapflights users looking for Santa Barbara-San Francisco flight deals. Provider user feedback score is based on Cheapflights searches over the past month and is updated monthly.

Best time to book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to San Francisco from Santa Barbara with our price prediction graph.
Estimated round-trip price
Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

How far ahead should I book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

Use this chart to determine the optimal time to book a round-trip flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Price data was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Booking 85 days in advance of your planned departure date is, on average, the best time to get cheap flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. The general trend is that the closer you book to the departure date, the more expensive your flight will be.

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

Currently, December is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco (average of $44). Flying from Santa Barbara to San Francisco in June is currently the most expensive (average of $77). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from SBA to SFO?

Find hourly flight availability from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Discover flight options and departure times throughout the day, allowing you to choose a departure time that suits your schedule. Data last updated March 29, 2026.

When flying from Santa Barbara to San Francisco, the time of day you fly usually plays a role in the price. Save by searching for a flight in the afternoon, which can drop the price by up to 21% versus a flight in the evening.

What is the cheapest day to fly from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly round-trip from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Price data was last updated on March 23, 2026.

Travelers seeking maximum savings on their Santa Barbara to San Francisco flight should consider departing on Friday at noon when fares are most often at their lowest. Saturday evenings flights should be avoided if possible as fares are typically the most expensive at this time.

How much does it cost to fly round-trip from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

Reviews of airlines servicing San Francisco

Get insights into the airlines that provide service to San Francisco. Read reviews, discover amenities, and learn about the overall travel experience offered by airlines. Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to San Francisco. Reviews last updated March 29, 2026.
Read reviews from past customers who have flown United Airlines from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Users can see the overall rating for each airline as well as how each is rated in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,509 reviews

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

7.4

Comfort

7.3

Boarding

7.7

Food

6.6

Crew

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Sep 2025

FRA - SFO

Lufthansa was amazing, I wish United States based airlines operated like them.
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,509 reviews
United Airlines
7.4
Good
9,509 reviews

Entertainment

7.1

Overall

7.4

Comfort

7.3

Boarding

7.7

Food

6.6

Crew

8.1

Reviews

1 / 20
10.0
Excellent

Anonymous,Sep 2025

FRA - SFO

Lufthansa was amazing, I wish United States based airlines operated like them.

Related info for your journey

Find useful and relevant information for your journey from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Access travel guides, tips, and recommendations to enhance your travel experience. Get information about local attractions, weather, transportation options, and more.

  • What airports do I use to fly from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    You will need to book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco if you want to fly from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. At least 1 airline has flights from Santa Barbara (SBA) to San Francisco (SFO) on a regular basis. There are 3 flights to San Francisco from the Santa Barbara airport per day. If you manage to book one that is nonstop, then you can expect the flight time from SBA to SFO to be around 1h 10m.

  • How popular is this Santa Barbara to San Francisco flight route?

    This flight path from Santa Barbara to San Francisco was viewed by 24 users in the past month. Keep an eye out for changes in search interest prior to high and low season.

  • How long is the flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    A quick flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco can take about 1h 17m. United Airlines provides one of the quickest options available for as low as $209. The distance from Santa Barbara to San Francisco is about 262 mi. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both nonstop flights and flights with stops.

  • What is the cheapest airline to fly from Santa Barbara to San Francisco round-trip?

    Our cheapest airline available from Santa Barbara to San Francisco is United Airlines. Our recent data shows that you can find tickets from as low as $150 on this airline. Users have found that United Airlines is 55% cheaper than the other options available to this destination.

  • What are the most reliable airlines from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    The top 3 most reliable airlines when flying from Santa Barbara to San Francisco are Air New Zealand (82%), Copa Airlines (82%) and Lufthansa (76%).

  • What are the cheapest flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    The cheapest flight price from Santa Barbara to San Francisco is $100. On average you can expect to pay $884. The most popular route, (Santa Barbara - San Francisco), can usually be booked for $199.

  • Can I find deals for flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco that include hotel bookings?

    Yes. In addition to deals on Santa Barbara to San Francisco flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

  • How can I find direct flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco.

  • Can I find deals for business class flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Santa Barbara to San Francisco by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

  • What is the cheapest month to book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco?

    Currently, December is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Santa Barbara to San Francisco (average of $44). Flying from Santa Barbara to San Francisco in June is currently the most expensive (average of $77). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

Traveling to a place near San Francisco?

Book flights to San Francisco if you plan to visit one of these locations
South San Francisco
Santa Cruz
Santa Clara
Livermore
Roseville
Rancho Cordova
San Bruno
Watsonville
San Ramon
Sunnyvale
Vacaville
San Carlos
Turlock
Redwood City
San Lorenzo
Davis
Manteca
Union City
Elk Grove
Rohnert Park

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Top airline flying from Santa Barbara to San Francisco

Discover the top airline that operate flights from Santa Barbara to San Francisco. Compare their services, reliability, and customer satisfaction ratings to choose the airline that best suits your travel preferences and needs. Over the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made 2,558,603 searches. Data last updated March 29, 2026.
AirlineCheapestAverageFlexibilityOn-time
United AirlinesCheapest$150Average$330FlexibilityNo cancel feeOn-time69%

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