Looking for flights to San Francisco? Aunt Betty offers the lowest fares around. You’ll find plenty of special deals, and convenient schedules when booking your San Francisco flight with Aunt Betty.
Thanks to direct flights from Sydney and countless one-stop connections, getting to San Francisco from Australia is a breeze. Flying nonstop from Sydney on either Qantas or United Airlines’ daily services takes under 14 hours, while a stop in Auckland or Los Angeles for instance adds slightly more time to the itinerary. For those who’d like to add a destination to their holiday itinerary, there are even connections available to the Golden Gate City via Asia.
Airlines flying to San Francisco
With its location on the US west coast, San Francisco is ideally positioned for air travel. Because non-stop flights are possible from every inhabited continent, San Francisco can be reached in little time, and with little effort. -
- Virgin Australia – Offering daily direct service from Brisbane and Sydney to Los Angeles, Virgin Australia passengers can make seamless connections to San Francisco on one of two partner airlines, Delta or Virgin America.
- American Airlines* – From Australia, American serves San Francisco via its Los Angeles hub. Flights depart daily from Sydney.
- Delta Air Lines^ – Delta flies daily from Sydney to Los Angeles with connecting flights to San Francisco available throughout the day.
- Hawaiian Airlines^ – For those looking for a stop in Honolulu, Hawaiian flies daily from Brisbane and Sydney. The connecting afternoon departure from Honolulu to the City by the Bay, arrives just after dinner time.
- United Airlines – With daily service from Sydney, United flies nonstop to San Francisco. Untied also offers nonstop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Los Angeles with quick and easy connections to northern California.
Airlines Offering One-Stop Connections Between Australia and San Francisco-
- Air China (via Beijing)
- Air India (via Delhi)
- Air New Zealand^ (via Auckland)
- All Nippon Airways (via Tokyo)
- Cathay Pacific* (via Hong Kong)
- China Airlines (via Taipei)
- China Eastern* (via Shanghai)
- China Southern* (via Guangzhou)
- Emirates* (via Dubai)
- Etihad^ (via Abu Dhabi)
- Eva Air (via Taipei)
- Fiji Airways (via Nadi)
- Japan Airlines* (via Tokyo)
- Korean Air (via Seoul)
- Philippine Airlines (via Manila)
- Singapore Airlines^ (via Singapore)
*Qantas codeshare partner ^Virgin Australia codeshare partner
Peak and off season. When to get the best deal
With its Mediterranean style climate, San Francisco is a treat to visit any time of year. Summers are cool and dry, while winters are mild with occasional bouts of precipitation. With the sunny days of summer, school holidays in the US, and a season filled with sporting and entertainment events, cheap San Francisco airfares around this time are snapped up quickly.
For those planning ahead, sale fares are often released in advance. Looking at alternate routes and flying mid-week are also useful ways to find low fares. The slower tourist seasons are in autumn and winter and even while there’s a chill in the air, for the airlines, the sale season begins to heat up.
Getting to and leaving the airport
San Francisco International Airport is located about 20km directly south of the city, just off U.S. Highway 101. By far the cheapest way to get between the city and airport is by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). There are 3 or 4 trains departing every hour.
The airport’s four terminals, the BART Station and Rental Car Centre are all connected by the airport’s AirTrain. For passengers requiring taxis, hotel or city shuttles or limousines, these services depart just outside the Arrivals level.
Terminal and ground transport information can be found on the SFO Airport web page.
San Francisco Airport Facilities & Services
SFO is easy to navigate. The AirTrain people mover connects all terminals with the international car parks, the BART Station and Car Rental Centre.
Airport services and facilities include.-
- Work stations with power outlets and USB ports
- Multi-lingual Airport Butler for meet and assist services
- Travel Agency
- Fenced outdoor pet area
- ATM and Money Exchange machines
- SFO Medical Clinic
- SFO Aviation Museum exhibits and library
- An array of shops, restaurants, bars and lounges
- Duty Free in International Terminal
San Francisco as transit or stop-over destination
What could be more romantic than riding a cable car up and down the steep hills of San Francisco? With their clanging bells, these iconic cable cars (don’t call them trolley’s here) make for a unique experience. This is a city known for its iconic bridge too. Spanning the beautiful bay, the bridge is the perfect backdrop for holiday photos. Weather it’s on foot, by bicycle, or just hopping from taxi to taxi, or cable car, getting out and seeing the sites of San Francisco is a must. It doesn’t take long to acquaint yourself with the charms of San Francisco, and you can start with these landmarks.
Golden Gate Bridge – walk or bicycle over the bridge, heading towards the charming seaside town of Sausalito where you can enjoy a good meal and some shopping. Take the ferry back to San Francisco’s Pier 41.
Fisherman’s Wharf – Not far from Pier 41, Fisherman’s Wharf is home to souvenir shops, restaurants, museums, and lots of sunning sea lions.
Alcatraz – This notorious prison is rich in history. It’s intriguing past is the stuff made of legend. The entertaining audio tour reveals just what life was like within the cold, dank walls.
Union Square – This grand public square is the centre of the city’s upscale shopping and dining district. Recognised by its 115-year-old monument, the 25-metre-high memorial commemorates the US Naval battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
The Painted Ladies – Head to Alamo Square at Hayes and Steiner Streets for one of San Francisco’s most iconic images. From the square, view the famous row of colourfully painted townhouses with the city skyline in the background.