JNB - SFO

R11 144 Find Cheap Flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from OR Tambo to San Francisco departing on 8/2. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Francisco

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Johannesburg to San Francisco.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Johannesburg to San Francisco.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest return fare
R17 561
Overall average: R16 554
Multiple Airlines
Sun 8/2Wed 25/3
JNB - SFO • 2 stops
Cheapest one-way flight
R11 144
Typical prices: R11 263-R14 472
Qatar Airways
Sun 8/2
JNB - SFO • 1 stop
Top airlines
Etihad Airways
Cheapest • from R21 110 (return)
KLM
Best reviews • 7,7 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
5 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 5 weeks in advance save around 6% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
February
Cheapest • 7% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco (JNB-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals from OR Tambo to San Francisco

Sun, Feb 8 - Wed, Mar 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
22:00 - 23:16JNB-SFO
35h 16m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:00 - 8:10SFO-JNB
33h 10m2 stops
R17 561Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Feb 8 - Wed, Mar 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
20:15 - 16:30JNB-SFO
30h 15m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
15:40 - 9:30SFO-JNB
32h 50m1 stop
R20 496Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Feb 8 - Wed, Mar 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
20:15 - 16:30JNB-SFO
30h 15m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
22:40 - 9:30SFO-JNB
25h 50m2 stops
R20 666Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Feb 8 - Wed, Mar 25
Etihad Airways Logo
9:50 - 14:12JNB-SFO
38h 22m2 stops
Etihad Airways Logo
12:05 - 8:20SFO-JNB
35h 15m2 stops
R21 110Etihad Airways
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 28 - Wed, Jan 7
Virgin Atlantic Logo
22:00 - 14:40JNB-SFO
26h 40m1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
22:40 - 8:35SFO-JNB
23h 55m1 stop
R21 639Virgin Atlantic
Find Deal
Fri, Nov 28 - Tue, Dec 30
United Airlines Logo
22:00 - 17:28JNB-SFO
29h 28m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
19:11 - 18:35SFO-JNB
37h 24m2 stops
R23 431United Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 28 - Wed, Jan 7
Delta Logo
22:00 - 14:40JNB-SFO
26h 40m1 stop
Delta Logo
9:50 - 8:35SFO-JNB
36h 45m2 stops
R23 687Delta
Find Deal
Sun, Feb 8 - Wed, Mar 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
14:30 - 21:08JNB-SFO
40h 38m3 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
23:20 - 13:05SFO-JNB
28h 45m2 stops
R23 909Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 21 - Sat, Jan 3
Lufthansa Logo
10:10 - 11:35JNB-SFO
35h 25m2 stops
Lufthansa Logo
13:30 - 15:35SFO-JNB
40h 05m2 stops
R24 131Lufthansa
Find Deal
Sun, Dec 28 - Wed, Jan 7
Kenya Airways Logo
17:00 - 17:00JNB-SFO
34h 00m2 stops
Kenya Airways Logo
22:55 - 15:50SFO-JNB
30h 55m2 stops
R25 581Kenya Airways
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for OR Tambo to San Francisco flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from OR Tambo to San Francisco to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If you are looking for a flight deal from Johannesburg to San Francisco, look for departures on Tuesdays and avoid leaving on a Saturday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from San Francisco, Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly and Monday is the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco is February, where tickets cost R16 554 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is R19 813 and R18 721 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco, you should book around 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 6% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flightR11 144
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 2% increase in price.
Flight from Johannesburg to San Francisco

When to book flights from OR Tambo to San Francisco

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from OR Tambo to San Francisco based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking Johannesburg to San Francisco flights

  • What is the cheapest flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to San Francisco was R11 144 for a one-way ticket and R17 561 for a return.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam are the airline alliances operating flights between Johannesburg and San Francisco, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco, Virgin Atlantic or British Airways?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco are Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. With an average price for the route of R17 189 and an overall rating of 7,5, Virgin Atlantic is the most popular choice. British Airways is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of R18 776 and an overall rating of 6,7.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Johannesburg is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to San Francisco with an airline and back to Johannesburg with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Johannesburg to San Francisco?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San Francisco from Johannesburg up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from OR Tambo to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Johannesburg to San Francisco. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from OR Tambo to San Francisco? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7,7
KLMOverall score based on 1411 reviews
7,3Food
7,8Boarding
7,1Entertainment
8,4Crew
7,7Comfort
Airline reviews

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

10,0 ExcellentCameron, Sept 2025YYJ - YYC
Read more KLM reviews

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

Over 1 Hr delay. No APU so no AC on ground. Plane was hot during boarding and then they closed the doors over 20 minutes before engine start so interior of plane was steamy hot and stuffy. Could have been helped by opening doors until ready to depart.

First of all we couldn’t check in online, then we learn at the airport we were on stand by for KLM’s mistake of overbooking. The seats were not comfy at all. Our luggage got lost.

Ad experience - been flying many years with them but they are losing out to other carriers with their service and bagage / seating policy. My 2 12-yo kids were not placed with the parent. Absurdity.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

KLM remains a quality flag carrier airline which maintains its standards whilst all their competitors are lowering theirs.

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

My flight was delayed by 6 hours then I missed BOTH of my connecting flights, I then had to stay in the AIRPORT at JFK because soooooo many people also suffered from missing flights and there was no hotels available. I would like to be compensated for this experience! I had to stay in the airport for over 16 hours!

The service was great. However the lounge only gets passing grade

Cabin crew were excellent, very proffesional, polite and friendly, in flight snack was underwhelming, a packet of cheese biscuits, im sure KLM could run to a sandwich!

Great staff great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Great staff, great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Food was the worst I’ve had on a VA flight. Normally it’s a lot better

I was my pleasure to fly virgin on my birthday for my first solo trip ever 🫶🏼

These are one of the older seat arrangements facing away from the windows! Not particularly convenient sets. No storage spaces. NO COAT HANGING HOOKS. Inconvenient business class seat compared to any other airlines of similar class. Staff are excellent! Extremely professional, friendly. Food is good too.

Overall, flight was excellent but check in was very slow for Premium Economy. Economy queue was shorter but we weren't allowed to use it.

The staff was not very polite but the flight was very very nice and comfortable and the entertainment was great

Great crew - old style upper class seats on the older fleet now feels dated

Premium economy more comfortable than economy, but not by much. Did was awful, do not try the omelette. Flight crew were helpful. Flight was delayed by over an hour. Overall but bad, arrived safely and thank God.

Food was excellent. Service was very good. Staff was very helpful to all passengers.

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.

Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

I found the staff to not be very attentive at all. When paying for Business Class you expect a certain type of service and that was not found. They were almost rude even

Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.

Excellent food and service on my international flight. Most notable is the food provided by Turkish even for coach passengers is very good.

They can my date of travel and let me standard in Istanbul for three days stop over and only pay for one day in a hotel with only one breakfast for three days.

the flight was cancelled and I was rebooked twice, once 26 hours later, then another 24 hours later. In total the flight was delayed for 40 hours. Never again will I use kayak or Turkish Airlines for my travel.

Worst experience with boarding once we left the wheel chair even traveling business we had to wait with all the crowd for the bus to take us to the plane then climb the stairs with our bags When you pay extra for comfort and convenience and you don’t get any is disappointing

Food is very turkish. No regard for other natinalities taste and preference. The entertainment can be improved- it was the same menu on 10/8/25 and 10/25/25. The boarding is the worst in the airline industry- I suggest you ask your staff to and watch how other airlines do it.

The best airline for international travel in terms of value you get in business class (service/cost)

I liked the overall flight experience. However, Turkish officials could do a better job at guiding non-Turkish speakers to their connecting flight gates in such a huge & vast airport.

Very small and cramped aisles and seats. Food was poor but the fresh hot roll and hummus was good. No cans of soda given but they had small bottles of water. Crew was nice and pleasant and kept bathroom clean.

We couldn’t fly to Chicago on our booked flight. The flight was overbooked.

Small seat space for 13 hours flight, they charged for baggage , very bad quality of food,

It was good. Couldn’t Check in online and select seats

It was great. Enough space and room for legs . Great service to.

⭐ British Airways Review — A Journey of Highs, Lows, and Lessons ⭐ I recently flew Business Class round-trip from Boston to Mumbai with British Airways, and my experience was a tale of two extremes — from disappointment to exceptional service, and then back to inconsistency. Boston → London: A Surprisingly Poor Start My journey began on a disappointing note. On a 6-hour Business Class flight, I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a single proper vegetarian meal option available. I was offered a few bakery items only after repeatedly requesting something to eat. The flight attendant shrugged, offered no solution, and eventually — quite literally — threw some bread at me after much delay. This was not only disheartening, it was extremely surprising given my wonderful Business Class experience with BA last year. I stepped off that flight genuinely hungry and had to make a mad dash to the lounge just to get a proper meal. London → Mumbai: A Complete Turnaround The next sector restored my faith in British Airways. The entire crew was warm, welcoming, attentive, and genuinely caring. A special shoutout to Phiroze and the entire team serving the Business Class cabin — their professionalism, hospitality, and thoughtful service were extraordinary. They truly embodied what makes British Airways a global leader, and I am deeply grateful for the experience they provided. This is the BA I know and love. Mumbai → London: A Strange Meal Schedule This sector was generally fine, but the meal timing was puzzling. Lunch at 10:30 AM — for a Business cabin — felt unusual, and most passengers, including myself, barely touched it. The rest of the service was smooth, but the scheduling definitely needs a rethink. London → Boston: Mixed Experience Again The flight itself was decent, but the Business Lounge at Heathrow for this leg was a letdown. Arrived during lunch hours: no hot vegetarian options available Lounge area: dirty dishes everywhere Even after politely alerting the staff, the dishes were ignored and left uncleared For a premium cabin passenger — and at one of the world’s busiest international hubs — this was disappointing. Overall Impression My journey with British Airways felt inconsistent — two great sectors sandwiched between two that fell short of the BA standard. When BA is good, it is world-class. When it misses, the gap is noticeable. I genuinely hope the airline takes this feedback as constructive insight. I continue to believe in British Airways, and I commend the outstanding crew on the London → Mumbai sector — they were the highlight of my entire trip. With a little more focus on vegetarian meal availability, lounge service, and consistency across crews, BA can ensure every Business Class passenger experiences the premium journey they promise.

We were in business class and I had seat # 1. This was a night flight and after dinner was served, lights were dimmed and I went to sleep. The crew were loud and noisy so I didn’t get much sleep. I expect the crew to enjoy themselves but would Appreciate some decency in staying quiet while the passengers sleep

Have travelled business class with other airlines who profess to be the best in the world. They can however not beat the service and comfort that BA provide.

Well unfortunately our connecting was cancelled and next flight delayed. Was in airport 9 hours. Flight itself was good. I’m sure it was a FAA problem.

Great on board entertainment Tasty food Cattle class obviously crammed but not as bad as shorter hall flights

I was attacked in the Miami airport and the staff did nothing. On my flight from London to Miami one of the flight attendants screamed at me and demanded I keep my seat in the upright position at all times during the fight so the man behind me was comfortable for the flight. I will never in my life use British airways again

Logan gate staff was unhelpful. Arrived early, come to find out the airbus scheduled was reassigned and I did not have a seat. The desk agent spoke to his supervisor who instructed him to give me a boarding pass to get up to gate area, he was polite. At the gate the fellow was sitting to the side with two other BA staff . I asked him if he could help me, his answer was” we are on a break, we are closed” then turned his back. I am almost 70, drove 4 1/2 hours to Boston and had been looking forward to this trip for 5 months. I have worked in service many times in my life and this is not how it is done. I eventually (1/2 hr) before boarding was able to get a seat. The rest of the flight experience was unremarkable.

The boarding process was chaotic at LHR and the seat was not as comfortable as other airlines....

Everything you need to know for your flight from OR Tambo to San Francisco

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