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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to New Zealand

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Sort by: Cheapest
Christchurch
14h 10mNonstop
from $1,361per person
Auckland
12h 55mNonstop
from $1,571per person
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to New Zealand flights

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

What is the cheapest San Francisco to New Zealand flight route?

The cheapest ticket to New Zealand from San Francisco found in the last 5 days was to Auckland, at $1,577 return. The most popular route is from San Francisco (SFO) to Auckland (AKL), and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $1,577.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to New Zealand?

The cheapest time of day to fly to New Zealand is generally at night, when retur flights cost $2,764 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to New Zealand is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $2,764.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from San Francisco to New Zealand?

Yes, flying with a stopover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops stopover the cheapest option at $2,281 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to New Zealand?

The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco to New Zealand is February, when tickets cost $1,921 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is $3,161 and $2,607 respectively.

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

When flying from San Francisco to New Zealand, you should consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Fridays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to San Francisco, you’ll find the best rates on Tuesdays and the most expensive ones on Mondays.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco to New Zealand?

To get a below-average price on a flight from San Francisco to New Zealand, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

August

Cheapest flight

$776
Best time to beat the crowds (28% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (32% more expensive on average)
Flight from San Francisco to Auckland

FAQs - booking New Zealand flights

  • How do I get from Auckland International Airport to the city center?

    The public bus and train offer transportation from the airport to the heart of the city. Catch the Airport Link shuttle to the train station to take the rail anywhere in Auckland. It picks up passengers outside of the international terminal. The bus also goes from the airport to Auckland. It picks up at the same spot as the Airport Link Shuttle.

  • Can I exchange currency at the New Zealand airports?

    At many of the New Zealand airports, including Auckland and Wellington Airport, you can exchange your US dollars for the NZ dollar and vice versa. The easiest way to do it is at one of the Travelex (or currency exchange) stores. At Wellington, the Travelex is by the food court, and in Auckland, you'll find this service on the ground floor by the check-in area. There are also self-service ATM machines around both airports.

  • What airport in New Zealand should I fly into?

    There are numerous beautiful islands that you can visit during your vacation to New Zealand. If you're visiting the South Island or Glacier Country, you should fly to Hokitika Airport (HKK). The North Island, home to many seaside resorts, is closest to Auckland Airport. If you're visiting the Bay of Islands, you should fly to Kerikeri Airport (KKE).

  • Where is long-term parking at the San Francisco Airport?

    You'll have the option of parking your vehicle in either the long-term parking garage or the outdoor lot. If you are driving yourself to the airport, be sure to allow for time to take the shuttle from the parking structure to the airport. Parking can be reached via Highway 101 and South Bruno Avenue.

  • Can I rent a car at the airport in New Zealand?

    Car rental agencies have offices at the largest airports in New Zealand, including Auckland, Wellington Airport (WLG), Queenstown Airport (ZQN) and Christchurch Airport (CHC). Smaller airports, such as Hokitika, Dunedin, and Nelson Airport, also have car rental suppliers at the facilities. You'll recognize many of the car rental brands as most have subsidiaries in the United States.

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

    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 San Francisco to New Zealand.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco to New Zealand 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 San Francisco to New Zealand?

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

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

    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 from San Francisco to New Zealand up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to New Zealand

  • There are several airports in New Zealand. The largest of these is Auckland International Airport (AKL) on the North Island of New Zealand.
  • While you're waiting on your flight to leave San Francisco Airport (SFO), you can visit the SFO Museum where you can watch videos or look at artwork and photography.
  • The San Francisco Airport has numerous lounges where you can relax or grab a bite to eat before your departure. This includes airlines that fly to New Zealand, such as Alaska and United Airlines.
  • Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to anywhere in New Zealand will require at least one plane change. Your layover could be in the United States at Los Angeles Airport or in another country, such as Sydney, Australia or Nadi, Fiji.
  • Most travelers prefer using SFO to other airports in the area due to its accessibility. A one-way train ride to SFO should cost approximately $9.

Reviews of the top airlines flying from San Francisco to New Zealand

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to New Zealand? 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.
8.0
Air New ZealandOverall score based on 669 reviews
8.2Boarding
7.9Comfort
7.5Food
7.4Entertainment
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

Great airline service by the staff. I highly recommend it

10.0 ExcellentManish, Apr 2026
Read more Air New Zealand reviews

Great airline service by the staff. I highly recommend it

The food was not as good as Air New Zealand. The veg pasta was pass-able but the veg cibotta sandwich was dry, hard and not up to par. The coach staff were attentive and accommodating.

Overall the plane was good and the crew great. The big disappointment was the skycouch. Maybe it would be good if you were a parent with 2 small kids travelling but as a couple it's hopeless. It's impossible for 2 adults to lie down so one ends up sitting. We split our time with one lying and the other sitting. We both got more sleep sitting upright. We will never book one again and don't recommend it to anyone.

Not entirely positive. It’s frustrating that everything is done through the united app. One of our flight attendants on our trip from San Francisco to MSP continually had trouble hearing people so she flipped her hair into people’s faces

Our original flight was cancelled from SFO to AKL on 6/16/25. So we had to stay overnight at a hotel after a 12-hour layover plus 3-hour delay before the cancellation. Then had to fly to LA and then to AKL the following day losing an entire day of our vacation in NZ, that we can never get back.

Everything very good except the sofa couch not as comfortable as expected.

New Zealand crew were attentive. We were not informed that we needed transit document to pass through New Zealand. A checkin employee helped with this for which we were thankful.

There was a snafu with confirming seats at check which left us in limbo for the second leg of our trip. I believe the ANZ app is not well integrated with the systems at the terminal resulting in this disconcerting error.

The pilot tried to make up for lost time due to delays that were out of her control. She communicated the issues openly and clearly and made every effort to do what she could to alleviate issues.

The only thing that was less than excellent was the food server at dinner. (I had the chicken.) It wasn't that it was poorly heated or in difficult-to-open containers; it was just that it had a very peculiar taste. And I use that to describe not just the main course but the dessert as well. Very odd flavours for what seemed to be a mainstream item. I did like that the airline offered us a free glass of wine. The breakfast omelette wasn't bad, although it was quite bland.

Flight was over two hours late, but they notified us early in the morning. They ended up changing planes the food on board that was extremely mediocre and we were in premier class.

Food was very bad Crew was not so welcoming. Chairs was so uncomfortable

The business class had to wait to board last. Unacceptable

The air hostess was excellent. I have taken so many flight domestic and international, this is the first time the air hostess was so caring. She was a delight

We paid extra to check our bags ($90*2=$180) but our luggage remained in Frankfurt. VERY DISAPPOINTED as we were promised that our luggage would go to our destination. We had to pay 90€ to take a taxi back to the airport in Split the next day to get our bags so we would not miss our next step on our trip. We think we should be reimbursed for our checked bags. How can we coordinate this?

This was an auto-rebook due to being delayed from an earlier UA connecting flight. The boarding was fine, but they sat me in a middle seat when my original booking was a window seat. Overall, the flight was fine as it still got me to my final destination.

Sitting in coach even in the larger leg space is extremely uncomfortable and the staff pay no attention.

The pilot was late so we didn’t take off til almost 2 hours late.

It was a short, comfortable flight. It did leave an hour late due to the pilot having to be replaced (family emergency) but that didn’t inconvenience myself & my friend. The situation was explained, eventually.

Excellent communication from the staff. We actually arrived early. Very friendly and professional staff.

More options for your flight from San Francisco to New Zealand

Complete your trip to New Zealand with a hotel stay or car hire