DTW - SFO

C$ 123 Find Cheap Flights from Detroit 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 Detroit to San Francisco departing on 13/5. 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

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 Detroit to San Francisco, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Detroit to San Francisco, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flight Deals from Detroit to San Francisco (DTW-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Detroit 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.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Detroit to San Francisco

KAYAK's recommended round-trip deals from the most popular airlines that fly from Detroit to San Francisco.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Choose your dates
Frontier Logo
8:00 a.m. - 3:54 p.m.DTW-SFO
10h 54m1 stop
Frontier Logo
1:07 p.m. - 5:20 a.m.SFO-DTW
13h 13m1 stop
C$ 247Frontier
Find Deal
Sat, 3 May - Sat, 10 May
Frontier Logo
8:00 a.m. - 12:39 p.m.DTW-SFO
7h 39m1 stop
Frontier Logo
10:14 p.m. - 11:23 a.m.SFO-DTW
10h 09m1 stop
C$ 261Frontier
Find Deal
Sat, 31 May - Mon, 9 Jun
 Logo
6:00 a.m. - 12:09 a.m.DTW-SFO
21h 09m1 stop
 Logo
6:55 a.m. - 5:40 a.m.SFO-DTW
19h 45m1 stop
C$ 317
Find Deal
Sun, 1 Jun - Sat, 14 Jun
 Logo
9:59 p.m. - 9:21 p.m.DTW-SFO
26h 22m1 stop
 Logo
5:45 a.m. - 5:40 a.m.SFO-DTW
20h 55m1 stop
C$ 340
Find Deal
Sun, 1 Jun - Thu, 12 Jun
United Airlines Logo
7:43 p.m. - 9:50 p.m.DTW-SFO
5h 07mdirect
United Airlines Logo
9:18 p.m. - 4:58 a.m.SFO-DTW
4h 40mdirect
C$ 400United Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, 5 Jun - Sun, 8 Jun
United Airlines Logo
7:15 a.m. - 11:39 a.m.DTW-SFO
7h 24m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
9:18 p.m. - 4:58 a.m.SFO-DTW
4h 40mdirect
C$ 413United Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, 5 Jun - Sun, 15 Jun
Delta Logo
8:31 p.m. - 10:38 p.m.DTW-SFO
5h 07mdirect
Delta Logo
10:33 p.m. - 6:05 a.m.SFO-DTW
4h 32mdirect
C$ 427Delta
Find Deal
Fri, 30 May - Mon, 2 Jun
Delta Logo
8:31 p.m. - 10:38 p.m.DTW-SFO
5h 07mdirect
Delta Logo
6:05 a.m. - 10:28 p.m.SFO-DTW
13h 23m1 stop
C$ 453Delta
Find Deal
Mon, 2 Jun - Tue, 10 Jun
Southwest Logo
7:10 a.m. - 2:40 p.m.DTW-SFO
10h 30m2 stops
Southwest Logo
7:15 a.m. - 6:45 p.m.SFO-DTW
8h 30m1 stop
C$ 476Southwest
Find Deal
Tue, 12 Aug - Mon, 18 Aug
Southwest Logo
5:35 p.m. - 11:10 p.m.DTW-SFO
8h 35m2 stops
Southwest Logo
5:25 a.m. - 6:45 p.m.SFO-DTW
10h 20m2 stops
C$ 524Southwest
Find Deal
Tue, 1 Jul - Wed, 9 Jul

Expert advice for your flight from Detroit to San Francisco

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are specific to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airlines
United Airlines

United's Economy Plus offers up to 15 cm more legroom than standard economy seats.


Purchase Priority Boarding to ensure overhead bin space, placing you in Zone 2.

Delta

Delta's Comfort Plus offers up to 8 cm extra legroom over Main Cabin seats.


Free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members on domestic flights; sign up onboard if needed.

Read more about Deltaby Stefanie Waldek
Airports
DTW

For early departures, consider staying overnight at an airport hotel offering parking deals and shuttle service to DTW.

Read more about DTWby Ramsey Qubein
SFO

Use BART for a cost-effective ride from SFO to popular San Francisco neighborhoods like the Mission and Embarcadero.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines and Delta

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or on the sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Read more
Ramsey Qubein

Ramsey Qubein

Expert on DTW

Ramsey Qubein

Ramsey Qubein

An avid traveler and aviation expert who has visited 173 countries, all 50 states and seven continents, Ramsey Qubein flies nearly 400,000 miles a year. As a North Carolina-based freelance journalist for publications including Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes, USA Today and Bloomberg among others, he explores the latest trends in aviation, hospitality, cruises and business.

Read more
Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

Read more

KAYAK's insights & trends for Detroit to San Francisco flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Detroit 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 Detroit to San Francisco?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to San Francisco on a Saturday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to Detroit, you should consider flying back on a Sunday, and avoid Fridays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 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 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 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 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco is May, where tickets cost C$ 619 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is C$ 1,022 and C$ 890 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.
No, with an average price for the route of C$ 1,093, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 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 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 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 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco, you should book around 4 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 14 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low season

January

High season

May

Cheapest flight

C$ 123
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 31% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 21% lower on average.
Flight from Detroit to San Francisco

When to book flights from Detroit to San Francisco

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Detroit to San Francisco based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips 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 Detroit to San Francisco flights

  • What is the cheapest flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco was C$ 89 for a one-way ticket and C$ 179 for a round-trip.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Detroit to San Francisco?

    Delta, KLM, Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Detroit to San Francisco flight route.

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

    The Boeing 737-900 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Detroit to San Francisco flight route.

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

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

  • On which days can I fly direct from Detroit to San Francisco?

    There are direct flights from Detroit to San Francisco on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Detroit to San Francisco, Delta or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Detroit to San Francisco are Delta and Southwest. With an average price for the route of C$ 634 and an overall rating of 8.0, Delta is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of C$ 769 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Detroit 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 Detroit to San Francisco.

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

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

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

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Detroit 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 Detroit up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

See more FAQs

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for C$ 482 or less one-way and C$ 539 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Detroit to San Francisco?

Find which airlines fly direct from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County to San Francisco

Monday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +7 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +8 more

Tuesday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +7 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +8 more

Wednesday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +6 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +7 more

Thursday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +7 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +8 more

Friday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +6 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +7 more

Saturday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +7 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +8 more

Sunday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Asiana Airlines, +6 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +7 more

See more nonstop flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County

Monday

Air France,Air New Zealand,China Eastern, +6 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +7 more

Tuesday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Delta, +4 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +5 more

Wednesday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Delta, +4 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +5 more

Thursday

Air France,Air New Zealand,China Eastern, +6 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +7 more

Friday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Delta, +4 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +5 more

Saturday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Delta, +5 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +6 more

Sunday

Air France,Air New Zealand,Delta, +4 more

Air France,Air New Zealand, +5 more

See more nonstop flights
See more nonstop flights

Top 4 airlines serving from Detroit to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Detroit 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 Detroit 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4287 reviews
8.2Boarding
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
7.1Food
7.6Entertainment
Airline reviews

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2025LGB - SMF
Read more Southwest reviews

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

Great experience flying Southwest. The crew was really kind and helpful, and very friendly with our toddler.

Plane late from DC to Austin 30 minutes. Crew made up much of the time enroute to San Diego.

Fine, but how to board on SW versus othrr airlines, is just lame. Goood staff though and all was solid otherwise.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a not a great airport.

Was as expected. Crowed planes. Too many carryons delaying takeoff. But the ride only took an hour and saved me a lot of time SFO is a hell hole of an airport. It is the new LaGuardia. Everything Cobbled together. Security gates closed. Terri directional signage

I will be flying again Southwest Airlines. Friendly crew, comfortable and affordable.

The plane arrived 25 minutes late, and the Wi-Fi was slower than it usually is.

This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.

Seats are much much more comfortable than United, which is what I usually fly

Rode in a smaller plane and short trip meant no snacks, no free wifi or tv. It was only 30min flight so honestly wasn’t a big deal to lack these items.

Kind staff. Snacks are small but that’s the new normal.

If I pay extra for "comfort+" I expect leg room where I can stretch my legs. I was seated with an attendant's seat blocking my feet. Knee space was fine but my feet had less room than the non-"comfort+" seats. Also, don't go cheap on food when you have flights of 3+ hours. It's insulting.

All fine save for the abominable catering. Really gone downhill. We found it all inedible.

I appreciated friendly service from check-in, to boarding, to in-flight amenities! Attendants were accommodating and helpful. Thank you! Elaine

Only one side of the heafphone jack work. Crew was friendly and helpful.

Great. Flight departed early and arrived early. Deplaning and baggage claim ww were quick.

Was unsure of this flight due to high winds in CVG from Hurricane Helene. Crew did a great job of getting us to CVG safely.

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

headphone jack didnt work for the first flight and not much variety

The agents was very rude and they charged me $50 for a carry-on bag saying that it was too big and then I saw someone going on a plane with the same size bag as me

For the most part united was a good experience, how ever when they came by with the snacks and water, they completely passed by my wife and I. As we were in separate rows. On a 5 hr flight we were not offered water

Fantastic crew. Flight was delayed at last minute but we were given updates every 20 minutes and the crew was so friendly and considerate. I miss the touch screens on the back of the seats, wish they would bring that back though.

Beijing PEK to SFO. I had an economy seat on this flight. The seat comfort was acceptable. My main complaint is with the FA’s lack of personality and absence from servicing the plane, specifically restroom care (I wish I could share a pic of the restroom that I captured) and care of travelers—drink cart/availability of drinks. I'm amazed at the level of service on other International travel where a passenger is most often appreciated.

Awful. Worst airline I have ever been on. Crew were among the rudest people I have ever dealt with. United staff members were rude and disrespectful. My flight was delayed, causing me to miss a connecting flight. I understand things happen, but when staff start lying about what actually happened, that is when I have an issue. Just be honest, really it isn’t that hard. I’m being very honest with this review and I don’t find this difficult what so ever. In fact, because of United Airlines, my Christmas holiday was off to a really rocky start. As someone who has traveled across the world, it has only been United that I have had a truly awful experience.

Good flight. On time. Boarding and seating was easy. Crew were really friendly, yet professional. Bathroom (by cockpit) was small but serviceable. Some the seats were showing some notable wear & tear, but were comfy. Very happy UA customer. TY! 🤛🏽💗

We were delayed 3x and because I didn’t purchase my tickets directly from United Airlines I was told I Have to take care of it myself so I called Underpricer and they helped me but before I changed my flights I took the risk of sticking by what my tickets were and was lucky to have gotten on the original all flight with only 15 mins before take off. not sure if I will do this again

Not very good. Paid in excess of $400 for assigned seating for my family and that was not provided. I want that money back.

The seats were hard molded plastic covered in plastic vinyl. And the scam to charge people extra to sit together. Don’t they know we can just ask someone to trade seats. And watching the staff separate young children from parents… super classy. We had to guilt them into offering up our seats. This companies policies suck. Don’t give them your money.

The seats were awful, hard plastic covered in sheet vinyl. The airline tries to scam you into paying extra to get seat together when the flight wasn’t full. They were going to separate a family with young children but my wife who had a row to herself gave up her seat so the young mom could be with her young boys. I’m never giving this airline my money again.

It was a short flight so no food or entertainment….

Seats are uncomfortable but price is good. Guess I can put up with misery for four hours.

I’ve never traveled on Frontier before. If you want basic, no frills, friendly service at great prices then give them a fly!

Cancelled and declined to find alternatives Earlier flight is 2 days later Sent the cancellation notification very late, wish I knew earlier would have stayed to watch the Miami open final game Very disappointing service

The worst flight of my life. Never will I fly frontier again

Landing in terminal 2, but my luggage is terminal 3. We (and others) were looking for it in terminal 1. We probably missed the crew broadcast, but the communication could have been clearer for non native (or elderly) passengers.

I chose the seats when booked the flight and paid for them. However after checking in I found we were assigned different seats!

Everything you need to know for your flight from Detroit to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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