DTW - SFO

C$ 270 Find Cheap Flights from Detroit to San Francisco – Compare and Save

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 2/9. 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.
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1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
C$ 480
Typical prices: C$ 495-C$ 792
Frontier
Wed 2/9Sun 20/9
DTW - SFO • 2 stops
Cheapest direct flights
C$ 495
Typical prices: C$ 522-C$ 816
Delta
Fri 4/9Sun 20/9
DTW - SFO • Direct
Advice from real travellers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
United Economy Plus adds up to 15 cm legroom; Delta Comfort Plus adds 8 cm.
Delta offers free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members; United sells Priority Boarding.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from C$ 480 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Direct flights
You can fly direct with Delta and United Airlines. Average duration is 5h 01m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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Direct flights
Direct flights
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Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg C$ 211 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 9h 41m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
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When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travellers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 32% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
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Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 14% price drop
Most popular
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights 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.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Detroit to San Francisco

Wed, 2 Sep - Sun, 20 Sep
Frontier Logo
7:55 a.m. - 7:56 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
15h 01m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
9:27 p.m. - 1:08 p.m.
SFO
-
DTW
12h 41m
1 stop
C$ 480Frontier
Wed, 5 Aug - Mon, 17 Aug
Frontier Logo
8:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
9h 50m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:04 p.m. - 11:25 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
14h 21m
1 stop
C$ 487Frontier
Tue, 21 Jul - Fri, 24 Jul
Frontier Logo
8:30 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
9h 55m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:39 p.m. - 11:59 p.m.
SFO
-
DTW
23h 20m
1 stop
C$ 488Frontier
Sat, 5 Sep - Tue, 22 Sep
Frontier Logo
12:20 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
9h 25m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:17 p.m. - 11:02 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
12h 45m
2 stops
C$ 491Frontier
Sun, 26 Jul - Wed, 5 Aug
Frontier Logo
7:44 p.m. - 4:11 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
23h 27m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:08 p.m. - 7:21 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
9h 13m
1 stop
C$ 494Frontier
Fri, 4 Sep - Tue, 22 Sep
Delta Logo
4:16 p.m. - 6:13 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
4h 57mdirect
Delta Logo
10:59 p.m. - 6:30 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
4h 31mdirect
C$ 495Delta
Wed, 22 Jul - Mon, 27 Jul
Frontier Logo
6:10 a.m. - 7:52 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
16h 42m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
7:08 p.m. - 7:21 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
9h 13m
1 stop
C$ 498Frontier
Tue, 4 Aug - Wed, 19 Aug
Frontier Logo
9:06 a.m. - 4:11 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
10h 05m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
8:56 p.m. - 6:20 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
6h 24m
1 stop
C$ 504Frontier
Sat, 25 Jul - Tue, 4 Aug
Frontier Logo
7:40 a.m. - 6:23 p.m.
DTW
-
SFO
13h 43m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
9:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
7h 00m
1 stop
C$ 505Frontier
Thu, 30 Jul - Mon, 3 Aug
United Airlines Logo
6:34 a.m. - 8:40 a.m.
DTW
-
SFO
5h 06mdirect
United Airlines Logo
11:30 p.m. - 9:52 a.m.
SFO
-
DTW
7h 22m
1 stop
C$ 510United Airlines
Booking Insights

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.

How much is a round-trip flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco departing in September.

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 January, where tickets cost C$ 552 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is C$ 723 and C$ 707 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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at C$ 523 on average.

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 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 32% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 12 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Detroit to San Francisco

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines and Delta

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.

Ramsey Qubein

Ramsey Qubein

Expert on DTW

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.

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

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.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flightC$ 270
Best time to beat the crowds (15% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (7% more expensive 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 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to San Francisco was C$ 270 for a one-way ticket and C$ 480 for a round-trip.

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

    Delta, JetBlue, 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?

    oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Detroit and San Francisco, with oneworld 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, Southwest or Delta?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Detroit to San Francisco are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of C$ 529 and an overall rating of 7.9, Southwest is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of C$ 566 and an overall rating of 7.8.

  • 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.

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$ 431 or less one-way and C$ 793 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Detroit to San Francisco?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County 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

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Tuesday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Wednesday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Thursday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Friday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Saturday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Sunday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

See more nonstop flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County

Monday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Tuesday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Wednesday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Thursday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Friday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Saturday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

Sunday

Delta,United Airlines

Delta,United Airlines

See more nonstop flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying 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.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4249 reviews
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
7.0Food
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

The flight was late. The crew was rude. There was no food. Cramped and uncomfortable. Nothing about this flight was good.

2.0 MediocreIrene, Jun 2026
DEN - SFO
Read more Southwest reviews

The flight was late. The crew was rude. There was no food. Cramped and uncomfortable. Nothing about this flight was good.

It was just okay, no frills, basic transportation with no luxury. No screens on the seats, no water or drinks on a short flight. Full flight but at least it was on time.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Southwest's seats are the least comfortable I have ever sat in.

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.

Can not wait for seating change to reduce the amount of pre boards - it’s disheartening the abuse. And then then deplaning

Flight was delayed more than 2 hour do the scheduling issues and then some confusing weight and balance matters, followed by a miscommunication with the tower on which runway was going to be used based on the airplane weight. All these things should have been figured out in advance. Instead of arriving at 12:30 a.m. we arrived at 2:30 a.m. very difficult to find a taxi or other transport at SFO. Luggage was delayed. An extension of an unpleasant flight day

Southwest is a discount airline. I get it. You take the (usually) good pricing with the bad (cramped). But Southwest is becoming more and more like the cut-rate airlines *cough* Spirit *cough*. It used to actually be a fun experience. e.g. paying for WiFi is bad enough - having to pay for it on each leg of a flight is ridiculous. Yes, I've seen your numbers that it only "impacts a small percentage", but you and I both know that is misleading at best. While I used to try to fly SW exclusively when flying domestically, now I'll look elsewhere very frequently and price being equal (or close) I'm going to the other carriers.

The crew was fabulous, outstanding, friendly, attentive and just great, really made my flight one of the best I've ever had, thank you southwest crew flight #474, from Los Angeles to San Francisco on April 2,2024

Crew was real good, flight was smooth and came in early.

We sat on the runway for over an hour before departure. That was unwelcome.

Everything went smoothly, although the usual gripes about airline travel were still present: the boarding process is inefficient, the snack selection is limited, and so on. Since there was extra space on the flight, the gate agent rearranged many people's seats to put people on the aisles and windows, leaving the middle seats empty, as much as possible, which was pretty great.

One of the flight attendants was a little cranky. I appreciated the free wifi and plug to charge my laptop

WiFi didn’t work most of the time. The usb chargers would work only occasionally for 5 mins and wouldn’t charge after that. Had to keep trying repeatedly at each of the seats in the row.

Generally on time departures and arrivals, clean planes, sky miles membership provides great benefits (complimentary upgrades, etc).

Meh. A late flight meant I missed my connections, and a 2pm LAX arrival turned into gettin in after midnight.

It was good until there was a 3 hour delay because there was not any pilots to fly the plane.

Was a great smooth flight from Detroit to San Diego.

Food could have been better. A little more leg room would have been appreciated.

This was an overnight flight, and in the morning they did know coffee service. How you can throw passengers in a San Francisco airport at 5:40 a.m. in the morning and not giving them Coffee is a crime.

Our flight was delayed several Times due to mechanical issues. Although I understand this may happen at times, it was very inconvenient and we had to book a hotel for an overnight stay. We were traveling with my 3-yo grandson and waiting at the airport from noon until 6:30pm with no reassurance that our next rescheduled flight would depart, we had to decide what’s best for him. A day later, I found out that I may be able to demand compensation if my flight is delayed more than 4 hours. I will hav to read the fine print next time.

The staff was extremely helpful and friendly at all times! They went above and beyond to get us into an earlier flight in San Diego to make our connection in SFO possible, because our original flight did actually not make it! I did so much appreciate the UA team and how they made this possible. We also didn’t have seats together on the long flight to Singapore, but they found us seats together last moment with no additional cost! Nobody sat next to us, so that we were able to sleep! Thanks to UA for improving their service and Underpricer for booking this trip! Please be careful: 1,5 hrs for transfer in San Francisco might not be enough time in the future

Seat pitch is horrible especially on the 15 hour flight. Gate crew at SFO was Outstanding. The flight crew was also great.

6 1/2 hours from Tampa to SFO on a Boeing 737. Cramped. No Service. No real food. One pass for coffee at the beginning and a second pass THREE hours later. And check-in in Tampa was nasty even by United standards. And I am at almost TWO million miles on United. It's a non-stop. But terrible service.

First class ticket gets you no seat back entertainment? I have to bring my own laptop to see a movie? And most of their movies have ADS? No thank you. Worse: Tiny snacks only on a 2 hr flight?

Late plane. Only one crew on the ground so we b had to wait for Denver flight to come in, board, and depart. At 78 yrs of age I was not pleased trying to get my connection. What really made me angry was the notification you sent me to hurry up or I would miss my connection. Why tell me to hurry up when you got me in late. It was not a good way of treating customers.

No complaints other than luggage carousel was incorrectly guiding passengers to the wrong carousel on the screen.

The flight was delayed from take off because only one runway was operational in San Francisco.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

The flight attendant was very polite and attentive. The food was good.

Was put into a seat right behind the toilet that had no entertainment possible but did have plenty of leg room over noisy part of plane.

Flight: Started on time. Comfortable flight. Arrived on time. Crew: Very cordial and helpful. Drinks and snack was served with a smile. Overall enjoyed the trip. Regards, Hari Doss Chanchala Doss

A first class seat should fit a fat person, and this doesn't. The trays in the armrest are less functional than an ordinary tray in the back of the seat.

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

This was a horrible experience. For a first class experience, my chair was held together by 3M tape - and I have a photo. The crew weren’t very attentive, somewhat dismissive and forgot my drink and snack, the chair reclined about 3 inches on a 6-hour cross country flight. I was also not informed that there was no lounge available in Newark airport because of renovations, so all around this was one of the worst experiences and I would actively avoid both American and Alaska Air going forward.

Long 5 hour and 45 min flight and only one drink service and cookie snack

Extraordinary service in business class, and very good breakfast and snacks. A really lovely flight.

This flight didn’t happen because AA agents didn’t let us board the flight

We boarded after several delays due to mechanical failure and a gate change. The seat cushion in the exit row was very compressed and offered no cushion, making the four-hour journey reasonably uncomfortable. The WiFi worked for a few people, but for most, it did not, and you cannot get entertainment unless you can connect—American Airlines flights do not have seatback screens, and you must use your mobile phone.

Charges unexpected. For seat that didnt recline. Please reverse extra seat and carryon charge. Bad business that is a bait and switch.

I couldn’t check in because the app didn’t work. It took 3 Frontier employees at the counter to get me checked in. Flight left 3 hours after departure time

Horrible! The short distance flight ended up taking 5 hrs! There was a 3 hr delay for the flight to take off and there was a 70 min wait on the tarmac for some bogus reason that the pilot said the gate he was supposed to board was taken up. After a 30 min wait he said the plane that was supposed to push out of the gate called a medical emergency and 40 min later he ended up boarding another gate. For the initial 3 hr delay there was no information/alert about the gate or delay in the app or the boards up until the boarding time and even beyond! Had to walk all the way to the end of the terminal to find the frontier staff to ask what was going on. Avoid this airline at all costs! If you have carryon bags or checked bags , their prices come equivalent to the prices of more reliable airlines. They are the worst in timeliness at 60% (reported as delayed) this year (check the data) by a high margin even compared to the second worst airline. If you are ok with having a miserable flight experience with the odds close to flip of a coin, feel free to try them. If you value your time , money and flying experience, stay away.

Our flight was delayed by four hours without notice, the app for getting my boarding pass is super confusing, and I wasn’t able to check a suitcase without paying for a higher cost package

First the gate was a total nightmare-no chairs anywhere! So over crowded and only one bathroom and nightmare of food service - took forever and NOT one place to sit. No inflight entertainment and had to pay 60.00 for a small carry on. I will never fly Frontier again!

Flight was 3 hours late leaving. Poor communication from the staff about delays. Impossible to get in touch with customer service (by design). And it actually didn't come out to be much cheaper than a non-budget airline! Not worth the headache, I'm never flying Frontier again

See my previous comment which is mostly about our flight from Phoenix to SFO

The check in at the airport was awful. Told I need to pay for a bag. The item was taken at screening. I went back to get my $ back and they gave me a coupon with a QR code that doesn’t work. Worst costumer service ever!!!!!

4 hour delay because they used our aircraft to fly a different segment (per the captain)

absolutely horrific. delayed flights, overbooking. over charging. nightmare service beyond words. stay away.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports