Compare 13 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Zurich award flights, with economy seats from 12,648 points.
San Francisco to Zurich is a transatlantic corridor with nonstop award seats on Swiss. The data shows 13 programs pricing it, and economy starts at 12,648 points with Lufthansa Miles & More, on a Swiss nonstop. With this many programs in play, the same seat can price very differently depending on where you book it. The tables below compare SFO–ZRH pricing across all 13 programs.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SwissLX | 12,648Lowest | Not available | 75,000pts | Not available |
 Air FranceAF | 15,000pts | 94,500pts | 119,999pts | Not available |
 KLMKL | 15,000pts | 93,000pts | 125,000pts | Not available |
 TAP Air PortugalTP | 19,000pts | Not available | 145,000pts | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 21,000pts | 40,000Lowest | 57,500Lowest | 85,000pts |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 22,500pts | Not available | 200,000pts | 70,000Lowest |
 British AirwaysBA | 22,500pts | 40,000Lowest | 57,500Lowest | Not available |
Aer LingusEI | 22,500pts | Not available | 350,000pts | Not available |
 IberiaIB | 22,500pts | 62,500pts | 57,500Lowest | Not available |
 DeltaDL | 25,000pts | 75,000pts | 125,000pts | 125,000pts |
When award seats between San Francisco and Zurich price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 12,648 |
| Dec 2026 | 19,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 15,000 |
| Feb 2027 | No award data |
| Mar 2027 | 28,500 |
| Apr 2027 | 21,000 |
| May 2027 | 21,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 30,000 |
| Jul 2027 | 21,000 |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | 32,000 |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
15 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Zurich, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaACAlaska AirlinesAS
FinnairAY
JetBlueB6British AirwaysBADeltaDL
EmiratesEKIberiaIB
LufthansaLH
Qatar AirwaysQR
Scandinavian AirlinesSK
Turkish AirlinesTKTAP Air PortugalTP
United AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Zurich with points.
Distance ~5,830 miles; nonstop flying time ~12h10 (estimate). Zurich runs 9 hours ahead of San Francisco (8 for a few weeks around the spring and autumn clock changes). Data covers November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for nine months. Across well-covered months, November 2026 is the cheapest (12,648 points); pricier months include March, April, and June 2027 (21,000–30,000).
San Francisco to Zurich is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 23 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 13 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 12,648 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Roughly 5,830 miles separate San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Zurich Airport (ZRH), so a nonstop spends about 12h10 in the air, a little more or less depending on winds and direction. Swiss carries all of the nonstop award space in the data. The Boeing 777-300ER appears on those nonstop award segments. Most award options in the data connect. Nonstops are just about 1% of the total.
San Francisco–Zurich is a long-haul trip, so cabin choice shapes the whole booking. The economy floor is a partner booking on a Swiss nonstop, with no connection to trade off against the points. Watch the cash: about $328 in taxes and fees, well above the route's typical economy taxes, so more points and less cash can win. Premium economy runs about 3.2 times the economy price and business about 5 times. Before moving bank points anywhere, confirm the seat is bookable, since transfers are one-way.
Lufthansa Miles & More is cheapest in economy at 12,648 points on a Swiss nonstop. American AAdvantage wins premium economy at 40,000 points and business class at 57,500. Alaska Atmos Rewards' 70,000-point first-class fare connects; treat it as mixed-cabin until each segment's cabin checks out. Among the remaining 10 programs, Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, and Delta SkyMiles are good places to cross-check.
The data has one nonstop award carrier on San Francisco–Zurich: Swiss. Its Star Alliance membership means alliance partners can sell that seat too, not only Swiss' own program. If you're open to a stop, the better-priced connecting awards in the data run through Frankfurt, Los Angeles, and Paris. The business-class floor is a oneworld partner award: American AAdvantage prices British Airways seats.
Confirm the departure airport before transferring points, because San Francisco awards can also leave from San Jose (SJC). The next-cheapest long-haul route out of San Francisco is Amsterdam, from 13,000 points at last check. For a shorter trip from San Francisco, Austin and Auckland are tracked too.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Zurich.
From 4,000 ptsBusiness 17,300 pts
From 4,520 ptsBusiness 45,000 pts
From 4,900 ptsBusiness 21,000 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 19,300 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 23,000 pts
From 8,000 ptsBusiness 43,600 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Zurich route.
