Compare 14 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Tokyo award flights, with economy seats from 35,000 points.
San Francisco to Tokyo is a transpacific route, and nonstop award space shows up on Japan Airlines, ANA, and United Airlines. A full 14 programs price the route, and the cheapest economy award is 35,000 points on a Japan Airlines nonstop. American AAdvantage prices that seat lowest, so defaulting to Japan Airlines' own program can mean overpaying. Pricing for all 14 programs on SFO–NRT is laid out below.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan AirlinesJL | 35,000Lowest | Not available | 60,000Lowest | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 35,000Lowest | 83,500pts | 170,000pts | Not available |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 35,000Lowest | Not available | 60,000Lowest | 95,000pts |
 KLMKL | 36,000pts | 65,000Lowest | 115,000pts | Not available |
 Cathay PacificCX | 38,000pts | Not available | 119,000pts | Not available |
 DeltaDL | 38,000pts | 100,000pts | Not available | 190,000pts |
Korean AirKE | 38,000pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
ANANH | 40,000pts | Not available | 75,000pts | Not available |
 United AirlinesUA | 42,000pts | 65,000Lowest | 98,010pts | 85,000Lowest |
WestJetWS | 43,750pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
When award seats between San Francisco and Tokyo price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 38,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 35,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 35,000 |
| Feb 2027 | 35,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 35,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 35,000 |
| May 2027 | 35,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 35,000 |
| Jul 2027 | 35,000 |
| Aug 2027 | 42,500 |
| Sep 2027 | 43,500 |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
10 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Tokyo, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaAC
AeromexicoAMAlaska AirlinesASCathay PacificCXDeltaDL
EmiratesEK
Qatar AirwaysQR
Singapore AirlinesSQUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Tokyo with points.
~5,110 miles; ~10h45 nonstop (approximate). Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of San Francisco (17 while San Francisco is on standard time). The data runs November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for 11 months. Across well-covered months, December 2026–February 2027 are among the cheapest, at 35,000 points; pricier months include November 2026 (38,000) and August 2027 (42,500).
San Francisco to Tokyo is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Aeromexico and 22 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 14 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 35,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Flying San Francisco to Tokyo covers about 5,110 miles, linking San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with Narita International Airport (NRT); a nonstop takes roughly 10h45, with winds moving it either way. Nonstop award space in the data comes from Japan Airlines, ANA, and United Airlines. Aircraft logged on those nonstops include the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 777-300ER. Only about 4% of the award options in the data are nonstop, so most results connect.
Settle the cabin before the program: on a long-haul trip like San Francisco–Tokyo, it moves the price most. The cheapest economy seat is a partner award on a Japan Airlines nonstop, so the lowest price is also the quickest trip. The data lists only about $6 in taxes on that seat, likely incomplete for an international ticket; confirm at checkout. Business runs about 1.6 times the economy price. Before moving bank points anywhere, confirm the seat is bookable, since transfers are one-way.
American AAdvantage is cheapest in economy at 35,000 points on a Japan Airlines nonstop. Avianca LifeMiles wins business class at 54,330 points. First class starts at 85,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan on a connecting itinerary, often first on one leg only, so confirm the cabin on each flight. The other 11 programs include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Alaska Atmos Rewards, and Delta SkyMiles.
On points, San Francisco–Tokyo has nonstop seats from Japan Airlines (oneworld), ANA (Star Alliance), and United Airlines (Star Alliance), which puts partner programs from both alliances in play for a nonstop. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in Seattle, Seoul, and Los Angeles. In business class, the floor sits on Asiana Airlines, booked through Star Alliance partner Avianca LifeMiles.
For San Francisco departures, San Jose (SJC) has priced economy from 55,000 points across the tracked dates, above SFO, so it's a backup for when SFO space is gone. Into Tokyo, Haneda (HND) has priced economy from 27,500 points across the tracked dates and is worth pricing when Narita space is thin. Haneda has nonstop flights from San Francisco in the data too. The return, Tokyo to San Francisco, has its own page, since award pricing can differ by direction.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Tokyo.
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Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Tokyo route.
