Compare 12 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Beijing award flights, with economy seats from 36,000 points.
San Francisco to Beijing is a long-haul transpacific route with nonstop award seats on United Airlines. Across the 12 programs pricing it, the cheapest economy award is 36,000 points with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. That spread of programs is the opportunity: identical seats often price differently from one to the next, so compare before transferring a single point. This page compares every way to book SFO–PEK on points.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
 KLMKL | 36,000Lowest | 112,000pts | 182,900pts |
 American AirlinesAA | 37,500pts | Not available | Not available |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 37,500pts | Not available | 200,000pts |
 Cathay PacificCX | 37,500pts | Not available | Not available |
 Japan AirlinesJL | 37,500pts | 50,000Lowest | Not available |
Korean AirKE | 38,000pts | Not available | 200,000pts |
 Air FranceAF | 40,000pts | 65,000pts | 115,000Lowest |
 United AirlinesUA | 42,000pts | Not available | 356,800pts |
 EmiratesEK | 42,500pts | Not available | 116,000pts |
Hainan AirlinesHU | 42,500pts | Not available | Not available |
When award seats between San Francisco and Beijing price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 37,500 |
| Nov 2026 | 36,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 36,000 |
| Jan 2027 | No award data |
| Feb 2027 | 37,500 |
| Mar 2027 | 37,500 |
| Apr 2027 | 44,000 |
| May 2027 | 55,000 |
| Jun 2027 | No award data |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
10 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Beijing, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaACAlaska AirlinesASCathay PacificCX
DeltaDLEmiratesEK
LufthansaLH
Singapore AirlinesSQ
Turkish AirlinesTKUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Beijing with points.
~5,900 miles; ~12h20 nonstop (approximate). Beijing is 15 hours ahead of San Francisco (16 while San Francisco is on standard time). Award data window: October 2026–August 2027, with calendar prices for seven months. Across well-covered months, November and December 2026 are the cheapest (36,000 points); pricier months include April 2027 (44,000).
San Francisco to Beijing is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 21 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 12 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 36,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Flying San Francisco to Beijing covers about 5,900 miles, linking San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK); a nonstop takes roughly 12h20, with winds moving it either way. Nonstop award space in the data comes from a single airline: United Airlines. The Boeing 777 shows up on those nonstop award segments. Nonstops make up only about 2% of the award options in the data; the rest connect.
Settle the cabin before the program: on a long-haul trip like San Francisco–Beijing, it moves the price most. Saving points means connecting: the economy floor connects once, and an economy nonstop on United Airlines costs more. The cheapest economy seat's $463 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. Measured against economy, premium economy is about 1.4 times the points and business about 2.1 times.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club takes economy at 36,000 points. American AAdvantage is cheapest in premium economy at 50,000 points. Air Canada Aeroplan wins business class at 75,000 points. Watch the premium-economy routing: it lands at Narita (NRT) and leaves from Haneda (HND), both in Tokyo. Among the remaining nine programs, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Alaska Atmos Rewards, and Avianca LifeMiles are good places to cross-check.
The data has one nonstop award carrier on San Francisco–Beijing: United Airlines. Its Star Alliance membership means alliance partners can sell that seat too, not only United MileagePlus. For connecting options, the better-priced awards in the data connect in Los Angeles, Taipei, and Seattle. Air Canada Aeroplan sets the business-class floor as a Star Alliance partner, selling United Airlines seats on the long-haul leg at its own rates.
Leaving San Francisco, San Jose (SJC) starts at 55,000 points in economy, above the route's 36,000-point economy floor, and works as a backup when SFO space is gone. New York to Beijing is tracked too, from 33,000 points at last check. Beijing awards can also land at Daxing (PKX), so check the arrival code before transferring points.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Beijing.
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Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Beijing route.
