Compare 12 loyalty programs for San Francisco to Delhi award flights, with economy seats from 15,000 points.
San Francisco to Delhi is an ultra-long-haul US–India route; nonstop award space turns up on Air India in first class. A full 12 programs price the route, and economy starts at 15,000 points via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. More programs mean more ways to overpay, since the same seat can cost very different amounts depending on the program. This page compares all 12 programs on SFO–DEL side by side.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Virgin AtlanticVS | 15,000Lowest | 76,000pts | 167,500pts | Not available |
 Air FranceAF | 30,000pts | 65,000pts | 136,500pts | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 33,000pts | 98,500pts | 115,000pts | 115,000Lowest |
 EmiratesEK | 35,000pts | 98,000pts | 109,000pts | 273,400pts |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 40,000pts | Not available | Not available | 130,000pts |
 FinnairAY | 40,000pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
 British AirwaysBA | 40,000pts | 55,000Lowest | 70,000Lowest | 115,000Lowest |
 Cathay PacificCX | 40,000pts | 130,800pts | Not available | Not available |
 Etihad AirwaysEY | 40,000pts | Not available | 294,250pts | Not available |
 KLMKL | 40,000pts | 65,000pts | 138,500pts | Not available |
When award seats between San Francisco and Delhi price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 40,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 40,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 15,000 |
| Feb 2027 | 15,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 33,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 33,000 |
| May 2027 | No award data |
| Jun 2027 | 40,000 |
| Jul 2027 | 33,000 |
| Aug 2027 | 33,000 |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
17 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Delhi, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaACAlaska AirlinesASFinnairAY
JetBlueB6British AirwaysBA
Copa AirlinesCMCathay PacificCX
DeltaDLEmiratesEKEtihad AirwaysEY
LufthansaLH
Qatar AirwaysQR
Singapore AirlinesSQ
Turkish AirlinesTK
United AirlinesUAVirgin AtlanticVSWhat to know before booking San Francisco to Delhi with points.
Distance ~7,690 miles; nonstop flying time ~15h55 (estimate). Delhi is 12.5 hours ahead of San Francisco (13.5 while San Francisco is on standard time). Data covers November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for nine months. Of the well-covered ones, January and February 2027 are the cheapest (15,000 points), while November 2026, December 2026, and June 2027 (40,000) run higher.
San Francisco to Delhi is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 34 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 12 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 15,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Roughly 7,690 miles separate San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), so a nonstop spends about 15h55 in the air, a little more or less depending on winds and direction. Air India carries all of the nonstop award space in the data. The Boeing 777-300ER appears on those nonstop award segments. Less than 1% of the award options in the data are nonstop, so most results connect.
The cabin call comes first on San Francisco–Delhi; on an ultra-long-haul trip, the right program follows from it. The cheapest economy seat connects once, and the data has no economy nonstop to pay up for: Air India's nonstop shows up only in first class. The economy floor's $305 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. Stepping up costs about 3.7 times the economy points for premium economy and about 5 times for business.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is cheapest in economy at 15,000 points. Alaska Atmos Rewards wins premium economy at 55,000 points. American AAdvantage takes business class at 70,000 points. Its first-class fare from 115,000 points connects, which usually means first on one leg only; read every segment. Of the other nine, United MileagePlus, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and Air Canada Aeroplan are worth a look too.
The data has one nonstop award carrier on San Francisco–Delhi: Air India. Its Star Alliance membership means alliance partners can sell that seat too, not only Air India's own program. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in Los Angeles, London, and New York. Partner pricing sets the business-class floor: American AAdvantage books British Airways as a oneworld partner, and no program prices British Airways lower in that cabin at last check.
Departing the San Francisco area, San Jose (SJC) costs far more at 45,000 points in economy against the 15,000-point floor and isn't worth it unless SFO has nothing. For another way into Delhi, Dallas to Delhi prices from 75,000 points at last check. Check the departure airport code on the award before moving points.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Delhi.
From 4,000 ptsBusiness 17,300 pts
From 4,900 ptsBusiness 21,000 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 19,300 pts
From 5,000 ptsBusiness 23,000 pts
From 7,000 ptsBusiness 30,000 pts
From 8,000 ptsBusiness 43,600 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Delhi route.
