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.
SnapshotLive award availability and points prices between San Francisco and Beijing.
OverviewSan 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.
Award pricing can vary by airline, cabin, loyalty program, travel season, and transfer partner. For this route, the best value often comes from comparing multiple programs instead of searching one airline at a time.
RouteFlying 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.
PricingBest one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KLM | 36,000 pts | 112,000 pts | 182,900 pts | N/A |
| American Airlines | 37,500 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Alaska Airlines | 37,500 pts | N/A | 200,000 pts | N/A |
| Cathay Pacific | 37,500 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Japan Airlines | 37,500 pts | 50,000 pts | N/A | N/A |
| Korean Air | 38,000 pts | N/A | 200,000 pts | N/A |
| Air FranceBest | 40,000 pts | 65,000 pts | 115,000 pts | N/A |
| United Airlines | 42,000 pts | N/A | 356,800 pts | N/A |
| Emirates | 42,500 pts | N/A | 116,000 pts | N/A |
| Hainan Airlines | 42,500 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Live award pricing from Flightpoints data, computed 9/5/2026. Prices vary by date and availability.
StrategySettle 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.
AvailabilityWhen award seats between San Francisco and Beijing price cheapest over the next year.
ProgramsVirgin 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.
Airlines10 airlines with award seats between San Francisco and Beijing, nonstop or connecting.
AirlinesThe 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.
Details~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).
TipsInsider moves that consistently unlock cheaper award seats.
CompareAlternative corridors travelers consider alongside San Francisco to Beijing.
AlternativesLeaving 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.
Search live award availability across every airline and program that flies this route.
Common questions travelers ask about the San Francisco to Beijing route.
The cheapest economy award at last check is 36,000 points one-way through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, with one stop. This route is priced by 12 programs, so compare them side by side. The pricing table above breaks the price down by cabin.
