Flights San Francisco → Beijing
SFO → PEK
Route overview
The flight route connects San Francisco with Beijing, operating with a mix of Boeing 777-300 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Beijing's airport, which opened in 1958, serves over 52,879,156 passengers annually, making it one of the busiest airports globally.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The San Francisco (SFO) → Beijing (PEK) route is operated by United Airlines. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 13.4/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Beijing the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from San Francisco the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Beijing: what to expect in this direction
Flying from San Francisco (SFO) to Beijing (PEK) heads north-west for about 9,494 km, a flight time of roughly 12h 17m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing San Francisco the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Beijing it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Route facts
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines (UA) | 74% | 10 min | 6.9% |
Airlines operating SFO-PEK
Airports
Frequently asked questions about SFO-PEK
Route-specific punctuality data isn't available yet. Check your flight on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis.
The cancellation rate varies by airline and season. Check your flight risk for an up-to-date estimate.
The route is operated by 1 airline: United Airlines.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Beijing, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
