Beijing (PEK) to San Francisco (SFO)
Flight time
≈ 12h 36m
Bearing
43° NE
Beijing (PEK) to San Francisco (SFO) is 5,899 miles (9,494 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies PEK–SFO
Filed traffic dataIn May 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 2 carriers flying nonstop PEK–SFO; the Boeing 777-200 was the most common aircraft at 77% of departures; flights ran 78% full.
Departures
79
May 2026
Seats
23,784
both directions
Passengers
18,662
both directions
Load factor
78.5%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies PEK–SFO?
United Airlines operated the most nonstop PEK–SFO departures in May 2026 (61), one of 2 carriers on the route.
- UA
61 departures · 16,836 seats
Share of departures77.2%80.9%
Load
- CA
Air China
18 departures · 6,948 seats
Share of departures22.8%72.6%
Load
What plane flies PEK–SFO?
In May 2026, the Boeing 777-200 flew 77% of PEK–SFO departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 777-200
61 departures · 80.9% load
77.2% - Boeing 777-300ER
18 departures · 72.6% load
22.8%
How has PEK–SFO traffic changed?
Nonstop PEK–SFO departures rose from 76 in June 2025 to 79 in May 2026.
Monthly nonstop PEK–SFO traffic, trailing 12 months through May 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
June 2025
76 departures · 20,730 passengers
90.3%
Load
July 2025
80 departures · 20,491 passengers
85.2%
Load
August 2025
80 departures · 21,175 passengers
88.0%
Load
September 2025
76 departures · 17,944 passengers
78.4%
Load
October 2025
79 departures · 18,916 passengers
79.5%
Load
November 2025
78 departures · 17,335 passengers
73.7%
Load
December 2025
79 departures · 18,333 passengers
77.1%
Load
January 2026
78 departures · 16,798 passengers
71.0%
Load
February 2026
71 departures · 16,347 passengers
75.8%
Load
March 2026
78 departures · 20,194 passengers
86.7%
Load
April 2026
78 departures · 19,157 passengers
81.0%
Load
May 2026
79 departures · 18,662 passengers
78.5%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
SFO → PEK
83.7% full
40 departures · 10,067 passengers
PEK → SFO
73.1% full
39 departures · 8,595 passengers
Nonstop PEK–SFO traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through May 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
Beijing
CN
Beijing Capital International Airport
Coordinates
40.08°N, 116.60°E
Hemisphere
N · E
Frequently asked
How far is Beijing (PEK) from San Francisco (SFO)?
PEK to SFO is 5,899 miles (9,494 km / 5,126 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from PEK to SFO?
A nonstop covers the 5,899-mile great-circle distance in roughly 12h 36m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies PEK–SFO?
In May 2026, the Boeing 777-200 flew the largest share of departures (77.2%), followed by the Boeing 777-300ER (22.8%).
What mileage do I earn flying PEK–SFO?
Distance-based programs credit off the 5,899-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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