Cheapest Month to Fly SFO to Taipei in 2026: The US Verdict

Updated: September 2026.

TL;DR verdict

For US travelers flying San Francisco to Taipei in 2026, the two cheapest windows are the first two weeks of January (post-New-Year, pre-Lunar-New-Year) and the second half of November (post-Halloween, pre-Thanksgiving). Skyscanner has flagged Wednesday, November 11, 2026 as one of the single cheapest departure days on the route, and Momondo puts January as the cheapest full month for SFO to Taipei City. Fares outside those two windows can double, so the timing lever matters more than the airline choice on this route.

Where the price differences come from

SFO-TPE is one of the busiest trans-Pacific corridors in North America, served nonstop by EVA Air, United Airlines, China Airlines, and Starlux Airlines. Demand is highly seasonal and skewed by Lunar New Year, summer school break, and the Golden Week clusters. The cheap windows are the calendar gaps between those peaks.

According to EVA Air's official San Francisco to Taipei booking page, "Economy fares for San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE) round-trip flights in 2026 start from USD 872" for autumn and early-winter departures (EVA Air, October to December 2026 fare grid, retrieved September 2026). Aggregator floors sit lower because they include stopovers and promotional third-carrier routings. Trip.com lists SFO to Taipei roundtrip starts at "$379" (Trip.com fare display, September 2026), and Momondo flags "$419 Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Taipei City in 2026" as the current low (Momondo fare calendar, September 2026).

Google Flights' route data, per its own routing insights, points to September as a low month and identifies the shoulder as the sub-$500 zone. Skyscanner's route page notes "November as the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Taipei Taiwan Taoyuan" and calls out "Wednesday, November 11, 2026" as a specifically cheap day, with a 40-day advance-purchase window as optimal (Skyscanner SFO to TPE route page, September 2026).

Month-by-month price shape for 2026

Below is the composite fare shape based on Skyscanner, Kayak, Momondo, and Trip.com fare-calendar data pulled in September 2026. Directional cheapest windows only, not fare guarantees.

Month	Fare band roundtrip economy	Notes
January	Cheapest overall, USD 379 to 550	Post-New-Year lull, before Lunar New Year travel
Late January to mid-February	Peak, USD 1200 to 1800	Lunar New Year 2026 falls on February 17
March	USD 500 to 750	Post Lunar-New-Year recovery
April	USD 500 to 700	Cherry blossom drives some inbound, but SFO outbound stays moderate
May	USD 550 to 800	Rising into summer
June to August	Peak summer, USD 1000 to 1600	School break, family travel, US-Taiwan diaspora demand
September	USD 500 to 700	Post-Labor-Day shoulder
October	USD 500 to 750	Slight lift from Golden Week and fall foliage
November first half	USD 480 to 650	Pre-Thanksgiving
November mid	Cheapest single days, USD 379 to 500	November 11 flagged by Skyscanner as lowest weekday
Thanksgiving week	Peak, USD 900 to 1300	US holiday travel
December first half	USD 550 to 800	Pre-holiday
Christmas and New Year	Peak, USD 1200 to 1800	US-Taiwan holiday visit surge

Kayak's route data reinforces the January call, with one Kayak fare-history snapshot showing "$729 (return) on average" for January departures (Kayak SFO-TPE flight routes, September 2026). That number is higher than the aggregator floor because it is an average across all fare buckets, but January still shows up as the lowest-average month.

Airline-by-airline shape

Four carriers matter on this route:

EVA Air flies SFO to TPE nonstop daily using 777-300ER and A350 aircraft. Widely reviewed as the premium-economy sweet spot on the route.

United Airlines flies SFO to TPE nonstop daily. US-based frequent flyers benefit from MileagePlus and status.

China Airlines flies SFO to TPE nonstop daily. Skyteam alliance, useful for Delta SkyMiles redemption.

Starlux Airlines launched SFO to TPE nonstop service in 2023 and has been aggressive on premium-economy and business-class pricing. It sits outside the three big alliances, which sometimes translates to competitive cash fares in the shoulder months.

For use-case segmentation:

For the flexible-date solo traveler, target mid-November for cheapest cash fare and shortest airport queues.

For the family of four with fixed dates, target the first two weeks of January if possible, otherwise late-August after school starts.

For the miles-and-points traveler, business-class saver awards are most consistently available on EVA and China Airlines in October, November, and early December.

For the food-focused traveler, October to November also lines up with hairy-crab season in East Asia and Taiwan's cool-weather night-market months.

When this does NOT apply

The pattern above holds for a return trip on the SFO-TPE nonstop corridor with roughly 10 to 14 nights on the ground. It does not apply to:

• One-way tickets (one-way SFO-TPE cash economy is typically two-thirds of a return, not half)
• Multi-stop or open-jaw itineraries (SFO out, TPE back through NRT or ICN can be cheaper year-round)
• Business or first class (premium cabin demand is smoother across the year, so the cheap-month lift is smaller)
• Award tickets (award pricing follows different rules and is driven by carrier saver-space release calendars, not cash fare curves)

Booking window also matters. Skyscanner's data suggests around 40 days out is the sweet spot for this route. Booking inside 14 days typically triggers walk-up fares that erase most of the seasonality advantage.

How to lock in the cheap month once you spot one

Set a fare alert on Google Flights or Hopper for SFO to TPE with flexible dates across your two target months. When the alert fires, check the fare on the airline's own site (EVA, United, China Airlines, Starlux) before booking through an aggregator. Direct airline booking usually costs the same but simplifies changes, refunds, and status accrual.

Use ShopBack to compare rates across US-based online travel agencies before you finalize any booking. Check ShopBack for cashback-eligible bookings on Expedia, Priceline, Booking.com, and Hotels.com when you add hotels to the trip. Activate ShopBack via the browser extension before you check out so the cashback tracking fires correctly. Cashback rates change from time to time on ShopBack, so treat any promoted rate as current-day only, not a guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

What is the single cheapest month to fly SFO to Taipei in 2026?

January is the cheapest full month based on Kayak and Momondo route data pulled in September 2026, with roundtrip economy fares as low as USD 379 on Trip.com and USD 419 on Momondo. Mid-November is the cheapest single-week window if you cannot travel in January. Both months sit outside Lunar New Year and summer peak.

Are November flights from SFO to Taipei actually cheap?

Yes for most of November, but not around Thanksgiving. Skyscanner flags Wednesday, November 11, 2026 as one of the cheapest departure days on the route, with fares dropping well below USD 500 roundtrip. Prices spike again the week of Thanksgiving and stay elevated through the first week of December.

How much does an EVA Air roundtrip SFO-TPE cost in 2026?

EVA Air's own booking page lists economy round-trip fares from USD 872 for autumn 2026 dates (October 8 to 19, November 16 to 26), premium economy from USD 1,872, and business class from USD 5,406 for select departures. Aggregator floors on the same route are lower because they include stopover routings and promotional buckets.

When is the most expensive time to fly SFO to Taipei?

Late January into mid-February around Lunar New Year (February 17, 2026) is the most expensive window, with roundtrip economy fares typically USD 1,200 to USD 1,800. Summer school break (June to August) and Christmas-New Year are the two other peak periods. Avoid these three windows if the schedule allows.

How far in advance should I book SFO to TPE?

Skyscanner data suggests around 40 days out is the sweet spot for this route. Booking three to four months ahead does not typically produce a lower cash fare on trans-Pacific routes. Booking inside 14 days triggers walk-up fares that erase most of the seasonality advantage.

Which airline is cheapest SFO to Taipei?

None consistently. EVA Air, United, China Airlines, and Starlux all match each other within USD 30 to USD 80 on any given day. The bigger driver is calendar month, not carrier. Starlux tends to price aggressively on premium economy, EVA on regular economy in shoulder months, and United on award redemptions for MileagePlus holders.

Is it cheaper to fly SFO to Kaohsiung or Taichung instead of Taipei?

Usually not. SFO does not have a nonstop to Kaohsiung (KHH) or Taichung (RMQ), so any routing goes through Taipei (TPE) with an add-on domestic segment. The add-on typically costs USD 80 to USD 150 one-way. Flying into TPE and taking the high-speed rail south is often cheaper than a connecting flight and takes under 105 minutes to Kaohsiung.

Are premium-economy fares worth it on this route?

For most travelers with under 6-foot frames, premium economy on EVA Air and Starlux at the USD 1,800 to USD 2,300 roundtrip range delivers meaningfully better sleep on the 13 to 14 hour outbound leg. Business class starts closer to USD 5,000 and is a much steeper lift for the average leisure traveler.

What is the flight time SFO to Taipei?

Nonstop westbound (SFO to TPE) is around 13 hours 50 minutes to 14 hours 30 minutes depending on winter jet-stream headwinds. Eastbound (TPE to SFO) is typically 11 hours 15 minutes to 12 hours with the jet stream. Total elapsed trip time can be over 30 hours door-to-door once you factor in TSA, boarding, and immigration at both ends.

Do I need a visa to visit Taiwan as a US passport holder?

US passport holders can enter Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days for tourism per Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs. Passport must have at least six months validity. No advance visa application is required for tourism stays under 90 days.

Which US credit card earns the best points on trans-Pacific EVA or United bookings?

United purchases on United's own site earn 2x to 4x on Chase United MileagePlus cards. EVA bookings earn 3x on Chase Sapphire Reserve and 3x on Amex Platinum for airfare charged directly to the airline. Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2x on airfare. Consult each card's current terms.

Can I use cashback platforms on flight bookings from SFO to Taipei?

Yes, on select US-based online travel agencies. Use ShopBack to check whether the OTA you are booking through has an active cashback rate before you complete checkout. Check ShopBack for eligible partners like Expedia, Priceline, and Hotels.com. Direct airline bookings on EVA, United, and China Airlines typically do not qualify for OTA cashback.

Is Starlux really cheaper than EVA Air on this route?

Not systematically. Starlux prices competitively on premium economy and business, sometimes undercutting EVA by USD 100 to USD 400 on those cabins. Economy fares are usually within USD 30 to USD 80 of EVA and China Airlines on the same day. Compare fares on the same booking window before committing.

How does hairy-crab season affect flight prices?

Hairy-crab season in East Asia peaks October through November, which drives some China and Taiwan inbound traffic. But it is dwarfed on the SFO-TPE route by the Thanksgiving effect. Net result: October and early November fares stay soft, then spike from November 20 onward.

Primary sources referenced

• Skyscanner: SFO to Taipei fare calendar
• EVA Air: San Francisco to Taipei booking
• Trip.com: SFO to Taipei fares
• Momondo: San Francisco to Taipei City
• Kayak: SFO to Taipei flight routes
• Google Flights: SFO to Taipei City

Author: Ziling Liu, Travel Editor at ShopBack. Content reflects publicly available fare data as of September 2026. Fares change daily and this article is for informational purposes only, not a fare guarantee.