{
  "response": {
    "Key": "SFO-IN",
    "orig": {
      "code": "SFO",
      "type": "airport",
      "city": "San Francisco",
      "fullCity": "San Francisco, California",
      "airport": "San Francisco Intl Airport"
    },
    "dest": {
      "code": "IN",
      "type": "country",
      "country": "India"
    },
    "faq": {
      "q0": {
        "question": "Which cities in India can I fly to from San Francisco?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco you will most often connect into Delhi or Mumbai, which are the two largest international gateways. Travelers then fly domestically to cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata depending on their destination. Delhi serves the north and the Taj Mahal, while Mumbai is the hub for western and southern India."
      },
      "q1": {
        "question": "How long is the flight from San Francisco to India?",
        "answer": "Non-stop from San Francisco to Delhi takes about 15½ hours eastbound and roughly 14½ hours westbound. One-stop flights to cities like Mumbai or Bengaluru commonly range from 18 to 22 hours, depending on the connection."
      },
      "q2": {
        "question": "Are there direct flights from San Francisco to India?",
        "answer": "Yes, you can fly non-stop from San Francisco to India. Air India operates direct flights to Delhi and Bengaluru, and United Airlines offers a seasonal non-stop to Delhi. Flight times are roughly 15 to 16 hours westbound and slightly shorter eastbound. If a non-stop is not available on your dates, common one-stop routings go through hubs like Dubai, Doha, or Singapore, with total travel times typically between 18 and 22 hours."
      },
      "q3": {
        "question": "Which airlines fly from San Francisco to India?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco to India common choices include Air India, United, and one-stop options via Emirates, Qatar, or other Asian/European hubs."
      },
      "q4": {
        "question": "When is the cheapest time to fly from San Francisco to India?",
        "answer": "The cheapest months to fly from San Francisco to Delhi are September, April, and October, while December and June are the most expensive. Departing on a Tuesday or Thursday tends to cost less than a Friday, and afternoon flights offer the lowest fares. Booking about 8 to 11 weeks ahead typically yields the best prices, and you should avoid peak summer and the December holiday season when fares spike.",
        "methodology": "This 'good deal' estimate shows a representative best price for each departure date across roughly a 12-month window (about 3 months back and 9 months forward). It is built from real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, accumulated into a price history for each departure date. Rather than weighting all of that history equally, we apply exponential time decay so recent prices dominate — a price seen yesterday counts almost in full, one from about a month ago roughly a third, and prices from a few months back very little — giving a figure that tracks today's market instead of a stale long-run average. Clear price outliers are removed before any calculation, departure dates with no observations are filled in from nearby dates, and the resulting curve is lightly smoothed so it reads as a clean seasonal trend rather than day-to-day noise. The cheapest day of the week and time of day to depart are drawn from the same large sample of real fares Priceline users found on this route in the last 72 hours, grouped by the day of the week and by the time-of-day window of the outbound departure, with the lowest and average price reported for each. This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."
      },
      "q5": {
        "question": "How far in advance should I book flights from San Francisco to India?",
        "answer": "For flights from San Francisco to India, the optimal booking window is 8 to 11 weeks before departure, when fares average around $1,041 — booking too close to departure can push prices above $1,400, while booking more than 16 weeks out offers little extra savings.",
        "methodology": "This booking-window guidance is built from the same real flight prices found by Priceline users searching this route, re-grouped by how many days before departure each price was seen (from the departure day out to about 180 days ahead) across the route's price history. At each booking lead time we report the 25th-percentile price — the cheaper end of what travelers were quoted, rather than the rock-bottom minimum (which can be a fluke) or the average (which is pulled up by expensive last-minute fares). The buy-or-wait advice then applies a risk premium that grows as departure approaches, since seat availability shrinks and prices become less predictable; using that adjusted curve we flag windows where waiting is likely to save a meaningful amount (at least $20 or 5%) versus windows where booking now is the better call. Isolated single-day recommendations are filtered out, so the advice only reflects a window that holds for several days in a row."
      },
      "q6": {
        "question": "What are the most popular cities to visit in India?",
        "answer": "For India, key cities include Delhi for history and transit, Mumbai for culture and commerce, Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan for forts and palaces, and Goa for beaches. Most U.S. flights land in Delhi or Mumbai, with easy connections onward."
      },
      "q8": {
        "question": "Which airports in India are best to fly into from San Francisco?",
        "answer": "From San Francisco to India, Delhi is the most convenient gateway with frequent nonstop flights and strong onward connections by plane and train. Mumbai is another major hub, especially for western and southern India. Bengaluru works well for southern tech hubs and resorts, while Chennai is a good entry for Tamil Nadu and nearby beach destinations."
      },
      "q12": {
        "question": "When is the best time of year to visit India?",
        "answer": "For India, November to March offers the most comfortable weather across major destinations like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Summer from April to June brings extreme heat, while the monsoon from July to September can disrupt travel but also brings lower prices."
      },
      "q13": {
        "question": "How do I get to San Francisco Intl Airport from the city center?",
        "answer": "From downtown San Francisco, BART rapid rail is the fastest and most popular option, connecting directly to the SFO International Terminal with frequent service and no traffic delays. Ride-share services like Uber and Lyft pick up on Level 5 of the Domestic Garage, while taxis are available at the center islands outside Arrivals. Public buses (SamTrans Route 292) stop directly at the terminals and operate 24/7, and Caltrain commuter rail connects via a BART transfer at Millbrae. Driving is also possible with on-site parking and a free cell phone waiting lot, though it's generally the most expensive and least predictable choice.",
        "toolsUsed": [
          "article_lookup"
        ],
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/public-transit",
            "title": "Public Transit | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-17T20:51:53Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation",
            "title": "Ground Transportation | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-17T22:27:43Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/public-transit/ride-bart",
            "title": "BART | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://www.flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2025-06-26T22:28:56Z"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.flysfo.com/",
            "title": "San Francisco International Airport | SFO Official Site",
            "favicon": "https://www.flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://flysfo.com/passengers/ground-transportation/getting-around-sfo",
            "title": "Getting Around SFO | San Francisco International Airport",
            "favicon": "https://flysfo.com/themes/custom/blueskies/favicon.ico",
            "time_published": "2026-08-11T21:48:22Z"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}