San Francisco – Bilbao, Spain. $528 (Basic Economy) / $728 (Regular Economy). Roundtrip, including all Taxes – The Flight Deal

Great airfare to Bilbao! Prices may vary slightly based on routing.

Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software shows a fare of $547 for Basic Economy. By using Lufthansa on those dates, the fare may be adjusted to $528 (Basic Economy) or $728 (Regular Economy).

United, along with partners Air Canada, Austrian, Lufthansa, and Swiss Air, offers a $728 Regular Economy fare, which includes one checked bag and a standard carry-on.

They also provide a $528 fare categorized as Basic Economy/Economy Light, which comes with the following conditions:

• No advance seat assignments.
• No checked bags included; fees are $75 for the first bag and $100 for the second, each way.
• No changes permitted.
• No cancellations allowed—cancelling after the 24-hour risk-free period means the Basic Economy fare will hold no value for future purchases.
• Many online travel agencies do not display these fares correctly as Basic Economy.

Sign up for our Real-Time Newsletter to receive economy class deals for your city about an hour before they appear on our website and social media channels—for just a nickel a day.

Interested in Business Class, First Class, or Premium Economy deals? Subscribe to our Premium Newsletter for about a quarter a day.

Bilbao, Spain – Photo: Gabriel González via Flickr, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)

Sample Travel Date:

• March 17th – 24th, 2026

• This is just ONE SAMPLE travel date; for more options, follow the “Fare Availability” and “How to Search for Availability” instructions below.

Fare Availability:

• Valid for travel until early December or mid-January 2026 – March 2026. A Sunday stay is required. Limited availability, and tickets must be purchased at least 7 days in advance of departure.

• Please be aware that while this fare is valid at the time of posting, if this post is over two days old, the fare may no longer be available.

How to Search for Availability:

• This section is for checking availability. For purchasing tickets, scroll down to the “How to Buy” section of this post.

• Use Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software with the following criteria:
  • Origin: SFO
  • Advanced Routing Code:
    • Routing Codes: LH LH
    • Extension Codes: maxconnect 300
      • This instructs Matrix Airfare Search to look for the Basic Economy fare. Using these dates on Lufthansa will allow you to choose the regular economy fare option.
  • Destination: BIO
  • Return Advanced Routing Code:
    • Routing Codes: LH LH
    • Extension Codes: maxconnect 300
  • (Click on the Advanced Codes link to enable advanced routing code input)
  • Select “See calendar of lowest fares”
  • Duration “3-10” (This is just a sample; you can use any 7-day date range like 3-10, 7-14, etc.)
• Refer to the Beginner’s Guide on how to use Matrix by ITA Software.
• Learn how to read airfare rules to your advantage.

• Ensure that the Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software search page appears like the one below after all values are inputted.

• You cannot purchase tickets through Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software. To buy tickets, follow the instructions in the “How to Buy” section below.

Fare Class:

Routing:

• SFO – MUC (Munich) – BIO (Bilbao) – MUC – SFO

Stopover:

Mileage:

Lufthansa, a member of the Star Alliance and partner of United, offers mileage earning as follows:

• Miles Flown: 13,294 miles or 4.0 cents per mile (Basic Economy) / 5.5 cents per mile (Regular Economy)
• Redeemable Miles: 3,323 miles

How to Buy:

• Help us by booking through our Lufthansa link, using the dates found on Matrix Airfare Search by ITA Software.
  • On Lufthansa:
    • Light = Basic Economy
    • Basic = Regular Economy

Accommodations

• TripAdvisor – Find the lowest hotel prices from over 200 sites.

Car Rentals

• Rental Cars – Access to major car rental brands like Hertz, Avis, and more.

Activities and Tours

• Viator – The largest marketplace for destination activities and tours.

Background Information:

• Visa: US citizens do not require a visa. Other nationals should check the TIMATIC Visa Database.
• Currency: Euro (EUR). $1 USD = 0.86 EUR.

Tips for using credit cards internationally:

To discover more cheap flight deals in the San Francisco/Bay Area:

* The Flight Deal may earn a commission if you book through the Lufthansa, accommodations, car rental, activities, or travel insurance links provided. Thank you for your support!

=====

For the latest deals, LIKE our The Flight Deal Facebook Page, follow us on Twitter @TheFlightDeal, and subscribe to our RSS Feed or Email List (Once a Day).

The Flight Deal does not sell travel products or services. We provide information about third-party travel suppliers’ offers and link you directly to their sites. While the information is accurate at the time of publication, we cannot guarantee that offers will remain available or unchanged. Please check suppliers’ sites for current offers and all applicable terms and conditions.