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Cheap Flights from London to California

Cheapest return flight prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 5 days
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop£394
San Francisco
San Franciscodirect£396
San Diego
San Diego2 stops£638
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£411
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop£434
Fresno
Fresno2 stops£678
Redding
Redding2 stops£739
Reno
Reno2 stops£620
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop£394
San Francisco
San Franciscodirect£396
San Diego
San Diego2 stops£638
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£411
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop£434
Fresno
Fresno2 stops£678
Redding
Redding2 stops£739
Reno
Reno2 stops£620
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for London to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from London to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a return flight from London to California?

Flight prices are below average for this route right now.

Flights to California from London usually cost between £416 and £587 in November.
The lowest price found in the past 5 days was £394 on TAP AIR PORTUGAL (3 Nov–14 Nov).

What is the cheapest London to California flight route?

The cheapest ticket to California from London found in the last 5 days was to San Francisco, at £375 return. The most popular route is from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was £380.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, when retur flights cost £536 on average. Morning departures are around 6% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is £570.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from London to California?

No, with an average price for the route of £581, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from London to California?

The cheapest month for flights from London to California is February, when tickets cost £455 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is £605 and £583 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from London to California?

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to California on a Thursday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Sunday is the most expensive day to fly from London to California. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Tuesday and avoiding Fridays for the best deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from London to California?

To get a below-average price on a flight from London to California, you should book around 6 weeks before departure, which saves you about 20% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 22 weeks before departure.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from London to California

Low season

January

Cheapest flight

£349
Best time to beat the crowds (17% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (13% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Heathrow Airport to Ontario

Flights from London to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from London to California 
DreFlew with Finnair-Sept 2026
If you get to the airport early enough, the lounges are really well located to be sure you can grab a bite to eat and then get to your gate.
Verified travelerFlew with British Airways-Aug 2026
Ensure enough time between connections if you have one! Heathrow is a great and efficient airport but it’s big! Be kind! Everyone is there doing their best to help passengers!
ManyiFlew with British Airways-Jun 2026
London airport is huge - it took be an hour to transfer from one gate to another gate in the same terminal. Plan accordingly.
AntonFlew with United Airlines-Feb 2026
United has a cool arrival lounge in london but it is a bit hard to find, after customs look left
AlastairFlew with British Airways-Feb 2025
Make sure your free checked luggage is for outward and return flights.
Verified travelerFlew with British Airways-Sept 2024
Flight overall is good. Service is very good. Bring yourself some snacks, in case the food isn’t up to your taste.
MeganFlew with Iberia-Sept 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines-Sept 2024
Download all your music. Add shows and movies to your queue. Bring short so you can relax. Bring long charger cords.
SimonFlew with British Airways-Jun 2024
If flying business class I’d research which cabin your aircraft operates. BA have some old business class on the 380 and new business class on the 777. (And 350). The new cabin is so much better. But the food just isn’t as good as it used to be
Verified travelerFlew with American Airlines-Mar 2024
Heathrow is vast, allow plenty of time to drop bags and go through security. At San Francisco the immigration takes a bit of time and we had to wait around 1.5hrs, bare this in mind when booking car rental. The is a shuttle train from the airport to the car rental area which is very slick and efficient.
Ana-MariaFlew with Iberia-Mar 2024
In London triple check your flight they have multiple leaving for the same destination once - it is easy to get them confused

FAQs - booking California flights

  • What’s the cheapest way to get from San Francisco Airport (SFO) to the city centre?

    The most reasonably priced method of transport when it comes to getting to downtown San Francisco is the service provided by the BART, which is a metro/train service that only takes 30 minutes and costs around $10 (£8.20). You can get to the airport train station using the AirTrain, departing from all terminals at the airport. You can get tickets and continue your journey to the Antioch-SFO/Millbrae Line, which is a subway line and you can reach all popular central metro subway stations from here.

  • Where can I find car hire at Los Angeles Airport (LAX)?

    You may hire a car from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National, Thrifty, Zipcar, and SIXT at the airport. The offices and rental car facilities are located to the east of the airport. The automobile rental firms are accessible via the free shuttle bus service; simply follow the purple Rental Car Shuttles signs to the bus stops.

  • How do I reduce my carbon footprint when flying from London to California?

    To reduce your carbon footprint when flying to California from London, it’s best to consider flying from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) with British Airways to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) with one stopover in Philadelphia Airport. You can also fly the same route with American Airlines, and both flights would reduce your carbon emissions by 37-38%.

  • What are the best options for parking at Heathrow Airport (LHR)?

    It may depend on how long you need parking, but at Heathrow Airport, you can choose from various car parks. The long-stay parking lot usually offers the greatest prices, so park here. Depending on the length of time you require, you will typically be charged between £18 and £20 each day. This package also includes a free shuttle bus journey to the terminal, which takes approximately 10 minutes.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from London to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from London to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from London to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from London to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from London to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from London to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from London to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from London to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from London to California

  • When it comes to flying from London airports, you can take advantage of the Click & Collect online duty-free service and pay for your goods ahead of your arrival at the airport. Once you arrive at the airport you can pick-up your order before you head to the departure gate.
  • Make an online reservation for the Heathrow Express Train from Paddington Station to get from central London to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Three months in advance, you may save around £20 since tickets are around £5.50, the ticket gets gradually more expensive the closer you get to the travel date and costs £25 on the day of travel, so it's worth it to reserve ahead of time if possible.
  • If you want to relax and unwind prior to taking your flight, airports such as London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport (LGW) have excellent lounge services, which you can reserve online prior to getting to the airport. Typically, prices range from £25-42 at Heathrow, and £32-38 at Gatwick.
  • To save money on flights from London to California, the best option is to fly out of London Gatwick Airport on flights that have at least one stopover. You can fly with Norse Atlantic Airways to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) via New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and self-transferring to Newark International Airport (EWR) and connecting with Alaska Airlines to Los Angeles.
  • If you simply want to fly from London to California, you can only do it through London Heathrow Airport. These flights are often more expensive than others that involve a stopover; for the cheapest and most frequent flights, we recommend checking fares with Austrian Airlines, who fly directly to Los Angeles Airport.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from London to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from London to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.5
Austrian AirlinesOverall score based on 980 reviews
8.1Crew
6.7Food
6.8Entertainment
7.3Comfort
7.6Boarding
Airline reviews

Hospitality and service of the staff were excellent. Food was good. The seat was not as comfortable as the other Airlines that I have experience with.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Sept 2026
Read more Austrian Airlines reviews

Hospitality and service of the staff were excellent. Food was good. The seat was not as comfortable as the other Airlines that I have experience with.

I was in the premier economy and enjoyed the room and the comfort. Although I will say that it would take a real expert to make the location of the place to plug in headsets and chargers more difficult. With all of the room available it makes no sense to bury those connections and to make it so difficult to use them. The couple in front of me needed to use the cell phone light in order to see where to plug in a charger. The seats are comfortable and the food was good.

No way to add a bag without getting in line at the counter, which took at least half an hour. No WiFi.

The preboarding and the gate organizing management was poor, unorganized and mismanaged. While standing in the business line I kept getting ignored and the personnel kept checking in others, right in front of me until I finally spoke up and pointed out their clear signs of ignoring me while patiently waiting to be checked in. Once checked in the gate the personnel kept chit-chatting and not managing which group is to board, being totally nonchalant, unorganized and behaving amateur-like . Very unprofessional and unlike the quality the Austrian Airlines brand otherwise provides. The crew on the plane are always fantastic and the best. What a shame the crew on the ground was so mediocre.

Flight delayed with no explanation. Boarding was confused (proceed to plane, go back to waiting area).

Last few years I didn't not have great experience with United Airlines.

Short flight. Bare bones and kinda seeming like an older plane. But got me there on time and that's what counts. Perfectly fine flight all the way from start to finish.

Business class is not worth it. Not comfortable and old plane with no privacy or enough space unless you on the single seats

There was not enough sparkling water available during the flight from LAX to Vienna.

From all the segments I flew it was the only one I did not get the option to choose ni seat, I did not get the quality of seat I had paid for. Crew was nice, airplane was clean, but no food, only water and a small courtesy chocolate. Everything else you had to pay for.

Very friendly and helpful staff on board and United was excellent when I missed my onward flight due to the delay in London. Very well organised meant much less stress

First time flying with UA and it was a great experience. Thank you

Staff on board was excellent. Positive upbeat helpful- like it used to be.

United has come a long way, it’s been a fantastic experience traveling with them.

The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!

Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.

Cabin crew was very friendly, requests were satisfied promptly and cheerfully, and the cabin was reasonably clean when I boarded. The United lounges at Newark and Heathrow are always well-run and comfortable, especially Newark. I look forward to the new lounge that will be part of the rebuild of Terminal 2 at Heathrow.

The senior flight attendants were amazing. Totally different vibe from other carriers. Easy 10 hour flight in Business Class. Great food. Good humor as well.

I was lucky to sit in a seat with legroom in economy . The airplane felt like it was 100 years old, seats were very basic, barely reclined. Food was alright , staff was ok but not the friendliest. But all in all ok trip, perfectly on time

Liked Seat space in Premium Plus Disliked delay, poor management of boarding groups, missed meal at landing.

Lounge was top notch h with great variety of food and drinks. Cabin crew were great. Smooth flight.

My seat 3G did not go down fully and the buttons were not working properly

Food was the worst I’ve had on a VA flight. Normally it’s a lot better

The staff was not very polite but the flight was very very nice and comfortable and the entertainment was great

Security area in terminal 3 needs to be made much nicer. Less claustrophobic and use of glass and big ceilings wouldhelp

accomodating check in staff, friendly flight crew ( a crew member was speaking tactlessly and was overfamiliar with passengers

Seats need to be updated. Allowance needs to be made for dinner service at an alternative time

If I could fly Virgin Atlantic airlines to every place, I need to go, I would. Leaving Heathrow through the special virgin air entrance, security is completely white glove service. I love this airline. From ticketing agents to flight staff everyone tries to make it a wonderful & happy flight experience. I wish other airlines copied the positive culture of Virgin Airlines.

Premium was very comfortable. Food was delicious. I had specific diet requirement and Virgin Atlantic ensured it was provided. Onboard crew was very friendly and caring. Extremely smooth journey. I wonder how upper class experience would be. Perhaps one day, I will try upper class.

On arrival to JFK it to 3.5hrs to clear immigration, as only 3 booths open. Almost missed connection

As always, Lufthansa checked my carry-on luggage, even though I was in front of the line. No other airline in the world does this. It's so annoying and unnecessary. There was enough space for it in the overhead bin. It's a TUMI Continental Carry-On. If you have the chance, rather fly easyJet or Condor on this route.

Someone sat in my seat and this made boarding protracted and unpleasant. The stewardesses kept saying, “it is important that everyone be seated — or we will be further delayed,” but for a long time they did not tell me where to sit. At the end of the flight a baby screamed loudly for several minutes and it took ninety minutes (!) to get through EU passport and customs. We had to stand the whole time in a an overheated room. The seat on the plane was narrow. These things are not all Lufthansa’s fault but they made for a somewhat unpleasant trip.

Everything about the flight was excellent except for the fact that we had to wait one hour on the tar app and then I had to race to catch my connecting flight with the next stop

The flight on time, flawless check in and boarding process, the crew was very friendly.

Flight map did not work. Crew was great, food was good, plane took off on time and landed early. That's all I can ask.

Other than problems with checking in and uploading passport info everything was great. It would be nice to be able to manually input passport info. Often while traveling the bandwidth has problems uploading pictures

Boarding was a zoo. London ground crew was useless. Poor communication regarding where to line up. We were group 2, and everyone was jammed in together. Ground crew didn’t seem to care.

Horrible flight attendant in back of economy that screamed at me, have already reported to United. Horrible food - for Gluten free, why would you assume the person is vegetarian? I was served some kind of horrible curry bean paste and multiple cold rolls and soggy vegetables with no seasoning... um no!

Knowing that there was weather in other areas of the world, united airlines should have planned better than it did. The flight was 5 hours late. United has no regard for its customers

Flight itself fine, big problem with KAYAK. Revised e-ticket sent in July stated departure LHR 10:55, arrival SFO 13:45. (a believable local arrival time given flight length and time difference). When we got to LHR there was no 10:55 flight to SFO and were advised that in fact flight LH2473 was arriving in MUNICH at 13:45pm, and that we would need to get a connecting flight arriving in SFO at 18:55 local time - over 5 hours later than expected. 1) you the booking agent made an error on the revised e-ticket you sent, omitting the Munich stopover and incorrect SFO arrival time. 2) I booked a DIRECT flight and 3) we had to cancel plans this end as a result, even though the team at LHR did a great job moving us to a later direct flight getting us in 2 hours earlier than the flight from munich would have.

You're asking 2 different questions. The flight from Los Angeles to London (and from London to Faro) was on British Airways. Those flights were awful. The app didn't provide detailed information, the WiFi that I paid for didn't work, the form I had to fill out to re-enter the UK was not communicated clearly so I nearly missed my flight. British Airways is significantly behind every other airline I've traveled in every way. American Airlines flight form London to Los Angeles was great. In the future, I will avoid flying British Airways when I can.

Our section of the aircraft in premium economy was very cold. We asked the attendants twice to raise the heat but it never happened. Even with the blanket it was chilly for 10 1/2 hours

It makes no sense for several types of drinks to already be out of stock in the middle of the flight.

Incredible. The upgrade to Business was a phenomenal way to end my trip, beyond grateful for the generosity and hospitality.

I was sent an email that said my card payment was not verified. When I spoke to an agent , he said my card was not verified and the flight I thought I had to booked was no longer available so I booked another flight on another airline(United). Later I got flight updates , etc., concerning my supposed first flight. So if I was charged for this flight on British Airways/American airlines, I need a refund.

Generally very good. I think their service is better than some other big names I used to travel with. Their food variety is second to none - and you can place order beforehand. Their seating design is a bit awkward for service, I'd say. Flight attendants must be tall enough - long legs and arms - to reach the window seat passenger while crossing over the isle passenger. Also appreciated the variety on entertainment.

Lovely big plane. Excellent take off and landing. Cabin crew were so nice. Flight in time no delays

Los Angeles to London. 25th of April 2026. Business class. I was flying backwards with a complete stranger snoring next to me. In Business class. Males and females, strangers lying next to each other. Seats were backwards. I paid for comfort. I got dizziness and stress.

The crew has always been great on BA. They are very friendly and accommodating. I like that they have vegetarian options already in the menu. And the free wine is a nice perk.) I noticed (both directions of my trip) minor upgrades/ replacements needed on the plane itself (touch screen didn't work with touch; bathroom light didn't go on). However, this is one of my favorite airlines.

There was a delay for the San Francisco-London flight, but we were all informed via text and email. The staff was very friendly and nice and the food was good. I do recommend that the airline offer something without eggs or something vegan for the vegetarian meal option. A lot of Indians are lacto-vegetarian, while some could be allergic to eggs/dairy.

More options for your flight from London to California

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