£64 Find Cheap Flights from New York to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from New York to California departing on 13/5. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from New York to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from New York to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from New York to California

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angelesdirect£132
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£162
San Diego
San Diegodirect£170
Los Angeles
Los Angelesdirect£132
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£162
San Diego
San Diegodirect£170

Book Cheap New York to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from New York to California that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent return flight deals from New York to California

Wed, 14 Jan - Wed, 14 Jan
Frontier Logo
13:00 - 19:54
JFK
-
LAS
9h 54m1 stop
Frontier Logo
22:33 - 10:03
LAS
-
JFK
8h 30m1 stop
£100Frontier
Tue, 6 Jan - Fri, 16 Jan
Frontier Logo
06:25 - 16:57
JFK
-
LAS
13h 32m1 stop
Frontier Logo
22:36 - 06:30
LAS
-
JFK
4h 54mdirect
£102Frontier
Wed, 13 May - Tue, 19 May
Spirit Airlines Logo
12:59 - 22:54
LGA
-
LAS
12h 55m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
23:59 - 12:04
LAS
-
LGA
9h 05m1 stop
£128Spirit Airlines
Tue, 13 Jan - Thu, 22 Jan
JetBlue Logo
20:29 - 23:50
JFK
-
LAX
6h 21mdirect
JetBlue Logo
10:25 - 18:48
LAX
-
JFK
5h 23mdirect
£132JetBlue
Tue, 13 Jan - Wed, 14 Jan
Spirit Airlines Logo
12:59 - 23:44
LGA
-
LAS
13h 45m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
11:26 - 23:49
LAS
-
LGA
9h 23m1 stop
£134Spirit Airlines
Thu, 8 Jan - Wed, 14 Jan
JetBlue Logo
21:29 - 00:50
JFK
-
LAX
6h 21mdirect
JetBlue Logo
15:25 - 23:44
LAX
-
JFK
5h 19mdirect
£134JetBlue
Wed, 28 Jan - Fri, 30 Jan
Alaska Airlines Logo
19:29 - 22:55
EWR
-
LAX
6h 26mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
08:02 - 16:22
LAX
-
EWR
5h 20mdirect
£136Alaska Airlines
Wed, 28 Jan - Sat, 31 Jan
Alaska Airlines Logo
19:29 - 22:55
EWR
-
LAX
6h 26mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
08:02 - 16:22
LAX
-
EWR
5h 20mdirect
£140Alaska Airlines
Fri, 9 Jan - Fri, 16 Jan
Delta Logo
09:40 - 13:20
JFK
-
LAX
6h 40mdirect
Delta Logo
15:40 - 23:59
LAX
-
JFK
5h 19mdirect
£147Delta
Sun, 18 Jan - Tue, 27 Jan
Delta Logo
07:05 - 10:47
JFK
-
SFO
6h 42mdirect
Delta Logo
14:25 - 23:00
SFO
-
JFK
5h 35mdirect
£162Delta
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for New York to California flights

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

How much is a return flight from New York to California?

This analysis is based on the cheapest return trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from New York to California departing in January.

What is the cheapest New York to California flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to California from New York found in the last 72 hours was to San Diego, at £175 return. The most popular route is from Newark Airport (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £288.

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

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of £319, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from New York to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from New York to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from New York to California is January, when tickets cost £233 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and April, when the average cost of return tickets is £352 and £286 respectively.

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from New York to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to California on a Sunday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to New York, you should consider flying back on a Thursday, and avoid Tuesdays for better deals.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from New York to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below-average price on a flight from New York to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 41% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 14 weeks before departure.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from New York to California

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight£64
Best time to beat the crowds (8% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (29% more expensive on average)
Flight from New York LaGuardia Airport to Las Vegas

Flights from New York to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from New York to California 
BeverlyFlew with JetBlue
JFK
-
SFO
Dec 2025
Wear support socks which helps when you sit for a long time.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
SFO
Dec 2025
Bring your own food and in flight activity since they don’t supply any.
LuisFlew with Delta
JFK
-
SFO
Mar 2025
It’s a long flight, come prepared to either watch movies, read or sleep.
HowardFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
SAN
May 2025
Must have a tablet to watch videos. Bring a seat cushion.
AracelyFlew with Spirit Airlines
EWR
-
LAX
Dec 2024
Bring snacks and your own water bottle to stay hydrated.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
SAN
Feb 2025
My flight was not delayed, but my family had a flight earlier in the week that was, by 5 hours. My daughter says she'll never book a late afternoon flight as they seem most likely to be delayed. I personally like the timing and usually they cost less. Also, get on the plan with fully charged devices or a non-electronic form on entertainment.
Verified travelerFlew with American Airlines
JFK
-
LAX
Jan 2025
Be there on time it really need two hours for security checkups
Verified travelerFlew with Qantas Airways
JFK
-
LAX
Nov 2024
there was an instance where a non speaking couple didnt know when to board. people cut in front of them and the crew didnt respond. it would be nice if there were translators available to assist when needed. i get that you want people on board as quickly as possible. sometimes, it's like herding cats. but do assist the people who dont understand the language.
JulieFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
SFO
Oct 2024
Leave early. JFK can be messy. I couldn’t find healthy food choices so eat before you arrive.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
SAN
Oct 2024
Landing in La Guardia or Newark (New Jersey) is more convenient for commuting to Manhattan.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
LAX
Jun 2024
Make sure to get food before you get to the airport. Bring chargers for ur phone or your technological device.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
SFO
Jun 2024
SFO is one of the most convenient and pleasant airports. When flying Alaska Air make sure to bring your food and a larger water bottle that usual (you get only two drink services (one small cup each) for a 6 hour flight.
BerniceFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
SAN
Jun 2024
Give yourself plenty of time to get through security.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
PSP
Mar 2024
Bring an iPad with lots of shows downloaded. The terminal at jfk is nice and small, easy to go thru security. Palm Springs airport is amazing. You step out and feel like you’re on vacation.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
LAX
Apr 2024
There are buses from Time Square Bus Terminal to Newark for $18 direct no stops you are there in 30 minutes.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
JFK
-
SFO
May 2024
The airport food was limited and expensive. Best to bring a sandwich from outside…
MasakoFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
LAX
Apr 2024
Newark has few food options so pack something if you can. It’s not worth getting food at Newark.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska Airlines
EWR
-
SAN
Feb 2024
Allow time for TSA (I had) or figure out the priority boarding (I didn't but will look into it for future flights), I thought they were pretty inefficient. A guy behind me was freaking out because he was going to miss his flight and a bunch of us let him cut the line in hopes he could make it.
SridharFlew with Spirit Airlines
EWR
-
OAK
Dec 2023
Fly light. Get seats in front. Make sure you get here before 10 - rental car place closes prior.
LaurenFlew with JetBlue
JFK
-
LAX
Dec 2023
Be very careful that you don’t misplace anything. If you have to go through TSA multiple times, be sure to retrieve ALL your things even if it means you have to hold up the line unfortunately. Otherwise, there will be zero help to retrieve your things afterwards even though there are so many cameras.

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Which California airport is closest to Catalina Island?

    If you’d like to land at an airport close to Catalina Island, book a flight that lands a Long Beach Municipal Airport (LBG). Landing at this airport also referred to as Daugherty Field, is in your best interest since it is 53 km (33 miles) away from the island. All New York airports serve flights to LGB. The airlines that provide these flights include Delta, Spirit, Linear Air Taxi, and American Airlines.

  • Is it possible to fly directly from New York to Los Angeles, California?

    If you want to travel directly from New York to Los Angeles, you’ll be spoilt for choice regarding what airline to travel with, as several air travel companies offer direct flights on this route. The airlines are JetBlue, Delta, Spirit, Alaska, American, and United Airlines. The demand for direct flight tickets for this route is usually high. Hence, to avoid missing one, you should book your ticket on KAYAK as early as possible.

  • How can people with hidden disabilities get help at La Guardia International Airport (LGA)?

    If you have a hidden disability, you’ll be happy to hear that LGA offers Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyards and wristbands to persons with hidden disabilities. These Sunflower lanyards and wristbands help airport staff discreetly identify passengers who need extra help. Thus, if you wear one, you can count on being spotted and assisted throughout your airport stay.

  • How can I travel cheaply from New York to California?

    Connecting flight tickets from New York to California tend to be cheaper than direct flight tickets. This being the case, if you want to travel cheaply from New York to California, you should check out the connecting flight tickets available on KAYAK. Airlines such as Spirit, United, Alaska, and Delta offer connecting flights from New York to various parts of California.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from New York 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 New York to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from New York 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 New York 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 New York 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 New York 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 New York to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • 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 £237 on average. Morning departures are around 59% 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 £573.

Top tips for finding a cheap flight from New York to California

  • In New York, you can board your flight to California at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), or La Guardia International Airport (LGA). When booking your flight to California, book one that departs at LGA since this airport has the smoothest boarding experience. This can be attributed to the fact that it faces the least passenger traffic.
  • In California, the airport you land at should be influenced by the region you’d like to visit. If you want to visit Northern California, you should land at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), while if you want to visit Southern California, you should land at San Diego International Airport (SAN).
  • If you need assistance or have questions at JFK, visit one of its Information Centers. These centers are outside the Arrivals Areas of Terminals 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 and in the Arrivals Hall of Terminal 4.
  • Most small airports in California serve flights from New York. This being the case, if you’re headed to a destination served by a small airport, use Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), SFO, or SAN as your base of travel. This is because they all offer flights to most small airports in California.
  • If you want to travel to JFK from Midtown Manhattan cheaply, catch the local trains to Jamaica Station. At this station, board the AirTrain, which will transport you to JFK. On the other hand, if you’d like to travel directly, you should use a taxi.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from New York to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from New York to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from New York 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.
8.0
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11465 reviews
8.5Crew
7.1Food
7.8Comfort
7.0Entertainment
8.1Boarding
Airline reviews

First Class seats had no more legroom then Premium Economy. There was no working WiFi or entertainment. I would have rather paid $400 more and flown on United for the 6 hours from EWR to SFO.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Nov 2025
EWR - SFO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

First Class seats had no more legroom then Premium Economy. There was no working WiFi or entertainment. I would have rather paid $400 more and flown on United for the 6 hours from EWR to SFO.

Overall the flight was on-time and plane ride very comfortable. The free snacks not so good - only a small bag of pretzels and no milk. I wanted milk. There was not entertainment on the plane unless I wanted to download their APP. But I would consider flying with them again and be more prepared on my part with food and entertainment.

This time it is good, no delay and right on time

No food but only snack was provided during the 6-hour flight from EWR to LAX. I was so hungry during the trip.

Miss bigger screens for movies Staff was friendly Seats comfortable Bathroom line long

Seats are so small now that it's very hard even for a medium-sized person to be comfortable!!!

Good experience on flight. But flight was delayed for takeoff by an hour, and Alaska posted the wrong landing time on its website. So the person who was designated to pick me up arrived 1 hour early and sat waiting for a long time at 11pm at night. This could have been avoided with better text and website communication by Alaska/Hawaiin Airlines

If there were movies it would have made the flight much easier.

As always to close confinement for passengers not in upgrades. I like that you still get carry on and personal bag.

I purchased the internet during the flight and it stopped working after 1 hour, so I barely got to use it.

Original flight was cancelled and when i was rebooked by the airline, they couldn't seat me in the same type of seat as I had originally booked (went from window/aisle to middle/middle and one was a bulkhead seat, and other wasn't in the same class)

My flight was cancelled with no explanation after I had already cleared security. I was given 4 options to rebook, only one being non-stop like I had paid for. I grabbed it. It was 4 plus hours later and then took off even later. Biggest complaint is that I booked early and had an aisle seat. They gave me a "window" seat in front of the exit row, so the seat did not decline. I weigh all of 103 #s and it was tight for me! For what I paid, I feel I was kind of ripped off. I think they should have given me the empty comfort seat for the inconvenience. There was no apology nor any explanation as to why the flight was cancelled. My guess is it benefitted Delta in some way.

Very smooth, on-time, and pleasantly uneventful flight. The team at the gate and on board were professional and genuinely courteous. The pilot kept us well updated throughout, and both takeoff and landing were steady and enjoyable without any drama. Just a good, solid flight. Thank you! 💗

I truly love flying with Delta. They have always treated me with the upmost respect

The flight was great. The gate location was way to far away!!!

This route with Delta always has delays or is cancelled. Aircrafts seem smaller and older. I fly Delta quite a bit - haven’t had issues with the international flights. But this route has always been the troublesome one

I believe that a four-hour trip should have a meal. Delta had none.

Was charged for my luggage despite having been on one ticket from an international flight. Too tired to argue after 15 hours on flight. Was charged for rechecking it at JFK airport. Not sure why those off Kenya Airways were required to do that.

Flight was canceled, and no effort was made to help with rebooking, no hotel vouchers, no car transportation and minimal food voucher and most places for food were closed by the time the voucher was given. Waited for 3 hours for bags. Simply the worst travel experience I have ever had

At first, we were on the runway for about an hour, literally. The Captain did explain that the Control Tower just had a change shift (sounds like an unrealistic excuse) and then that we had to change a runway. A regular economy seat is made for 12 yo twiggy. I understand Delta wants to push for an upgrade, but after sitting in a Comfort seat and in First class. I would say First class is not worthy of my money. The landing was delayed because of the weather in NYC, I don't hold that against Delta, of course. The Captain did alert us to that upon takeoff in Vegas and again as we reached NY.

Everything was great. I liked the text updates so that I never miss a gate change & I have all the latest info.

No internet on a flight over three hours in this age is criminal. Staff inattentive and dismissive

Worst flight experience ever flights canceled. JetBlue told us just did not even bother standing in line to come back in one and a half hours then without any information we had to go pick up all of our luggage and spend over $2000 in accommodation just to get home. JetBlue said that the next flight available for us to get home would be three days later. Absolutely absurd hasn’t offered to give us any compensation do not fly JetBlue horrible company. They said it was based on the weather and the weather is great in all locations that we would’ve been flying to total hoax. I think it’s a conspiracy theory.

flight was delayed for hours with no explanation. The plane was a very old aircraft.

The flight departed more than 1 hour late. Leg room is bigger than most airlines

Excellent. Although they used to greet me as a mosaic member and provide a free drink, early boarding helps me to keep coming back to JetBlue.

No music app working: no economy meal on five hour flight; hour on tarmac at the end waiting for a gate. Flight itself was smooth and easy.

Communication with the customer and stay is important. Staff off with a minor inconvenience but it worked out of course. Also this was a very old Mint Class plane. They snuck this one in on us. The updated aircraft are much better.

The flight itself was fine, but the boarding process was extremely frustrating. There is no one scanning boarding passes - passengers just scan themselves and enter the jetway. By the time my husband and I got on the plane and were halfway to our seats they determined there were too many bags on the plane and everything at that point needed to be checked. This created a lot of unnecessary chaos. They should have alerted people before getting on the plane that they would need to start checking bags instead of waiting until people were already on the plane.

In flight on demand didn't work at our seats. Only a single beverage/snack run.

I love a flight without turbulence and you guys deliver It’d be nice to have comfier seats and maybe some inflight entertainment and snacks but that’s for Delta

Very positive in both directions. Safe travels, nice staff, lost and found in fact found my phone under my chair! I was out of cash after my NYC trip otherwise I would've offered a reward for helping my day out immensly! Thanks you so much Spirit staff!

Boarding and unboarding processes were pretty smooth. I gave a low score for Boarding because of how my flight was missing from all the boards at the airport, and when I checked the flight status on the Spirit website, it said it would be departing from Terminal E, gate D15. There are no "D" gates in terminal E.

The plane was freezing and everyone had on their winter coats. I pulled out my sweaters out of my carryon to cover myself and put on an extra pair of socks. They offered NO FREE drinks or snacks on a 6 hour flight. The seats don’t have plugs or charges or any form of entertainment- so I just played my one downloaded game on my phone because I couldn’t sleep because I was too cold. Miserable flight though we landed safely.

The flight was on time and the crew was very professional and accommodating. When other airlines are canceling flights Spirit is still flying with on time flights. I have no complaints and will continue to choose Spirit when it is the best option for me.

It was cheap. Spirit is what it is. I got to my destination and home safely. There was no food or entertainment without paying extra, which is fine. That’s why the flight was inexpensive.

Like: seats that don't move; fast boarding; engaging crew; low-prices; individual gate at LGA; access to restrooms at the gate Dislike: no water on the flight

The whole thing everything was poorly managed poorly handled spirit doent deserve to be in business period.

The flight was cancelled at the last minute. Will never fly Spirit again. Without a doubt the worst airline around.

My flight was delayed several times and eventually cancelled. Then the re-booked flight for 8pm was delayed multiple times over, and eventually it would have forced me to be at the airport for 9 hours. I accepted a rebook for the following day, fortunately I was able to stay with my friend again in New York, but if I didn’t have him as a resource it would have been much more upsetting.

Not clean and was told I would get a great seat and it was not great at all

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

The worst. They don’t follow procedure for boarding per group. Flight got delayed for no understandably reasons, they changed our destination from PR to Miami, left us inside a plane for more than 8 hours, then cancelled flight in Miami leaving us stranded. Poorly managed re-accommodation for a new flight and overnight stay so I have to spend in a new ticket and my own hotel room to been able to get to my office next day. Lost 2 days of work and as a doctor, patients loosing their appointments. to other flights and besides

Decent clean onboard experience. Okay discount airline experience. Unfortunately, any customer service interactions are difficult and unhelpful. There is no service. Also, a premium seat only gets you premium boarding if you line up first. Once they start general boarding you must go to the back of the line. Not very premium

I was 2 hr arrive in the airport and 45 min in the line . After take to my turn . The agent tell me I’m later . I can not board . So my vacation was going to the floor . Just for their bad customer service agent in the airline

The crew was mostly okay. The flight attendant who answered our questions was curt and unhelpful unfortunately. He seemed upset and I understand having off days.

Very bad! No good service delayed my second connection flight

Everything you need to know for your flight from New York to California

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.