£274 Find Cheap Flights to California

This is the cheapest return flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from the United Kingdom to California departing on 11/2. 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 for flights to California
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to California
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Cheap Flights to California

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop£363
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£359
San Diego
San Diego2 stops£450
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop£514
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£422
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo2 stops£526
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop£363
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£359
San Diego
San Diego2 stops£450
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop£514
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£422
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo2 stops£526

Book Cheap California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights 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 to California

Wed, 11 Feb - Wed, 25 Feb
United Airlines Logo
12:05 - 21:58
LHR
-
ONT
17h 53m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
08:00 - 10:15
ONT
-
LHR
18h 15m1 stop
£274United Airlines
Thu, 22 Jan - Mon, 26 Jan
United Airlines Logo
07:30 - 21:58
LHR
-
ONT
22h 28m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
05:05 - 09:40
ONT
-
LHR
20h 35m1 stop
£345United Airlines
Thu, 22 Jan - Mon, 26 Jan
United Airlines Logo
07:30 - 21:58
LHR
-
ONT
22h 28m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
06:00 - 06:20
ONT
-
LHR
16h 20m2 stops
£346United Airlines
Thu, 5 Feb - Thu, 12 Feb
Virgin Atlantic Logo
10:45 - 23:58
LHR
-
ONT
21h 13m1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
13:15 - 06:25
ONT
-
LHR
33h 10m1 stop
£358Virgin Atlantic
Sat, 7 Feb - Wed, 11 Feb
Virgin Atlantic Logo
10:45 - 21:48
LHR
-
ONT
19h 03m1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
12:41 - 11:40
ONT
-
LHR
14h 59m1 stop
£361Virgin Atlantic
Tue, 31 Mar - Thu, 9 Jul
KLM Logo
08:40 - 14:45
LHR
-
LAX
14h 05m1 stop
KLM Logo
23:15 - 17:35
LAX
-
LHR
10h 20mdirect
£365KLM
Wed, 8 Apr - Thu, 16 Apr
British Airways Logo
14:20 - 17:30
LHR
-
SFO
11h 10mdirect
British Airways Logo
16:35 - 11:00
SFO
-
LHR
10h 25mdirect
£409British Airways
Fri, 20 Mar - Tue, 7 Apr
British Airways Logo
08:50 - 16:35
LHR
-
SFO
14h 45m1 stop
British Airways Logo
10:06 - 08:05
SFO
-
LHR
13h 59m1 stop
£413British Airways
Fri, 30 Jan - Sat, 7 Mar
Lufthansa Logo
09:55 - 15:55
LCY
-
SFO
14h 00m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
18:50 - 16:40
SFO
-
LCY
13h 50m1 stop
£428Lufthansa
Wed, 10 Jun - Wed, 17 Jun
Lufthansa Logo
08:30 - 20:07
LHR
-
LAS
19h 37m2 stops
Lufthansa Logo
21:10 - 22:10
LAS
-
LHR
17h 00m1 stop
£440Lufthansa
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to California

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

What is the cheapest flight to California?

These are the best return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to California from the United Kingdom found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at £357 return. The most popular route is London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was £357.

What is the cheapest month to fly from the United Kingdom to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom to California is September, when tickets cost £522 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is £779 and £672 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from the United Kingdom to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights 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 the United Kingdom to California, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 28% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with an average flight price of £478.

Good to know - Cheap tickets to California

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight£274
Best time to beat the crowds (12% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (26% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Heathrow Airport to Ontario

Flights to California: the best tips from KAYAK users' own experiences

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew to California 
AlastairFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
SFO
Feb 2025
Make sure your free checked luggage is for outward and return flights.
Verified travelerFlew with British Airways
LHR
-
SAN
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
LHR
-
LAX
Sept 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
LHR
-
SFO
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
LHR
-
LAX
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

FAQs - booking California flights

  • I’m booking a flight to California to visit San Francisco. Which airport do I choose?

    San Francisco International is the closest to the city centre (15min) and has the most options when it comes to airlines and routes. United, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic operate direct flights from London Heathrow, Norwegian flies from London Gatwick, and Thomas Cook Airlines operates seasonal flights to SFO from Manchester. However, this is one of the busiest airports in California; if you’d prefer a less busy airport, you can fly to San Jose International, which is 47min from downtown San Francisco. However, do keep in mind that British Airways is the only airline to operate regular flights to this airport from London Heathrow.

  • I’m planning a trip to Yosemite National Park. What’s the best airport to fly into?

    The closest airport to Yosemite is Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), about 96 mi away from the park and accessible by road. If you want to fly from the United Kingdom all the way to Yosemite, you'll have to have a stopover either in San Francisco or Los Angeles. United flies from Heathrow and Gatwick to San Francisco and Los Angeles, while American Airlines flies to Los Angeles from Heathrow. Alternatively, or if you’d prefer to fly as little as possible, you can fly into San Francisco and then drive to Yosemite (approx. 3h 50min).

  • Which international airport in California is closest to Disneyland?

    Los Angeles International Airport is the closest to Disneyland California, which is about 35min away by car. This airport is served by the Disneyland Resort Express bus, which takes passengers straight to the park.

  • I’m searching for flights to California from Northern Ireland. Which are the best airports?

    If your final destination is Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can choose to catch a flight to California from London Heathrow with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and United, or from London Gatwick with Norwegian. easyJet operates direct flights to Gatwick from Belfast International Airport (BFS), while Aer Lingus and British Airways operate regular flights to Heathrow from George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD). If you’re flying to San Jose or San Diego, you’ll have to fly out of London Heathrow on British Airways. The simplest option is to book your flight to California with this airline from Belfast International.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom 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 the United Kingdom 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 day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Wednesday when return tickets can be as cheap as £533. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, when return prices are £605 on average.

  • 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 £508 on average. Morning departures are around 9% 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 £557.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for cheap airfare to California? 25% of our users found round-trip tickets to California for the following prices or less: Cheap flights to California from London Gatwick £556, from London Heathrow £1,828
  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest California flight deals.
  • For passengers flying from other cities in the UK without direct flights to California and who prefer to fly low-cost to London, Flybe operates regular flights to London Heathrow from Aberdeen and Edinburgh. On the other hand, Gatwick has more options for low-cost flights with easyJet operating regular connections with Belfast, Glasgow, and Inverness.
  • When looking for flights to California, you can choose from four international airports with regular direct flights to the UK. Those are Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Diego International Airport (SAN), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and San Jose International Airport (SJC).
  • London Heathrow (LHR) is the airport in the United Kingdom with the most options when it comes to airlines flying to all the four major airports in California. Keep in mind that if you’re flying from elsewhere, you’ll probably need to factor in a stopover here.
  • If you prefer to fly out of London Gatwick (LGW), you'll have fewer options in terms of routes and airlines. Norwegian is the only airline operating direct flights to California from this airport, and only to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
  • If you’d like to book a direct flight to California from Manchester Airport (MAN), look for seasonal flights operated by Virgin Atlantic and Thomas Cook Airlines to San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from the United Kingdom to California. 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 the United Kingdom 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.
7.7
KLMOverall score based on 1434 reviews
7.6Comfort
7.8Boarding
7.2Food
7.1Entertainment
8.4Crew
Airline reviews

Terrible last row seats many seats available but no offer to move to better seat

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Dec 2025
AMS - BUD
Read more KLM reviews

Terrible last row seats many seats available but no offer to move to better seat

Delay on my previous leg, had to run to catch my flight. But that happens. Overall ok.

Delay and had to run between flight to get my connection due to this delay but besides that the overall experience was ok. I arrived with just an hour of delay.

At the airport, terrible, I do not want to even remember it. It was too humiliating for a business class passenger.

Flight was ok but lack of communication cost me to literally beg to be put on another flight as connecting flight had departed

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

Over 1 Hr delay. No APU so no AC on ground. Plane was hot during boarding and then they closed the doors over 20 minutes before engine start so interior of plane was steamy hot and stuffy. Could have been helped by opening doors until ready to depart.

First of all we couldn’t check in online, then we learn at the airport we were on stand by for KLM’s mistake of overbooking. The seats were not comfy at all. Our luggage got lost.

Ad experience - been flying many years with them but they are losing out to other carriers with their service and bagage / seating policy. My 2 12-yo kids were not placed with the parent. Absurdity.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

Food has been disappointing in both legs of flight to india

Great staff great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

Great staff, great experience, made a 2 hour delay very bearable

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

I was my pleasure to fly virgin on my birthday for my first solo trip ever 🫶🏼

These are one of the older seat arrangements facing away from the windows! Not particularly convenient sets. No storage spaces. NO COAT HANGING HOOKS. Inconvenient business class seat compared to any other airlines of similar class. Staff are excellent! Extremely professional, friendly. Food is good too.

Overall, flight was excellent but check in was very slow for Premium Economy. Economy queue was shorter but we weren't allowed to use it.

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

Great crew - old style upper class seats on the older fleet now feels dated

Premium economy more comfortable than economy, but not by much. Did was awful, do not try the omelette. Flight crew were helpful. Flight was delayed by over an hour. Overall but bad, arrived safely and thank God.

On the way my flight entertainment wouldn’t work the screen went black and no matter how many times I tried to turn it on it wouldn’t. Food was surprisingly good but the tray tables were tiny so you couldn’t get anything else on the table. The seats hardly go back and are not overly comfortable. Wouldn’t fly United again.

Unbelievably poor service from flight attendants. They didn’t even do water service on a four hour flight. Just disrespectful.

Flight was late - I was downgraded from first class to coach

Movie selection is good. Crew did not understand mileage program and were no help. Sick later. Food?

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

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!!

Plane boarded early a quickly, was mostly full. We left close to on time. And landed early.

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

Lufthansa flight LH04414 from Munich to Washington DC, was fine. Efficient and safe!

I wish the plane had pod seating for business class. I had a window seat (8K) and I had to climb over the person sitting on the aisle when I needed to get up. Also there is no partition between the seats for privacy when sleeping. The Asian airlines have much nicer business class seating. Their seats are wider for better comfort when sleeping.

Bumpy ride, not Lufthansa‘s fault. Crew managed a situation over a back rest to far down well. It was two iles behind me. The person putting the seat down, against the other person’s knees, was quite rude and belligerent and needed to be told in a no nonsense matter to stopp. Male flight attendant did good job.

Patrick and the whole crew were amazing! Hope to have this team for all my European trips.

This review is based on 2 things: 1. The lack of hygiene on the plane. 2. William - the head flight attendant. The lack of cleanliness on the plane upon arrival was appalling. Being given a sanitizing wipe upon boarding of the plane is shocking when you consider the cost of a business class flight. UA expects me to do their job and clean all the bread, food and debris left from previous guests. Does this sound normal to you. The seat, the food table and the sides were full of crumbs, chocolate and dirt. When I told the flight attendant they just gave me more wipes so I could clean it myself. Secondly, William the business cabin head flight attendant was so busy flirting with a couple in the front that his attention to the other guests was minimal. He continuously asked them if they were ok or if they needed anything and it didn’t matter if the rest of us needed anything. And if you are the lead attendant shouldn’t you be checking if the bathrooms in business class are clean and needing toilet paper. There were 2 bathrooms in business. Halfway through the flight the first bathroom was closed and the second bathroom was dirty and had no toilet paper one hour and a half before the flight landed. He needs additional training on prioritizing things. He should care less about flirting and more about his work

Booked seats (paid extra) online and found they didn’t exist on the flight. We were then separated from the rest of our party. Given seats in the very back of the plane. We will not fly Discover or Lufthansa again. We will not book flights or travel through Kayak again!

Had a few open seats and could use it for a great rest ful journey

It was very good. Service was friendly and efficient, and food was good.

Airline food is airline food, but the plane was wonderful and the seating comfort outstanding. One of my best flights in quite a while.

Crew was outstanding, helpful and friendly. Food is deteriorating. The snack at the end of the flight was not good, a greasy moosh of toast cheese snd other unidentifiable ingredients. Coming from Germany a pretzl with butter would have been better. Entertainment had a great selection.

Check-in experience, for business call please provide a premium experience

Lost my luggage, ran out of food choices in business class, ground crew was completely unapologetic.

Excellent. The crew and flight were great. Checking in was easy and everyone was very helpful.

Entertainment devices on A380 need to be fixed, the seats might do with updates.

Everything. Employees offered to help me because I had to use a cane.

Check-in and boarding were great. On flight staff were rude and disrespectful. Paid for extra room and found it incredibly cramped. Bathrooms kept in poor condition. Overall negative experience.

Great seat in premium economy, great food and drinks throughout lots of in flight entertainment. 1 hour 40 min delayed flying out , 2 1/2 hour wait at passport control in tampa

My seat cushion was poor. The cushion was compressed and was uncomfortable for such a long flight.

I was in a bulkhead seat and my tray table wasn't level. Eating was difficult.

Audi visual not working for a whole group of seats in first class. How does a plane leave the main hub in such poor condition? How much that we can’t see so immediately is also compromised?

Everything you need to know for your flight to California