£234 Find Cheap Flights 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 the United Kingdom to California departing on 6/9. 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

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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 Angelesdirect£369
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops£414
San Diego
San Diego1 stop£480
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops£463
San Jose
San Jose2 stops£367
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop£489
Los Angeles
Los Angelesdirect£369
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops£414
San Diego
San Diego1 stop£480
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops£463
San Jose
San Jose2 stops£367
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop£489

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

Tue, 7 Oct - Tue, 14 Oct
Virgin Atlantic Logo
19:15 - 23:39LHR-ONT
36h 24m2 stops
Virgin Atlantic Logo
09:50 - 10:00ONT-LHR
40h 10m2 stops
£367Virgin Atlantic
Find Deal
Thu, 11 Sep - Sun, 21 Sep
Virgin Atlantic Logo
17:30 - 20:45LHR-LAX
11h 15mdirect
Virgin Atlantic Logo
15:30 - 10:00LAX-LHR
10h 30mdirect
£369Virgin Atlantic
Find Deal
Wed, 17 Sep - Sat, 27 Sep
British Airways Logo
15:05 - 00:18LGW-LAX
17h 13m1 stop
British Airways Logo
11:30 - 07:50LAX-LGW
36h 20m1 stop
£369British Airways
Find Deal
Tue, 13 Jan - Tue, 27 Jan
British Airways Logo
10:15 - 17:53LHR-ONT
15h 38m1 stop
British Airways Logo
17:03 - 13:15ONT-LHR
12h 12m1 stop
£375British Airways
Find Deal
Wed, 1 Oct - Wed, 8 Oct
Lufthansa Logo
08:45 - 16:55LCY-LAX
16h 10m1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
18:40 - 16:25LAX-LCY
13h 45m1 stop
£387Lufthansa
Find Deal
Fri, 21 Nov - Wed, 3 Dec
Lufthansa Logo
15:20 - 18:45LHR-LAX
11h 25mdirect
Lufthansa Logo
19:00 - 13:30LAX-LHR
10h 30mdirect
£389Lufthansa
Find Deal
Mon, 22 Sep - Mon, 29 Sep
KLM Logo
11:20 - 19:15LHR-ONT
15h 55m1 stop
KLM Logo
13:15 - 09:50ONT-LHR
12h 35m1 stop
£395KLM
Find Deal
Sun, 30 Nov - Fri, 12 Dec
Finnair Logo
10:20 - 17:05LHR-LAX
14h 45m1 stop
Finnair Logo
19:20 - 14:00LAX-LHR
10h 40mdirect
£403Finnair
Find Deal
Sun, 8 Feb - Thu, 19 Feb
Finnair Logo
10:20 - 21:58LHR-SFO
19h 38m2 stops
Finnair Logo
17:30 - 12:00SFO-LHR
10h 30mdirect
£419Finnair
Find Deal
Sat, 4 Oct - Sun, 5 Oct
KLM Logo
09:20 - 19:15LHR-ONT
17h 55m1 stop
KLM Logo
22:00 - 11:10ONT-LHR
29h 10m1 stop
£473KLM
Find Deal
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 £348 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 £348.

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 £528 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is £809 and £691 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 29% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 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 £507.

Good to know - Cheap tickets to California

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight£234
Best time to beat the crowds (12% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 14% lower on average.
Flight from London Gatwick Airport to Los Angeles

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

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew to California 
AlastairFlew with British AirwaysLHR-SFOFeb 2025
Make sure your free checked luggage is for outward and return flights.
Verified travelerFlew with British AirwaysLHR-SANSept 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 IberiaLHR-LAXSept 2024
Pack light and know you can always get stuff when you land.
Verified travelerFlew with United AirlinesLHR-SFOSept 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 AirwaysLHR-LAXJun 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 £607 on average.

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

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally at night, when retur flights cost £670 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 £747.

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 £663, from London Heathrow £1,772
  • 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.
7.8
KLMOverall score based on 1382 reviews
7.7Comfort
8.4Crew
7.1Entertainment
7.8Boarding
7.3Food
Airline reviews

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.

2.0 MediocrePeter, Aug 2025SAN - AMS
Read more KLM reviews

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!

KLM remains a quality flag carrier airline which maintains its standards whilst all their competitors are lowering theirs.

The baggage drop-off in Stuttgart is bad: after online check-in you cannot use the automated baggage drop off as indicated on the website. You can use the terminals but have to cue to 1 of three open and slowly working counters to drop the bags. took about 45 minutes wait time.

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

Klm start boarding while somw air issue in the plan

The service was great. However the lounge only gets passing grade

I appreciate that KLM was proactive in informing me of the 2 hour delay which enabled me to replan my travel. It was a bit stressful not knowing whether my connection from Montreal to Ottawa was happening. But the ground and air crew did a good job at comforting and assuring me.

Great. It was awesome to have boarding from the front and back of the plane as it made the process go very quickly

It was okay. The airplane was a little smaller than a flight from Thailand to Helsinki.

Wish that everyone would board the back of the plane first. Also let kids on first. The gate wasn’t open at arrival and we waited 45 minutes to takeoff. They made up for time in the air.

This was an absolutely exceptional flight. The flight attendants were extremely attentive and very friendly. They seemed to go out of their way to make us comfortable and to make sure that we had everything we needed., We were in business and were very happy with the size and the details for our pods. We would definitely recommend Finnair and will definitely be flying with them again.

We had an excellent trip with Finnair. This was our first time and we’re very pleased. The only issue was with the boarding - it was a little bit confusing and needs a little bit of streamlining.

Crew very lovely. Arrived an hour late due to bad weather. We were given new tickets to an other flight but it could have been organised better, so we did not have to run through the whole airport to.

Flight delayed over an hour. They said they would hold our connection but then did not.

Major problems checking in at Alaska counter. They could not find our booking code because it came from Finnair.

Do not use KAYAK or Finair for future travel. Unless you purchase the tickets directly from the airline, you were going to have a difficult time checking in. Kayak canceled my flights twice and ended up causing great difficulty in me getting back from Europe because they double sold my tickets between American Airlines and Finair. The event caused significant delays and led to me having to rebook my flights.

The staff were all particularly great. The plane was clean and fresh. The bassinet worked great. It was all very nice.

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.

Food was excellent. Service was very good. Staff was very helpful to all passengers.

The crew was excellent as ever on Virgin. The special meal was poor unfortunately. More significantly when we arrived at Manchester Airport there was no air bridge provided and we had to exit the plane down a rickety stair case. This is unacceptable for a transatlantic flight. Whilst I understand that this is the airport’s fault at the end of the day the airline is responsible for our transportation and needs to do something.

Super friendly and helpful staff, from check-in desk to cabin crew.

Following a paid seat upgrade for enhanced comfort, I encountered an unacceptable odor in my assigned area. It took three hours for the crew to relocate me, and the replacement seat was unacceptably close to the lavatory, offering no improvement.

Good overall. Cannot fault the airlines. I have had better entertainment systems before ie ice in Emirates but it was not too bad. Food was decent and staff were friendly.

The flight and crew were good. The customer experience on the ground could have been better. We had to reschedule our flight because of a delay on the previous flight. The attendants working the desk in Washington DC were not helpful. They told us to scan a QR code and that would get us rebooked. Why couldn't two people standing at their computers do this? We had to chat with someone to get everything figured out. It was extremely confusing.

We took two long flights with Lufthansa, both were delayed making us miss our connecting flights. Lufthansa took care of the first one. The second was a switch to United and figuring out how to rebook was not a pleasant experience.

It was chaotic. It was overbooked so we didn't have seats until the end but they turned out to be good seats. The gate was at the end of the airport. We had to get busses to the tarmac and board. It just seemed chaotic. Flight was OK. Food was not so good. Lufthansa used to be such a great airline and now as it's with everything else: If you have money you get comforts but if you don't then you end up below deck with the rest of the cattle.

Welp - they boarded us appropriately...then had us sit on the plane for over two hours before cancelling the flight...which meant another night in Munich. I probably had it a little better than most as over 500 people had to be accommodated/re-booked etc. The next day I boarded the same flight (for which I had now been ticketed 3 straight days) and - with "only" an hour delay, managed to finally get home over 2 days later than scheduled. I haven't flown Lufthansa to Europe in years...and I won't be looking to do so again in the future. To be clear, though, the people I interacted with - flight crew, Service Center, check-in were all professional and courteous - management is clearly to blame for their lack of communication and unpreparedness for when things go wrong.

It was a short flight, everything was good with it.

Flight was delayed over one hour and I had to pay to select my seat, even though my booking supposedly had free selection (I paid extra for this at time of booking)

Both flights were delayed over 1 hour. And I had to pay for seats, even though my reservation supposedly included free seat selection.

The male attendant has zero personality. It seemed like he was over worked or hated his job, not once did he smile or made any contact with the people on the plane. Strictly business and call it a day!

Seat very cramped, could not recline. No cheese with meal. Staff very helpful.

The flight from Dulles to Munich was just okay. The seats were comfortable and extra foot room was noticeable in comfort plus. Disappointed in the booking in so much I requested an aisle seat and then was assigned a middle seat. The food was inedible. Movie choices were moderate. I usually fly Delta, but this WA flight was cheaper. Next time, I'll happily pay the extra to fly Delta.

We had a pretty good experience. Enjoyed both the flights. Crew was very good and helpful.

They issued seat assignments and sat my 2 year-old in the row behind me, separate from me and my daughter. Communication/ customer service was terrible. They told me to change it in London, then in London, they told me to talk to the cabin crew, then a supervisor came and stuck us in the back of the plane when we were supposed to be in row 25. Overall, they need to really work on their customer service. Additionally the food was terrible and they ran out of meals and didn’t have any kid options. To top it off there was no in-flight entertainment for the first hour of the trip.

We missed the connection because we had to wait for a shuttle from the plane to the Terminal. Also, we needed assistance and none was available.

When we arrived at the airport - 1st step - printing out your boarding pass - no issue. Not long lines as these machines. 2nd step - processing your bag drop off. There was only one associate there to help 10 kiosks. We had a family in front of us for 20 minutes trying to work on the machine and figure out every step for 4 pieces of luggage. My husband alerted the associate who was able to assist the family. Highly suggest that there are more associates to assist in this process. Besides this issue, security check went very quickly. Our flight was direct to Philadelphia. We had to carry our bags down two flights of steps, then out to the tarmac to a bus, then carry our bags up two flights of stairs to the plane. No one on the flight was expecting that long trek. I could see some people were struggling a bit. All in all - great flight crew, plane was clean and food was great!

There were no gluten-free vegan options available, so food was very limited on this flight, and some of the crew weren’t especially helpful about it. To make matters worse, a passenger was sick on board, and although the area was cleaned, the smell lingered for the rest of the journey. On top of that, we ended up circling for an extra hour, which only made the unpleasant situation drag on even longer.

Checking in prior on line and wait time at Gatwick was terrible. I would rate a big fat ZERO.

I checked in to bags, one arrived one was delayed. I did not receive the bag for 4 days - arrived on Tuesday, received bag on Saturday!

It was ok. Our flight was delayed 2 hours, and then again on arrival. The explanation given felt feeble.

The booking agent, cheapflightsfares, messed up, and the information for the seats we paid extra for was not sent to American Airlines. We were separated on the return flight and sent to the lowest economy section. The flight attendant helped arrange seating at the back of the plane to allow my wife and me to sit together.

I liked the comfort of the seats, very attentive crew, and the meals were excellent.

Everything you need to know for your flight 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.

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