£338 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 2/6. 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 Angelesdirect£399
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£397
San Diego
San Diego1 stop£579
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£508
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops£652
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop£679
Los Angeles
Los Angelesdirect£399
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop£397
San Diego
San Diego1 stop£579
San Jose
San Jose1 stop£508
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops£652
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop£679

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

Fri, 1 May - Mon, 11 May
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
06:40 - 14:40
LHR
-
SFO
16h 00m
1 stop
Scandinavian Airlines Logo
16:45 - 16:00
SFO
-
LHR
15h 15m
1 stop
£397Scandinavian Airlines
Wed, 19 Aug - Wed, 9 Sep
British Airways Logo
10:30 - 13:50
LHR
-
LAX
11h 20mdirect
British Airways Logo
20:55 - 15:25
LAX
-
LHR
10h 30mdirect
£399British Airways
Sat, 25 Apr - Sat, 2 May
United Airlines Logo
13:40 - 23:44
LHR
-
LAX
18h 04m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
10:15 - 08:20
LAX
-
LHR
14h 05m
1 stop
£421United Airlines
Tue, 14 Jul - Wed, 5 Aug
United Airlines Logo
13:40 - 21:55
LHR
-
ONT
16h 15m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
06:00 - 07:25
ONT
-
LHR
17h 25m
1 stop
£457United Airlines
Thu, 9 Jul - Thu, 16 Jul
Virgin Atlantic Logo
10:55 - 23:44
LHR
-
ONT
20h 49m
1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
11:59 - 14:00
ONT
-
LHR
18h 01m
1 stop
£503Virgin Atlantic
Tue, 19 May - Tue, 2 Jun
KLM Logo
10:35 - 18:00
LGW
-
SFO
15h 25m
1 stop
KLM Logo
20:10 - 09:25
SFO
-
LGW
29h 15m
1 stop
£503KLM
Fri, 8 May - Mon, 11 May
Virgin Atlantic Logo
10:25 - 18:00
LGW
-
SFO
15h 35m
1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
15:05 - 16:00
SFO
-
LGW
16h 55m
1 stop
£511Virgin Atlantic
Tue, 12 May - Tue, 2 Jun
KLM Logo
10:55 - 16:17
LHR
-
ONT
13h 22m
1 stop
KLM Logo
13:29 - 11:00
ONT
-
LHR
13h 31m
1 stop
£520KLM
Mon, 7 Sep - Mon, 21 Sep
Lufthansa Logo
09:15 - 12:40
LCY
-
SFO
35h 25m
1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
14:40 - 17:55
SFO
-
LCY
19h 15m
1 stop
£542Lufthansa
Tue, 8 Sep - Wed, 16 Sep
Lufthansa Logo
09:15 - 19:55
LCY
-
SFO
18h 40m
1 stop
Lufthansa Logo
14:40 - 17:55
SFO
-
LCY
19h 15m
1 stop
£548Lufthansa
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to California

Get data-powered insights and trends into 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 £210 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 £210.

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 £499 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is £749 and £645 respectively.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from the United Kingdom to California depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, when retur flights cost £491 on average. Morning departures are around 11% 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 £550.

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 5 weeks before departure, which saves you about 26% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 22 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 San Diego Airport (SAN), with an average flight price of £625.

Good to know - Cheap tickets to California

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight£338
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 2% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (19% more expensive on average)
Flight from London Heathrow Airport to Los Angeles

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

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew to California 
AntonFlew with United Airlines
LHR
-
SFO
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
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 £521. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, when return prices are £590 on average.

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 £622, from London Heathrow £1,553
  • 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.
7.5
Virgin AtlanticOverall score based on 687 reviews
8.1Crew
7.5Entertainment
7.7Boarding
6.9Food
7.3Comfort
Airline reviews

Seating and zone. The minor I went with didn’t even seat close to me

4.0 OkayAnonymous, Mar 2026
BOS - LIS
Read more Virgin Atlantic reviews

Seating and zone. The minor I went with didn’t even seat close to me

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

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

Packed in plane small uncomfortable seats elbow to elbow nobody wants to be in that situation for the money they paid

Checking in united could not figure out my star alliance gold. Baggage did not get marked priority and didn't receive boarding passes. When got to SFO lounge personal fixed everything Immediately

Meals were poor and service rendered on return flight was mediocre as compared to the flight we took to Germany earlier where the attendants were more attentive, energetic, and mindful of passengers' needs. Thumbs up to crew of UA 58. Thumbs down to UA 59..

Flight left on time, arrived early, pleasant staff provided water, coffee, etc. access to bathrooms was reasonable and were well maintained. blankets were available, lots of entertainment options. LUGGAGE SERVICE WAS GREAT. I got my one checked bag quickly and was able to make a bus connection for a 2 hour bus ride saving me from waiting another 1.5 hours.

Terrible, if possible won't be flying again anytime soon!

Wonderful in-seat entertainment with seatback screens and huge selection of quality movies. The ability to bluetooth connect headphones was amazing.

we did a return flight from Paris CDG to SFO. This trip was much better than the departing flight SFO to CDG. The food was better quality, the crew was nicer, and the interior of the plane seemed cleaner.

Horrible service no Wi-Fi connection on both leg of the flight and they are refusing to fix bad service

We got to get extended leg room in Econ plus that was great. It was nice having our own dietary needs met with our meals, and the connecting flights had it as well. Only negative were the seats my bottom was/is really sore after a ten plus hour flight. Those seats are horrible, understandable for as many people use them. So we are going to purchase a gel seat pad.

Flight to Japan was was better across the board than the return to USA. Entertainment: Movie selection was old and not to my liking. Way too many woke choices. Not enough selections for sports or drama. Service: some of the crew were great. Not all. I paid for business class. a premium. Some of the crew thought they 'had' t do there job instead of wanting to serve and be polite. Food: Way to Japan was good. Way back to USA bad. Boarding: Wat out did not offer Business only; had to go thru general. If you pay for business, you should get business perks. Suggest you look for other than United for travel to Asia

The crew was friendly. The plane was comfortable. In-flight wifi didn't work well at all. The ride was quite turbulent but understandable given the weather.

My issue is with the SkyWest terminal. The flight was not listed on the main airport flight screen list, and I had to do a Google search to locate the terminal and gate. We had to ask several airport employees where to locate the phantom gate. The airport did not provide adequate signage and was confusing. When we arrived, there was one vendor providing services that quickly closed, leaving zero options for food and drink while we waited hours for our delayed flight. The crew that assisted with check-in and boarding was VERY friendly.

Economy seats a bit small but other than that it was all good.

delayed flight stayed whole night at washington Dallas airport at seats , uncomfortable . i am senior citizen , very tired , worst travel.

No complimentary drinks or snacks offered on a 2 hour flight was disappointing but everything else went well

There was a 6h delay with limited updates . When we got to Manchester the bus took ages to get to arrivals and we missed our train, dinner reservation. Basically lost a whole day due to arrivals Lingus!!

All aspects were excellent - it helped that the flight was only 2/3 full and I had no one sitting in my row. The Pre-check (US Passport Control and Customs) in Dublin made everything so easy when we arrived in Chicago.

I love the direct flights. It saves a lot of hassle and allows immigration and customs in Ireland, making arrival much easier.

One of the best flight experiences I've have had in along time. Would fly with them again.

One of the best flight experience I have had in along time. Would fly with them again.

flight was half full, plenty of empty seats, was able to lie down across 4 seats, food was good, arrived on time

Was never allowed on and not refunded the full amount of the ticket plus charged a $300 processing fee.

Terrible. Our flight was completely cancelled with no options to rebook until 4 days later.

Generally good. Not their fault but the design of the Boeing 747 had seating supports directly in line with my legs. So my legs always had to straddle this support which caused body misallignment. Such poor design from Boeing. There was no USB port for me to charge my phone. The screen touch control was very poor.

I like crew. They are friendly. The flight was delayed to take off for 1hr and that caused panic at Houston Airport to catch connecting flight due to security check delay. If it has reached on time I would have sufficient time in collecting bags and security check

How about changing the personal out to more friendly human beings? This team was pretty arrogant. No fun!!

Everything could have been better. What needed to be wrong with United went wrong

Excellent service. The crew goes above their way to make the customer comfortable.

It was good. The seats in economy weren’t bad

I hated the FRA Airport. Confusing signage, including the path to Immigration and Security It seems that the airport grew haphazardly over the years. I have been through multiple WW Hubs with much better experiences.

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.

Everything was spectacular except the boarding. It was just a mob of people while all groups were called over the public address system.

The Britts are wonderful to fly with and the crew were very hospitable. Again, I really wish they had been able to retrieve my carryon bag from baggage claim before the flight so I could be in a less worrisome state of mind, but that's not on them. I completely understand. The window seats with the dimmable windows were very cool!

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.

food options were terrible. for a 10-hour flight, there should be 2 decent meals. Also, flight attendants should come around with drinks more than just at the meals.

Smooth flight. The seats were comfortable but the reclining mechanism didn't work very well. My wife's seat required the flight attendant to push the seat forward while she pushed the button. The leg support didn't want to return to its home under the seat. I ordered the diabetic meal which was full of carbs. It was low in sugar but carbs turn into sugar so was it really diabetic? Overall the flight was pleasant, long but pleasant.

Crew were nice, food was good. Boarding was horrendous. We were driven around the airport in a bus forced to climb a long flight of very steep stairs with no adequate handrails to board the plane . In many many years of flying to the US I have never been required to do this . There was no assistance for those needing help getting up the stairs to the plane. A fellow passenger helped me. No idea how other elderly, physically limited passengers or those with young children managed . It was a full flight with crowds trying to get up the stairs. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Horrible, the plane is just old and junky...Filthy restroom, seat was as hard as rock. The food, mystery side dish, inedible..geez..just Horrible. Never flying BA again

the service on Business class should be improved to be at par with industry leaders like Cathay Pacific and Singapore AIrlines. A lot of room for improvement.

Late takeoff, but on time landing. Lost bags, 3 days to find them, still in transit to my location. Power outlets broken, Wi-Fi not working, so much for working on the long flight.

Everything you need to know for your flight to California