Cheap flights from London to Los Angeles

January is the cheapest month on this route, and the weeks right after the New Year are the quietest of the year. Summer and the run-up to Christmas are the opposite: school holidays push fares up, and Thanksgiving travel in the United States makes late November busy in both directions. Midweek departures, Tuesday and Wednesday especially, usually cost less than a Friday or Sunday flight, and early departures out of London tend to mean a calmer airport. Book a few months ahead for summer and December travel; for January and February you can often leave it later and still do well.

British Airways and American Airlines are the names most people see first, and both sell direct flights from London to Los Angeles International. The rest of the field is built around connections: Finnair, Swiss, Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Aer Lingus and Royal Air Maroc all route you through their own hub, with a stop on the way. Alaska Airlines appears as a partner on itineraries that continue inside the United States, and Hahn Air Technologies turns up as a ticketing name on some fares rather than an airline you board. Almost everything here is full service, so the differences sit in what each fare includes: baggage, seat selection and whether a missed connection is covered.

Los Angeles International is the only airport on the destination side, so every flight lands there. It sits close to the coast, a short drive south-west of downtown in light traffic and a much longer one when the freeways are busy, which is most of the day. Taxis, ride shares and shared shuttle vans all run from the terminals into the city, and there is a bus and rail connection for anyone travelling light. Terminals are spread out and the walk between them is not always obvious, so check which one your flight uses before you arrange a pickup. Immigration can take a while on the first arrivals of the morning, and if you are connecting onwards, leave yourself room.

Currency

USD ($)

Power sockets

Type A, B · 120 V

Language

Samoan, Hawaiian, Chamorro, Carolinian, Spanish

Emergency number

911

Driving side

right

Calling code

+1

Internet domain

.us

Population of Los Angeles

3.9 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC-08 (America/Los_Angeles)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your fare actually leaves from, because Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Luton and Stansted sit far apart.
• Look at the baggage allowance on the fare you are considering, since a low headline price often excludes a checked bag.
• If your itinerary is built from separate tickets, make sure you have time to collect bags and check in again at the connection.
• Confirm your passport and any US entry requirements well before departure.
• Decide whether a direct flight is worth paying more for, or whether a connection through a European hub suits your budget.
• Book early for summer and December travel, and leave January and February later if you can.