Cheap flights from London to San Jose

November is the cheapest month to fly this route, sitting between the busy summer and the Christmas rush. Late autumn and the stretch from January to early spring tend to stay reasonable too, while July and August and the December holidays push fares up on both sides of the Atlantic. Midweek departures, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, are usually kinder than Friday or Sunday, and a Saturday-night stay helps on the return. Watch American Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, when seats to California fill early, and book a few months ahead if your dates fall in those weeks.

Every airline on this route is a full-service carrier, so there is no low-cost option to weigh against them. Iberia, Swiss, Austrian, Lufthansa and Lufthansa City Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Helvetic Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines all route you through their own hubs in Europe, which means a connection before the long haul. United Airlines and WestJet can also appear in the mix, with connections on the other side of the Atlantic. Because the trip is never direct, the fare you see covers several legs, and what is included, such as a checked bag, seat selection or a changeable ticket, depends on the fare family you choose rather than on the airline name.

San Jose Municipal is the airport you land at, and it sits close to the city rather than out in the countryside, so the transfer into the centre is short by Californian standards. Taxis, ride-hailing apps and local buses cover the run into downtown, and car hire is available if you plan to explore the wider Bay Area. Because there are no direct flights from London, your arrival time depends on where you connect: a European hub adds a longer wait, while a North American one usually means a shorter final hop. Check your onward details before you book and leave room between legs if you arrange them separately.

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 San Jose

1.0 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC-08 (America/Los_Angeles)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Decide which London airport you leave from, because London City, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted feed different connections.
• Check the baggage allowance on every leg, since a fare that looks light can grow once a checked bag is added.
• If you book the legs separately, leave a generous gap between them, because a missed connection on separate tickets is yours to fix.
• Make sure your passport and any US entry paperwork are valid well before departure.
• Book early if you travel around American Thanksgiving or the December holidays, when seats to California go quickly.
• Compare November dates against the rest of the year, because that is when fares on this route are lowest.