Cheap flights from London to Santa Ana

December is the cheapest month on this route, and the fare calendar shows prices for every month of the year, so you can see how far the rest of the year sits above it. Summer and the school holidays are when demand peaks, while the quieter stretches of late autumn and early winter tend to hold the lower fares. Midweek departures usually cost less than weekend ones, and the middle of the week is when the widest choice of connections shows up. If you want December, book early — the weeks around the holidays fill first and the lowest fares go before the rest.

Nothing on this route is nonstop, so every itinerary is a pairing: a long-haul flight plus at least one connection. The names that show up most are American Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet, Icelandair and Aer Lingus, with Lufthansa, Swiss, Air Baltic and Helvetic Airways on itineraries that change planes in Europe. BA CityFlyer starts at London City, which helps if you'd rather not cross town to Heathrow or Gatwick. What you get for the fare varies: some tickets include a checked bag and seat selection, others quote a bare price and add everything later. Compare the total, not the headline.

Santa Ana's airport is John Wayne, a compact field close to the middle of the city rather than far out on the edge of the metro area. It sits within easy reach of downtown Santa Ana and the rest of Orange County, so getting into town is a short ride — a taxi or a ride share does it, and local buses cover the same ground for less. Because John Wayne is a smaller airport, arrivals from London usually clear US immigration at the first point of entry and then take a domestic hop in. Check which airport that is when you book, because it decides how long your travel day really runs.

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 Santa Ana

3.2 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC-07 (America/Los_Angeles)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Decide which London airport you're leaving from, because Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City all feed this route and the connection changes with each.
• Check where you change planes and how long the layover is, since nothing here flies nonstop.
• If the legs are booked on separate tickets, a missed connection is yours to fix, not the airline's.
• Look at what baggage each leg includes, as allowances can differ between the long-haul and the connecting carrier.
• Make sure your passport and any US entry authorisation are in order before you pay.
• Use the price calendar to compare months, and remember that December comes out cheapest.