Flying to California

Overview

California’s two major metropolitan areas, San Francisco (in the north) and Los Angeles (in the south), offer a vast global selection of air travel options. Each has several major airports located relatively close together.

The "Bay Area" region, for example, has no fewer than four major hubs, starting with San Francisco International Airport (the 7th busiest in the U.S., with 48 million passengers per year), followed by Oakland (35th, with 10.5 million), San Jose (41st, with 9.5 million), and Sacramento (42nd, with 9 million)—just to name the busiest. Los Angeles is similar but on a larger scale. Beyond Los Angeles International Airport, the second-busiest in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest with 71 million passengers annually, nearby airports include San Diego (28th, with 19 million), Santa Ana (40th, with 9.6 million), and Ontario, Long Beach, and Burbank. In short, there are plenty of options, though outside of San Francisco and Los Angeles, most airports primarily serve domestic U.S. flights or Mexico, with very few connections to Europe or other distant regions.

Which city to land in?

Most foreign tourists flying into California choose Los Angeles or San Francisco as their entry point. More flight options, direct routes, generally better prices, and the ability to plan the rest of their trip from there are all reasons for this choice. However, both cities have several nearby airports that can serve as alternatives, especially if arriving from elsewhere in the U.S.

Combining Los Angeles and San Francisco for air travel (arriving in one city and departing from the other) can be a solution, but it’s not always the most practical for California. Besides potentially complicating logistics or incurring extra costs if renting a vehicle, the state lends itself well to loop itineraries (e.g., LA – coast – SF – inland – LA) rather than linear ones.

Types of flights

Charters, scheduled, and low-cost

Promotions and special offers

From France and Europe

From France

Paris-Charles de Gaulle offers direct flights to Los Angeles with Air France, Air Tahiti Nui, Norwegian, and XL Airways (seasonal). For San Francisco, direct flights are operated by Air France, United, and XL Airways (also seasonal) from Roissy. Outside of these or from other French regions, all other flights require one or more connections. Expect a minimum flight time of 11.5 hours and round-trip fares ranging from 500 to 1,000 €, with prices varying significantly depending on the season.

From another country

For the San Francisco area:

For the Los Angeles area:

From the Americas

Canada

Rest of the United States

Arriving directly in California from elsewhere in the U.S. is no problem. Los Angeles, Bay Area airports, and—on a smaller scale—other major regional airports have extensive connections across the country, operated primarily by American Airlines and United (or their subsidiaries), which have made California one of their hubs.