LON LAX
Flights from London to Los Angeles
Everything worth knowing before you book this route — how far it is, how long you will be in the air, whether a direct flight exists from London, and what the fare is doing.
How long is the flight from London to Los Angeles?
The great-circle distance from London (LON) to Los Angeles is 5,432 miles. Flown nonstop, that works out at roughly 11h 21m in the air, including taxi time at both ends.
Expect the return leg to differ. Flying westbound on the way out, you are pushing against the jet stream, so the outbound and inbound block times on this route differ by up to 45 minutes. Airlines schedule for it — it is not a delay.
Can you fly London to Los Angeles direct?
Nonstop from Heathrow
From Heathrow: American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
What it costs from London
The cheapest return we have measured from London to Los Angeles is £389, flying out 25 Nov and back 5 Dec. That is this airport's own best week, found by searching it separately from the other nine — every UK airport wins on a different date. The search allows one stop, so this can be a connection rather than one of the nonstops above.
Price LON → LAX on KiwiWhen to book
Los Angeles has a Mediterranean climate on a coast cooled by the California Current, and the result is a place with essentially two seasons: a dry one that lasts most of the year and a wet one that is short, intense and confined to the winter. Rain, when it comes, comes in a few days of proper downpour rather than a persistent drizzle, and it is the only thing that reliably disrupts a trip here.
Seasons, prices and the full Los Angeles guideLanding in Los Angeles
You gain 8 hours flying out. Westbound is the kinder direction — staying up later comes more naturally than going to bed early — so most travellers feel normal within a day or two.
| Airport | LAX, in the south-west of the basin and forty minutes to two hours from wherever you are staying depending entirely on the hour. The people-mover to the new transit centre finally connects it to the rail network. Burbank (BUR) is the second airport, far smaller and much easier, and worth checking if a fare offers it. |
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| Currency | US dollar. Cards work everywhere and cash is rarely needed except at some food trucks. Sales tax of around 9.5% in Los Angeles County is added at the till rather than shown on the shelf, and tipping at 18 to 20% is expected wherever there is table service. |
| Language | English, with Spanish spoken by around half the county. No barrier. The pharmacy vocabulary differs — paracetamol is Tylenol or acetaminophen — and British medicine strengths are not sold here. |
Where to stay in Los Angeles
Most visitors stay in Hollywood or Santa Monica. The list below is filtered to places rated 9+ by guests and sorted by price, with dates already filled in — change them for your own trip.
Top-rated places to stay in Los AngelesLos Angeles from other UK airports
Other destinations from London
Every destination from London, comparedReady to price it? The fare moves daily.
Open the Los Angeles guide for today's confirmed fare from every UK airport, or search this route directly with your own dates.
See today's Los Angeles fares