$64 Find Cheap Flights from Charlotte to California

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Charlotte to California departing on 12/8. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Charlotte to California.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Charlotte to California.
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Cheap Flights from Charlotte to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$259
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$319
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$338
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$307
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$262
Fresno
Fresno2 stops$350
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$309
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$484
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$381
Redding
Redding2 stops$254
Reno
Reno1 stop$225
Sacramento
Sacramentononstop$159
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$259
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$319
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$338
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$307
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$262
Fresno
Fresno2 stops$350
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$309
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$484
Arcata
Arcata1 stop$381
Redding
Redding2 stops$254
Reno
Reno1 stop$225
Sacramento
Sacramentononstop$159

Book Cheap Charlotte to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Charlotte to California that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Charlotte to California

Thu, Jan 22 - Wed, Jan 28
Frontier Logo
12:12 pm - 11:59 pmCLT-ONT
14h 47m1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 11:17 amONT-CLT
25h 17m1 stop
$130Frontier
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Thu, Jan 8 - Sat, Jan 10
Frontier Logo
12:17 pm - 12:42 pmCLT-SNA
27h 25m1 stop
Frontier Logo
1:17 pm - 11:22 amSNA-CLT
19h 05m1 stop
$130Frontier
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Thu, Jan 15 - Tue, Jan 20
American Airlines Logo
5:59 pm - 8:47 pmCLT-SMF
5h 48mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
10:29 pm - 6:02 amSMF-CLT
4h 33mnonstop
$159American Airlines
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Sat, Dec 6 - Tue, Dec 9
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:57 pm - 7:19 amCLT-LAS
20h 22m2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:29 pm - 12:04 pmLAS-CLT
19h 35m3 stops
$225Spirit Airlines
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Tue, Jan 27 - Thu, Jan 29
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:06 pm - 10:50 pmCLT-LAS
8h 44m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 6:36 pmLAS-CLT
8h 36m1 stop
$231Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Apr 21 - Thu, Apr 30
Delta Logo
11:45 am - 6:35 pmCLT-SMF
9h 50m1 stop
Delta Logo
11:55 am - 9:45 pmSMF-CLT
6h 50m1 stop
$257Delta
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Thu, Jan 15 - Tue, Jan 20
American Airlines Logo
5:59 pm - 8:47 pmCLT-SMF
5h 48mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 6:18 pmSMF-CLT
9h 18m1 stop
$259American Airlines
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Wed, Nov 12 - Fri, Nov 14
Southwest Logo
7:00 am - 2:25 pmCLT-LAX
10h 25m1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:35 am - 6:05 pmLAX-CLT
6h 30m1 stop
$260Southwest
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Tue, Apr 21 - Tue, Apr 28
Delta Logo
11:45 am - 6:35 pmCLT-SMF
9h 50m1 stop
Delta Logo
7:18 pm - 8:38 amSMF-CLT
10h 20m2 stops
$262Delta
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Sat, Nov 15 - Mon, Nov 17
Southwest Logo
6:45 am - 3:00 pmCLT-LAX
11h 15m1 stop
Southwest Logo
6:05 am - 9:10 pmLAX-CLT
12h 05m1 stop
$266Southwest
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Charlotte to California flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Charlotte to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest Charlotte to California flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to California from Charlotte found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $284 round-trip. The most popular route is from Charlotte (CLT) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $284.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Charlotte to California?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 3 stops layover the cheapest option at $342 on average.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Charlotte to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Charlotte to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Charlotte to California is June, when tickets cost $333 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $445 and $429 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Charlotte to California?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Charlotte to California clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If you are looking for a flight deal from Charlotte to California, look for departures on Thursdays and avoid leaving on a Sunday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from California, Wednesday is the cheapest day to fly and Sunday is the most expensive.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Charlotte to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Charlotte to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Charlotte to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 21% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 7 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$64
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 11% increase in price.
Flight from Charlotte to Las Vegas

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Are there services for those with limited mobility at the airports in Charlotte and California?

    Yes, each of these airports along this journey is ADA-compliant. At Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and at any of the arrival airports in California, you will have access to accessible restrooms and water fountains, communication assistance, and wheelchair assistance free of charge. You can also request assistance with boarding and deplaning, including during any layovers. If you need to use these services, contact your airline in advance.

  • What are some common layover airports on the route from Charlotte to California?

    You will find many direct flights from Charlotte to Florida depending on your destination, but some routes will require one or two layovers. If you fly with Frontier from Charlotte (CLT) to San Diego International Airport (SAN), you will have a layover in Denver. Those flying with American Airlines to Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) will have a layover in Dallas (DFW), while those flying with United stop at Denver (DEN). If you are flying to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with Delta will stop in Atlanta (ATL), while those with American Airlines stop at Dallas (DFW) and those with Frontier stop at Denver (DEN).

  • Are there any direct flights from Charlotte to California?

    Yes, there are a lot of direct flights from Charlotte to California. You will find direct flights from Charlotte (CLT) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on board Spirit Airlines and American Airlines. Direct flights to San Diego International Airport (SAN) are operated by American Airlines. Direct flights to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are on board American Airlines, as well. There is also a direct flight to Sacramento International Airport (SMF) on board American Airlines.

  • How can I make my flight from Charlotte to California more sustainable?

    Eco-conscious travelers should consider booking nonstop flights when possible to reduce the amount of fuel burned during takeoffs and landings during their flights. Also, consider flying with Delta Air Lines or Frontier, two of the most sustainable airlines flying this route. Finally, pack light and consider booking an economy-class seat. 

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Charlotte to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Charlotte to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Charlotte to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Charlotte to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Charlotte to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Charlotte to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Charlotte to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Charlotte to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to California?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $429 on average. Morning departures are around 65% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,291.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Charlotte to the following destinations at these prices or less: Las Vegas $330 one-way - $437 round-trip; Los Angeles $403 one-way - $381 round-trip
  • Those flying from Charlotte, North Carolina, to California will be using Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) as their departure point. This airport is a hub for American Airlines, US Airways, PSA Airlines, and more. Aside from Charlotte, this airport also serves nearby cities like Belmont, Gastonia, and even Newport, South Carolina.
  • Travelers who want to book the cheapest flights possible from Charlotte to California can expect to fly to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on board Spirit Airlines. These are usually direct flights, but sometimes they have a layover in Chicago. If your flight has a layover, you will need to self-transfer.
  • Those flying out of Charlotte will usually have access to some airline lounges depending on the airline they are using. You can find the American Airlines Admirals Club in the terminal as well as a USO Lounge, an American Express lounge, and The Club CLT.
  • Travelers wanting to visit the Napa Valley in northern California should consider flying into either San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Sacramento International Airport (SMF). These are the two closest major airports to Napa Valley.
  • If you want to visit Yosemite National Park in California, your best bet will be to fly into either San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) or Sacramento International Airport, as you will have easy road access to Yosemite National Park from these nearby airports.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Charlotte to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Charlotte to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Charlotte to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4241 reviews
8.6Crew
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
Airline reviews

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

8.0 ExcellentGreg, Oct 2025OAK - BUR
Read more Southwest reviews

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

Connecting flight is on time and boarding was a breeze!

Very smooth checking in our luggage with a super pleasant SW agent. I enjoyed a fun entertaining movie.

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

Great experience flying Southwest. The crew was really kind and helpful, and very friendly with our toddler.

Plane late from DC to Austin 30 minutes. Crew made up much of the time enroute to San Diego.

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

Flight was too crowded and seats are too small, especially since passengrs are getting larger. Having a middle seat is ALWAYS tough! Woman on my left was large & kept creeping in to my space. Flight personnel were great! Have more savory rather than sweet snacks please.

On time flight. Seat comfort could be better in the Comfort section.

The crew took good care of us. The flight from ATL to SFO is a longer one, and there were multiple beverage offerings. I like the 757's that Delta uses. Good airplane that is comfortable. I do wish Delta would separate Priority boarding from the better seats. I would gladly take a smaller seat in an open row than be jammed into Comfort just to get priority boarding, just to make sure I don't have to check a bag.

Gate agent rushed to fill hot jetway with crowd so it took over 12 minutes to go from gate to plane. Just like a discount airline Pooly prepared cabin and third time that claim of rough air prevented any cabin service. Friends on a Southwest flight at similar time had service.

Perfect flight both ways. On time, courteous staff, plane comfortable and cool. Best domestic flights I’ve had in awhile.

I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

My flight was extremely cold. I had a jacket and a cover was left in each seat. The cover was extremely thin and I have a disability, fibromyalgia and arthrithis and AC air is the worst. I closed my vent and my husbands vent and it still was frigid. I asked the attendant if I could get another cover and she quickly almost dismissively and totally unconcerned stating, (I quote) (one per chair) and walked off so quickly that I didn't get a chance to explain to her that I literally have adisability. I didnt want to make a seen so I set on that flight for over 5 hours in pain, joints locking up and extremely uncomfortable. When my fibromyalgia flares up my joints not only ache but they will lock up also and it takes me days to get back to my regular self even though I take medication for it. I felt like it would not have hurt anyone at all for her to just give me an extra cover because I'm sure they have all types of medical issues in people that fly every day.

Flight was delayed because of a bird strike. They had another plane available within 45 minutes.

You can plug your phone in & use their wifi to watch movies, etc, but the plane’s wifi was disconnected for most of the flight.

Sat on the ground in Cincinnati for 50 minutes before deplaning

Overall fine, but the delay was annoying and the reasons for the delay were not communicated. The crew on board were phenomenal!

Boarding was very efficient. Everyone got on board and we got on our way very quickly. It was frustrating that the entertainment app was not functioning properly. I was not able to activate some of the movies offered. The crew on this flight appears to be pretty grumpy. They had no smile on their faces. I felt like they were doing us a favor for being there.

Delayed because of weather in Nashville. I think God or some higher power generally has cursed me when it comes to flying out of Charlotte on American. I'm delayed pretty much everytime. We need Team Cobra Kai types to come in and "sweep the leg(s)" of the Charlotte ops people on principle. Don't let the sweet southern rocking chairs fool you, Charlotte is a sinkhole

Long 5 hour and 45 min flight and only one drink service and cookie snack

Newark airport grounded inbound flight and only announced when the flight was about to start taxing.

Terrible. The flight was delayed two hours due to weather. Then when we got on the plane, the first pilot ended up timing out and we had to wait for a second pilot. Second pile came on board and we tax it out. Had to return back to the gate because of an unruly passenger. Then the copilot timed out. Had to wait for new copilot. Also had to wait for maintenance to check for fuel. Then found out the second pilot timed out and we had to wait for a third pilot. Was ready to go and then needed maintenance again for another issue. In the end, it was 2 o’clock in the morning when they announced that the flight couldn’t go because the third pilot and the second copilot had timed out.

American Airlines initially postponed the flight. Then they cancelled it an rescheduled us on a flight that would take over 24 hours with multiple stops. They then changed this flight to a reasonable alternative the next day which they later cancelled and replaced with a flight that would take off with an additional 16 hour delay. They blamed weather but I noticed (at 4am) that Delta had direct flights from Charlotte to Detroit. I went on line. Booked it and was in Detroit buy 9am. The interesting thing is they did a similar thing to a family member just 2 days earlier. I don't think I will fly American unless I have to.

Always comes in handy when I want a quick weekend getaway.

My luggage didn’t arrive at LAX, so that wasn’t a good experience.

I was never aware that I had to pay $100 per luggage to them on the plane that are simply carry-ons. This is discriminatory and I’m going to be alerting my entire family and friends and my Instagram following up over 75,000 of this issue and misunderstanding, including mismanaging.

My experience with spirit was not good at all! This was actually my first time flying with Spirit and it’s definitely my last, first of all that flight was delayed, plus I had to pay $99 dollars for my carry on, that’s insane I have never pay for my carry on, I’m definitely going keep traveling with JetBlue or American Airlines, you guys have horrible service.

My baggage broke and they did not offer me anything. No conversation

Don't board the plane and have us sit for 2 hours and go nowhere!

Cancelled my flight last minute and did not help me rebook. It was a horrible experience.

Wow truly top notch airline Efficient nice snacks courteous staff Fast boarding !

My experience with Spirit was good, but the experience with Kayak was not. Based on the Spirit agent Kayak added an additional charge after purchasing the tickets. When I buy the tickets I paid the total amount and I only pay once. This time they added an additional charge because based on Spirit they partially charge the tickets and I still needed to pay a second time. This is not good at all and Unprofessional

Spirit gets such a bad rap. I have never had a bad experience with them and the crew is always friendly and funny. This trip I had knee replacement surgery surgery 10 weeks ago. It is still a little rough to get get from point a to point b. And Spirit was on top of it. When there was a seat available the stewardess asked me if I wanted to move to an open seat so I could elevate my leg on the empty seat? 5 stars all around. They helped me on and helped me off the plane. I can’t say enough about the crew!!

Better than expected. Staff were friendly and nice on both flights.

There was no one at the counter to assist with our check in. The app didn’t work, so I arrived at the airport with time to check in and I couldn’t because no employees were there. When I finally got someone on the phone, it was inside the 60min rule and they said I could no longer check in and they could sell me another ticket. We had to scramble and pay an additional $800 for tickets and THEN AFTER (about 60 min from my original convo with customer service and 10min after original departure time) I had boarded my new flight, there was email saying my original flight from Frontier was delayed and leaving 2hr 50min later, but I STILL wouldn’t have been able to check in. Which means customer service should have been able to see it and let me check in because I was well within my check in time. When I call Frontier, they hang up on me. So their app didn’t work and they employees left and they take zero responsibility or assistance with their “customer service”

Terrible. Flight cancelled with no reasoning and no flights to rebook. Employees were useless and did nothing to help. Did not even know where to retrieve luggage from the cancelled flight. Flyers beware.

No fault of Frontier staff: plane was very late, reached Orlando at 1 am, took a while to get luggage. Weather, gov financial shutdown impact on TSA, air controllers seemed to have multiple flights backed up. Frontier staff seemed to cope as gracefully as possible. It did reassure me that I and my new hip could adapt to travel challenges. Food/entertainment were irrelevant to my trip.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

Boarding was on time and plane departed as scheduled. There are obviously no amenities (food, drink, entertainment) on Frontier, but there also didn't seem to be any issues with luggage space either.

Inbound plane was on time and flight departed on time with no issues while boarding.

I knew going into this that Frontier, being a low cost carrier, would be pretty bare bones and charge for most extras but this was made up for by the fact that the airplane was a reasonably new Airbus, every employee was great and best of all, Everett Washington is an amazing airport - thanks Frontier for flying there!!!

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

It was well done. It was my first time flying with them and I was nervous b/c I have heard of many cancelled and/or delray flights. Everything went smoothly.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Charlotte to California

Information on your arrival and departure airports