BA's Premium Economy offers priority boarding, bigger baggage allowance, and more legroom.
BA's Executive Club loyalty program offers Avios points for flights and partner purchases.

Planning a trip from London to San Francisco? KAYAK’s data-powered insights will help you find cheap flights. Learn the best time to fly, how early to book your ticket, and other tips to secure great prices.
When planning a flight from London to San Francisco, there are several strategies to consider for saving money. Generally, Tuesday flights in February offer the best value.
Day Choice: Opt for Tuesday flights for the best rates.
Month Choice: February is typically the cheapest month to fly.
Booking Time: Booking around 142 days in advance can help secure a good deal.
Airline Choice: TAP AIR PORTUGAL generally offers the cheapest fares.
Route Choice: The route from London Gatwick (LGW) to San Francisco (SFO) is usually the most affordable.
Flight Type: Despite common belief, direct flights can sometimes be more expensive than those with layovers.
This feature is powered by ChatGPT: an OpenAI-developed artificial intelligence model trained with KAYAK proprietary data and third-party data not verified by KAYAK.
| Low season | November |
|---|---|
| High season | July |
| Cheapest flight | $502 |
Direct departures
London to San Francisco
Monday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Tuesday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Wednesday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Thursday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Friday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Saturday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Sunday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Direct returns
San Francisco to London
Monday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Tuesday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, +1 more
British Airways, United Airlines, +2 more
1
Wednesday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Thursday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Friday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Saturday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
Sunday
British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
British Airways, United Airlines, +1 more
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.
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.
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.
The crew was not very visible. This might be a good thing for people who wanted to sleep but seemed odd when compared to the Atlantic crossing where they are more present in the cabin. The Food (beef) was not good. Tough and tasteless. Would love to see more choices on a long flight like that.
Movie selection was meh. Food was great. Crew as always great. I paid for premium because that’s the only way not to feel like a sardine. That’s how economy should be imo. Sadly passengers have to pay an extra $1000 to get what they should at base price but that’s all airlines. The airline industry in general treats passengers as cargo.
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.
Wrong numbers on the seats, side rows had different numbers than middle row caused lot of confusion.
The flight crew was friendly. I tried to adjust my seat online ahead of time but no option existed without additional fees. My friend asked at the gate about a seat change and was able to make it happen. That was great! The flight crew moved a very tall gentleman and his companion which allowed us to have more space which was nice. Overall, good experience. Appreciated the blanket and pillow.
I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.
Excellent flight. The crew was exceptionally attentive and organized. Attention to details is unmatched.
Loved the courtesy and punctuality. Very professional and most importantly on time.
Great! They got my vegetarian meal right, flight was comfortable, they helped store my heavy luggage. Pleasant crew and flight staff.
I did wish they would give us the entire little bottle Bailey's instead of just have 1/2 bottle at a time
My layover in Vienna was supposed to be 35 minutes but because my flight was canceled I had to wait in the airport for an additional 8 hours.
Very limited legroom in a 10 hour flight.very old plane.
They had me unpack a handbag 2 lbs overweight into another handbag 8 lbs underweight for a Bible.
My flight was canceled and even though I paid אם KAYAK you didn't even answer me and obviously didn't refund my money. I will never buy a ticket through you again.
One thing I really liked about Austrian Airlines was that the flight attendants were very kind, and the in-flight entertainment offered many choices. One thing that could be improved is the meal service, since only a vegetarian option was offered — it would be better to have at least two choices
One thing I really liked about Austrian Airlines was that the flight attendants were very kind, and the in-flight entertainment offered many choices. One thing that could be improved is the meal service, since only a vegetarian option was offered — it would be better to have at least two choices.
United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.
The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!
7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.
Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.
The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane
The internet service I paid for didn’t work at all and the flight crew was not very friendly.
Subject: Formal Complaint: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Conduct – Request for Immediate Action & Compensation Dear [Airline Customer Relations Team], I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my recent travel experience with [Airline], which was by far the worst I have ever encountered. What occurred was not only unprofessional, but in several instances discriminatory, unsafe, and unacceptable. On the first leg of my trip, I arrived only four minutes past check-in. Instead of making any attempt to resolve the matter, your representative flatly denied me boarding and made me wait while she attended to passengers who arrived after me. By the time a manager intervened, it was too late to board, costing me time, money, and unnecessary frustration. The second leg of my trip (Chicago–San Francisco) raised even more serious concerns. From the outset, it was apparent that the staff—particularly two attendants—prioritized Caucasian passengers while dismissing African American and minority passengers. • When a Caucasian passenger in the exit row refused to comply with federal safety requirements, I, as a first responder, immediately offered to switch seats and assume the responsibility. My offer was blatantly ignored, and instead, a Caucasian passenger seated further up was chosen. This was discriminatory and deeply insulting, especially as I was actively de-escalating the situation that could have delayed the flight further. • During a lengthy tarmac delay of over 90 minutes, passengers were given conflicting and unreasonable instructions that created unnecessary distress and tension. • Throughout the flight, a visibly intoxicated passenger directly in front of me was disruptive, rude to others, failed to comply with seatbelt and electronic device rules, and yet faced no enforcement from the crew. In stark contrast, I was singled out for repeated compliance checks even though I was following every rule. This unequal treatment was so obvious that multiple passengers around me spoke up in my defense. This pattern of behavior demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism, disregard for passenger safety, and discriminatory treatment. I expect far better from an airline of your stature. As a paying customer subjected to this unacceptable treatment, I am formally requesting: 1. A full investigation into the conduct of the staff on both flights. 2. A written apology acknowledging the discriminatory and unprofessional behavior I endured. 3. Appropriate compensation for the distress, inconvenience, and mishandling of my travel. If this matter is not addressed promptly and thoroughly, I will have no choice but to escalate my complaint further, including filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation and sharing my experience through other channels. I trust [Airline] will take this complaint seriously and provide a timely resolution.
1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!
I found the staff to not be very attentive at all. When paying for Business Class you expect a certain type of service and that was not found. They were almost rude even
Our experience on United Airlines was extremely poor. The plane was extremely cold throughout our entire flight- which multiple people complained about- and we had to wait 2 hours to get a blanket which was too thin and barely helped warm us up. As well as this, none of the entertainment features were working so we had to sit through a roughly 10 hour flight with nothing to keep our attention, including the actual flight path screen. It was an extremely disappointing experience and I would hope that this gets fixed if we ever choose United Airlines again.
Smooth flight with enough time for connection. Ran out of meal options. In-flight and gate staff were friendly and helpful. Good service overall.
Paid for exit row at the back of the plane. Window seat with lots of leg space. Food was inedible (as usual). Brought my own.
They don’t give information on why a flight is delayed in a timely manner. Very frustrating.
The plane (Mitsubishi CRJ) felt old, creaking and not very new. The crew was okay. Hot water provision was broken so hot beverages could't be served.
The plane was late (as was my flight out from Birmingham the day before)
Best flight attendants ever! Very customer and service oriented, courteous, professional and helpful.
Never happened. Flight was delayed. Had to be re rojyed
Lufthansa is my favorite airline and have flown oversea with them for the past 25 years: i always found them so professional and incredibly efficient from checking in to arrival. I also love their Munich or Frankfurt airports.
We paid for business class, and my seat did not work at all. Each time I wanted to adjust the position, an attendant had to come to physically force the seat into its new position. They tried to fix it by fiddling with the electronics (military reset, for example), to no avail. Also, the food was just mediocre. We were at the end of a serving section, so they ran out of several choices. (This was on the flight from Los Angeles to Munich.)
The flight was delayed by an hour. Made the connection uncomfortably tight.
main meals are horrible but then you dont fly for the food
It was good. Couldn’t Check in online and select seats
It was great. Enough space and room for legs . Great service to.
⭐ British Airways Review — A Journey of Highs, Lows, and Lessons ⭐ I recently flew Business Class round-trip from Boston to Mumbai with British Airways, and my experience was a tale of two extremes — from disappointment to exceptional service, and then back to inconsistency. Boston → London: A Surprisingly Poor Start My journey began on a disappointing note. On a 6-hour Business Class flight, I was surprised to discover that there wasn’t a single proper vegetarian meal option available. I was offered a few bakery items only after repeatedly requesting something to eat. The flight attendant shrugged, offered no solution, and eventually — quite literally — threw some bread at me after much delay. This was not only disheartening, it was extremely surprising given my wonderful Business Class experience with BA last year. I stepped off that flight genuinely hungry and had to make a mad dash to the lounge just to get a proper meal. London → Mumbai: A Complete Turnaround The next sector restored my faith in British Airways. The entire crew was warm, welcoming, attentive, and genuinely caring. A special shoutout to Phiroze and the entire team serving the Business Class cabin — their professionalism, hospitality, and thoughtful service were extraordinary. They truly embodied what makes British Airways a global leader, and I am deeply grateful for the experience they provided. This is the BA I know and love. Mumbai → London: A Strange Meal Schedule This sector was generally fine, but the meal timing was puzzling. Lunch at 10:30 AM — for a Business cabin — felt unusual, and most passengers, including myself, barely touched it. The rest of the service was smooth, but the scheduling definitely needs a rethink. London → Boston: Mixed Experience Again The flight itself was decent, but the Business Lounge at Heathrow for this leg was a letdown. Arrived during lunch hours: no hot vegetarian options available Lounge area: dirty dishes everywhere Even after politely alerting the staff, the dishes were ignored and left uncleared For a premium cabin passenger — and at one of the world’s busiest international hubs — this was disappointing. Overall Impression My journey with British Airways felt inconsistent — two great sectors sandwiched between two that fell short of the BA standard. When BA is good, it is world-class. When it misses, the gap is noticeable. I genuinely hope the airline takes this feedback as constructive insight. I continue to believe in British Airways, and I commend the outstanding crew on the London → Mumbai sector — they were the highlight of my entire trip. With a little more focus on vegetarian meal availability, lounge service, and consistency across crews, BA can ensure every Business Class passenger experiences the premium journey they promise.
We were in business class and I had seat # 1. This was a night flight and after dinner was served, lights were dimmed and I went to sleep. The crew were loud and noisy so I didn’t get much sleep. I expect the crew to enjoy themselves but would Appreciate some decency in staying quiet while the passengers sleep
Have travelled business class with other airlines who profess to be the best in the world. They can however not beat the service and comfort that BA provide.
Great on board entertainment Tasty food Cattle class obviously crammed but not as bad as shorter hall flights
Logan gate staff was unhelpful. Arrived early, come to find out the airbus scheduled was reassigned and I did not have a seat. The desk agent spoke to his supervisor who instructed him to give me a boarding pass to get up to gate area, he was polite. At the gate the fellow was sitting to the side with two other BA staff . I asked him if he could help me, his answer was” we are on a break, we are closed” then turned his back. I am almost 70, drove 4 1/2 hours to Boston and had been looking forward to this trip for 5 months. I have worked in service many times in my life and this is not how it is done. I eventually (1/2 hr) before boarding was able to get a seat. The rest of the flight experience was unremarkable.
The boarding process was chaotic at LHR and the seat was not as comfortable as other airlines....
Great flight. One unique individual assisting in business class who should have not been there. Need more generic meals, not British centric.