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 | January |
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High season | July |
Cheapest flight | $319 |
Find which airlines fly direct from London to San Francisco Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.
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
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
This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.
This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.
I love the free WiFi!! Crew was nice. Bathroom was decent. First time flying delta in a long time and I enjoyed it. Will definitely look into booking with Delta more but I think Delta is a little more expensive than the other airlines.
Seats are much much more comfortable than United, which is what I usually fly
If I pay extra for "comfort+" I expect leg room where I can stretch my legs. I was seated with an attendant's seat blocking my feet. Knee space was fine but my feet had less room than the non-"comfort+" seats. Also, don't go cheap on food when you have flights of 3+ hours. It's insulting.
Only one side of the heafphone jack work. Crew was friendly and helpful.
Great. Flight departed early and arrived early. Deplaning and baggage claim ww were quick.
They separated our seats and moved us to the back of the plane. Hundreds of dollars and thousands of miles used and this was my platinum member experience.
Since it wasn’t a Delta flight, I was not able to sit with my group and there was no entertainment.
Three adults, three children. They did not give us seats together. Two seats together, in row 23, one in 13, one in 14, one in 10, and one in 17. When we got on the plane, the crew tried to ask people to move but basically threw up their hands. One person moved so we had two pairs of seats together. The 1.5 year old sat on a parent's lap (despite having paid for his own seat).
the fight attendants were great and i appreciated that they had season 1 of The Wire from HBO as a viewing option
I needed to make changes to my flights. When I called customer service, they assisted me with care professionalism.
A bit rush for transit. Food and entertainment are not available
The gate was too far away for the connecting flight
Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)
headphone jack didnt work for the first flight and not much variety
The agents was very rude and they charged me $50 for a carry-on bag saying that it was too big and then I saw someone going on a plane with the same size bag as me
For the most part united was a good experience, how ever when they came by with the snacks and water, they completely passed by my wife and I. As we were in separate rows. On a 5 hr flight we were not offered water
Fantastic crew. Flight was delayed at last minute but we were given updates every 20 minutes and the crew was so friendly and considerate. I miss the touch screens on the back of the seats, wish they would bring that back though.
Beijing PEK to SFO. I had an economy seat on this flight. The seat comfort was acceptable. My main complaint is with the FA’s lack of personality and absence from servicing the plane, specifically restroom care (I wish I could share a pic of the restroom that I captured) and care of travelers—drink cart/availability of drinks. I'm amazed at the level of service on other International travel where a passenger is most often appreciated.
Awful. Worst airline I have ever been on. Crew were among the rudest people I have ever dealt with. United staff members were rude and disrespectful. My flight was delayed, causing me to miss a connecting flight. I understand things happen, but when staff start lying about what actually happened, that is when I have an issue. Just be honest, really it isn’t that hard. I’m being very honest with this review and I don’t find this difficult what so ever. In fact, because of United Airlines, my Christmas holiday was off to a really rocky start. As someone who has traveled across the world, it has only been United that I have had a truly awful experience.
I’m very mad because I paid an extra $105 to change seats to an exit row with more leg room. The app clearly showed a gap in between the seats in the row I changed my seat to and I paid for it. When I boarded the plane, it wasn’t an exit row seat and no more room than my original seat. I feel like I was ripped off $105.
The crew on AA international flights in my experience are generally lazy, rude, and inefficient. These guys did not disappoint.
I had a great experience , crew was great and enjoyed the entertainment options I will be booking my next International trip with them .
Front desk was closed at 6 pm, I was unable to get my boarding pass and as such missed my connecting flight home.
I wish they could put the pre-tsa check on the tickets or global entry.
We upgraded to Business class paying approx. $1,300. Despite the upgrade, we were still required to pay an additional €70 for a checked bag. Furthermore, we were informed that another €70 would have been charged for our carry-on bag, as it was 3kg over the limit. To avoid this, we had to move clothing from the carry-on into the checked bag, which was both inconvenient and frustrating. Given the significant amount paid for the Business Class upgrade, we found this treatment to be quite appalling and disappointing. We expected a higher level of service and consideration for our luggage, and this experience did not meet those expectations.
At Barcelona, you have to get your passports checked before going to the E gates so give yourself time for that. The restaurants around the D and E gates are really limited compared to prior to passport control. On boarding, the gate staff tried to charge me EUR100 for my carryon, saying it was too big. I put it in their ‘measurement box’ and it fit with the top slightly protruding where the handle was. The gate staff then said my bag was ok to carry and put an ‘approved’ tag on my bag. I was bussed to the plane I boarded a ‘Level’ carrier which I had not heard of before. If you booked through a code share like American, you will be served food and alcohol on the plane. They do not provide complimentary ear phones or blankets. The internet was free but only for texting. WhatsApp worked but Spotify did not. Entertainment choice was adequate, movies were old and selection was limited. On arrival at LAX, my checked in bag was damaged as the wheel was broken. I am taking this up with Iberia. Their website and customer service was moderate in terms of user friendliness. You have to have all your documents and prepared to be patient and persistent. Let’s see how this goes. All n all, for the price I paid, I would recommend Level.
Was very unhappy with the entire process, from check in to boarding to the comfort of the flight. Did not enjoy the flight on Level.
Overall a great. However, the seating is way too narrow, for guys with any shoulder width. Luckily the crew moved the guy next to me, or it would have been miserable.
The staff on our flight from Charlotte to Boston were very friendly.
The flight was delayed by an hour. Made the connection uncomfortably tight.
The plane was very clean. The bathroom was clean as well. The land crew were very polite and informative and helpful. They informed me that there is a long way and challenging to go from international terminal to national terminal and in addition to getting my suitcases and going through customs and dropping them again for my second leg of trip which was San Francisco to Los Angeles . I have left knee issue and had a recent fall with aching muscles all over, the land crew suggested wheelchair help for me, God bless her. If I did not have help, I could not make it to my last terminal. Thank you UNITED AIRLINE!
I was very happy with everything, thank you for the smooth flight ✈️
helpful and friendly. The Lufthanza people I dealt with before my holiday were so unhelpful by comparison.
Entertainment system is old. Food can be tastier Need to provide toothbrush and toothpaste at least when asked.
When we went to the lounge they told us to go into the main lounge and not the full business class section, later they told me that Lufthansa wont pay the full fee to alloq the business class passengers entry to the nicer sectikn where all the other airlines nusiness class passengers go into. Very poor arrangement.
Terrible experience. Should be a short simple flight from San Francisco to Palm Springs. Disgusting insult that United Air doesn’t have a cabin crew ready to receive a plane that’s already an hour plus late in departure. Lots of misinformation along the way from cockpit and crew. Definitely unimpressed with both union and management.
Not what I expected for the last leg of a $5100 business class experience. Boarding was a nightmare. The flight was delayed and I had to keep checking my email to ensure I was at the right gate since the airline or the terminal had no clue until 15 mins prior to boarding. Food was gross, limited drink options.
Flights scheduled with impossible connections - Lufthansa apparently believes it takes 7mins to change terminals, go through passport control, re-clear security and walk 1.8kms…..and everything will work perfectly (which it never does at Frankfurt). No staff on hand to assist with transfers on delayed flights. No transfer guidance provided by app. No compensation offered for 6hr delay to connecting flight.
This was the best carrier, comfort, service, good food, on time experience on a long haul flight. New, clean, quiet, smooth aircraft!!!
Fantastic! Great seats! Friendly staff! Amazing selection of shows and movies! Smooth ride! I don’t know what more I could have asked for honestly. They made flying a breeze this time around.
Had a very bad experience flying out of London. Our initial flight was cancelled without notice and the next flight had a layover of 8 extra hours. Me, my husband and my 8-year-old were already sick, and this further added to our problems. We paid extra for the seats: I was not even given our chosen seats which we paid for months before the trip. We were shoved into the available seats which were middle ones in the back (we had paid for front window, aisle, aisle). The seats were so uncomfortable and getting out of middle seats every so often (with a sick child) was a task. We had initially chosen British Airways because of the short layover, however, that went out of the window. Although unexpected things happen all the time and I understand customers have to adjust for the unplanned, however, how the airlines react and make the passengers comfortable during that time is the real test. We were not given any compensation for food or any arrangement to stay comfortable during that time. In fact, our paid seats were taken away as well.
The whole experience was very disappointing. Drinks could have been served and offered more frequently. The seats were reasonable but considering I paid for premium economy, I felt cheated. I flew premium economy with Japanese Airlines ANA 5 years ago and their service was by far, superior. We had access to the club lounge, better seats and excellent service. Out of 10, I would rate the experience as 4. Everything felt cheap and the Airbus aircraft are far better and more comfortable
Flight was okay however bags were left in London even though we had a 7 hour layover. Bags are yet to be confirmed to reach final destination. Horrible work.
Quiet and comfortable aircraft, pretty smooth flight. Very comfortable business class cabin with decent entertainment. Good service from the crew. All in all a good experience.
Why does a reputable airline like BA allow a miserable domestic airline like AA to operate its flights? There is no comparison between the two
Boarding is a mess. They never check group # so lots of people crowding in. Comfortable seats this flight. I had an empty seat next to me, very convenient. Food was really not good, but I was starved. The pizza snack thing was horrible. Crew was grand. They really make it enjoyable.
Crew very helpful and friendly. Food is so so. Main meal is not always the best. Did have a choice of a snack part way which was either a cookie, corn snack, or similar. Second kind of meal was basically like a pizza pastry that really wasn’t a favorite but probably a European snack? Screens and selections of movies, tv and such were good. No WI-Fi unless you buy so no free texting or such on the long flight but I think that might be any overseas flight.
Flight Attendant Karen Lynn was an absolute delight. She assisted in every portion of the services provided throughout the flight, aided with any and all concerns expressed by passengers, and even helped comfort an upset child who was one of five of a traveling family. This quality of service is what keeps me coming back to American. Thank you!
The worst, flight cancelled because the aircraft was not full. Heathrow ground crew totally not helpful and arrogant. Lady proposed us flight with 40min layover instead of direct and said it is our problem of course she was unable to do anything as everything was beyond her control she claimed. after calling on hotline another flight was booked. Flight was cancelled last second so we could not take direct from Zurich but we had to stay overnight in London.
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