$141 Find Cheap Flights from Ottawa 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 Ottawa to California departing on 1/11. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Ottawa to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Ottawa to California, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flights from Ottawa to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles2 stops$296
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$298
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$420
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$476
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo2 stops$508
Los Angeles
Los Angeles2 stops$296
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$298
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$420
San Jose
San Jose2 stops$476
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo2 stops$508

Book Cheap Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa to California

Thu, Dec 4 - Mon, Dec 8
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 11:58 amYOW-LAS
9h 18m1 stop
WestJet Logo
9:15 pm - 4:53 pmLAS-YOW
16h 38m2 stops
$278WestJet
Find Deal
Fri, Apr 3 - Fri, Apr 10
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 9:33 pmYOW-LAS
18h 53m2 stops
WestJet Logo
8:05 am - 12:39 amLAS-YOW
13h 34m2 stops
$279WestJet
Find Deal
Fri, Apr 3 - Fri, Apr 10
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 10:12 pmYOW-LAS
19h 32m1 stop
WestJet Logo
8:05 am - 12:39 amLAS-YOW
13h 34m2 stops
$281WestJet
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Fri, Nov 28 - Fri, Dec 5
WestJet Logo
5:40 am - 11:58 amYOW-LAS
9h 18m1 stop
WestJet Logo
11:20 am - 12:40 amLAS-YOW
10h 20m1 stop
$282WestJet
Find Deal
Mon, Dec 15 - Tue, Dec 16
United Airlines Logo
6:20 am - 8:40 pmYOW-LAX
17h 20m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:20 am - 9:18 pmLAX-YOW
9h 58m2 stops
$308United Airlines
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Fri, Jan 16 - Sun, Feb 1
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 12:12 pmYOW-SFO
9h 12m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:15 am - 8:04 pmSFO-YOW
30h 49m1 stop
$316Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Jan 18 - Mon, Feb 2
Air Canada Logo
2:50 pm - 10:00 pmYOW-LAX
10h 10m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:10 pm - 6:43 amLAX-YOW
9h 33m1 stop
$322Air Canada
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Tue, Apr 21 - Tue, Apr 21
United Airlines Logo
10:35 am - 5:19 pmYOW-SNA
9h 44m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
9:14 pm - 9:11 amSNA-YOW
8h 57m1 stop
$415United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 9 - Tue, Dec 16
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 5:53 pmYOW-SAN
14h 08m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:59 pm - 12:35 pmSAN-YOW
11h 36m1 stop
$423Multiple Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, May 1 - Fri, May 15
Air Canada Logo
9:55 pm - 12:02 pmYOW-SAN
17h 07m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
8:10 am - 8:15 pmSAN-YOW
9h 05m1 stop
$450Air Canada
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Ottawa to California flights

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

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Ottawa 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 Ottawa to California is May, when tickets cost $255 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and November, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $477 and $377 respectively.

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

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to California on a Monday and more expensive on a Thursday. On your return trip to Ottawa, you should consider flying back on a Tuesday, and avoid Sundays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 60% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$141
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 4% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 29% increase in price.
Flight from Ottawa to Los Angeles

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Is it necessary for me to obtain a visa to fly from Ottawa to California?

    Unless you plan on flying from Ottawa to California and staying there for several months, you won’t need to secure a visa before your trip. You can stay in California for several days or even weeks without a visa. Just make sure you pack your passport or a valid NEXUS card for the trip.

  • Does Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport participate in the Verified Traveller program?

    Yes, the airport in Ottawa does take part in the Verified Traveller program. If you’ve signed up for this program, you’ll be able to make your way through security much faster than usual.

  • What are the common layovers on the way from Ottawa to California?

    There are several layover locations used on flights from Ottawa to California. Two of the airports you might find yourself in include Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

  • What are the best ways to make a flight from Ottawa to California sustainable?

    If you’d like to help make your flight from Ottawa to California more sustainable, you can start by packing lightly. It’ll reduce the impact your luggage has on the weight of your plane. You should also look into flying with an airline like Air Canada that has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Ottawa 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 Ottawa to California.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 $351 on average. Morning departures are around 7% 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 $444.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • If you would like to fly from Ottawa to California, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) will be the best place to start. There are a few airlines that fly from Ottawa to one of the airports in California, such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or San Diego International Airport (SAN).
  • While you will be able to fly from Ottawa to California, there aren’t any direct flights between these two places. More often than not, you will only have to make one stop while you’re on your way to California from Ottawa, but there are instances when you’ll have to make two or even three stops en route to California. Ideally, you’ll want to search for an airline that can get you from Ottawa to California in just one stop, since it could significantly trim your travel time.
  • Flying from Ottawa to California will take you at least 12 hours, in most cases, and sometimes even longer than that. Because of this, you may want to consider booking a first-class ticket for your flight. Before you do, though, you should book an economy ticket and keep your eyes peeled for emails from your airline. It might be willing to extend a discount on a first-class ticket if you’re willing to wait.
  • If you want to avoid getting hit with baggage fees when you arrive at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, you may want to limit the amount of luggage you bring. Airlines like Air Canada will charge you about $30 to check your first bag and $50 for a second one. By only bringing only a carry-on bag, you can save money while you fly to California.
  • It’ll be important for you to head to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport about two to three hours before your international flight to California. Once you make your way through security, you can kill extra time by heading to one of the lounges in YOW, such as the Aspire Lounge. It’s open to all passengers regardless of which airlines they’re flying.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from Ottawa to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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
Porter AirlinesOverall score based on 389 reviews
8.2Boarding
7.0Entertainment
7.6Food
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

10.0 ExcellentMike, Oct 2025YYC - YYZ
Read more Porter Airlines reviews

Smaller plane. Food and bar service for free is amazing. Drinks were in glass not plastic cups.

Poor landing as we overshot the runway and had to re land the plane. Lost both of my luggage not found as of yet. Had to pay extra money for my luggage in USD, now great my luggage is gone. Will not fly with Porter again.

This flight to St. Johns was really good. Boarding was a breeze. We left spot on time. Seats were actually pretty good. Recliner further than I expected. Three more flights to go we will see if this is the status quo for Porter.👍

I was not happy with AirfareAssist, the agency that kayak advised me would be handling my booking. I was advised by porter airlines that I had been overcharged for the Basic express , a option that I had asked airfare assist to help arrange after I realized that the basic fare I had chosen with porter did not include a carryon. At each checkin porter advised I had been overcharged for this . They advised that money would be refunded to my credit card, however, this is not likely to happen as it is not my name and credit card that appeared on the porter invoice, but that of another individual/agent. When airfare assist was arranging the basic express with porter on my behalf, they asked me to confirm that I agreed to pay $263 USD for this. I did agree, as I was advised this was needed to proceed. When I checked the invoice on the porter website and saw that it was not my name and credit card on the invoice, I was advised that this was how airfareassist processed the payment. The Porter invoice indicated a billed amount of $126USD I will not use Kayak or their designated AirfareAssist again

Our flight was delayed by a bit. I appreciated that we were kept informed on why periodically. Boarding was fine. I overheard one flight attendant sounding very rude to a passenger who was not paying attention to the safety demonstration. The snacks were minimal as it was a short flight. There was no entertainment. Overall the flight was good back to LGA.

The flight was fine see earlier note for the problem

All good the seats a little tight and no I pad screen

Everything was good except the fact you charge more for a carry on bag vs a check in bag and to top it off in US$ that was not impressive

Our flight was cancelled at the last minute for maintenance reasons and we were rebooked on a late flight when we purposefully booked our flight to be home early due to work.

Seemed like an old plane. Very noisy. The seat cushions were so old that the metal bracing of the seats were poking through. There was plenty of leg room though.

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!!

Plane boarded early a quickly, was mostly full. We left close to on time. And landed early.

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

Efficient all round, very good crew. Short flight so the food, of course, was just snacks

Flight was timely, relatively comfortable, with decent entertainment and food served. Only problem encountered was with the free messaging which I highly appreciate, but it did not work from iphone to non-iphones.

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.

We landed 26 min early. It was awesome! Smooth ride too.

There is no snack and nit much that would be considered gluten free in yiur food selections. One of your snacks should be a gluten free cookie or small bar etc. maybe it was me but I didn’t see any free movies just internet connection and YouTube .

I like how spacious the plane was but I did not like the fact that there was no entertainment

No dogs! Can we have no dogs in the cabin? Why was there a yappy little dog behind me? Lucky I had ear plugs. Sorry for others without

In spite of purchasing premium, I felt it was perhaps the most uncomfortable seat I have flown in. The base was either broken or poorly made and had no support. Even placing pillows and blankets on the seat (1D aisle) didn’t help. It made for a long and mostly sleepless six hour flight. Crew also were very loudly talking to each other through the night making it very hard to sleep. It was purchased for the price, so I get the risk, but was not impressed.

The staff at the airport and on the plane were wonderful I especially wanna acknowledge the staff who boarded us at the Calgary airport. The women who helped us board at the airport were incredible… they were so kind and sweet…I very happy with WestJet and I am hoping I can fly more often to Canada.

Good value, minor delay due to waiting for inbound plane but they gave accurate information about wait time. Able to switch to a seat by my husband thanks to a kind flight attendant

Absolutely terrible, from the customer service to boarding the plane. On the phone, there was some mishaps with getting in my correct date and they did not help me retrieve a refund or any assistance. I’m gonna be reporting to all my followers and family around the region of Los Angeles to New York.

Arrival at Comox from, London,ON 6 hours later... No bueano

Generally good. However. The flight left 30 mins behind schedule with no reason given.

The staff was great and made the long trip easy peasy!

The free Wi-fi for Aeroplan members was a great touch. The time passed quickly. I found the seats seemed a little closer together than I remember. Not Air Canada's fault, but we were about 20 minutes late landing because the airport was too busy. We had to circle around for a while. The boarding and disembarking went very smoothly.

The flight was very smooth and good. Boarding was fast, but the staff was just decently friendly.

Flying with Air Canada is still better than the discount airlines like Flair. The seats are more comfortable and the on-board entertainment is better, with each seat having a built in screen and lots of content to watch. Onboard WIFI is also great to have, as well as plugs for charging. I think passengers in general are getting better at not bringing too much luggage onboard, and Air Canada is better at managing this without customers feeling like they are being taken advantage of with extra fees. I have travelled on different airlines and all seem to be loading faster, with fewer people bringing both a carry on and a personal item. Now I just bring one item and it fits under the seat so I don't need to worry about finding a place in the overhead bins. Overall, across the industry, asking customers to pay for carry on baggage is fair because it allows customers to only pay for what they need, and it helps to keep the planes on time. Kudos to Air Canada for its approach - the desired result is achieved without customers feeling that they are being surprised and caught with unexpected extra fees.

I liked the behaviour of the crew members.The flight was good.

No food to provide, they forgot that, in some cases, people stay at the airport for hours without food. Now, to provide them with food, they have to ask them to pay, because some don't have money. That way, they can't eat.

Flight was cancelled last minute. Had to scramble and purchase a $2000 flight through a separate airlines. Stuck in Toronto two extra days. Missed my first two days on a new job. Had to rent a car for an additional two days. Scrambled to fins a place to live those extra two days. Spent a ton of extra money and lost a lot of money, as well as made a poor impression at work. Difficult difficult difficult

Terrible, return flight was cancelled a night before the flight was scheduled to depart and I was notified by an email and an automated message on their phone line. I’ll never book Air Canada again

Due to the strike by AC flight attendants, my flight was cancelled. Very disappointing! A refund is being processed. This was not a Kayak issue. I will be sure to come back to Kayak in the future.

Staff was very courteous and kept things organized. We will definitely use Air Canada for further travel

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports