$369 Find Cheap Flights from Panama to California - Compare and Save

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KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to California

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

What is the cheapest flight to California?

The cheapest ticket to California from Panama found in the last 5 days was to San Diego, at $400 round-trip. The most popular route is Panama City (PTY) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $402.

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

The cheapest month for flights from Panama to California is May, when tickets cost $391 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are October and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $720 and $685 respectively.

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

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $695 on average. Morning departures are around 71% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,190.

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

To get a below average price on the flight from Panama to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 38% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 14 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with an average flight price of $831.

Good to know

Low season

August

Cheapest flight

$369
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 1% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 5% lower on average.
Flight from Panama City to San Diego

Flights from Panama to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Panama to California 
AFlew with Copa Airlines-Jan 2026
Bring your own food and your own screen because you won’t have any for the next couple of hours.
RajFlew with Copa Airlines-Jan 2025
Pack your lunch or dinner with you either from airport restaurant.

FAQs for booking flights from Panama to California

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Panama 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 Panama 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 Panama 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 Panama 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 Panama 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 day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $771. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Friday, where round-trip prices are $1,194 on average.

Reviews of the top 3 airlines serving from Panama to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Panama 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.
7.6
Copa AirlinesOverall score based on 1553 reviews
7.8Boarding
7.0Food
7.4Comfort
8.1Crew
6.9Entertainment
Airline reviews

We were made to check our carry-on luggage because it did not fit the measurements. That’s what we were told, but I saw plenty of carry-on luggage on the plane that was the same size as ours

4.0 OkayAnonymous, Sep 2026
Read more Copa Airlines reviews

We were made to check our carry-on luggage because it did not fit the measurements. That’s what we were told, but I saw plenty of carry-on luggage on the plane that was the same size as ours

Flight Crew Review The crew was absolutely amazing from start to finish! They were friendly, professional, attentive, and genuinely made the flight feel comfortable and enjoyable. Every interaction was pleasant, and they went above and beyond to make sure passengers were taken care of. You could really tell that they cared about providing great service. I truly appreciate their kindness and professionalism and would be happy to fly with this crew again!

stood in line to check in luggage for nearly an hour. very poor service and not excusable

Same as the previous flight as far as comfort and food. Entertainment didn’t have a watchable screen so everything would need to be watched on your own device in which they didn’t have a charging port that accommodated my iPhone. Seats were very uncomfortable. Staff was very friendly.

Do not book it’s a scam! They stole $1200 from me

Flight got delayed; had to go through security three times.

Had to go through security at the gate again. Had to take off shoes and go through the whole thing again even though we have global entry. They asked us to check in items bought at duty free during our layover and since we checked our luggage at the original departure airport, they forced us to check in a small backpack. None of this ever happened with other airlines. In addition, no vegetarian food option and no snacks during a 7 hr flight. Luggage limits are unusually small. This is unacceptable. Will NEVER fly Copa again and will tell friends and family to avoid this airline.

I upgraded myself to Business Class at the last minute so I had a DREAMS window seat. Seeing as I've never flown Business before everything was novel and fun for me and it made the 7 hour flight much more enjoyable for sure.

Horrible food. No wine or any other alcohol is served on the flight. Water is not served often and they refused when I asked for water in two cups. On the other hand, both going and coming back flights were on time.

it was great! Boarded on-time, reasonable leg room, pleasant staff, decent food. The only thing is we were directed to Terminal 2 when the gate was actually in Terminal 1. Smooth ride. Landed early. Got off plane easily and quickly.

Connection times always good online, but not in reality when first leg is delayed (2 out of 2 times this trip).

Worst experience of the 5 flights we took on this vacation. We were in agony by the time we got off the plane because of the lack of cushion in the seats. A sandwich was offered to us within one hour of our takeoff that had pink pork. No gluten-free items were offered for our night meal. Breakfast was given about six hours later well after the sunrise . Strange food was offered: a poached egg that was barely heated and very liquidy, two salads (which is not a normal breakfast food), and a bread bun. We could barely eat any of it. No coffee! I drank green tea. Stewardesses had very nice smiles but never “checked in” with us. Also there was no button on the rooftop to call a steward. We were in terrible pain for more than 3 days after.

I purchased a Polaris ticket. The plane did not have the lie flat seats - I was not notified. I actually can not believe they traded a dif plane and did not notify me or refund monies

⭐ Absolutely AWFUL Experience with United Airlines! If I could give United Airlines ZERO stars, I would. The seats have practically NO legroom, making the flight feel like being crammed into a tin can with nowhere to move. Comfort? Forget about it! And the fees? Absolutely ridiculous! They seem to charge you for EVERYTHING. You pay for your ticket, then get hit with extra charges for things that should be part of a decent flying experience. What’s next, charging passengers for breathing? Flying with United feels less like being a valued customer and more like being a walking wallet. The seats are uncomfortable, the legroom is pathetic, and the constant nickel-and-diming is infuriating. For the price you pay, you would think they could at least provide a little space to stretch your legs and a travel experience that doesn’t leave you feeling ripped off. Do yourself a favor and look at other airlines before booking with United. I certainly won’t be rushing to fly with them again. Absolutely disappointing from start to finish!

My flight from Boston to SFO was fine. Crew was friendly and helpful. Food was mediocre. Fright from SFO to MNL was not as good. My flight attendant was friendly but didn’t seem to have a lot of experience. She seemed overwhelmed. Also, this was the only red eye business class flight I’ve flown which only served dinner 2 hours after takeoff in a 13 hr flight. When I woke up 1 hr before landing, everyone was eating so I assumed bkft was being served. I pushed my button for help and no one came so I approached my flight attendant and she said they don’t serve bkft but she gave me choices for lunch or dinner. I routinely fly business class but I was disappointed with the lack of service and attention I was given on this flight. Also, most airlines will offer a snack or coffee before bkft is served but this was not offered during this flight. Overall, it was disappointing.

It's not United, but TSA security at Terminal A in Newark is a disaster and seriously makes me consider switching to flying out of JFK. The touchless TSA pre-check had a line of over 50 people and the bag screening was so slow that it limited the flow of people through the facial recognition process. It is the only airport that I frequent that has this issue and makes me reconsider whether I should fly out of Newark given the wasted time and frustration it causes. As I said, it is not a United issue but will impact United if people choose to stop utilizing Newark airport because of the poor experience.

The food could be much better. Also very unfortunate that most of business class seats were empty but I could not upgrade.

Bag got checked but I thought one personal item was guaranteed.

The seats are very small, that is all the staff did a good job.

Good food and entertainment. Poor choices for drinks. Sitting for 12 hours on the row by the restrooms, which do not recline, was a torture

There were three people in an economy seat in my row, but the row in front of me, which had the same class of service only had one person. I could barely move and the person in front of me slept on all three seats. If you had moved one person from my row to the row in front, the configuration would have been two on each row with the middle seat empty

It’s a new plane, but the most important detail is that the economy class seat doesn't recline—it’s completely fixed. The only one that reclines is in Comfort Class.

It was horrible. My experience with Avianca. I didn’t know it was Pakistan international Airlines but anyway, whatever it is it is bad horrible you guys need to upgrade everything in those planes. And you guys charge $130 for a carry-on did they wanna let me in with my carry-on that I travel everywhere with the luggage you guys are such a dog thank you

The fees for baggage were outrageous. $130 for carry on and $150 for check in for an international flight. The seats did not recline. We were not even offered water. Had we known all of this, we would not have booked Avianca at all.

I was shocked flying to El Salvador that they only give you water. Everything else you have to pay for. There is no wifi or entertainment and it’s an international flight. At least back in the day they had tvs on the plane and everyone watched the same movie. Also seats do not recline, even comfort or plus.

I did not like anything, first time I use company and for sure it will be the last time, they charge for simple operations that any other average airline wouldn't charge.

The good thing is the flight was on time and the crew was really nice. They can work better the arriving with staff

The inflight entertainment did not work on a 6 hour flight The cel phone chargers did not work There was a 45 minute wait for the luggage to get off the plane.

They could offer free food and drink like other international flights.

Flight attendants to show up on time, offer drinks and food.

More options for your flight to California

Complete your trip to California with a hotel stay or car rental