$91 Find Cheap Flights from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia to California departing on 3/1. 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 Philadelphia to California.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Philadelphia to California.
Travelers love KAYAK
41 299 237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 24% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Philadelphia to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$209
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$289
San Diego
San Diego2 stops$351
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$251
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$344
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$367
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$382
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$428
Reno
Reno3 stops$307
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$281
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$209
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$289
San Diego
San Diego2 stops$351
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$251
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$344
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$367
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$382
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$428
Reno
Reno3 stops$307
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$281

Book Cheap Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia to California

Thu, Feb 26 - Sat, Feb 28
Frontier Logo
5:47 pm - 10:46 am
PHL
-
SNA
19h 59m1 stop
Frontier Logo
12:25 pm - 4:37 pm
SNA
-
PHL
25h 12m1 stop
$166Frontier
Mon, Feb 9 - Thu, Feb 12
Frontier Logo
8:30 am - 2:27 pm
PHL
-
ONT
8h 57m1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:05 am - 4:37 pm
ONT
-
PHL
7h 32m1 stop
$181Frontier
Wed, Jan 21 - Mon, Jan 26
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:40 pm - 6:02 pm
PHL
-
LAX
31h 22m3 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
11:59 pm - 11:14 am
LAX
-
PHL
8h 15m1 stop
$218Spirit Airlines
Tue, Jan 20 - Thu, Jan 22
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:40 pm - 11:44 pm
PHL
-
LAS
13h 04m1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
9:59 pm - 8:47 am
LAS
-
PHL
7h 48m1 stop
$241Spirit Airlines
Tue, Jan 20 - Sat, Jan 24
American Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 10:57 am
PHL
-
SJC
8h 57m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
12:50 pm - 11:51 pm
SJC
-
PHL
8h 01m1 stop
$251American Airlines
Wed, Jan 21 - Wed, Mar 4
American Airlines Logo
10:43 am - 6:34 pm
PHL
-
SJC
10h 51m2 stops
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 4:08 pm
SJC
-
PHL
7h 08m1 stop
$256American Airlines
Tue, Jan 20 - Sat, Jan 24
United Airlines Logo
10:30 am - 8:56 pm
PHL
-
SJC
13h 26m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
8:40 am - 9:36 pm
SJC
-
PHL
9h 56m2 stops
$261United Airlines
Wed, May 6 - Sun, May 10
United Airlines Logo
10:00 am - 5:49 pm
PHL
-
SFO
10h 49m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
11:20 pm - 8:00 am
SFO
-
PHL
5h 40mnonstop
$295United Airlines
Wed, Feb 18 - Tue, Feb 24
Southwest Logo
5:40 am - 1:15 pm
PHL
-
SAN
10h 35m2 stops
Southwest Logo
8:35 am - 8:20 pm
SAN
-
PHL
8h 45m2 stops
$351Southwest
Sun, Jan 18 - Tue, Jan 27
Southwest Logo
6:40 am - 4:45 pm
PHL
-
SAN
13h 05m2 stops
Southwest Logo
9:40 am - 10:00 pm
SAN
-
PHL
9h 20m2 stops
$357Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Philadelphia to California flights

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

What is the cheapest Philadelphia to California flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to California from Philadelphia found in the last 72 hours was to San Francisco, at $289 round-trip. The most popular route is from Philadelphia (PHL) to San Francisco (SFO), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $289.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Philadelphia 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.

No, with an average price for the route of $426, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia to California is July, when tickets cost $277 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and November, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $518 and $465 respectively.

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

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

When flying from Philadelphia to California, you should consider leaving on a Thursday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Philadelphia, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 33% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonNovember
Cheapest flight$97
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 10% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 20% increase in price.
Flight from Philadelphia to Las Vegas

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Are there nonstop flights from Philadelphia to California?

    Nonstop flights from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to California are typically not offered. However, you can usually find flights that require one layover instead of two. For example, if you fly from PHL to Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, you will only have to change planes once.

  • What services does Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) provide for travellers with disabilities or limited mobility?

    Philadelphia International Airport is equipped with ramps and elevators that can be used by individuals in wheelchairs to go to the different floors. It is also possible to rent a wheelchair to use while in the airport. If you need any additional assistance with checking in, going through security, or boarding your flight, airport employees are there to help.

  • How can I travel from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the city center?

    It is usually easiest to go from Los Angeles International Airport to the city center by car, which normally takes around 20 to 25 minutes if there is no traffic. You can also grab the LAX FlyAway bus, which will bring you to downtown Los Angeles in around an hour.

  • What airport should I fly into if I will be visiting Yosemite National Park?

    If you plan on visiting Yosemite National Park, you will want to fly into Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT). From FAT, the park is located around a 2h 15min drive, depending on what traffic and weather conditions are like at the time.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $390 on average. Morning departures are around 9% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $536.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Philadelphia to the following destinations at these prices or less: Las Vegas $180 one-way - $379 round-trip; San Francisco $317 one-way - $415 round-trip
  • If you have an early flight departing from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), you may want to book a hotel room directly at this travel hub. The Minute Suites can be found directly inside of the Main Terminal, while the Philadelphia Airport Marriott is connected to Terminal B via a sky bridge.
  • When flying from Philadelphia to California, there are a few hubs that you can fly into that are known for having plenty of flights to choose from that are also affordable. If you will be exploring northern California, consider flying into San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Those that will be heading to southern California will find it convenient to fly to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
  • While waiting for your flight to begin boarding at Philadelphia International Airport, spend some time relaxing in one of the lounges that are available. The American Airlines Admirals Club can be found in Concourses A, B, C, and F, while the Delta Sky Club is in Terminal D.
  • Those that will be visiting the famous Disneyland Park will want to fly into John Wayne Airport (SNA), as it is the closest travel hub to this destination. Once your flight has landed at SNA, you can then drive to the park, which will normally take you around 15 to 20 minutes in total.
  • If you will be travelling with children, make sure to take them to the “Ready For Take-Off” children’s play area in Philadelphia International Airport. This aviation-themed play area has a variety of climbing toys and activities for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Philadelphia to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 4253 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

8.0 ExcellentRussell, Dec 2025
SAN - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

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.

For my birthday trip this was my second time ever flying, this trip was the best.

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

Unbelievably poor service from flight attendants. They didn’t even do water service on a four hour flight. Just disrespectful.

Flight was late - I was downgraded from first class to coach

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

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.

My husband and I recently had an unfortunate experience with Lufthansa. At the Philadelphia International airport, the ground staff refused to board us because we didn’t have a current visa stamped on our passports for Frankfurt. We completely understand that this was our mistake. we should have double-checked the visa requirements before our trip. However, the issue that upset us most was how the situation was handled by the staff. They told us they would mark it as “boarding denied due to visa issue”, but instead they recorded it as “no show”. Because of that incorrect entry, our return flight was automatically cancelled as well, which caused additional stress and expense. Mistakes can happen, but we expected more transparency and accuracy from a reputed airline like Lufthansa. It would have made a big difference if the staff had been more careful and considerate in documenting the situation correctly.

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.

Check in was quick and easy during early hours. Flight was on time, and customer services was a plus.

Delays to take off and to leave the plane after landing added a lot of time to this flight.

The Phildalphia to Allentown portion was a BUS, not a plane. All was as expected.

Excellent - explanations were clear staff was nice and flight was comfortable

Flight was delayed not sure why no explanation given and no apologies either. Otherwise the flight was fine

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

Plane was delayed for 6 hours, at first by weather, which is understandable, but was further delayed with NO given reason for 2 1/2 hours more. We had no clue when we were going to depart actually until they opened the ramp. VERY POOR to ZERO COMMUNICATION!!!

Flight was delayed and after being in the airport for like seven hours, it was canceled.

Flight delays numerous times. Everytime we would get close to boarding it would be delayed again. Strung along the entire time.

Overall very good, only complaint I have is the crew from CLT to SAT could have collected trash sooner.

Above and beyond effort from this crew in a tough situation. So helpful and understanding. Thank you!

This was my first time on a budget airline and I couldn't even sit down all the way because my knees would embed in the seat in front of me. I'm only 6' tall with a 32" inseam. There's no upside other than y'all are cheap. I'm glad it was only a 2 hour flight. Lesson learned! I get why everybody talks down on budget airlines. The staff was outstanding, the flight went as well as possible, great pilot, great boarding, smooth sailing. Zero chance I'll be back though.

The plane was freezing and everyone had on their winter coats. I pulled out my sweaters out of my carryon to cover myself and put on an extra pair of socks. They offered NO FREE drinks or snacks on a 6 hour flight. The seats don’t have plugs or charges or any form of entertainment- so I just played my one downloaded game on my phone because I couldn’t sleep because I was too cold. Miserable flight though we landed safely.

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.

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

Late departure by 1:45min. No explanation why. During boarding inconsistent policing of their baggage rules. Before takeoff and lamdimg strange obsession with window shade and armrest positions. Don't know why they care. 15 min tarmac delay on arrival, they blamed airport congestion but we were the o lh flight waiting, it was clear it was due to poor staff planning (only one ground crew to receive airplanes and multiple arrivals) Got there but was rrally lame the whole trip.

The spirit flight was on time. The airplane itself was surprisingly very nice. We had great seats. Seems like there's more room. Only complaint is that I didn't get a full refund for my mistakenly buying the baggage twice.

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

Very good. Nothing more or less than expected. No complaints.

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.

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

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

sluggish boarding and arrival procedures, fake nice flight attendants, and lots of delays.

Decent clean onboard experience. Okay discount airline experience. Unfortunately, any customer service interactions are difficult and unhelpful. There is no service. Also, a premium seat only gets you premium boarding if you line up first. Once they start general boarding you must go to the back of the line. Not very premium

The crew was mostly okay. The flight attendant who answered our questions was curt and unhelpful unfortunately. He seemed upset and I understand having off days.

Very bad! No good service delayed my second connection flight

They canceled flight. Hard to believe there was even a plane incoming for us to get on

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports