$88 Find Cheap Flights from Philadelphia to California - Compare and Save

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 8/19. 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.
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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$414
San Francisco
San Franciscononstop$349
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$396
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$212
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$219
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$221
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$369
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$358
Reno
Reno1 stop$214
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$414
San Francisco
San Franciscononstop$349
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$396
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$212
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$219
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$221
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$369
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$358
Reno
Reno1 stop$214

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, Aug 20 - Wed, Aug 26
Southwest Logo
4:05 pm - 10:15 pm
PHL
-
SJC
9h 10m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
9:55 am - 8:55 pm
SJC
-
PHL
8h 00m
1 stop
$212Southwest
Sat, Aug 22 - Mon, Aug 31
Southwest Logo
2:10 pm - 8:55 pm
PHL
-
RNO
9h 45m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
5:40 am - 5:55 pm
RNO
-
PHL
9h 15m
1 stop
$214Southwest
Tue, Sep 1 - Thu, Sep 10
American Airlines Logo
1:40 pm - 6:24 pm
PHL
-
RNO
7h 44m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
7:28 pm - 7:00 am
RNO
-
PHL
8h 32m
1 stop
$215American Airlines
Sat, Sep 5 - Thu, Sep 10
Frontier Logo
8:00 am - 3:54 pm
PHL
-
ONT
10h 54m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
2:55 pm - 5:36 am
ONT
-
PHL
11h 41m
1 stop
$222Frontier
Wed, Sep 2 - Wed, Sep 9
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 12:12 pm
PHL
-
ONT
9h 12m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:08 am - 7:15 pm
ONT
-
PHL
10h 07m
1 stop
$230United Airlines
Sat, Sep 5 - Thu, Sep 10
Frontier Logo
4:45 pm - 7:32 am
PHL
-
ONT
17h 47m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
2:55 pm - 5:36 am
ONT
-
PHL
11h 41m
1 stop
$231Frontier
Thu, Sep 3 - Sat, Sep 12
American Airlines Logo
7:05 am - 12:03 pm
PHL
-
ONT
7h 58m
1 stop
American Airlines Logo
1:05 pm - 11:31 pm
ONT
-
PHL
7h 26m
1 stop
$235American Airlines
Mon, Aug 10 - Tue, Aug 18
Delta Logo
7:00 pm - 11:52 pm
PHL
-
RNO
7h 52m
1 stop
Delta Logo
6:28 am - 5:59 pm
RNO
-
PHL
8h 31m
1 stop
$257Delta
Fri, Oct 2 - Mon, Oct 5
Delta Logo
6:55 pm - 11:59 pm
PHL
-
OAK
8h 04m
1 stop
Delta Logo
5:00 pm - 6:05 am
OAK
-
PHL
10h 05m
1 stop
$301Delta
Wed, Oct 28 - Sun, Nov 1
United Airlines Logo
9:55 am - 4:15 pm
PHL
-
SFO
9h 20m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
11:35 pm - 7:54 am
SFO
-
PHL
5h 19mnonstop
$355United Airlines
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.

How much is a round-trip flight from Philadelphia to California?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Philadelphia to California departing in July.

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 5 days was to San Francisco, at $349 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 5 days was $349.

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

The average price for all round-trip flights from Philadelphia to California depending on the time of departure, clicked by users on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

The cheapest time of day to fly to California is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $494 on average. Morning departures are around 5% 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 $569.

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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $488 on average.

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 January, when tickets cost $362 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $516 and $502 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 Wednesday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Philadelphia, you’ll find the best rates on Saturdays 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 13% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 5 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$88
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 8% increase in price.
Flight from Philadelphia to John Wayne (Santa Ana)

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.

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 $172 one-way - $340 round-trip; Los Angeles $325 one-way - $516 round-trip; San Francisco $274 one-way - $405 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 4249 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

My experience will Southwest was good. I wish there was more entertainment and the boarding process was slow at time but other than that my experience was great definitely will be flying with SouthWest again.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jul 2026
PHL - BNA
Read more Southwest reviews

My experience will Southwest was good. I wish there was more entertainment and the boarding process was slow at time but other than that my experience was great definitely will be flying with SouthWest again.

The flight was late. The crew was rude. There was no food. Cramped and uncomfortable. Nothing about this flight was good.

It was just okay, no frills, basic transportation with no luxury. No screens on the seats, no water or drinks on a short flight. Full flight but at least it was on time.

The first time I flew in the extra legroom section. It was difficult to notice a difference. I had bad luck with my neighbors. The crew was okay. Southwest has reduced the live TV options.

No gluten free snacks. Seats felt worn or bare bones even though it was a new 737 MAX 8.

Plane was clean and comfortable. Flight attendants and gate staff were professional, friendly and efficient. Boarding and deplaning were orderly and efficient. All in all, the typical excellent Southwest experience.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

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

We boarded the flight and set two and a half hours on the jetway. Would have been better if they had not boarded us at all. Plane was hot and it was limited ability to access the restrooms or get a drink of water. Very unpleasant experience

We never made it on this flight because we missed our connection due to o delayed flight from Jackson.

We got stuck on the tarmac taxiing after landing early so we didn’t get off the plane until an hour later than we thought we would

It was okay. We were delayed for weather reasons, but the pilots and the flight control staff figured a way around the storm and were able to get us to Los Angeles safely. Not all the staff members were polite, but the entertainment on the flight was good.

Crew was real good, flight was smooth and came in early.

Love me some Delta. One of the few airlines to recognize and support veterans. Easy boarding, flight was on time and arrived early and the flight attendants were excellent on this flight.

We sat on the runway for over an hour before departure. That was unwelcome.

Flight delayed four separate times. I’m now one hour hours late to landing.

Connection flights should be spaced out farther because too close I missed my connection.

The gate attendants and the crew were terrible. Because of high winds, they needed to carry more fuel, so they had to get volunteers to take the next flight at 6 am the next day. They did a terrible job of it - our flight ended up taking off just under 3 hours of the scheduled time. I hope to never fly Delta again.

My flight consistently said it was on time and the plane didn’t arrive until after 30 minutes after take off and nothing was announced to passengers

It was a short, comfortable flight. It did leave an hour late due to the pilot having to be replaced (family emergency) but that didn’t inconvenience myself & my friend. The situation was explained, eventually.

There was a piece of plastic baked into my buttermilk biscuit! I have a pictures. The flight attendants in first class were really apologetic, and tried to rectify the situation. I I am very appreciative that they were able to give me some packets of pretzels and gummy bears. I understand they don't personally handle the food until warming it up so I know it wasn't their fault. I don't know whether it was a newer aircraft, or different food packaging, but I was happy that when the food was being warmed up - it didn't smell like plastic. Jokes on me with finding plastic in my food.

The seats were uncomfortable, as if the cushions haven't been switched out in many years. I felt like I was on an old bus. The food was delicious. thank you. Onboard entertainment, very limited. Unless you like violent movies. Why in the world would you have such severely violent movies on a plane? if you don't want to see such things, you don't have a choice. Have you considered that when choosing entertainment? Good god. Why would you have the Godfather? Or black women being brutally beaten with a club? Why in the hell would you put that kind of material on a plane? As for Kayak: Why when I ordered Qantas, was the plane on United?

UA594 was delayed multiple times. I ended up getting picked up so I can make it in time for work 6AM on Monday, 7/6/2026

Excellent flight. On time. Great staff. Clean and crisp cabin.

newer aircraft, ability to connect my headset via blue tooth for entertainment.

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.

Everything was good, except the seats in economy were so close together, you could barely get out when the seat in front of your was reclined. If the airlines keep jamming in more and more seats, it will become intolerable. I will look for another airline that considers customer comfort and does not keep adding more rows of seats for more profit.

Flight attendant moved my bag without notifying me and was rude to me when I asked him about it. There was no reason to move it.

Flight was on time, crew were excellent. For some reason our originally selected seats were changed. We had to re-choose our seats when we checked in online and options were limited. One of our two checked bags we placed on the wrong carousel. It was only be shear luck that I saw it. That cost us 20 minutes of wasted time. So much for the “priority” tags. They are meaningless, and have been ever since they were implemented. I wish you would do the save some money and stop using them.

They are always late and seats was also not having working charger

Everything about the flight was lovely. My only suggestion would be to offer a few more options of tv series from Apple TV or HBO.

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

Honestly, I haven’t flown American in years, probably due to the pandemic and my being unable to travel for certain periods in the last two years, but it was a good experience to dig out or obtain a new American Airlines account after many years of traveling for business with American in the past.

One bottle of water and a package of cookies for comfort plus. We had to literally beg a flight attendant for an extra bottle of water later in the flight due to feeling dehydrated.

For coast to coast travel the A321 and even the NEO, even in first class will never be excellent. That would take a B787 or 777 to accomplish.

I was unhappy with having the seat I chose changed at the last minute. I was moved to an aisle seat which did not recline and was next to the bathroom. The bathroom odors made the flight entirely unpleasant. Having carefully chosen my seat months before I was not pleased with my AA experience. In addition, they ran out of tea during flight service, really?

There were delays on both ends. It made it less than excellent. This plane was great though

Attendants were rude. Scowling. Seats were miserable and we paid extra.

We experience delays on departure and connecting flights resulting in 14 hour to our next departure. We were accommodated with a night's stay but was only provided a 12 dollar meals accommodation. The airlines rules state.at least 50 dollars. In any case, it can not make up for the whole day missed on our vacation in Sydney Australia.

I am writing to express my disappointment with my recent Frontier Airlines flight. I was charged $99 at the gate because my bag was said to be too large, yet once onboard there was no available overhead bin space, and I was required to place the bag under the seat in front of me anyway. This made the charge feel unnecessary and unfair. Additionally, before the flight even took off, I was asked to move from the seat I paid for into a middle seat so another passenger and her cat could have my seat to themselves. I was not offered compensation or an explanation for being moved from a paid seat. Between the unexpected bag fee and being forced to give up my seat, this experience fell well below acceptable customer service standards. I would appreciate a review of this situation and appropriate compensation.

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.

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

You get what you pay for nothing essentially but a hard uncomfortable seat that doesn’t recline and kids screaming all around you and chaotic boarding and limited check bag weight allowance when compared to other airlines

Not very good. Paid in excess of $400 for assigned seating for my family and that was not provided. I want that money back.

Check in at Philadelphia international was absolutely terrible! I fly 2 to 3 times a month and avoid frontier at all cost and will never fly Frontier again! The night before travel, I tried checking in however, the app was giving me an error, so I went to the desktop, which instructed you that you need to use the app. The next day I presented at the check-in gate after trying at least a half dozen times prior to getting into the airport and continuing to getting the error in the app. I actually had rebooted my phone numerous times and reinstall the app just in case. My phone is only one generation older than the current model. It has no problems completing a frontier flight purchase or any other app issues. There was only three frontier employees working at check-in and a huge line while I was in line I continued to try and check in via the app. As I approach the desk, I was dreading dealing with the agent. He was extremely unprofessional, anti-semantic & very ignorant, and mean to the people in front of me, as well as the people who ended up being behind me. He literally told people “Man I don’t care bout y’all” in his native dialect! Maintaining my composure I approached and explained the situation. To which he replied, you’re gonna have to pay then! I don’t understand. It’s an issue with their app not allowing me to check in! Not my issue! He told me if I pay cash it would be $15, $25 if I pay credit card. I don’t understand a $10 difference for paying with a credit card? I am completely cashless so I continued to try using the app to avoid the $25 fee, Which I still don’t believe that I should be responsible for since it was Frontier’s technical issue!!! I continued to check in via the app a couple more times after he verified I was doing everything right he proceeded to continue to belittle the people behind me. Yelling at them saying I don’t care about you people! I cannot believe that this is the way that businesses would treat its customers! Unfortunately, the black mail with dreadlocks did not have a name tag all he had was a frontier sweater on! For the $25 fee that I ended up getting charged on my credit card. I should’ve just booked originally with Spirit or any other carrier! I have no problem paying fees that I should be responsible for, but when it’s due to a technical failure of a company, the customer should not be responsible for it! I cannot believe that it’s not frontier going out of business!

terrible cascading delays and unhelpful customer service. uncomfortable plane. crew was great, however!

Booked direct in July '24. Turned into a 14 hr layover (both ways) in Denver. My 5 day vaca turned into a 1 day . Not good, BUT,... Thank you for the people @ Frontier who were professionally friendly & approachable.

$80 fee for a backpack as a personal item is robbery.

Flying Frontiier was extremely poor!! I paid for a7:15am flight on flight 1601 from PHL To Las Vegas and the delay was brutally, excruciatingly and disgustingly long (8 hrs). I arrived by Uber to PHL at 5:30 am and had to spend the entire 8 hr delay inside the airport. Even more atrocious was that the flight was delayed twice. On the phone with customer service for two hours and was not fully compensated. I feel taken advantage of with this airline. They offered a menial couched for another flight within 90 days to me and my husband who has never flown but this experience has made us almost 100% sure to not fly this airline and will suggest that others don’t either. We don’t want to book ever again, don’t want a menial voucher and I believe by standard and because the flight was delayed for 8 hours, I should be fully reimbursed for the entire round trip. There is no excuse why this should have ever occurred. After sharing my experience with others in Vegas and Philadelphia, I was told that Frontier airlines is notorious for long delayed flights, poor customer service and refusal to compensate people correctly. I’m very nervous to see what departing from Vegas to Philadelphia will bring.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports