$63 Find Cheap Flights from Raleigh 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 Raleigh to California departing on 2/5. 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

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These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Raleigh to California.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Raleigh to California.
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Cheap Flights from Raleigh to California

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$224
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$289
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$224
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$228
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$237
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$359
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$424
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$340
Reno
Reno1 stop$245
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$292
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$224
San Francisco
San Francisco2 stops$289
San Diego
San Diego1 stop$224
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$228
Palm Springs
Palm Springs1 stop$237
Fresno
Fresno1 stop$359
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo1 stop$424
Bakersfield
Bakersfield1 stop$340
Reno
Reno1 stop$245
Sacramento
Sacramento1 stop$292

Book Cheap Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh to California

Mon, Nov 10 - Wed, Nov 12
Frontier Logo
5:21 pm - 1:30 pmRDU-SNA
23h 09m1 stop
Frontier Logo
3:01 pm - 4:36 pmSNA-RDU
22h 35m1 stop
$170Frontier
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Thu, Nov 13 - Sat, Nov 15
Frontier Logo
5:51 pm - 6:49 pmRDU-ONT
27h 58m1 stop
Frontier Logo
12:05 pm - 4:36 pmONT-RDU
25h 31m1 stop
$170Frontier
Find Deal
Wed, Jan 21 - Sat, Jan 24
American Airlines Logo
1:18 pm - 10:49 pmRDU-ONT
12h 31m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 7:07 pmONT-RDU
10h 07m1 stop
$203American Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, Dec 2 - Mon, Dec 8
Delta Logo
7:00 am - 9:13 amRDU-LAS
5h 13mnonstop
Delta Logo
12:44 am - 9:54 amLAS-RDU
6h 10m1 stop
$207Delta
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 17 - Wed, Dec 24
American Airlines Logo
10:19 am - 2:35 pmRDU-LAS
7h 16m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
8:05 am - 10:06 pmLAS-RDU
11h 01m1 stop
$211American Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Jan 23 - Sat, Jan 24
United Airlines Logo
3:40 pm - 9:51 pmRDU-LAS
9h 11m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
12:30 am - 10:12 amLAS-RDU
6h 42m1 stop
$212United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Dec 10 - Tue, Dec 16
Delta Logo
5:29 am - 10:22 amRDU-LAS
7h 53m1 stop
Delta Logo
12:44 am - 11:37 amLAS-RDU
7h 53m1 stop
$217Delta
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Sat, Dec 6 - Sat, Dec 13
Southwest Logo
3:00 pm - 7:15 pmRDU-LAX
7h 15m1 stop
Southwest Logo
5:35 am - 7:15 pmLAX-RDU
10h 40m2 stops
$224Southwest
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Sat, Dec 6 - Mon, Dec 8
Southwest Logo
5:50 am - 10:15 amRDU-SAN
7h 25m1 stop
Southwest Logo
10:20 am - 10:05 pmSAN-RDU
8h 45m2 stops
$224Southwest
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Thu, Jan 8 - Wed, Jan 21
United Airlines Logo
4:07 pm - 8:42 pmRDU-SAN
7h 35m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:30 am - 6:52 pmSAN-RDU
9h 22m2 stops
$240United Airlines
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Raleigh to California flights

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

What is the cheapest Raleigh to California flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to California from Raleigh found in the last 72 hours was to San Diego, at $208 round-trip. The most popular route is from Raleigh (RDU) 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 Raleigh 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 $364, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Raleigh 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 Raleigh to California is September, when tickets cost $341 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and February, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $459 and $416 respectively.

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from Raleigh 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 Wednesday and more expensive on a Sunday. On your return trip to Raleigh, you should consider flying back on a Wednesday, and avoid Sundays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 16% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$63
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 16% increase in price.
Flight from Raleigh to Ontario

FAQs - booking California flights

  • Where are the most common layovers between Raleigh and California?

    Most flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to California will have at least one layover, but layovers on this route could be almost anywhere in the country. Some of the most common layovers on this path are at Denver International Airport (DEN) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

  • Does Raleigh-Durham International Airport have any lounges for passengers?

    Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) has a handful of lounges that passengers can use while waiting for flights to California. The American Airlines Admirals Club, Delta SkyClub, and United Club are all good options.

  • Which airlines welcome pets on flights from Raleigh to California?

    Several airlines will allow you to bring pets on board when you’re flying from Raleigh to California. American Airlines is one of the best in the business when it comes to accommodating pets. Your pet just needs to be small enough to fit into a soft-sided 18 x 11 x 11-inch kennel, and you must have a health certificate for your pet from your veterinarian issued within 10 days of your travel date.

  • What steps can I take to make a flight from Raleigh to California more sustainable?

    To make a flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to California more sustainable, look into flying with an airline like American Airlines or Delta. They’ve both committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2050 and have strong sustainability plans in place.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 $407 on average. Morning departures are around 12% 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 $499.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Raleigh to the following destinations at these prices or less: Los Angeles $258 one-way - $357 round-trip; San Francisco $270 one-way - $386 round-trip
  • Before you even think about trying to book a flight from Raleigh, NC, to California, you should decide which airport in California you want to fly to. You’ll have to ability to take off from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and head to a number of airports in California, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and San Diego International Airport (SAN). Smaller airports like Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) will also be options.
  • You’ll be able to fly from Raleigh to quite a few airports in California, but unfortunately, you won’t be able to fly direct in most cases. Many airlines, such as American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, and United Airlines, will make at least one stop between North Carolina and California. Some will also make two or even three stops. Make it your mission to find a flight plan that only includes one stop whenever possible.
  • No matter how many stops a flight makes between Raleigh and one of the airports in California, you will likely spend at least 8 or 9 hours on a plane when you’re on your way to the West Coast. Because of this, you should look into the possibility of securing a first-class ticket for your flight. Some airlines like Frontier won't offer true first-class tickets, but others, like American Airlines and Delta, will be more than happy to extend first-class options.
  • Most of the airlines that travel from Raleigh to California will charge you baggage fees if you choose to check bags at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. American Airlines, for example, will charge you for each bag you check. You might be able to trim your travel costs by leaving your luggage at home and only bringing a carry-on bag that doesn't exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches.
  • Raleigh-Durham International Airport isn’t a hub for Delta, but it is considered a “focus city” for the airline. It’s why Delta tends to have more flights taking off from RDU and heading to California than other airlines. You may want to take advantage of this since it could help you find more convenient flight times.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Raleigh to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 4237 reviews
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

4.0 OkayJeff, Oct 2025MCI - SAN
Read more Southwest reviews

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.

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

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

Boarding process, crew were good. But the seats were so uncomfortable that was all I could focus on. I literally had to sit forward so that all 3 of us could fit in row. I will try to avoid Southwest in the future for any flights over 60 minutes.

Great flight, 47 passengers on a 180 seat plane. Stewardess was pleasant and cheerful.

Great experience flying Southwest. The crew was really kind and helpful, and very friendly with our toddler.

Plane late from DC to Austin 30 minutes. Crew made up much of the time enroute to San Diego.

Fine, but how to board on SW versus othrr airlines, is just lame. Goood staff though and all was solid otherwise.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

Flight was too crowded and seats are too small, especially since passengrs are getting larger. Having a middle seat is ALWAYS tough! Woman on my left was large & kept creeping in to my space. Flight personnel were great! Have more savory rather than sweet snacks please.

The crew took good care of us. The flight from ATL to SFO is a longer one, and there were multiple beverage offerings. I like the 757's that Delta uses. Good airplane that is comfortable. I do wish Delta would separate Priority boarding from the better seats. I would gladly take a smaller seat in an open row than be jammed into Comfort just to get priority boarding, just to make sure I don't have to check a bag.

Gate agent rushed to fill hot jetway with crowd so it took over 12 minutes to go from gate to plane. Just like a discount airline Pooly prepared cabin and third time that claim of rough air prevented any cabin service. Friends on a Southwest flight at similar time had service.

I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.

Flight was delayed, 30+ bags had to be gate checked. Crew were very friendly!

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

My flight was extremely cold. I had a jacket and a cover was left in each seat. The cover was extremely thin and I have a disability, fibromyalgia and arthrithis and AC air is the worst. I closed my vent and my husbands vent and it still was frigid. I asked the attendant if I could get another cover and she quickly almost dismissively and totally unconcerned stating, (I quote) (one per chair) and walked off so quickly that I didn't get a chance to explain to her that I literally have adisability. I didnt want to make a seen so I set on that flight for over 5 hours in pain, joints locking up and extremely uncomfortable. When my fibromyalgia flares up my joints not only ache but they will lock up also and it takes me days to get back to my regular self even though I take medication for it. I felt like it would not have hurt anyone at all for her to just give me an extra cover because I'm sure they have all types of medical issues in people that fly every day.

Not a "Delta" issue, but a JFK issue: We booked a connecting flight with 3 1/2 hours between to clearn immigration and customs. Our inbound flight (BCN to JFK) was on the taxiway 45 minutes which ate into our layover time. Immigtration was insanely quick with the CBP MPC app; however, clearing TSA (again, after we were ALREADY cleared in Spain on the inbound international flight) took over 95 minutes. This left us with 10 minutes before boarding the connecting flight (JFK to SAN) to walk to the far end of Terminal 4 and try to find food. We didn't find any food that could promise to serve us in under 10 minutes so we boarded the Delta flight after coming off a plance and an 8-hour flight knowing that we wouldn't be served any food on the next 5 1/2 hour flight. I feel like Delta needs to put pressure on the JFK TSA to open more screening stations (by our count, we saw only 5 scanners open and a line of - as we said - over 90 minutes. The insult is that we WERE ALREADY SCREENED through TSA, but as you come off one flight into the USA, you have to go through the whole process again. It seems like if you have a connecting flight, there should be a way to pass through immigration and customs without needing to return through TSA.

There are 4 flights in consecutive gates with about the same departure time. Two flights were boarding at the same time. One was delayed or boarding would be happening at the same time. I am not sure what Delta and LAX need to do to have a better layout at the end of Terminal 2

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.

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

Plane was crowded and even when we hit altitude, the plane was hot, not enough air flow.

1. when we went to check in, our 2 first class seats had been CANCELED and the flight was sold out. This was done without our prior knowledge. It was all we could do to restore one first class seat for my wife and I flew economy. 2, Our flight home was scheduled to leave at 10:30 pm. Due to tsunami warnings, the roads were closed and our flight status was uncertain as to whether it would leave as scheduled. It was announced that it would now leave at 11:20 pm and the roads were now open since the tsunami had come and gone. We made a mad dash to the airport and checked in. Delays were announced at 12:30 pm, 1:30 am, 2:30 am and at 3:30 am it was canceled. Since this was a flight due to natural (tsunami) causes, there was no compensation. We were told to return at 1:00 pm the next day and our baggage would be kept on the plane since the same plane was going to leave at 1:00 pm. We had to return to our hotel for the rest of the night. The same plane did not leave at 1:00 pm and our baggage was gone! All in all, it was a miserable performance by UA. Information was hard to obtain and no one knew what was going on and what was going to happen. Hundreds of passengers slept on the floor, chairs, etc. No food and no water was made available to the passengers. It was a situation where UA could care less what was going on. As a one million mile flyer, I had not experienced anything like this before and it was hugely disappointing!

Boarded plane and then delayed 1.5 hours while on the plane

Horrific. They missed my connecting flight to San Diego. I didn’t get there until Monday at 9am when I had a mandatory court settlement conference scheduled at 6am since we had parties on the east coast. This caused many issues. All because United apparently forgot to hold the doors open until my flight landed that only had a 10 minute delay. This was the last flight to Southern California. So I couldn’t even rent a car to finish the trip. United cannot be trusted when traveling on specific days and times since weather didn’t have anything to do with the delays.

My flight was delayed a very short period of time but they did not hold my connecting flight to San Diego, also through United. So they closed the doors before we got off our plane. They would only have to help the door open for another five to ten minutes. So I missed a court deadline for a manditory mediation settlement conference for my client. I had to get an associate to be there in person and be on the phone with him relaying what he needs to do the entire time. The court was very upset with me and so was my client. United cannot be trusted.

Very below average , plane from Dallas to Toyko was very poor designed plane. I had to sit for 13 hours next to fat man. Really bad seat and entertainment screen sucked

The flight crew was rude. We were in first class and no one even offered water until an hour after we were in the air. Horrible experience

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

The stewardess hit me with the food kart twice on the head and didn't say I'm sorry once. The same stewardess gave me a warm Apple Juice with No ice. The Flight was delayed for Departure 6 times, starting from 2:36pm, finally taking off 7:50pm. I was late picking up my child from the sitter by 3 hours.

Did not get the seat I selected and paid for.

My flight was delayed for several hours. Sitting at gate 16 for several hours, I got a text from Kayak the gate changed to 9 before it was announced. Very bad communication at each gate from American Airlines employees. I received 10 notifications of delay from Kayak. My vacation started off horrible! I will write to American Airlines corporate office also.

Delayed flight that lead to a missed connection and a 5-hour trip became a 12-hour flight 🙄

There is no room, no gluten free options, or any free internet/entertainment. You have to bring your own tablet or smartphone because there are no screens.

Amazing food, great staff, with one noticable detail missing ...but no seat entertainment in any of aircraft ...I am not a fan

Boarding gate in Honolulu was staffed with a great clerk with a soothing voice despite the flight delay of over an hour. Flight attendants in the plane were all grumpy, not pleasant looking bunch. Their sour attitude showed throughout the flight. Inly able to get a select few movies started. Most of the movie links in the “free entertainment” did not work.

Boarding was on time and plane departed as scheduled. There are obviously no amenities (food, drink, entertainment) on Frontier, but there also didn't seem to be any issues with luggage space either.

Inbound plane was on time and flight departed on time with no issues while boarding.

I knew going into this that Frontier, being a low cost carrier, would be pretty bare bones and charge for most extras but this was made up for by the fact that the airplane was a reasonably new Airbus, every employee was great and best of all, Everett Washington is an amazing airport - thanks Frontier for flying there!!!

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

It was well done. It was my first time flying with them and I was nervous b/c I have heard of many cancelled and/or delray flights. Everything went smoothly.

Just know that everything, and I mean everything is “ala cart”. 60$ just to put something in the overhead bin. I will never fly Frontier again nor do I recommend them to anyone else.

The single worst check in experience I could imagine. I’ll never do any business with Frontier or any affiliated company

Too many extra fees, uncomfortable, little leg room. Will not recommend this airline.

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.

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

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