$496 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to California

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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 for flights to California
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to California
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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 month to fly from South Africa to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from South Africa 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 South Africa to California is February, when tickets cost $943 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,327 and $1,247 respectively.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights 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 South Africa to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.


Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
High seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$496
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 14% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 5% increase in price.
Flight from Johannesburg to Los Angeles

FAQs for booking flights from South Africa to California

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from South Africa 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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 South Africa 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 Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,062. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,301 on average.

  • 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 $997 on average. Morning departures are around 25% 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 $1,265.

Top 5 airlines serving from South Africa to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from South Africa to California. 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 South Africa 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
DeltaOverall score based on 7946 reviews
7.9Entertainment
7.3Food
8.5Crew
8.2Boarding
7.9Comfort
Airline reviews

This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.

10.0 ExcellentGary, Apr 2025TPA - LAX
Read more Delta reviews

This had nothing to do with Delta… The flights were on time and flawless. The service was excellent. We purchased seats in (aisle/middle) comfort plus since this was a cross country flight. Unfortunately, the woman seated at the window was 300+ pounds and, as might be expected, covered up about a third of the middle seat also. there was absolutely nothing that Delta could have done about that… I just don’t know what the answer should be. If you purchase a seat, you should should be able to use the entire seat and not just the portion that someone else is not sitting/oozing in. Disappointing…there should be something that could be done….I'm just not sure what solution could be.

I love the free WiFi!! Crew was nice. Bathroom was decent. First time flying delta in a long time and I enjoyed it. Will definitely look into booking with Delta more but I think Delta is a little more expensive than the other airlines.

Seats are much much more comfortable than United, which is what I usually fly

If I pay extra for "comfort+" I expect leg room where I can stretch my legs. I was seated with an attendant's seat blocking my feet. Knee space was fine but my feet had less room than the non-"comfort+" seats. Also, don't go cheap on food when you have flights of 3+ hours. It's insulting.

Only one side of the heafphone jack work. Crew was friendly and helpful.

Great. Flight departed early and arrived early. Deplaning and baggage claim ww were quick.

They separated our seats and moved us to the back of the plane. Hundreds of dollars and thousands of miles used and this was my platinum member experience.

Since it wasn’t a Delta flight, I was not able to sit with my group and there was no entertainment.

Three adults, three children. They did not give us seats together. Two seats together, in row 23, one in 13, one in 14, one in 10, and one in 17. When we got on the plane, the crew tried to ask people to move but basically threw up their hands. One person moved so we had two pairs of seats together. The 1.5 year old sat on a parent's lap (despite having paid for his own seat).

the fight attendants were great and i appreciated that they had season 1 of The Wire from HBO as a viewing option

My experience was good overall, the quality of the food really decreased! There used to be a choice between meat and fish now it’s between chicken and pasta! In the choices of entertainment meditation has been added which is very good. Soft chair workout to improve blood circulation and avoid phlebitis should be added.

The only reason the overall rating wasn't "excellent" was due to problems in claiming luggage. The bags are delivered to the main area (Cinta 35) for domestic passengers, but to a DIFFERENT ROOM for international arrivees. After waiting 30 minutes, someone (who didn't appear to be from Air France or the airport) told us to go to another area. There we found our bags, which appeared to have been awaiting us for a while. We had to go through a bag check before leaving the airport. If we had been alerted to this possibility, or better yet, been to go directly to Cinta 34, we could have eliminated quite a bit of waiting.

Much better than the major US Carriers especially in Biz Class.

I wish that the meal included a vegetable or even a salad instead of couscous! Why serve chicken with rice AND couscous? Service was good overall though a bit lacking in friendliness. Usually on air france I've been offered a glass of champagne before dinner, wine with dinner, and a digestif after dinner. We were only offered wine this time!

It was not Air France but Air Europa. But confusion over our checked luggage. Whether it was checked all the way to Tenerife or not. It was not. Had to line up again in Departures. At least our Sky Priority was honoured. Flight was fine.

My wife and I had a row to ourselves after moving seats. There were no TVs and you had to buy food. So we did nothing but had a quick nap. Flight was fine.

The male attended that served are section was a snob. He did not answer my call light when my wine spilled all over the floor. I did not push it again or drew his attention to it. He just ignored the call light when he came to give us our meal, serving the people behind us first. I did not push it again or drew his attention to it to see his reaction. It was so obvious that he was ignoring us. We were in premium economy!

The plane was old Only 3 bathrooms available for economy The entertainment was old and the selection was poor

Georgian Airways check in staff initially denied us, because they thought passengers required transit visas to transfer on connecting flights. This required 70 minutes for them to call multiple people to confirm how transfers worked. They did not apologize once accepting our check in. Onboard, the four hour flight gave stale bread with spam slices as lunch. The only included drinks were still or sparkling water.

I did not get my baggage at my final destination..poor coordination with connecting flights with partner airlines (Saudi airways). Also the food was very mediocre.

I needed to make changes to my flights. When I called customer service, they assisted me with care professionalism.

A bit rush for transit. Food and entertainment are not available

Wonderful and fast TSA checkpoint. The line was fast and our gate was close by

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

We tried to upgrade to economy premium but were told this was not possible as we had booked through United Airlines (and Air Canada was operating the flight). This seemed silly given there was ample space in economy premium. Additionally, we had to wait almost 1.5 hours upon arrival to taxi to the gate. Otherwise, the crew were very pleasant and passengers were friendly.

headphone jack didnt work for the first flight and not much variety

The agents was very rude and they charged me $50 for a carry-on bag saying that it was too big and then I saw someone going on a plane with the same size bag as me

For the most part united was a good experience, how ever when they came by with the snacks and water, they completely passed by my wife and I. As we were in separate rows. On a 5 hr flight we were not offered water

Fantastic crew. Flight was delayed at last minute but we were given updates every 20 minutes and the crew was so friendly and considerate. I miss the touch screens on the back of the seats, wish they would bring that back though.

The check in process at Istanbul airport caused my family a great deal of stress and disappointment due to the following factors: 1) WE HAD TO PAY US$330 for check on bags, despite holding Economy tickets that Turkish airlines website clearly states that flights from Istanbul to Miami had a 2 checked bags allowance. 2) Airport staff not only lacked empathy for senior travelers (75 yrs old and 71 yrs old), but were also rude as well. The supervisor at check it offered "if you don't pay for the bags, you can just remain and sleep at the airport for however long you wish. What a terrible way to treat customers !!! 3) We were bumped from agent to agent to agent FIVE times, showing everyone the communication we received telling us we had the 2 bags entitlement. Two elderly people lugging 4 suitcase around and around the Turkish terminal. Again, what a sad way to treat customers !!! 4) We need a case opened to get a refund for the amount we paid. Something is amiss, screams unethical, and sounds unscrupulous......At First , we were told we must pay for 4 bags. All of a sudden, it became 2 bags, and finally all 4 bags were checked on with payments demanded for 2. Why did it vary from agent to agent???? 5) OVERALL, A TERRIBLE AND SUSPICIOUSLLY UNSCRUPULOUS EXPERIENCE FLYING WITH TURKISH AIRLINES. WE ARE TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED AND SAD THAT OUR VISIT TO A BEAUTIFUL CITY ENDED IN SUCH A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE

I recently flew with Turkish Airlines, and I can confidently say it was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. From the moment I boarded, the crew was incredibly attentive, warm, and professional. They went above and beyond to ensure everyone was comfortable and well taken care of throughout the flight. The highlight, however, was the food! I’ve flown with many airlines, but Turkish Airlines sets the bar incredibly high when it comes to in-flight dining. Every meal was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The variety of dishes, even on a long-haul flight, was impressive. It felt like dining at a high-end restaurant at 35,000 feet! The seats were comfortable, the entertainment options were great, and the overall atmosphere made the journey enjoyable. Turkish Airlines truly excels in combining luxury and hospitality. I wouldn’t hesitate to fly with them again—highly recommend!

One of the best flights I have been on in a while.

Here's a sample answer: "Honestly, I was really impressed with Turkish Airlines, but if I had to suggest one area for improvement, it would be: - *More efficient boarding process*: I noticed that boarding took a bit longer than expected, which might be frustrating for passengers with tight connections.

Not worth pay business class and get service economy class

In this long haul flight, flight attendants never stopped moving and giving excellent service. Very impressive. Very comfortable seats and excellent food

In sharp contrast to the modern glitzy airport, boarding facilities were primitive. Passengers had to board buses and walk up steep stairs in bitter cold with carry-on baggages. I found no reason why aerobridge was not provided.

Service and food were decent, seats are a bit too narrow. Leg room is normal. Bathroom should be cleaned more frequently. WiFi is cumbersome and should be simplified.

they have cancell the flight with no reasons, My parents were in the cold weather in the airport for 24 hours they did not give any hotel and food. I hate Turkish Airline, this is our last time that we ha ve chosen Turkish Airline.

Same as before boarding process and lack of crew experience in the process

Fantastic! Great seats! Friendly staff! Amazing selection of shows and movies! Smooth ride! I don’t know what more I could have asked for honestly. They made flying a breeze this time around.

Had a very bad experience flying out of London. Our initial flight was cancelled without notice and the next flight had a layover of 8 extra hours. Me, my husband and my 8-year-old were already sick, and this further added to our problems. We paid extra for the seats: I was not even given our chosen seats which we paid for months before the trip. We were shoved into the available seats which were middle ones in the back (we had paid for front window, aisle, aisle). The seats were so uncomfortable and getting out of middle seats every so often (with a sick child) was a task. We had initially chosen British Airways because of the short layover, however, that went out of the window. Although unexpected things happen all the time and I understand customers have to adjust for the unplanned, however, how the airlines react and make the passengers comfortable during that time is the real test. We were not given any compensation for food or any arrangement to stay comfortable during that time. In fact, our paid seats were taken away as well.

The whole experience was very disappointing. Drinks could have been served and offered more frequently. The seats were reasonable but considering I paid for premium economy, I felt cheated. I flew premium economy with Japanese Airlines ANA 5 years ago and their service was by far, superior. We had access to the club lounge, better seats and excellent service. Out of 10, I would rate the experience as 4. Everything felt cheap and the Airbus aircraft are far better and more comfortable

Flight was okay however bags were left in London even though we had a 7 hour layover. Bags are yet to be confirmed to reach final destination. Horrible work.

Quiet and comfortable aircraft, pretty smooth flight. Very comfortable business class cabin with decent entertainment. Good service from the crew. All in all a good experience.

Why does a reputable airline like BA allow a miserable domestic airline like AA to operate its flights? There is no comparison between the two

Boarding is a mess. They never check group # so lots of people crowding in. Comfortable seats this flight. I had an empty seat next to me, very convenient. Food was really not good, but I was starved. The pizza snack thing was horrible. Crew was grand. They really make it enjoyable.

Too much long line at the TSA and Security. Prepare for long walk for baggage claim.

Crew very helpful and friendly. Food is so so. Main meal is not always the best. Did have a choice of a snack part way which was either a cookie, corn snack, or similar. Second kind of meal was basically like a pizza pastry that really wasn’t a favorite but probably a European snack? Screens and selections of movies, tv and such were good. No WI-Fi unless you buy so no free texting or such on the long flight but I think that might be any overseas flight.

The boarding process was quite loud and chaotic. The flight attendants kept barking over the PA system about people needing to only stow large items in the overhead bins. During the one and only service, I was hit by the service cart. At the same time, a passenger was returning from the bathroom and the crew definitely saw him but stopped a few seats short of allowing him to sit down before starting service and made him wait a good 10 minutes before passing his seat and allowing him to sit down, after which he had to ask for his snack and beverage or he would have been passed over. Neither flight attendant thanked passengers as they left; in fact, I did not see them again once the plane door was opened.

Book cheap flights from South Africa to California

Recent round-trip flight deals

 
These are the cheapest round-trip flights to California found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
6/28Sat
1 stopVirgin Atlantic
31h 40mJNB-LAS
7/5Sat
1 stopVirgin Atlantic
28h 10mLAS-JNB
$955
6/28Sat
1 stopVirgin Atlantic
31h 40mJNB-LAS
7/5Sat
2 stopsVirgin Atlantic
35h 08mLAS-JNB
$959
8/24Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
33h 05mJNB-LAX
9/17Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
29h 40mLAX-JNB
$964
7/2Wed
2 stopsDelta
32h 28mCPT-LAX
7/28Mon
1 stopDelta
26h 30mLAX-CPT
$966
8/24Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
37h 30mJNB-LAX
9/17Wed
1 stopTurkish Airlines
29h 40mLAX-JNB
$966
6/18Wed
2 stopsDelta
31h 25mJNB-LAX
7/28Mon
1 stopDelta
36h 55mLAX-JNB
$967
11/5Wed
2 stopsUnited Airlines
30h 59mCPT-SAN
11/26Wed
1 stopUnited Airlines
28h 20mSAN-CPT
$1,056
7/15Tue
1 stopBritish Airways
27h 00mJNB-LAX
4/30Thu
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 20mLAX-JNB
$1,062
6/9Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
27h 25mJNB-SFO
7/7Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
31h 50mSFO-JNB
$1,062
10/30Thu
2 stopsUnited Airlines
31h 01mJNB-LAS
4/8Wed
2 stopsUnited Airlines
31h 46mLAS-JNB
$1,274

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Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best deals for one-way flights to California found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
9/16Tue
2 stops
41h 03mJNB-LAX
$496
6/16Mon
2 stops
56h 54mJNB-LAS
$571
5/22Thu
1 stopTurkish Airlines
28h 10mCPT-LAX
$734
9/14Sun
1 stopTurkish Airlines
28h 10mCPT-LAX
$741
7/14Mon
2 stopsDelta
48h 00mJNB-LAX
$850
7/15Tue
2 stopsDelta
46h 58mJNB-SNA
$852
7/31Thu
1 stopBritish Airways
26h 40mJNB-LAX
$963
7/28Mon
1 stopBritish Airways
25h 35mJNB-SFO
$963
7/15Tue
3 stopsUnited Airlines
44h 54mJNB-SNA
$1,197
7/13Sun
3 stopsUnited Airlines
47h 14mJNB-SNA
$1,212

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Last minute flights to California

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights to California that are departing in the next 10 days.
5/18Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
26h 08mCPT-LAX
5/31Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
38h 00mLAX-CPT
$953
5/16Fri
multi-stopDelta
34h 34mCPT-LAX
5/22Thu
multi-stopDelta
25h 20mLAX-CPT
$958
5/18Sun
multi-stopDelta
45h 30mJNB-SFO
6/3Tue
multi-stopDelta
28h 25mSFO-JNB
$962
5/18Sun
multi-stopDelta
37h 44mCPT-LAX
5/30Fri
multi-stopDelta
35h 26mLAX-CPT
$967
5/16Fri
multi-stopBritish Airways
34h 16mCPT-LAX
5/22Thu
multi-stopBritish Airways
54h 25mLAX-CPT
$1,647
5/18Sun
multi-stopCathay Pacific
39h 10mJNB-SFO
6/2Mon
multi-stopCathay Pacific
45h 35mSFO-JNB
$1,668
5/18Sun
multi-stop
33h 55mCPT-LAX
5/31Sat
multi-stop
30h 25mLAX-CPT
$1,762
5/18Sun
multi-stopCathay Pacific
35h 15mJNB-SFO
6/2Mon
multi-stopCathay Pacific
46h 35mSFO-JNB
$2,527
5/18Sun
multi-stopEthiopian Air
65h 10mJNB-SFO
6/3Tue
multi-stopEthiopian Air
45h 55mSFO-JNB
$2,604
5/16Fri
multi-stopEthiopian Air
33h 58mCPT-LAX
5/22Thu
multi-stopEthiopian Air
30h 05mLAX-CPT
$2,628

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Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.

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