$364 Find Cheap Flights from South Pacific to California

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Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$364
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 2% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 12% increase in price.
Flight from Papeete to Los Angeles

Flights from South Pacific to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from South Pacific to California 
ChristyFlew with French Bee
PPT
-
SFO
Dec 2025
Know that they weigh your bags, bring food and drinks , you can move to other seats after takeoff, expect delays and don’t schedule flights in the same day. SFO passport control also took FOREVER. The movies were good snd helped is survive tge long flight.
CharlesFlew with WestJet
MEL
-
LAX
Dec 2025
I had 5.5 hrs between my flight to LA and my flight from LA to Calgary. I barely made it! The plane to Calgary was loading by the time I got through in-flight delays, then inbound US customs, luggage pick-up, luggage drop-off, then TSA checks as I re-entered the secure zone, then fast-walk to the outbound gate. LAX is a difficult airport, designed last century when air travel was much more relaxed. So: plan for WAY more time there than you’d ever want.
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
SYD
-
LAX
Jan 2025
Bring some extra food! Long flight, you don’t get enough and quality is mediocre. No free snacks in between meals except for mini pretzels.
Verified travelerFlew with Qantas Airways
BNE
-
LAX
Oct 2024
Qantas is definitely the way to go!!! Great service and boarding process stress free. The website is extremely helpful for booking and very user friendly. Make sure you have all of your documents though. Honestly, I didn't need to worry about bringing extra snacks or entertainment despite the long flight. Maybe bring along an extra bottle of water if you tend to get thirsty.
Verified travelerFlew with Air New Zealand
AKL
-
LAX
Nov 2024
If you can, and you’re a grown adult, pay the few extra dollars for premium economy. You won’t regret it
AurianneFlew with United Airlines
SYD
-
SFO
Sep 2024
Ensure you have 2-3 hours layover You’ll likely need unless you don’t mind missing your next flight
DonnaFlew with Qantas Airways
SYD
-
SFO
Dec 2023
We got off a cruise so were at the airport over 7hrs before our flight. We paid for the day pass at the Premium Club. Totally worth it! It was quiet and offered food, drinks, showers and when they closed, we were able to go to the downstairs lounge which opened at 6:30. This lounge was much larger and had a bigger selection of food and beverages. Would definitely go there again.
SidFlew with United Airlines
AKL
-
SFO
Jan 2024
wear layers as our flight over was freezing and return flight back was back sweat hot

FAQs for booking flights from South Pacific to California

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from South Pacific 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 Pacific 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 Pacific 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 Pacific 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 Pacific to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to California?

    South Pacific and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (107 flights per week), American Airlines (98 flights per week), and Lufthansa (95 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 29 airports in California. The busiest airport is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with 39% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is Los Angeles Airport (LAX), with an average flight price of $703.

  • 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 $1,092. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,321 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 $1,006 on average. Morning departures are around 20% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to California is generally in the morning, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,207.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from South Pacific found in the last 72 hours was to San Francisco, at $278 round-trip. The most popular route is Auckland (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $627.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from South Pacific to California?

    The cheapest month for flights from South Pacific to California is October, when tickets cost $964 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and January, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,402 and $1,285 respectively.

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

    To get a below average price on the flight from South Pacific to California, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 7% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From South Pacific, there are direct flights to California from 8 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Sydney, with 317 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each day?

    There are around 151 direct flights from within South Pacific to California every day. Most flights (49%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to California are there each week?

    Each week there are around 1,053 direct flights from within South Pacific to California. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 18% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to California?

    An average nonstop flight from South Pacific to California takes 18h 31m, covering a distance of 7279 miles. The shortest route is Papeete (PPT) to Los Angeles (LAX) with an average flight time of 7h 45m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to California each week?

    There are not any medium-haul (3-6 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to California. Instead, there are 1,053 long-haul flights (6-12 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Sydney.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (53% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are San Francisco (18%) and Ontario (11%). Searches for flights to Las Vegas (8%), to Burbank (2%) and to Long Beach (2%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from South Pacific to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from South Pacific 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.
8.1
Fiji AirwaysOverall score based on 237 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.1Comfort
8.2Boarding
7.6Food
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

Fiji Airways always goes above and beyond. If anything I'd say the food was less enjoyable than in the past. But that in no way lessened the experience with the cabin crew or the excellent attentiveness and service they provided throughout the entire trip!

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Mar 2026
LAX - NAN
Read more Fiji Airways reviews

Fiji Airways always goes above and beyond. If anything I'd say the food was less enjoyable than in the past. But that in no way lessened the experience with the cabin crew or the excellent attentiveness and service they provided throughout the entire trip!

Left on time , arrived on time. Staff was awesome!!!!! Great flight!!!!

Great food, wonderful staff made a long flight seem short

Everything was great . Arrived on time was smooth plane was clean. Crew/Staff was friendly and helpful.

Everything from the staff to the comfort of business class was excellent. This is one of my new favorite airlines.

Ticketing said dinner for the almost 14 hour flight and we were delayed an hour. However, onboard we were only served a sluce if pizza bread and a cookie. Not at all dinner and insufficient for a long international flight. Breakfast was good.

We have had an absolutely horrific experience so far getting home from Australia on a $18,000 + flight we booked with you. The flight did not deplane in Dallas because there was no available gate or staircase. We sat in the plane for 3 hours waiting to deplane. As a result we missed our connecting flight to New York. American Airlines put us up in a hotel several miles away. We waited 45 minutes for a shuttle and The shuttle driver was horribly rude and unhelpful. They offered us $70 vouchers for food but actually there was no food left when we arrived minus some chicken nuggets and corn dogs. It was awful. Horrible way to end a vacation. There has to be accountability here.

A bit cramped in economy and the people in front wouldn’t put their seats up during meal service, crew did not help with that and I felt they could have done more about it.

The airline is ok, but it needs to improve it schedules.

Again, Fijian hospitality was genuine, very comfortable, only improvement would be the entertainment. Why Do they only have 5 episodes of TV shows and from like season three...

The flight was smooth and on time. Entertainment options were lacking and there was no food, other than some very boring snacks.

A better selection of entertainment would have been nice. I found nothing that appealed to me as a middle-aged traveler. The flight attendants were gracious, helpful, and attentive. It also would have been nice to have more bathrooms as the flight was full and the plane was big.

Appreciated the ability to get an earlier flight home after flying in from in from Japan. No problem with boarding or crew service. The limited choice of snacks, compared to previous years. Aircraft seats seem to be getting harder and more uncomfortable all the time. Overall, happy to be home

Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our return home from Tokyo to Auckland and onwards to Palmerston North. We would recommend using the Premier Business class for long-haul travel, any day. Well worth the extra cost. Cabin staff were exceptional, Thank you

Great service. Food could be improved but overall a very good airline

This flight was the second leg of a trip that began in Auckland, New Zealand. I was unable to find a way to select seats in advance. The boarding passes we were given in Auckland did not have seat assignments for the second flight. There was no way to check on it until personnel showed up at the gate in Los Angeles, immediately before boarding time. The flight was overbooked by one, and since I was traveling with my sister, we needed two seats. We waited in considerable anxiety for everyone else to board and when one person did not show up, we had to take whatever was left. At least we finally got on the flight although we were the very last to board. We were not able to sit together, of course.

The Premium Economy seats were very comfortable and the food was quite tasty. I did not use the entertainment system, but I was able to charge my phone and tablet with the seatback connection.

We had difficulty checking in as United didn’t recognize the confirmation number and the agent was not helpful. We went to the United Assistance desk where the agent was able to process our reservation. We also weren’t allowed to choose seats in advance.

Space between seats on Air New Zealand is generally tight. The crew on this flight was excellent! Very attentive and nice. You get free wine or beer and chips and of course the Air New Zealand candies. 1 hour and 35 min flight approximately.

Your entertainment could be better. I flew on Air New Zealand in January so was expecting a better choice in February...but no luck. Same choices and also could have a better selection. Otherwise, lovely service, the purser came to our seats to welcome us. Overall, very nice. Direct flight from Auckland to YVR was fantastic!

The cabin temperature was nice and cool. The wifi was not working.

As previously noted, this flight was great: departure was timely, the crew was friendly and attentive, and wifi connectivity was seamless. In particular, I appreciated that the flight attendant just told me to stow the laptop right before takeoff/landing, and trusted me to do so (which I did!).

Left a few minutes early. Got in 15 minutes early. Very attentive service on board. Very organized boarding.

There’s not much to say about a one hour flight. This is a connection from LA to RNO that I missed the previous night due to a mechanical check delay on my originating flight from JFK to LAX. The short flight itself was fine. Instructions from the pilot and crew were per usual. The coffee was barely lukewarm, which possibly was purposeful so we would down it quickly. Bags were already on carousel upon reaching baggage claim, which was excellent.

Delta continues to set the benchmark for traveler-friendly service with minimal disruption and clear communication within the mainland US (coast to coast). I am consistently pleased to be a Delta customer, and this experience once again met my expectations. There was a brief delay departing from MIA due to a technical issue that required the aircraft to return to the gate. However, the situation was handled professionally and transparently. Fortunately, my planned layover allowed ample buffer time, so the adjustment caused no stress. Overall, another smooth and reassuring experience.

Awful - both legs. The check in was awful, getting on the plane required walking down a spiral staircase (dangerous), then taking a bus about 5 miles out from the terminal. The seat was broken (I was in business), there was no internet during the flight (both legs). The aircraft was very old. I saw rust in some place, tape holding things up in the bathroom. This was an unacceptable experience for such a long haul flight.

Awesome! On time flight, early arrival, and a complimentary upgrade!

Was forced to check in my small carry on, even though I informed the crew it has very fragile items inside

They double booked seats, the gate staff changed my ticket as I was boarding she went over to the computer and changed it without telling me. She messed up an entire three row section for me and others. Other travelers were outraged but the gate staff were so rude, so condescending saying it wasn't their problem to solve. I would rate this a zero if I could. Will not fly Delta again I'll stick with United and American.

I usually get upgraded so my experience is usually amazing. I did not get upgraded this time - which was fine - but the wifi had issues, the monitors were going in & out, & (though not Delta's fault) one of the gentlemen next to me desperately needed a shower.

On the Qantas flight, I could barely hear some of the announcements. It was better when I could read them on the screen.

Good check in and helpful staff. Delayed for 1 hour. Took about 45 Mins to get baggage’s at DFW . Food was average ( Hindu meal ) . Overall it was good experience

Our boarding and flight was very good. However when we landed and pulled in to the gate it took 55 minutes for the jet bridge to be positioned next to the aircraft. That caused us to miss our ground transportation and it caused us unnecessary last minute transit planning and expense. Our flight was AA1733 on March 17, 2026

We booked with Qantas instead of Delta and we instead flew on American Airlines. American is not our favorite to go on. No leg room and the width of seats are a joke. Your are packed like sardines on American flights.

When I originally booked this flight, I was expecting to travel on Qantas. When the itinerary changed and the long-haul segment was operated by American Airlines, we were disappointed but remained open-minded. Unfortunately, the overall service experience fell far short of expectations. This was a long-haul international flight. Getting up periodically to use the restroom or stretch is inevitable, especially on flights of this duration. However, each time we stood up, we felt as though we were inconveniencing the crew. The tone and body language often suggested that we were in the way or disrupting something simply by moving about the cabin. As a result, I avoided getting up as often as I needed to and was physically very sore upon arrival. Meal service was similarly impersonal. The options were presented in single words “beef or veggie,” “pasta or beef” without any description of what was actually being served. There was little engagement or courtesy beyond that. Even simple expressions of gratitude were often not acknowledged. I am accustomed to no-frills travel and do not expect luxury. What was disappointing was not the absence of extras, but the absence of basic warmth and professionalism. On a long-haul international flight, small moments of courtesy and humanity make a significant difference. In this case, the experience felt transactional and dismissive rather than welcoming. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as there is a meaningful difference between efficient service and indifferent service.

Flight arrived late with no one to help over 30 people rebook. I slept at the airport.

Business seats not as comfortable or private as most competitors (e.g. Qantas was outstanding), and movie selection was much more limited than Qantas or United has been recently

I'd like to see AA's flight safety record clearly and prominently posted online.

Hard to move and get out of my seat when the passenger in front is in recline position.

Flight was 2.5 hours late leaving. We spent 50 minutes of that sitting on the plane with no explanation. They did reduce the time in the air so we arrived a little less late which was something. The cheese and crackers were okay but the wine was terrible.

we did a return flight from Paris CDG to SFO. This trip was much better than the departing flight SFO to CDG. The food was better quality, the crew was nicer, and the interior of the plane seemed cleaner.

Horrible service no Wi-Fi connection on both leg of the flight and they are refusing to fix bad service

We got to get extended leg room in Econ plus that was great. It was nice having our own dietary needs met with our meals, and the connecting flights had it as well. Only negative were the seats my bottom was/is really sore after a ten plus hour flight. Those seats are horrible, understandable for as many people use them. So we are going to purchase a gel seat pad.

Flight to Japan was was better across the board than the return to USA. Entertainment: Movie selection was old and not to my liking. Way too many woke choices. Not enough selections for sports or drama. Service: some of the crew were great. Not all. I paid for business class. a premium. Some of the crew thought they 'had' t do there job instead of wanting to serve and be polite. Food: Way to Japan was good. Way back to USA bad. Boarding: Wat out did not offer Business only; had to go thru general. If you pay for business, you should get business perks. Suggest you look for other than United for travel to Asia

I will never fly ANA again. They lost one of my large pieces of checked luggage, the heaviest one with the most valuable items in it, and they said they will not send me an email unless they can't find it, even though the paper they gave me to track the status of my lost luggage requires a code from an email they are supposed to send me so I can do baggage tracing. They claim to be an international airline, but they also insist on calling a Japanese telephone number to confirm where to send the lost baggage if they find it. It is impossible to find an actual contact email address for customer support on their website, and their AI chatbot is unhelpful, directing you to a webpage that says it is for contact information but does not have any actual email addresses or phone numbers listed on it. My seat in economy did not recline at all, even though I was not sitting in an exit row nor the very back row. I had to sit in the fully upright position for over ten hours of international travel. Awful experience overall.

The head flight attendant made the trip excellent. He was very accommodating.

The economy seats on the 777 was not as cramped as I had feared, but the food was terrible.

Terrible experience! delay 2 time and say i dont have ticket

It was amazing. I had several upgraded seats on my flight out. Everything went smooth with no delays.

Flight delayed for more than 16 hrs and no effort was spent to provide an alternate

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to South Pacific

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