$28 Find Cheap Flights from Washington to California

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Low seasonSeptember
Cheapest flight$28
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 15% increase in price.
Flight from Everett to Las Vegas

Flights from Washington to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Washington to California 
MarisaFlew with American AirlinesSEA-LAXJun 2025
Take Alaska Airlines - Clear was great to have at both airports, especially seattle where there was a large security line
Verified travelerFlew with Hawaiian AirlinesSEA-ONTJun 2025
Make sure to be there on time because the bag drop off can be a little complicated and it takes quite some time to get to the gate.
ShuraFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-BURApr 2025
Don’t . Delta has all the gates together for easy transfers and much more food and beverage selection
RobertFlew with United AirlinesSEA-SFOMar 2025
If you’re picking up a rental car it’s not very clear that you have to take the train. Signage can be improved at SFO.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-PSPDec 2024
Be courteous of your fellow travelers. Remember the carry on baggage rules. Keep your jackets out of the storage bin on full flights. Don't move other people's luggage from one bin to another. Step out of the isle as quickly as you can. Be sure you're in the seat(s) assigned to you.
OksanaFlew with Alaska AirlinesGEG-SANFeb 2025
Arrive early, the registration kiosks may not work and registration will take more than an hour.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-ONTOct 2024
SeaTac lets you make an appointment to get through security. SpotSaver. No cost. Online.
ReidFlew with United AirlinesSEA-LAXOct 2024
SeaTac does not have a very good or equitable system for security lines. First class passengers don’t have a TSA precheck option, while there are only 2 TSA precheck lines on opposite sides of the terminal. Highly recommend getting TSA plus Clear, as the airport heavily favors this combination, with each section of the terminal having one of these options. I almost missed my flight because the only TSA precheck line was about 45 minutes long.
BruceFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-LAXNov 2024
Tight interline connection at LAX - barely made the flight. Directions from AS arrival gate to separate AA commuter terminal for AS codeshare flight connecting to TUS would have been nice.
KimberlyFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-SNAJul 2024
When going to Disneyland fly to this airport. Only 8 miles from Disneyland and super quick to check in and check out. Highly recommend this airport!
DavidFlew with Alaska AirlinesPAE-LAXJun 2024
Well I arrived 2 hours early, but everything was very empty and fast so maybe try to be there an hour early better.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-BURAug 2024
Burbank Airport is the best place to start your travels: small airport, short lines, and easy check in.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-SJCAug 2024
The airport is busy and a mess with construction. There is a train to take so account for extra time.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-SNAAug 2024
Flight was delayed 9-1/2 hours. Make sure you have somewhere to go in you have to check out of your hotel.
LauraFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-LAXJul 2024
LAX is a bit of a mess. Very long walk between terminals.
Verified travelerFlew with Alaska AirlinesSEA-FATMar 2024
Enjoy the flight. You can see Yosemite national park half dome and el capitan from left side window seat
LaurenFlew with DeltaSEA-LAXFeb 2024
If you have kids, bring your own screens. We were counting on the inflight entertainment and it was a definite letdown. Also, TSA Pre-check is only available at station 2, but wait times are posted at each station so you can see if it’s worth the walk.

FAQs for booking flights from Washington to California

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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?

    Washington and California are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are Hawaiian Airlines (981 flights per week), Alaska Airlines (825 flights per week), and Qatar Airways (552 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in California?

    There are 28 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 Palm Springs Airport (PSP), with an average flight price of $158.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Friday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $271. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Monday, where round-trip prices are $373 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 afternoon, when round-trip flights cost $251 on average. Morning departures are around 22% 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 $348.

  • What is the cheapest flight to California?

    The cheapest ticket to California from Washington found in the last 72 hours was to Oakland, at $90 round-trip. The most popular route is Bellingham (BLI) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $107.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from Washington to California?

    The cheapest month for flights from Washington to California is August, when tickets cost $197 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and April, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $373 and $353 respectively.

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

    To get a below average price on the flight from Washington to California, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 46% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 10 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to California?

    From Washington, there are direct flights to California from 5 cities. The city with the most direct flights is Seattle, with 4,923 direct flights each week.

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

    There are around 806 direct flights from within Washington to California every day. Most flights (38%) depart in the morning.

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

    Each week there are around 5,639 direct flights from within Washington 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 Washington to California takes 2h 27m, covering a distance of 807 miles. The shortest route is Portland (PDX) to Reno (RNO) with an average flight time of 1h 25m.

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

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or medium-haul (3-6 hour flight duration) flights to California. Instead, there are 5,647 short-haul flights (up to 3 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from Seattle.

  • What are the most popular destinations in California?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Los Angeles (25% of total searches to California). The next most popular destinations are Las Vegas (19%) and Santa Ana (10%). Searches for flights to San Diego (10%), to Ontario (9%) and to San Francisco (9%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Washington to California

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Washington 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11188 reviews
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
7.1Food
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

Almost 3 hr delay in Settle with very little information available to passengers. They boarded the plane and we waited for a long time inside the plane as well.

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Oct 2025SEA - STS
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Almost 3 hr delay in Settle with very little information available to passengers. They boarded the plane and we waited for a long time inside the plane as well.

The flight was fine, but the Kayak app is terrible. I could not input my flight. I couldn’t use it for anything and it would not even let me try to add a seat once you purchased the ticket you might as well. Delete the Kayak app as far as I’m concerned. I’m done with kayak. Com

Food and entertainment not applicable - standard drinks and cinnamon cookies; crew did not do a song and dance for us so no entertainment. I like the slightly better leg room than American Airlines - at least it felt that way. Flight crew and atmosphere seemed more welcoming than American, too.

this was the THIRD time in four Alaska flights that were 2 hours late. Only one was due to weather. The intentionally posted each flight as only 1 hour and 55 minutes late so that they wouldn't have to give out vouchers. And then the flights all ended up more than 2 hours late. Makes United look like a premium carrier.

It was fine, mostly I was just happy to be on my last leg home. No in flight entertainment but that's forgivable since it was only a 2 hour flight.

Flight was cancelled, then rebooked on a flight that I was unable to get through since they had closed the gate.

Alaska Airlines adds time to flight time to make up for late departures. Also Alaska Airlines destroyed my suitcase and I had to buy another suitcase for return flight. Very frustrating and not sure I would fly Alaska Airlines again.

Landed and parked in back of larger jet. Cabin filled with jet exhaust. Left many with headache. I got sick to my stomach. Scrambled to find airsick bags

Plane seats are comfortable and seemed more roomy than others I have been on. Playing was clean and flight crew friendly. Passengers who have a connecting flight should however be allowed off the plane first

flights on time, flights that were leaving when scheduled..having the alaska people on the phone and most of all getting rid of the new atmos website it is terrible!!!!!!!!

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.

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

Easy boarding with an extremely kind attendant. Seats were spacious and we had 3 seats for 2 people so we could stretch out. Comfortable air flow and very attentive and hospital attendants. Bathrooms and food were the only negative. Bathrooms were so small you could hardly get in and close the door. I don’t think an obese person would fit or a person with a movement disability. Food was the trending food for flights, nonexistent. We spent $40 getting sandwich and snack at airport for our 6 hour flught.

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.

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

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

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

Seats were new and comfortable. Staff was fine. Missed my connection due to weather -which wasn’t their fault- but got no help at all. Gate staff sent me to customer service, which was and stayed unstaffed. Sign with QR code directed me to call or chat. Chat was useless. Call was returned after an hour. No itinerary offered by Frontier could get me home in less than 30 hours. Rebooked with another airline and got a partial refund that came to about 10 percent of what I paid to get home.

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

As every law enforcement agency I could imagine surrounded the plane and we didn’t disembark for 2 hours and then had to stick around for another hour to go get our personal belongings after leaving them behind and being bused away from the plane, it was scary and inconvenient. We were given no information as to why this was happening. Lack of communication with passengers was disappointing.

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

The ticketing agents were rude but then we had a great gate agent very nice we had to ride a buss out to where the plane was parked but it was in some back corner of the airport when we got to the plane the captain who was great btw was cleaning the plane because the same rude ticketing agent told them they we not contracted to vacuum the plane. The ride to las Vegas was fine We had a connecting flight to Dallas. The flight was fine but when we arrived in Dallas everyone who flew on any frontier airlines the picked up bags from baggage claim D15 had to wait over a hour for their bags to start we arrived at 11:30pm ish to the gate we didn't leave the baggage clamed till 12:50 am very not happy and i used to fly frontier 4 times a week for work in Denver i will not be using them again

Terrible communication with weather delay, lost baggage, near impossible to reach customer service

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