Statistics on New York City-Los Angeles flights: what is the right price and when to buy your plane ticket?
Best time to go: what is the RIGHT price for a round-trip flight to Los Angeles (from: New York City)
The average price to go to Los Angeles from New York City airport is $ 366 (round trip). However, there are variations depending on the departure month. Thus, it is possible to pay for your plane ticket on average between $ 270 (in september) and $ 467 (in december), which is a saving of $ 97 or a surplus of $ 101 (compared to the average price) depending on the period you leave.
The analysis of all the prices reveals that the most frequent price is between $263 to $315 and that it is generally more economical to leave on a tuesday and return on a wednesday on a direct flight.
Be careful, the cheapest months may correspond to unfavorable weather periods . Check out our page best time to go to Los Angeles before booking your flight.
If you want to know when to book your flight at the best price, go straight to the second part of this page: When to buy your New York City-Los Angeles plane ticket.
How are these data calculated?
We have studied a sample of 63291 airfare prices from previous years for flights to Los Angeles from New York City and can thus establish precise and credible price variation trends based on different parameters. Of course, prices can vary from year to year, but the seasonal aspect of this data (recurrence of school holidays, events... from year to year) makes these statistics quite reliable.
Average price depending on the departure month
Data analysis:
By leaving in september, the price of the plane ticket will statistically be the cheapest ($ 270, saving $ 97 compared to the average price over the year which is $ 366). Conversely, december will be the most expensive ($ 467).
Flight New York City-Los Angeles : when is the best time to go for the best price?
| Month | Good price* | Average price | Our opinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $ 244 | $ 327 | good price |
| February | $ 240 | $ 321 | good price |
| March | $ 309 | $ 380 | fair price |
| April | $ 289 | $ 381 | fair price |
| May | $ 279 | $ 342 | fair price |
| June | $ 343 | $ 426 | high price |
| July | $ 339 | $ 433 | high price |
| August | $ 320 | $ 400 | fair price |
| September | $ 235 | $ 270 the cheapest | very good price |
| October | $ 244 | $ 287 | good price |
| November | $ 271 | $ 352 | fair price |
| December | $ 323 | $ 467 the most expensive | very high price |
*great price to buy your plane ticket: if you see this price or cheaper during your flight search, go for it and buy it!
Price breakdown to travel from New York City to Los Angeles
Data analysis:
The prices for flights from New York City to Los Angeles range from $105 to $735. 2% of tickets were purchased at the minimum price (from $105 to $158), 1% at the maximum price (from $682 to $735). The majority of plane tickets were purchased in the range of $263 to $315 (22% of tickets).
Cheapest airlines for the New York City->Los Angeles flight
There are 8 companies that serve New York City from Los Angeles airport: Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines, jetBlue, United, Delta, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Sun Country.
Data analysis:
Of the 63291 flights analyzed in previous years, Alaska Airlines was the airline that offered the best fare most often in the flight ticket search results (27% of the time) on the New York City->Los Angeles route.
Direct flight or flight with layover?
Data analysis:
To get the best price for the New York City-Los Angeles flight, you should take a direct flight (saving an average of $ 71 compared to a flight with one or more layovers).
Which day of the week to leave?
Data analysis:
Statistically, New York City-Los Angeles flights departing on a tuesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a tuesday as your departure date, you can save an average of $24. On the other hand, departing on a sunday may cost you an additional $28.
Which day of the week to come back?
Data analysis:
Statistically, return flights from Los Angeles to New York City departing on a wednesday are cheaper than on other days of the week. By choosing a wednesday for your return date, you will save an average of $39. Conversely, departing from Los Angeles on a sunday may cost you an additional $34.
Top prices New York City-Los Angeles
| Round trip | Dates | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City → Los Angeles | 05-12 to 11-12-2024 | $ 169 | layover flight with Spirit Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 12-12 to 26-12-2024 | $ 178 | direct flight with Spirit Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 06-01 to 23-01-2025 | $ 167 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 10-01 to 24-01-2025 | $ 167 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 16-01 to 25-01-2025 | $ 167 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 17-01 to 23-01-2025 | $ 158 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 21-01 to 25-01-2025 | $ 178 | direct flight with Spirit Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 23-01 to 31-01-2025 | $ 178 | direct flight with Spirit Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 12-02 to 25-02-2025 | $ 127 | layover flight with Frontier Airlines |
| New York City → Los Angeles | 11-05 to 16-05-2025 | $ 178 | direct flight with Spirit Airlines |
When to book your flight New York City - Los Angeles to get the cheapest price?
Statistically, you will make the biggest savings by buying your plane ticket between 1 to 2 months in advance. However, you may end up paying a high price if you book between 11 to 12 months in advance.
Did you know: the price of plane tickets not only varies depending on how far in advance you book, but also on the day of the week you book! So, to maximize your chances of getting the best price for a New York City-Los Angeles flight, it is recommended to book your ticket on a thursday.
How far in advance should I buy my flight?
Data analysis:
To get the cheapest flight ticket from New York City to Los Angeles , it is recommended to buy it 1 to 2 months before departure (it is then on average 256 $, which is a saving of 110 $ compared to the overall average price). On the other hand, if you buy your ticket 11 to 12 months in advance, you will pay the full price (748 $ more than the average price).
Depending on the departure month
The best time to buy your New York City to Los Angeles flight ticket may vary depending on your departure month. Therefore, we offer you statistics on when to book your flight month by month.
| Departure on... | How far in advance should I book? |
|---|---|
| January | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 240 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 251), 1 to 2 months ($ 260), 3 to 4 months ($ 277), 4 to 5 months ($ 299) |
| February | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 219 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 297), 2 to 3 months ($ 240), 3 to 4 months ($ 262), 4 to 5 months ($ 282), 5 to 6 months ($ 301), 8 to 9 months ($ 317) |
| March | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 242 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 375), 2 to 3 months ($ 284), 3 to 4 months ($ 333), 4 to 5 months ($ 357), 9 to 10 months ($ 376) |
| April | Best time: 2 to 3 months before departure (average price: 239 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 364), 1 to 2 months ($ 246), 3 to 4 months ($ 319), 4 to 5 months ($ 352) |
| May | Best time: 3 to 4 months before departure (average price: 202 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 322), 1 to 2 months ($ 286), 2 to 3 months ($ 235), 4 to 5 months ($ 300) |
| June | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 339 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 353), 2 to 3 months ($ 381), 6 to 7 months ($ 425), 7 to 8 months ($ 401), 8 to 9 months ($ 404), 9 to 10 months ($ 418) |
| July | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 287 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 358), 2 to 3 months ($ 356), 3 to 4 months ($ 398), 7 to 8 months ($ 397), 8 to 9 months ($ 426), 9 to 10 months ($ 415) |
| August | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 283 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 343), 2 to 3 months ($ 293), 3 to 4 months ($ 354), 8 to 9 months ($ 375) |
| September | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 194 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 236), 2 to 3 months ($ 222), 3 to 4 months ($ 228) |
| October | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 191 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 261), 2 to 3 months ($ 206), 3 to 4 months ($ 243), 4 to 5 months ($ 269) |
| November | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 236 $) Other interesting period(s): 0 to 1 month ($ 319), 2 to 3 months ($ 263), 3 to 4 months ($ 298), 4 to 5 months ($ 336), 5 to 6 months ($ 348) |
| December | Best time: 1 to 2 months before departure (average price: 284 $) Other interesting period(s): 2 to 3 months ($ 302), 3 to 4 months ($ 356), 4 to 5 months ($ 416), 5 to 6 months ($ 439), 6 to 7 months ($ 459) |
What day of the week should I book my flight ticket?
Data analysis:
Statistically, thursday is the day when plane tickets for New York City->Los Angeles are the cheapest. So, by buying your plane ticket on a thursday, you will save $4. Conversely, by buying it on a tuesday, you may end up paying $16 more.
New York City to Los Angeles : flight price when booking today
Information: this data is not statistics but comes from real prices collected less than 7 days ago. Some months may not be available as we do not have enough data for them.
| Month | Current price | Our opinion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2024 | $ 356 $246 to $472 | high price | Find a flight |
| December 2024 | $ 315 $163 to $1136 | very good price | Find a flight |
| January 2025 | $ 233 $147 to $478 | very good price | Find a flight |
| February 2025 | $ 268 $127 to $455 | very good price | Find a flight |
| March 2025 | $ 435 $278 to $597 | high price | Find a flight |
| April 2025 | $ 442 $306 to $735 | high price | Find a flight |
| May 2025 | $ 336 $178 to $448 | very good price | Find a flight |
| June 2025 | $ 469 $316 to $695 | high price | Find a flight |
| July 2025 | $ 450 $336 to $765 | high price | Find a flight |
| August 2025 | $ 411 $308 to $495 | high price | Find a flight |
| September 2025 | $ 356 $315 to $414 | very high price | Find a flight |
| October 2025 | $ 460 $305 to $1429 | very high price | Find a flight |
Data analysis:
Compared to the average price, december, january, february and may are cheaper to travel to Los Angeles . So it may be interesting to book now to leave during these months!