$588 Find Cheap Flights from Sydney 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 Sydney to California departing on 23/1. 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 Sydney to California.
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Cheap Flights from Sydney to California

Cheapest return prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$1,037
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$1,098
San Diego
San Diego2 stops$1,492
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$1,393
Fresno
Fresno2 stops$1,844
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops$1,422
Los Angeles
Los Angeles1 stop$1,037
San Francisco
San Francisco1 stop$1,098
San Diego
San Diego2 stops$1,492
San Jose
San Jose1 stop$1,393
Fresno
Fresno2 stops$1,844
Palm Springs
Palm Springs2 stops$1,422

Book Cheap Sydney to California Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Sydney 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 return flight deals from Sydney to California

Wed, 12 Nov - Sun, 23 Nov
Fiji Airways Logo
06:00 - 11:50SYD-LAX
24h 50m1 stop
Fiji Airways Logo
22:45 - 12:30LAX-SYD
18h 45m1 stop
$1,037Fiji Airways
Find Deal
Wed, 19 Nov - Wed, 26 Nov
Fiji Airways Logo
14:00 - 11:50SYD-LAX
16h 50m1 stop
Fiji Airways Logo
22:45 - 12:30LAX-SYD
18h 45m1 stop
$1,042Fiji Airways
Find Deal
Thu, 27 Nov - Sat, 6 Dec
Air New Zealand Logo
11:45 - 11:15SYD-LAX
18h 30m1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
20:10 - 10:30LAX-SYD
19h 20m1 stop
$1,087Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Wed, 26 Nov - Wed, 3 Dec
Air New Zealand Logo
11:45 - 11:15SYD-LAX
18h 30m1 stop
Air New Zealand Logo
20:10 - 10:30LAX-SYD
19h 20m1 stop
$1,093Air New Zealand
Find Deal
Sun, 9 Nov - Wed, 19 Nov
Qantas Airways Logo
17:45 - 12:30SYD-LAX
13h 45mdirect
Qantas Airways Logo
21:25 - 07:25LAX-SYD
15h 00mdirect
$1,107Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Tue, 11 Nov - Tue, 2 Dec
United Airlines Logo
12:10 - 12:37SYD-ONT
19h 27m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
18:41 - 09:15ONT-SYD
19h 34m1 stop
$1,136United Airlines
Find Deal
Sat, 8 Nov - Sat, 29 Nov
United Airlines Logo
11:50 - 21:49SYD-ONT
28h 59m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
21:35 - 09:15ONT-SYD
40h 40m2 stops
$1,211United Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, 23 Feb - Mon, 2 Mar
Virgin Australia Logo
12:10 - 20:50SYD-SNA
27h 40m1 stop
Virgin Australia Logo
18:35 - 09:15SNA-SYD
19h 40m1 stop
$2,509Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Mon, 8 Dec - Wed, 17 Dec
Virgin Australia Logo
12:10 - 15:15SYD-SNA
22h 05m1 stop
Virgin Australia Logo
07:10 - 06:20SNA-SYD
28h 10m1 stop
$2,512Virgin Australia
Find Deal
Sat, 6 Dec - Sun, 14 Dec
Qantas Airways Logo
11:20 - 13:24SYD-SJC
21h 04m1 stop
Qantas Airways Logo
07:00 - 18:20SJC-SYD
40h 20m1 stop
$2,958Qantas Airways
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Sydney to California flights

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

What is the cheapest Sydney to California flight route?

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

The cheapest ticket to California from Sydney found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $1,111 return. The most popular route is from Sydney (SYD) to Los Angeles (LAX), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $1,111.

Can I save money by flying with a stopover from Sydney to California?

The average return price for all direct flights, flights with one stopover, and flights with two stopovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $1,438, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Sydney 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 Sydney to California is February, when tickets cost $1,158 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, when the average cost of return tickets is $1,721 and $1,365 respectively.

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

The average price of all round-trip flights from Sydney 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 Monday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to Sydney, you should consider flying back on a Monday, and avoid Fridays for better deals.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Sydney 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 Sydney 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 a flight from Sydney to California, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 7% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 18 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonMarch
Cheapest flight$588
Best time to beat the crowds (7% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (31% more expensive on average)
Flight from Sydney to Los Angeles

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

Insights shared by verified travellers who flew the route from Sydney to California 
Verified travelerFlew with United AirlinesSYD-LAXJan 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.
AurianneFlew with United AirlinesSYD-SFOSept 2024
Ensure you have 2-3 hours layover You’ll likely need unless you don’t mind missing your next flight
DonnaFlew with Qantas AirwaysSYD-SFODec 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.

FAQs - booking California flights

  • What visa do Australian citizens need to fly from Sydney to California?

    Australia is a participant in the ESTA visa-waiver program and there is no need for Australian visitors to obtain a visa. Although it is not considered a visa, Australians must still apply for and obtain a visa waiver through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) online before departure. The waiver is valid for 2 years and permits unrestricted multiple-entry visits during that period. The online application is generally approved within 24 hours and costs around A$ 30.

  • Which terminal at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport can I fly to California from?

    Terminal 1 is the international terminal at Sydney Airport (SYD), and flights to the USA usually depart through Terminal 1. If you catch a domestic flight to Sydney before your flight to California, you will need to transit from one of the two domestic terminals. A complimentary shuttle links the three terminals at Sydney Airport, with a regular ring service operating 24/7.

  • What public transport is available at the Los Angeles or San Francisco airports?

    Los Angeles Airport is well connected to the bus and metro system, and there is a 24/7 FlyAway bus offering convenient transfer to downtown LA. San Francisco has a well-known and very positively reviewed BART train system that can get you quickly and conveniently to locations right across the city, including many suburban destinations.

  • What are the options for flying directly to California from Sydney?

    This depends a lot on your budget and time constraints. Direct flights can be long and tiring and are sometimes expensive but they do get the journey out of the way. On the other hand, choosing a longer route with more layovers may give you a welcome chance to break up your flying time into manageable chunks; plus, flights with more layovers, although they add to total travel time, can sometimes significantly reduce costs. Some popular routes that incorporate layovers are flying via New Zealand, Fiji or Hawaii. Longer routes that transit through Europe or the Middle East, or which fly across the USA from transit points in the East, may get very long and challenging and are probably best avoided by travellers not wanting to spend too much time in transit.

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

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Sydney to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Sydney to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from Sydney 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 Sydney 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 Sydney 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 in the evening, when retur flights cost $1,462 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 afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,963.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to California

  • Several airlines offer direct flights from Sydney to Los Angeles and San Francisco and one of these is Qantas. Qantas enjoys an excellent reputation for both comfort and safety even if it is not always the cheapest option.
  • For budget options flying directly to Los Angeles and San Francisco, both Jetstar and Virgin Airlines offer competitively priced journeys and relatively short flight times. Be careful to note your luggage allowance, however, as luggage often costs extra and should be factored into the final price when purchasing your ticket.
  • Australian citizens travelling on the ESTA can use the e-gate automatic passport control system at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) for express entry to the USA. This can be a major time-saver when transiting through this busy airport.
  • If you are flying into Los Angeles, keep an eye out for the many art spaces and rotating exhibitions hosted by the airport. Los Angeles Airport is a great space for art lovers.
  • If you are flying into San Francisco Airport (SFO) and have a domestic connection to another airport in California, or elsewhere in the USA, there is a complementary train that connects all the terminals. Look for signs directing you to the AirTrain departure stations.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from Sydney to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Sydney 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 Sydney 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
Fiji AirwaysOverall score based on 207 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.4Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.5Food
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

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

6.0 GoodHon, Oct 2025NAN - SFO
Read more Fiji Airways reviews

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...

Fiji Airways was amazing, will definately be lfying them again. The "Fijian hospitality" is not a catch phrase, it is genuine. the only things that could be improved is the entertainment. Not a great choice of movies, and the TV shows only have about 5 or so episodes, and often of a random season.

They will look to squeeze every penny they can out of you!! Pick your seat$$...bring luggage$$$$... if they could charge you for the air on the plane they would!!

.very good and as I needed wheelchair assistance all staff excellent.. only suggestion is get rid of those plastic chairs hard to ride in and staff have trouble compared to others. Everything else very good experience. Will use Fiji Air again.

In-flight entertainment options could use a refresh, Consider a tie-up with Spotify for more current music and with IMDB or other service for newer selections/movie ratings.

See previous comments. Didn’t take this flight because my other flight was so delayed. Ending up on two other flights as a result and was more than a day late.

6 hour delay and they didnt try to make up any time during an over 10 hour flight

Very good; seat made ready for bed after meal, a plus since one airline covered the seat at the start.

Entertainment was not good. Seems like liquor should’ve been advertised only beer and wine was even though I saw others getting liquor didn’t realize I could. And the food to me could’ve been a little bit.

Like: Aircraft was better than others I've flown in. Crew was great, food was very good. Air New Zealand is now my favorite airline. On our long flight from AKL to YVR there was enough room for those of us in Economy to stretch a bit. My sister is disabled and they took very good care of her and me. Best entertainment offering of all the other airlines. Not so much; Flight from AKL to YRV was delayed BUT they recovered really well so no complaints here. Pretty petty point to complain about. Only negative I have. I will recommend to friends.

Nice friendly staff and crew. Love the 787 flight. Get meals and lots of drinks!

Great entertainment options on the screen. uSB A and C chargers. Free WiFi! Crew were excellent.

Service was excellent and they’re very helpful and nice

Check in crew member was very helpful, nice and excellent service👍

Aircon set too high so VERY warm and VERY uncomfortable.

Not a comfortable trip, the seats are not good, and they look old.

Lost my luggage and brought someone else luggage to my airport.

Not entirely positive. It’s frustrating that everything is done through the united app. One of our flight attendants on our trip from San Francisco to MSP continually had trouble hearing people so she flipped her hair into people’s faces

Two hours was not enough time to transition from the international to domestic terminal. You have to go through customs, a biological hazard check, gather your luggage, take a bus to the domestic terminal and recheck your luggage. The bus was slow and crowded and the lines to recheck your bags were very long. We missed our connecting flight. Initially, the Air New Zealand officials were not helpful at all in helping to get us on another flight. Told us we would have to buy another ticket for a flight 11 hours later. Found another agent that was more helpful. He helped arrange to get us on standby for another flight three hours later. Had to ride in jump seats next to the flight attendants, but at least we eventually got to out destination.

Overall experience was good but what really impressed me the most was the care the flight attendants took of a sick passenger who was sitting in front of me. The flight attendants would come and check on her quite regularly providing her support and comfort. Brilliant service!

Only answered OK and poor as there was no entertainment and I didnt have any food

4.5 hr international flight. We got a glass of water. Ranks up there with Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Spirit and Frontier. Expected better.

Gluten free options less explicit on business class, but great service

Very good… seems the virgin staff particularly in the lounge and in flight exceeded expectations.

I liked everything about the experience but would have liked some free snacks!

Crew was great but flight was delayed almost three hours due to a technical issue and we had to go back to the terminal and wait for another one.

Being told why we delayed three hours and not even given an apology by someone. Not a word. Not my airline of choice ever.

Checked Baggage line up was long but moved quickly, rest of the process, boarding, crew was excellent

Virgin has always provided a smooth and comfortable flight. This one was no different. Seats are comfortable. Staff are great. This is my favourite airline.

Basic airline, aircraft and service. AA gets you from point A to B. My flight was delayed by 2 hours too.

No internet on flight, which makes log travels really hard.

My flight from Dallas to Sydney was cancelled. My entire trip was rerouted to include the following: Hartford to Washington DC Washington DC to JFK JFK to Auckland Auckland to Christchurch I paid for an aisle seat on the flight to Auckland and was asked if I would take a window seat to accommodate a family. The agent at the podium failed to mention that the family had a 3 month old baby and that a bassinet would be used during the 16 hour flight. The only way I could get out of my seat was to crawl under the bassinet of the sleeping baby. I think it is wrong that I was no given the choice to sit in another seat, that the agent knew what she was doing and chose to not properly disclose my seating arrangement. Terrible treatment.

they ran out of fruit for breakfast and so I just had a yogurt instead. other than that the flight was good

by the time they got to our row, they were out of some of the food options. games and movies were great but maybe more game options like tetris or pac man would be great

Great as usual, some delays but well communicated and made up for in the air

Poor! This flight was delayed 14 hours. There was no assistance in helping customers find other routes to their destination, nor any other kind of support. It was a chaotic experience. I'm not likely to fly with AA going forward.

Business class points redemption - good value for points paid, dubious value if out of your own pocket, domestic class business product okay for this length of flight. The flight left and arrived on time, crew were good, aircraft was a bit old and tired, but still miles ahead of their competitors in Virgin and Jetstar.

We were upgraded and after just a short delay in attending to a safety check we were on our way. Would definately fly Qantas International on their Dreamliner again.

I tried to check in online but was unable to do so. I stood in line for nearly two hours to check in. American Airlines was understaffed. When I finally got to the kiosk to check in, I was still unable to check in. No AA staff was available to help. Finally one of the airport security agents who was helping passengers became of lack of AA Staff told me: “I think the reason you can’t check in is that you are starting your name with an upper case letter when you write it. Just write it with all lower case letters.” That did allow me to check in. HOW COULD ANYONE POSSIBLY KNOW THAT IF THEY USE AN INITIAL UPPER CASE LETTER TO SPELL THEIR OWN NAME, AA WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO CHECK IN?????? Then I had to wait in line over half an hour again to drop off my baggage. Although I arrived at the airport 3 hours early, by the time I got to the gate, they had already started boarding.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

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.

I understand that the food on the airplane wouldn’t be fantastic. However, it wasn’t good at all. 😭

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!

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

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