Cheap Flights to Los Angeles

When to fly to Los Angeles

Peak Season:

With mild weather year round and abundant sunshine from April through October, L.A. is always busy, but to avoid the highest prices on Los Angeles flights, hotels, and entertainment, plan your trip around major events, such as the Academy Awards, which are presented in Hollywood in February.

Off Season:

There really isn’t an off season in Los Angeles. However, you might find cheap flights to Los Angeles and discounted hotel rates during the summer months when the heat can get unbearable and in January, which is usually the rainy season.

Overview

California’s largest city is a sun-soaked metropolis leading the way in culture, media and business. Every year millions of tourists take cheap flights to Los Angeles to experience the diversity, beach life, museums and galleries, cutting-edge architecture, fantastic cuisine and sheer star power of this city.

Los Angeles’s landmarks are instantly recognisable – the giant Hollywood sign in the hills, Disneyland, Mann’s Chinese Theater and the brass stars in the pavement along Hollywood Boulevard. LA might have a reputation for being superficial, but visitors will discover that it has a cultural heart. It boasts the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Centre, which has one of the greatest art collections in the world, and Museum of Latin American Art, which shows contemporary Latino material.

The beaches are where the West-Coast vibe can be experienced and where the honed and toned work out. “South Bay” beach towns are beautiful and include Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach. Santa Monica Beach and Pier are also popular places to catch some rays and people watch.

How long is the flight to Los Angeles?

Flights to Los Angeles, California from Canada range from about 3h-9h. The length of your flight will depend on your departure city. If you’re departing from a city as far west as Calgary or Vancouver, you can enjoy the shortest flight time, especially if you book a direct flight. If you’re flying out of a city in the eastern provinces, however, such as Toronto or Montreal, you’ll likely have a flight time on the longer end of the spectrum. Your flight time will also be affected by the number and length of any stopovers.

Where can you get direct flights to Los Angeles from?

You can book direct flights to Los Angeles from various cities across Canada. If your city of departure is Vancouver or Toronto, you can choose from multiple daily direct flights to Los Angeles, serviced by such airlines as Air Canada, WestJet, and United Airlines. Air Canada and United Airlines also offer daily direct flights to Los Angeles from Montreal. If your flight is not direct, you can expect to stopovers in common layover cities for this route like Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and/or Denver.

How do you get from the Los Angeles airport to the city centre?

When you fly into Los Angeles, you’ll alight at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about 30km southwest of Los Angeles city centre. To get to the city centre from the airport, you have several options. You can take the FlyAway Bus from the airport to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles in about a half hour or so, for a fare of about C$13. You can also take the airport’s free shuttle service to Aviation/LAX Metro Rail Station and then transfer for a train to your city centre destination, which will take about one hour and cost about C$1.80. The most expensive option is by taxi, which will cost about C$62.50, and take around 30 minutes to reach L.A. city centre.

What are some things to do in Los Angeles?

Los Angeles boasts both beautiful beaches and thrilling cultural attractions, making it a popular place for vacationers to the U.S. west coast. While in Los Angeles, you can do classic Hollywood things, like a stroll down the Hollywood Walk of Fame and gaze up at the Hollywood sign for starters. Be sure to also check out Griffith Observatory, the classic art deco building perched high over the city, and offering a stunning planetarium and telescopic views across the city. Universal Studios, Disneyland, and Knott’s Berry Farms are legendary theme parks in the greater Los Angeles area for a reason. Go to one or go to all three for your fill of serious adventure and plenty of laughs. Visit LACMA museum to take in some of the world’s best modern art pieces, and be sure to snap a selfie or two outside the extraordinary building itself.

Do I need a passport or visa to fly to Los Angeles?

Canadian citizens travelling to Los Angeles in the United States do need a valid passport, although a visa is not required.

Los Angeles airport overview

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is located 16 miles (26km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. As the sixth-busiest airport in the world, it’s hardly surprising that LAX serves as a primary gateway to this region of the United States. Flights to Los Angeles International Airport arrive daily from major international hubs across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Los Angeles International has nine terminal buildings and on average it serves approximately 60 million passengers per year, and handles more than 600,000 aircraft take-offs and landings. Currently there is a project underway to build an additional terminal building west from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The terminal will have ten gates, and is expected to be completed in 2012.

As this is a busy mega-airport, queues can be long and chaotic. The best thing to do would be to give yourself plenty of time to get all of the hassles of checking in and clearing customs over with, and then relax at one of the restaurants or pubs and get a nice big meal and a refreshing drink. Then, if you still have some time to spare, you could do a little gift shopping for that special someone.