New York to Los Angeles is a transcontinental domestic route, and nonstop award space shows up on Delta and JetBlue. The data shows four programs pricing it, and the cheapest economy award is 12,500 points with American AAdvantage. That spread of programs is the opportunity: identical seats often price differently from one to the next, so compare before transferring a single point. This page compares all four programs on JFK–LAX side by side.
SnapshotLive award availability and points prices between New York and Los Angeles.
OverviewNew York to Los Angeles is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Alaska Airlines and 3 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 4 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 12,500 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Award pricing can vary by airline, cabin, loyalty program, travel season, and transfer partner. For this route, the best value often comes from comparing multiple programs instead of searching one airline at a time.
RouteFlying New York to Los Angeles covers about 2,470 miles, linking John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) with Los Angeles International Airport (LAX); a nonstop takes roughly 5h30, with winds moving it either way. The nonstop award space in the data is split between Delta and JetBlue. The Boeing 767-400ER appears on some of those nonstop award segments. About 25% of the award options in the data are nonstop.
PricingBest one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American AirlinesBest | 12,500 pts | N/A | 32,500 pts | N/A |
| Alaska Airlines | 12,500 pts | N/A | N/A | 50,000 pts |
| Delta | 12,800 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| JetBlue | 14,200 pts | N/A | 49,900 pts | N/A |
| Air Canada | 28,000 pts | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Live award pricing from Flightpoints data, computed 7/7/2026. Prices vary by date and availability.
StrategyFor New York–Los Angeles, the cash fare is the benchmark an award has to beat. The economy floor connects once; an economy nonstop on either carrier costs more. The cheapest economy seat adds about $11 in taxes and fees, in line with the route's typical economy taxes. Run the miles-or-cash math each time: a cheap fare usually beats spending points. Hold off on converting flexible points until the seat is confirmed bookable; there's no undoing a transfer.
AvailabilityWhen award seats between New York and Los Angeles price cheapest over the next year.
ProgramsAmerican AAdvantage wins economy at 12,500 points, business class at 32,500, and first class at 50,000. Also in the mix: JetBlue TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, and Virgin Australia Velocity. Even with American AAdvantage on top, a last cross-check before transferring is cheap insurance.
Airlines6 airlines with award seats between New York and Los Angeles, nonstop or connecting.
AirlinesTwo airlines show nonstop award space between New York and Los Angeles: Delta and JetBlue. As a SkyTeam member, Delta also sells its nonstop through alliance partners, not only Delta SkyMiles. Beyond the nonstop, the cheaper connecting awards in the data change planes in San Francisco, Cleveland, and Chicago. No partner program undercuts the airlines here at last check: each cabin floor books through the carrier's own currency.
Details~2,470 miles; ~5h30 nonstop (approximate). Los Angeles is 3 hours behind New York. Award data window: October 2026–July 2027, with calendar prices for five months. Counting well-covered months only, October and November 2026 are the cheapest (12,500 points), while January 2027 (17,500) runs higher.
TipsInsider moves that consistently unlock cheaper award seats.
CompareAlternative corridors travelers consider alongside New York to Los Angeles.
AlternativesLeaving New York, LaGuardia (LGA) has priced economy from 7,000 points across the tracked dates, under JFK's low for the same stretch; Newark (EWR) prices from 9,500. On the Los Angeles side, Ontario (ONT) has priced economy from 16,600 points across the tracked dates, above LAX, so it's a backup for when LAX space is gone. Newark has nonstop flights to Los Angeles in the data too.
Search live award availability across every airline and program that flies this route.
Common questions travelers ask about the New York to Los Angeles route.
At last check, the economy floor is 12,500 points one-way through American AAdvantage, with one stop. This route is priced by four programs, so compare them side by side. Each cabin's low at last check is in the pricing table above.
