The Best Way To Fly To London
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New York to London is the most profitable airline route in the world, and the competition on it shows. More carriers, more aircraft types, and more premium cabins fly this route than almost any other long-haul market. That’s good news if you’re booking a ticket, because the fight for corporate dollars has pushed the product quality up across the board.
It also means the decision isn’t just “which airline.” It’s which airport, which cabin, and which points currency makes the flight cheapest or most comfortable. Here’s how I’d think through it.
Which London Airport You Fly Into Matters
London is served by six airports, which is more than any other city in the world. For a US traveler, though, only two or three really come into play. Heathrow takes the overwhelming majority of long-haul flights, Gatwick picks up the rest, and Luton occasionally gets a budget route.
| Airport | Taxi To Center | Est Taxi Price |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Airport (LHR) | 40 min | £55 |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | 1 hour | £35 |
| London Stansted (STN) | 1.5 hours | £130 |
| London Luton (LTN) | 1 hour | £80 |
| London City Airport (LCY) | 30 min | £70 |
| London Southend (SEN) | 50 min | £105 |
| No rows match these filters. | ||
Heathrow is the biggest airport in Europe and the second-busiest in the world by international passengers. If you’re flying from the US on any major carrier, it’s almost certainly where you’re landing. Cab into the city costs around £55 and takes 40 minutes in reasonable traffic, but the Heathrow Express train into Paddington gets there in about 20 minutes and avoids the traffic question entirely. I take the train every time.
Gatwick is a real second-best if your schedule or budget works out. The train from Gatwick to central London (Gatwick Express or Thameslink) runs about 30-45 minutes and costs a fraction of a cab. The one airport I’d actively avoid for a US arrival is Stansted, which is far enough out that ground transit eats most of the savings from a cheaper flight.
Airlines Flying Nonstop From The US
All three major US legacy carriers fly nonstop to London: Delta, United, and American. JetBlue is the US disruptor on the route, British Airways is the home carrier, and Virgin Atlantic is the long-standing alternative. That’s six airlines competing for the same corridor from more than 15 US cities, which is why fares and product quality both stay sharp.
A number of other carriers offer one-stop service through their European hubs (TAP through Lisbon, Air Canada through Toronto, Lufthansa and Swiss through Frankfurt or Zurich), but for this guide I’m focused on nonstop flights. Nonstop is the whole point of the New York-London market.
If you’re not based in a city with nonstop service, you’ll likely connect through JFK, EWR, BOS, ORD, IAD, MIA, or LAX.
What London Tickets Actually Cost
Economy prices to London vary more by season than almost any other transatlantic route because the corporate traffic keeps weekday flights full year-round. You can find roundtrip economy for $300-$600 in the off-season (January-February, November) and expect $700-$1,000 in peak summer months. I use Skyscanner’s compare page to size up which month is cheapest before I commit to dates.
Here’s a breakdown of average roundtrip prices by month.
If you have set dates, Skyscanner’s compare tool ranks cities of origin by price side by side. Enter a date range and it sorts departures for you.
The full set of Skyscanner tools is here if you want to dig in.
Best First Class To London
First class is mostly gone from transatlantic flying. Two carriers still run it between the US and London, and the gap between first and business on this route is smaller than it used to be. Worth it for the lounge access and ground experience more than the seat itself.
1. British Airways First Class Boeing 787-9
British Airways First on the 787-9 is the best way to fly between the US and London if you can find it on points. The suite is private, the food is a real step up from business, and the champagne list is one of the better ones at altitude (more in our best airline champagne guide). The bigger win is on the ground: dedicated First check-in, priority security, and access to the Concorde Room lounge at Heathrow if you’re flying home. The Concorde Room alone is worth the upgrade from business.
2. American Airlines Flagship First Boeing 777
American is the only US airline still running a true first class on this route, on the 777 from JFK. The seat is dated compared to BA’s suite, but it’s wide, private, and quieter than anything American offers in business. The service is good but not BA good, and the JFK Flagship lounge is a real perk on the ground. I’d book this over American’s own business class, but I’d take BA First over either.
Best Business Class To London
Business class is where the London route really shines. Every carrier on this corridor has invested in their premium cabin in the last few years, so unlike most routes, there’s no clearly bad option. The seats below are ranked by how much I’d push to book each.
1. British Airways Club Suite Boeing 787-9
British Airways finally retired the old 2-4-2 Club World layout and rolled out the Club Suite, and it completely changed the BA business experience. The new layout is 1-2-1 with every seat having aisle access and a full privacy door. I flew this recently and had a minor struggle unlocking the suite door (the latch takes a second to find), but once settled in it’s a genuinely comfortable flight. On a route where BA runs so many frequencies, this is my default business class booking.
2. Virgin Atlantic A350 Upper Class
When Virgin launched their A350 Upper Class, they jumped up the rankings fast. Suite seats in a 1-2-1 configuration with Virgin’s signature modern design, and the standout feature nobody else on this route offers: a proper bar and lounge area mid-cabin. Something to walk to on an 8-hour flight is underrated. The seat itself isn’t as private as BA’s new Club Suite, but the overall cabin experience is the most fun in the sky on this route.
3. Delta One Suites A330
The Delta One Suite is the best business class on any US carrier. If your flight has the redesigned cabin (a real upgrade from the older A330 business I flew Paris to New York in 2019), you’re getting a full door, serious space, and Delta’s best catering. The downside is award availability: Delta is one of the stingiest carriers for points bookings on this route, so this is mostly a cash-fare play.
4. United Polaris 787-10
United runs the 787-10 on this corridor, the largest aircraft in their fleet, with the 1-2-1 Polaris layout. The seat is solid if not showstopping. What actually makes this booking is the ground experience: the Newark Polaris lounge is genuinely the best US airline lounge I’ve been in, with sit-down dining and shower suites. I’ve flown Polaris plenty of times including Newark to Frankfurt, and the consistency is the thing that keeps me coming back. Award availability is also better than Delta’s.
5. JetBlue Mint Studio A321LR
JetBlue Mint is the newest entrant and the one actually shaking up the market. The Mint Studio is a true suite with a door you can step into, which is larger than most first class seats on other routes. JetBlue also runs a standard Mint cabin with smaller suites, both in a 1-1 configuration. Service and food rank among the best on this route. The catch is the aircraft: a narrowbody A321LR on an 8-hour flight is a reminder of why widebodies feel bigger, even with a better seat. For the price point, though, Mint is frequently the best value in business on this corridor.
Best Premium Economy And Economy To London
Economy hard products are pretty similar across carriers, so for a 7-8 hour flight the interesting comparison is premium economy. On a red-eye (which is most eastbound flights on this route), the difference in pitch and recline is the difference between getting two hours of sleep and getting none. Worth it if the math works on miles or cash.
1. Delta Premium Select
Delta’s Premium Select is the best premium economy among US carriers on this route. The seat is spacious, the partial recline is noticeably better than economy, and the food is genuinely upgraded rather than the same tray with a drink. The catch is pricing: upgrades from main cabin basically don’t happen, and the cash cost is high.
2. United Premium Plus
United Premium Plus is a close cousin to Delta’s, but the upgrade flexibility is where United wins. You can typically get from economy into this cabin for 20,000 miles or 20 PlusPoints, which is a much better deal than Delta. For a red-eye, that’s the move.
3. United 767 Economy
If you’re stuck in economy, United’s 767 has the best layout on this route. The 2-3-2 configuration is more humane than the 2-4-2 you get on most widebodies, which means fewer middle seats and a better shot at landing two seats together without a stranger between you. I’ve flown this cabin plenty of times including London to Chicago, and the layout genuinely helps on a full flight.
Booking London With Points
London is one of the best places to use transferable points from Amex, Chase, and Capital One. The one wrinkle to watch: the UK slaps a heavy Air Passenger Duty on any ticket departing from London, and that tax passes through to award bookings as a cash co-pay. On business class out of LHR, you can easily pay $400-$800 in taxes on top of your points. Always check the fees before you redeem.
If you’re new to the points game, my guide to how credit card points work and the list of transfer partners cover the basics.
The programs worth knowing for London:
- British Airways Avios: books BA and American Airlines. Transfers from Chase, Amex, and Capital One. Watch the fuel surcharges.
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: books Virgin and Delta. Transfers from Chase, Amex, Citi, and Capital One. Historically one of the best sweet spots on this route.
- Air Canada Aeroplan: books United. Transfers from Chase, Amex, and Capital One.
- United MileagePlus: books United. Transfers from Chase.
- Delta SkyMiles: books Delta and Virgin. Transfers from Amex. Generally the most expensive of the list for the same seat.
For avoiding fuel surcharges, Aeroplan and Virgin are usually the winners. For availability on BA metal, ironically Avios itself or Alaska Mileage Plan often beat the competition.
What I’d Actually Book
If I had to pick one ticket to London right now, here’s how I’d decide:
- Paying cash in economy: whichever nonstop is cheapest into Heathrow or Gatwick. Skip Stansted unless the savings are huge.
- Paying cash in business: BA Club Suite for the best seat, JetBlue Mint Studio for the best value, Delta One for the best US carrier.
- Using points for business: Virgin Atlantic via transferable points, ideally on Virgin metal to dodge BA’s fuel surcharges.
- Using points for first: BA First via Avios or Alaska miles if you can eat the taxes. Otherwise skip first here.
- Stretching from economy on a red-eye: United Premium Plus for 20k points, easily the best upgrade value on this route.
The London route is competitive enough that there’s no bad answer in a premium cabin. The real decisions are about ground experience (Heathrow vs Gatwick, Concorde Room vs Polaris lounge) and taxes (fuel surcharges on BA Avios bookings out of LHR). Get those two right and the flight itself takes care of itself.
