Summary

• The New York City-Los Angeles market offers a variety of flights from low-cost to premium cabins.
• Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines offer unique options for travelers seeking affordable nonstop flights.
• JetBlue's Mint class provides a luxurious experience with lie-flat beds and gourmet meals, competing with legacy carriers.

The coast-to-coast journey between New York City and Los Angeles is among the busiest airline routes in the nation. With as many as 50 flights offered at various times per day, there is no question that passengers have choices.

While some travelers may choose their flights based on the airport, others may be partial to a specific airline and prefer a particular departure time. Price is also a factor as airlines on opposite sides of the spectrum – ultra-low-cost (ULCC) to legacy carriers – operate the route.

Six airlines

The Big Apple is home to three area airports, but only John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) handle transcontinental flights year-round. With an average of 6 hours to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the route is a playing field for Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines.

These carriers offer five types of flights on the route:

• Low-cost
• Red-eye
• Domestic first class
• Business class
• Widebody

American and Delta fly from JFK, while Spirit and United fly from EWR. JetBlue is the only airline that offers flights to LAX from both New York airports. With it being such a popular route, a chunk of eastbound frequencies are red-eye flights, allowing travelers to save time and rest during their journey. Additionally, overnight flights are often the cheapest.

Spirit & Alaska

Spirit is the only ULCC that operates nonstop between Los Angeles and the New York market. NK2323 typically involves the Airbus A320 or A320neo once daily, leaving LAX at around 21:30 and arriving early the next day at EWR at around 05:45. The aircraft then turns around and operates as NK2322 back to LAX, departing around 07:00 arriving in the late morning around 10:00. Despite the airline only offering one flight per day and not having a premium option, it is an excellent solution to passengers looking to get across the country without breaking the bank.

Alaska operates two daily flights on the Boeing 737-800, 900ER, or MAX 9. The first EWR-bound flight leaves in the morning, and the second is a red-eye. The LAX-bound flights depart around 07:30 and 16:30. Not only does the carrier have more than one daily flight, but domestic first class is offered, which is a step up from Spirit, albeit more expensive.

Lie-flat beds and widebodies

Premium cabins, regardless of price, are popular nonetheless. JetBlue, which is considered a low-cost carrier, offers its luxurious Mint class from LAX to both JFK and EWR. The cabin experience competes with the likes of the legacy carriers, featuring lie-flat beds and a full meal and beverage service. These cabins can be pricey, with roundtrip fares often above $1,300. Those looking for an upgraded experience would rule out Alaska and Spirit as the two airlines do not offer a similar type of service.

JetBlue Mint can accurately be compared to American’s Flagship Business as they operate the same aircraft type – the A321 – between the New York area and LAX. American also has a Flagship First cabin featuring a 1-1 seating configuration. However, throughout the JetBlue Mint cabin, there are two rows of 1-1 seats, known as the throne seats.

Although American and JetBlue offer upscale business class cabins, one remaining detail differentiates them from the other two legacy airlines. Delta traditionally operates its flights between LAX and JFK with the 767-300ER or -400ER, while United schedules a good portion of its flights between LAX and EWR on the 777-200ER, 787-9, or 787-10 Dreamliner. The widebody jets offer a bit more cabin space, which is an element that some passengers prefer above anything else.

What element do you look for the most when it comes to transcontinental flights? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

• 

  New York JFK Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  JFK/KJFK

  Country:

  United States

  CEO:

  Rick Cotton (Executive Director of Port Authority of NY and NJ)

  Passenger Count :

  16,630,642 (2020)

  Runways :

  4L/22R - 3,682m (12,079 ft) | 4R/22L - 2,560m (8,400 ft) | 13L/31R - 3,048m (10,000 ft) | 13R/31L - 4,423m (14,511 ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5 | Terminal 7 | Terminal 8

• 

  Los Angeles International Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  LAX/KLAX

  Country:

  United States

  CEO:

  Justin Erbacci

  Passenger Count :

  48,007,284 (2021)

  Runways :

  6L/24R - 2,721m (8,926 ft) | 6R/24L - 3,318m (10,885 ft) | 7L/25R - 3,939m (12,923 ft) | 7R/25L - 3,382m (11,095 ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 3 | Tom Bradley International Terminal | Terminal 4 | Terminal 5 | Terminal 6 | Terminal 7 | Terminal 8

• 

  Newark Liberty International Airport

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  EWR/KEWR

  Country:

  United States

  CEO:

  James Gill

  Passenger Count :

  15,892,892 (2020)

  Runways :

  4L/22R - 3,353m (11,000 ft) | 4R/22L - 3,048m (10,000 ft) | 11/29 - 2,050m (6,726 ft)

  Terminals:

  Terminal A | Terminal B | Terminal C