Cheap Flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo: Fares from $399 (2026)

Cheap Flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo, Starting at $399

I booked the wrong week — or so I thought. It was a damp February, I had a few days off work and almost zero interest in sitting at home in LA watching the rain. I searched LAX to Tokyo on a whim, saw $399 on Zipair, and hit purchase before I could talk myself out of it. My colleague booked the same route two months later for cherry-blossom season and paid $980. We both ended up in the same Shibuya ramen shop, slurping from identical bowls of tonkotsu, but only one of us had spent $581 more to get there.

Here is the headline: cheap flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo start at around $399 one-way on Zipair, and with the right combination of airline, month and booking window, a round trip under $750 is genuinely within reach. Tokyo is roughly 5,500 miles from LAX. The westbound crossing takes around 11 to 12 hours; the return is a little faster at roughly 10 hours and 45 minutes, carried home by jet-stream tailwinds across the North Pacific. The spread between a cheap fare and an expensive one on this route is extraordinary — the same seat can swing from $399 to well over $1,000 depending purely on the date.

LAX is the busiest US gateway to Japan, and that competition works in your favor. ANA, JAL, Zipair, United, Delta and Singapore Airlines all fly this corridor, landing at two different Tokyo airports: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). Below you will find the cheapest months, a carrier-by-carrier breakdown, both airports explained, and live tools to lock in a fare before it climbs.

Check live prices for your exact dates first, then read on for the complete strategy.

Best Time to Fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo

On the transpacific, the calendar is everything. Travel in the wrong week and you pay two or three times what the savvy traveler in the seat beside you spent. The demand curve on this route has three sharp spikes — cherry-blossom season, Golden Week and summer — and the quiet valleys between them are where the deals live.

January and February are the clear winners, followed quietly by November when autumn-foliage crowds have thinned and fares settle back to winter levels. October is the overlooked sweet spot — Tokyo in fall is beautiful, the prices are fair, and you will not be sharing Senso-ji temple with three thousand people wielding selfie sticks.

Golden Week — the cluster of Japanese public holidays from late April into early May — deserves a warning of its own. Fares can spike 60 to 80 percent in a single week. Step either side of it and prices fall sharply. The cherry-blossom window (typically late March to mid-April) is equally brutal on the budget. Miss both and the math flips entirely in your favor.

Los Angeles to Tokyo Airlines Compared

Five carriers fly LAX to Tokyo nonstop, plus Singapore Airlines via a brief stopover. Each occupies a different point on the price-to-comfort spectrum.

Zipair

Zipair is JAL’s low-cost long-haul subsidiary and consistently the cheapest seat on this corridor, with bare-fare one-ways from around $399 on Boeing 787-8s into Narita. That headline price is the seat alone — a carry-on bag, checked luggage, seat selection and meals are all sold separately. Pre-buy a carry-on at booking and you are around $460; add a checked bag and a meal and you land at roughly $530. Still competitive, but run the full sum before comparing with ANA or JAL, which bundle all of that in their headline fare. Travel carry-on only and nothing beats Zipair across the Pacific.

ANA and JAL

Both All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines run nonstop service from LAX into both Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) from roughly $520 to $540 one-way, with a checked bag and a Japanese-style meal included. On an 11-hour transpacific crossing, a hot meal and proper inflight entertainment genuinely matter. ANA and JAL rank among the world’s best long-haul carriers for a reason — the gap between their product and a stripped-back budget fare is felt every hour you are in the air. Both also accumulate miles fast on their own programs (ANA Mileage Club, JAL Mileage Bank) and on partner programs via Star Alliance and Oneworld.

United and Delta

Both US carriers fly LAX to Narita nonstop from around $540 to $550 with bags and meals included, earning you domestic miles that compound if you already hold airline status. United is a Star Alliance partner with ANA; Delta runs a joint venture with both ANA and Korean Air, meaning points cross-earn across their networks. If building toward a reward trip on a US airline, one of these two may be the smarter move even at a slightly higher face value.

Singapore Airlines via Singapore

Not nonstop, but worth checking when the direct carriers are sold up or expensive. Singapore Airlines routes LAX through Changi, adding two to three hours of total travel time, and prices often sit at $580 to $650 all-in with bags — competitive with the full-service nonstops. Changi is one of the world’s best layover airports if you have a few hours to spend.

The decision is cleaner than it looks: travel carry-on only and Zipair wins. Need a bag and a meal on a 12-hour flight? ANA or JAL win at a $100 to $140 premium that most people on a flight this long find worthwhile.

Narita (NRT) vs Haneda (HND): Which Tokyo Airport?

This question matters more than it gets credit for after 11 hours in the air.

Narita International Airport (NRT) sits about 60 km east of central Tokyo. The Narita Express (N’EX) connects to Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo Station in roughly 60 minutes for around ¥3,070 (about $20). The Keisei Skyliner is slightly cheaper at ¥2,570 and takes about 45 minutes to Ueno. A budget option, the Keisei Access Express, costs around ¥1,290 and adds 20 minutes. Zipair, ANA and JAL all use Narita for their LAX services, so it will be most travelers’ arrival point.

Haneda International Airport (HND) sits just 14 km from the city center — 25 to 35 minutes to Shinjuku on the Keikyu or Tokyo Monorail for roughly ¥600 to ¥1,000. The door-to-door time advantage over Narita is close to 45 minutes, which is very welcome after a transpacific crossing. ANA and JAL both run some services into Haneda; check your specific routing when booking.

Neither airport is inconvenient — both have fast, reliable train connections into central Tokyo. The real decision is which carrier has the better fare on your dates; the airport usually follows. That said, if you have the choice at identical prices, Haneda wins on convenience.

Use the Live Price Calendar

Green days are the cheapest. Scan across a few weeks, spot where the price dips, and book the window everyone else overlooked.

Seven Ways to Pay Less for LAX to Tokyo Flights

That $581 my colleague overpaid was not for a better seat. It was for the same aircraft, the same tonkotsu at the end of it — just purchased after the cheapest fare bucket had filled. On a long-haul transpacific route, the cheap tier is thin and it clears fast. Here is exactly how to be the one sitting in it.

1. Fly January or February. These are the months where the $399 fare is consistently available. Low-season demand on this route drops sharply and carriers release their floor pricing.
2. Book two to three months out — or three to four months for cherry-blossom and summer. The cheapest fare buckets are thin; they sell before most people start looking.
3. Set price alerts. Transpacific flash sales appear with little warning and disappear within 24 to 48 hours. A price alert is the closest thing to a guaranteed front-row seat for those moments.
4. Travel carry-on only on Zipair. Skipping a checked bag saves $60 to $120 each way and keeps the $399 fare honest.
5. Compare Narita vs Haneda separately. The same airline sometimes prices its NRT and HND services differently. Always search both.
6. Fly midweek. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday departures beat Friday and Sunday by $50 to $100 each way.
7. Try Singapore Airlines via Changi. The one-stop routing adds time but in peak season can undercut the nonstops by $150 or more.

Stay connected the moment you land in Tokyo

Japanese airport SIM kiosks involve queues and paperwork. A travel eSIM activates on your phone before you board in Los Angeles, so you step off at Narita or Haneda with maps, the Suica app and the Tokyo Metro planner already running — no fumbling, no roaming bill.

Looking for where to stay? Our Tokyo hotel guides pair cheap fares with well-located accommodation, from budget capsule hotels to mid-range options near Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest month to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo?

January and February are the cheapest months, with Zipair and ANA one-way fares often around $399 to $499. Demand collapses after the New Year and stays low through deep winter. Cherry-blossom season (late March–April), Golden Week (late April–early May) and summer all see prices double or more — those windows are best avoided on a budget.

Which airline has the cheapest Los Angeles to Tokyo flights?

Zipair, JAL’s budget subsidiary, is usually the cheapest with bare-fare one-ways from around $399 into Narita. Add a checked bag and the total rises but stays competitive. ANA and JAL are the top picks for full service with bags and meals included, typically from $520 to $540 one-way in low season.

How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo?

The westbound flight from LAX to Tokyo takes around 11 to 12 hours. The eastbound return from Tokyo to Los Angeles is faster — roughly 10 hours and 45 minutes — because the jet stream runs west-to-east across the North Pacific and gives the return a significant push.

Should I fly into Narita (NRT) or Haneda (HND)?

Both are well-connected. Narita is the main long-haul hub used by ANA, JAL and Zipair from LAX; the Narita Express reaches central Tokyo in about 60 minutes. Haneda is only 14 km from the center — about 25 to 35 minutes by train — making it considerably more convenient on arrival. If you have the choice at equal price, Haneda wins.

When should I book Los Angeles to Tokyo flights?

Book two to three months ahead for the best transpacific fares, and stretch to three to four months for cherry-blossom season and summer. Set price alerts — flash sales on this competitive corridor can cut fares by 20 to 30 percent overnight, but the windows close fast.

Do I need a Japan eSIM for Tokyo?

Yes, and it is one of the smartest pre-trip moves you can make. A Japan eSIM activates before you board in LA, costs a fraction of roaming charges, and gives you instant access to Google Maps, the Suica transit app and translation tools the moment you land at Narita or Haneda — before you even reach baggage claim.

Book Your Los Angeles to Tokyo Flight Now

Tokyo rewards the traveler who arrives without having overpaid to get there — more nights in the city, a day trip to Nikko on the shinkansen, or simply the satisfaction of knowing you paid what the savvy traveler paid. The kissaten coffee shops, the ramen counters where you order by vending machine, the organized calm of Shibuya crossing at rush hour: none of it changes based on the fare you paid. But the fare you paid changes everything else.

Search your dates, set an alert, and move fast when the price drops.

Browse our flights hub for more route guides and strategies, or our eSIM guides to sort your Japan data plan before you fly.