How we know: Sources are listed at the end. Route and airline facts come from the cited references, weather from Met Office normals, booking windows from Google Flights' published data. Live fares are on the JFK to London route page.
New York–London is the busiest long-haul corridor in the world: JFK–Heathrow alone had 1,648 scheduled flights in the June–August 2022 season, with Newark–Heathrow close behind, and the city pair carries around five million passengers a year (Transatlantic flight). That volume is why the route is so competitive, and why a little shopping goes a long way.
Who flies it
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American, Delta and JetBlue fly New York–London, with United serving it from Newark (Transatlantic flight). BA and American are joint-venture partners, as are Virgin and Delta, so in practice there are three price-setting groups plus JetBlue on the full-service side.
On the low-cost side, Norse Atlantic operates Boeing 787s between New York JFK and its London Gatwick base, charging separately for bags, seats and meals (Norse Atlantic Airways). See our Norse Atlantic review.
Heathrow, Gatwick, or somewhere else
- Heathrow (LHR): the main gateway, west of London; Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express to central London, Piccadilly line for the cheapest option.
- Gatwick (LGW): south of London; Gatwick Express and Thameslink trains to the centre, 30–45 minutes. Norse and some BA and JetBlue services use it.
- Stansted, Luton, City: rarely relevant for US arrivals.
- Manchester: if your trip is northern England or Scotland, JFK to Manchester can be cheaper than London plus a train.
Search "NYC" to "LON" (all airports) to see every option at once.
Flight time
About seven hours eastbound overnight, seven and a half to eight westbound. Daytime eastbound departures exist from JFK and Newark if you prefer to arrive in the evening rather than at dawn.
Cheapest seasons, by demand and weather
London demand peaks in summer and at Christmas. Met Office 1991–2020 normals for Greenwich show average highs of about 8–9°C (47–48°F) in December–February, 15–19°C (60–65°F) in April–May, and 23–24°C (74–75°F) in July–August, with the wettest months October and November and the driest March–April (Climate of London). There is no bad season for a city trip; there is an expensive one.
- Best value with decent weather: late March–May and September–early October.
- Cheapest: November (outside Thanksgiving week) and January–February.
- Most expensive: mid-June to August, the Christmas–New Year fortnight, and dates around Wimbledon and major football fixtures.
When to book
Google Flights' data puts US–Europe fares lowest around 94 days before departure, with the low range starting 50 or more days out; midweek departures have been about 13% cheaper than weekend ones (Thrifty Traveler on Google Flights data). With this many carriers, sales are frequent; an alert catches them.
How to get the best fare
- Search all New York and all London airports.
- Price a Norse base fare plus bag against the full-service carriers for your dates.
- Compare a Tuesday or Wednesday departure with your original day.
- Consider Boston as a positioning option if you are north of the city; see Boston to London.
- Anchor to the current fare on JFK to London or Newark to London, then set a price alert.
FAQ
Which airlines fly New York to London nonstop? British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American, Delta and JetBlue from New York, United from Newark, and Norse Atlantic to Gatwick.
Is Gatwick cheaper than Heathrow? Often, because the low-cost carrier uses it, but compare the total including the train into town.
What is the cheapest month to fly to London? Typically January or February, followed by November. The route page shows the current fare.