How to find cheap flights to Long Beach?

🌊 Looking to fly into Long Beach Airport (LGB) without overspending? Long Beach is one of Southern California’s most convenient gateways — smaller lines, easy curbside pickup, and a short drive to LA beaches and attractions. With flexible dates, smart alerts, and a few booking tricks, you can routinely find competitive fares on domestic routes. This long-form guide covers real price examples, nonstop options, airline hacks, airport tips, credit-card strategies, last-minute tactics, travel insurance advice, baggage-fee guidance, best booking windows, the cheapest months to fly, and a closing pro tip to help you book smarter.



✈️ Flight Deals to Long Beach (LGB)

Below are realistic roundtrip price examples you can expect to find on domestic routes when using flexible dates and fare alerts. Prices vary with season and advance purchase.

  • 🟦 San Francisco (SFO → LGB): $69–$139 roundtrip (midweek sales)
  • 🟦 Las Vegas (LAS → LGB): $49–$119 roundtrip on flash deals
  • 🟦 Seattle (SEA → LGB): $99–$189 roundtrip (off-peak)
  • 🟦 Denver (DEN → LGB): $109–$199 roundtrip
  • 🟦 Phoenix (PHX → LGB): $79–$159 roundtrip

Track live pricing with tools like Google Flights, KAYAK, or check carrier apps (Southwest fares often only show on their site: Southwest).


🛫 Nonstop Flights — Airlines & Prices

Long Beach offers several nonstop domestic links. Typical roundtrip price bands (economy) are:

  • ✈️ SFO ↔ LGB — Alaska Airlines / United: $69–$139
  • ✈️ SEA ↔ LGB — Alaska Airlines: $99–$189
  • ✈️ LAS ↔ LGB — Southwest / Spirit: $49–$129
  • ✈️ PHX ↔ LGB — American / Southwest: $79–$159
  • ✈️ DEN ↔ LGB — United / Southwest: $109–$199

Note: Southwest sometimes undercuts other carriers but shows fares only on its site and app—always check it separately.


🕒 Best Times to Book

  • 📅 For most domestic trips: book about 3–7 weeks before departure.
  • ⏰ Best days to fly (cheapest): Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday.
  • 🔔 Check fares in the morning—many airlines refresh pricing overnight.
  • 🧭 Use flexible-date calendars and +/-3 day search to expose low fares.

📌 Best Time to Book Flights to Long Beach (LGB)

If you want timing guidance tailored to LGB:

  • Short domestic trips: lock tickets 3–6 weeks out for the best balance of price and availability.
  • Summer or event travel (beach season, holiday weekends): book 8–12 weeks ahead.
  • For last-minute flexibility, check 7–10 days out—occasionally carriers drop short-notice inventory.

📉 Cheapest Month to Fly to LGB

The cheapest windows for Long Beach travel are usually:

  • January–February — post-holiday lull
  • September — shoulder season after summer travel winds down

Travel in these months often yields the lowest roundtrip fares and fewer crowds.


🧠 Airline Hacks That Save Money

  • 🔁 Search one-way fares — sometimes two one-ways on different carriers beat a roundtrip fare.
  • 📍 Compare nearby airports: LAX vs BUR vs LGB — a short Lyft or train ride can be worth a big fare difference.
  • 🕵️ Use private/incognito browsing to avoid price creep on repeated searches.
  • 📱 Set multiple fare alerts (Google Flights + one OTA) — two alert systems catch more flash sales.
  • 🎟️ Use award points or transfer partners for last-minute bookings when cash prices spike.
  • ✈️ Check Southwest directly for exclusive deals not shown on aggregators.

🏟️ Airport Guide: Long Beach Airport (LGB)

Long Beach is compact and traveler-friendly — here’s what to know before you go:

  • 📍 Location: 3 miles from downtown Long Beach, quick access to Pacific Coast and downtown L.A.
  • 🛬 Terminals: Single compact terminal—short walks and fast baggage claim.
  • 🚗 Ground transport: Rideshare pickup zone, short-term parking, and shuttles to nearby hotels.
  • ⏱️ Security: Lines are usually shorter than LAX—arrive 60–90 minutes for domestic flights.
  • Amenities: Local cafés, compact shops, and charging stations throughout the terminal.
  • 🧭 Tip: Avoid peak LA traffic hours when planning your transfer time to/from LGB.

Official airport info: longbeach.gov/lgb.


💳 Credit Card Travel Tips

  • 💼 Use cards that include a free checked bag on your preferred airline — saves $60–$140 roundtrip for families.
  • 🔁 Transferable points (Chase, Amex, Capital One) give flexibility to snag seats across carriers during sales.
  • 🛡️ Choose cards with trip delay/cancellation benefits when booking tight itineraries into the LA area.
  • 🎫 Check your issuer’s travel portal pricing—occasionally it’s cheaper or offers bonus points.

⏱️ Last-Minute Flights

If you need to fly within 0–7 days, here’s how to improve your odds of a good price:

  • 📲 Monitor late-night fare updates; airlines often refresh unsold inventory overnight.
  • 🎯 Target off-peak departure times (early morning or late evening) for lower last-minute fares.
  • 🧭 Consider flying into LAX or BUR and taking a short ground transfer if LGB prices spike.
  • 🏷️ Use points or award bookings to avoid last-minute cash markups.

Typical last-minute fares into LGB run $150–$320 roundtrip depending on origin.


🛡️ Travel Insurance Advice

  • 🔍 For domestic trips to LGB, look for plans covering trip delay, missed connections, and baggage loss.
  • 🌧️ If your itinerary connects through busy hubs, include coverage for weather-related delays.
  • 🛒 Compare options on Squaremouth or InsureMyTrip.

🧳 Baggage Fees — What to Expect

  • 🧾 Major carriers (United/Delta/American): $30–$35 for first checked bag each way.
  • ✈️ Southwest: 2 free checked bags — often best value for families or longer stays.
  • ⚠️ Low-cost carriers (Spirit/Frontier) add dynamic baggage/seat fees—always calculate all-in cost.
  • 💡 Tip: Prepay bags during booking to save vs airport counter rates.

💡 Pro Tip

When booking to Long Beach, always compare the all-in cost: ticket price + baggage fees + ground transport and time value. A slightly higher fare into LGB often beats a cheaper LAX ticket once you factor in traffic, parking, and the extra hour or two saved getting to your final destination.