Best pair by where you're coming from
Your location determines which airport is closest and most convenient.
Heathrow is the airport. The Elizabeth Line from Paddington takes around 30 minutes and runs frequently. The Piccadilly Line is slower at about 50 minutes but stops at more central stations along the way. From Soho, Covent Garden, or Mayfair, you are at Heathrow check-in in under an hour.
Heathrow again. Piccadilly Line from Earl's Court or Gloucester Road in about 40 minutes. Paddington is one Tube stop from Bayswater and a short taxi from most of west London. The Elizabeth Line from Paddington is the fastest route to any terminal.
London City Airport is six miles from the Square Mile and connected by DLR. Bank station to the terminal takes around 20 minutes. For other airports, the Elizabeth Line runs from Liverpool Street to Heathrow without changing trains.
Stansted Express from Liverpool Street in 47 minutes. Liverpool Street is a short bus or bike from most of east London. London City is also close on the DLR from Stratford or Limehouse. Heathrow is over an hour on the Elizabeth Line from here.
Gatwick is closer than Heathrow from anything south of the river. Gatwick Express from Victoria in 30 minutes, or Southern trains from Clapham Junction and London Bridge. East Croydon to Gatwick is 15 minutes by train.
Luton is the closest budget airport. Train from St Pancras takes around 25 minutes. King's Cross and St Pancras sit next to each other, with Piccadilly, Northern, Victoria, and Hammersmith lines all converging. The Piccadilly Line also runs to Heathrow from King's Cross in about 50 minutes.
Gatwick is down the M23, around 20 to 30 minutes by car from most of Surrey. Southern rail connects East Croydon, Redhill, and the Gatwick corridor. Heathrow means crossing south London or looping the M25.
For most London-area travelers, LHR → SFO is the default.3 airlines, 177 flights/wk.
Explore LHR → SFO
Best pair by where you're staying in San Francisco
Your San Francisco airport matters as much as your London airport.
Where business travelers and first-time visitors usually stay. BART runs from the airport to Powell Street and Montgomery Street in around 30 minutes. Hotels cluster around Union Square and the Embarcadero. Chinatown and North Beach are both walkable from downtown BART stations.
Tech offices, restaurants, and nightlife. Both neighborhoods sit directly on the BART line from the airport with no transfer needed. 16th Street Mission station is the center of the food scene. SoMa is where many startups and conference venues are.
Oakland has its own food and arts scene and costs less than San Francisco. No London flight lands at Oakland nonstop. From San Francisco Airport, BART crosses the bay to downtown Oakland in around 50 minutes. Berkeley is one stop further. Driving depends entirely on Bay Bridge traffic.
The tech campus belt from Palo Alto through Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Cupertino down to San Jose. San Jose Airport is closer but has no London nonstop. From San Francisco Airport, Caltrain runs south along the Peninsula. Driving to Palo Alto takes around 35 minutes without traffic, longer during commute hours.
North of the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco Airport is the arrival point. The drive to Sausalito takes around 40 minutes. Napa Valley is about 90 minutes by car. No public transit reaches Wine Country directly from the airport. Rent a car at arrivals or arrange a shuttle.
SFO is the right San Francisco airport for most travelers.Check individual route pages for ground transport from SFO.
Explore LHR → SFO
Ranked by on-time performance
On-time = departing within 15 min of schedule. Higher competition tends to keep airlines punctual.
Insufficient data — 177/wk doesn't generate meaningful OTP stats.
Insufficient data — 2/wk doesn't generate meaningful OTP stats.
Insufficient data — 1 flight/week doesn't generate meaningful OTP stats.
LHR → SFO has the most schedule depth.High competition keeps airlines punctual.
Explore LHR → SFO
Lounge access by airport and terminal
Premium lounge access varies dramatically by terminal. This alone can determine airport choice for some travelers.
Priority Pass and pay-per-entry. Decent food, bar, and seating. Gets crowded during holiday departures. The best lounge option in South Terminal if you do not have airline status.
Smaller selection. A No1 Lounge and a couple of carrier-specific options. Quality is average. Gatwick does not have the lounge depth of Heathrow, which reflects its budget and leisure focus.
BA business class and oneworld Emerald or Sapphire. The Galleries First has a champagne bar and showers. The Club lounge is larger but more crowded. T5 is BA's home terminal and the lounge reflects it.
Upper Class passengers on Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse or the BA Galleries for character. Shower access is available.
Plaza Premium and No1 Lounges accept Priority Pass and Amex Platinum across multiple terminals. Quality is hit or miss and they get crowded, especially during the morning departure wave. Better than nothing if your carrier does not have its own lounge.
Pay-per-entry and Priority Pass. Basic food, drinks, and seating. Stansted is a budget airport and the lounge options reflect that. Fine for a quiet hour before departure, but do not expect Heathrow-level quality.
Pay-per-entry and Priority Pass. Small, basic, and often crowded during peak travel periods. Luton is a budget airport and lounge expectations should match. Hot food, drinks, and a quiet corner if you get there early.
Southend does not have an airside lounge. The terminal past security has a small bar and cafe. If lounge access matters to you, this is not the airport for it.
Open to Club Europe passengers and qualifying British Airways Executive Club members. Compact but clean, with food, drinks, and runway views. The terminal is small enough that you can leave the lounge 10 minutes before boarding and make your gate.
If you do not have lounge access, the departures area has coffee shops and a few restaurants airside. The terminal is modern and the wait is rarely uncomfortable. Quick security processing means you do not need to arrive early.
Business class on United long-haul flights. Lie-flat daybeds, shower suites, and a la carte dining. One of the better airline lounges in the United States. Access is ticket-based, not credit card or membership.
American Express Platinum cardholders. Full bar, hot buffet, and a quieter atmosphere than the gate area. Gets crowded during afternoon departure banks. Worth arriving early to secure a seat.
United Club membership, select credit cards, or business class tickets. Basic food and drink service across several locations in the domestic and international terminals. Functional, not remarkable.
Several Priority Pass options across terminals. Quality varies by location. Check which lounge matches your terminal before clearing security, as airside transfers between terminals require the AirTrain.
Your airline and cabin class determine which lounges you can access.Check route pages for terminal assignments.
Explore LHR → SFO
Ranked by flights per week
More flights = more flexibility. Miss your flight, catch the next one. Schedule depth is insurance.
177/wk (~25/day) — 3 airlines.
2/wk (~0/day) — 1 airlines.
1/wk each. Not viable for flexible travel planning.
Getting to the airport
Cost and time vary by mode. Train is more predictable than driving.
30 minutes to Victoria station, nonstop. Runs every 15 minutes during the day. Victoria connects to the Victoria, District, and Circle lines. Fast and reliable.
Cheaper than the Gatwick Express and run to more stations including London Bridge, Blackfriars, and St Pancras. Takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on route and stops. Good if your hotel is south of the river or near King's Cross.
Budget bus to Victoria Coach Station. Takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Very cheap but very slow. Only worth it if you are watching every pound.
Expect around 70 to 120 pounds into central London. The drive is longer than from Heathrow and the M23/A23 can be slow. Not recommended unless you are headed to south London or have a lot of luggage.
Contactless payment, 30 minutes to Paddington, and the line continues east through the West End to Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf without changing. Runs frequently from early morning. This is the default way into London for anyone not in a rush.
15 minutes nonstop to Paddington. Around 25 pounds. Faster than the Elizabeth Line but only saves you 15 minutes and costs significantly more. Worth it if your meeting starts in an hour.
Cheapest option. 50 to 60 minutes into central London with stops at Hammersmith, Earl's Court, South Kensington, and King's Cross. Gets crowded during rush hour and there is no luggage space. Fine for budget travelers with a backpack.
Black cab from Heathrow to central London costs around 50 to 90 pounds depending on destination and traffic. Minicab apps are cheaper. The M4 motorway can be slow during morning rush. Takes 45 to 75 minutes.
47 minutes to Liverpool Street station, nonstop. Runs every 15 to 30 minutes. Liverpool Street connects to the Central, Circle, Hammersmith, Metropolitan, and Elizabeth lines. The best option unless you are going north.
Budget bus to Stratford, Liverpool Street, and Victoria. Takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic and stops. Significantly cheaper than the train.
Expect around 100 to 150 pounds into central London. The M11 can be slow. Only sensible if you are sharing the cost or heading to north London or Cambridge.
The Luton DART connects the terminal to Luton Airport Parkway station in under 4 minutes. From there, Thameslink trains run to St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, and London Bridge. Total journey to St Pancras is around 35 to 45 minutes.
Coach services to Victoria, Baker Street, and other London stops. Takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. Budget option.
Expect around 80 to 130 pounds into central London. The M1 motorway can slow to a crawl near the city. Only practical if you are heading north of London or splitting the fare.
Southend Airport station is attached to the terminal. Direct trains run to London Liverpool Street in around 55 minutes. Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes during the day.
The airport is next to the A127 road. Taxis to Southend town center cost around 10 pounds. On-site parking is cheap compared to other London airports. If you live within driving distance, parking and driving is often the simplest option.
London City Airport station is attached to the terminal. Trains run every few minutes to Bank station in about 20 minutes and to Canary Wharf in about 10. The cheapest and fastest way into the city.
Custom House station is about a 10-minute walk from the terminal. The Elizabeth line reaches Liverpool Street in about 12 minutes and Paddington in about 25. Useful if your destination sits along the Elizabeth line.
A taxi to the City of London takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. To the West End, allow 30 to 40 minutes. The DLR is faster and cheaper for destinations along its line.
Weigh transit time against schedule flexibility.A faster airport with fewer flights may not save you time overall.
Explore LHR → SFO
Red-eye vs daytime departures
Departure timing affects jet lag, hotel costs, and how you spend your first day.
Every San Francisco to Heathrow flight is an overnight. You leave in the evening, eat dinner, and try to sleep for what amounts to a very short night. The sun comes up over Ireland and you land at Heathrow in the morning. In business class, lie-flat seats on all three carriers make this manageable. In economy, the 11-hour eastbound feels longer than the westbound because you lose a night.
Heathrow to San Francisco flights leave during the London morning and arrive the same afternoon in California. No overnight option going west. You land with daylight left and time to settle in.
LHR → SFO has the most departure options.Check the route page for schedule details.
Explore LHR → SFO
Premium cabin options
Business and first class products on this route, ranked by value and quality.
United flies the 777 and 787 on this route. Polaris business class has lie-flat seats with direct aisle access on both aircraft types. The 777 cabin is wider and the seat has more surface area. Service is straightforward: good bedding, decent food, no theatrics. United runs the most flights, which means more options for upgrades and award bookings.
Virgin flies the 787 Dreamliner. Upper Class seats have direct aisle access from every position. The lower cabin pressure and larger windows of the 787 help on an 11-hour flight. Service leans personal. The Clubhouse lounge at Heathrow is one of the better airline lounges in the terminal.
British Airways operates the A380 and 777-300ER. Club World uses a staggered layout where some seats face backward. The hard product is the oldest of the three carriers on this route. Where British Airways wins: the A380 upper deck is a smaller and quieter cabin, and the Heathrow network makes connecting onward easy.
Check route pages for cabin details per airline.Business class products vary significantly between carriers.
Explore LHR → SFO
Connecting through London from a domestic flight
For San Francisco itself, connections add time you do not need. Three carriers run enough nonstops from Heathrow that there is always a convenient departure. The one case where connecting works: reaching Oakland or San Jose on a single ticket by routing through a US hub. The layover adds several hours but saves a separate domestic booking and the ground transfer across the Bay. Worth pricing if your trip ends in the East Bay or Silicon Valley.
LGW has no San Francisco nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.
Book LHR → SFO. Same airport, no ground transport needed.
3 airlines, 177/wk.
STN has no San Francisco nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.
LTN has no San Francisco nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.
SEN has no San Francisco nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.
LCY has no San Francisco nonstops. Your airline may offer a single-ticket connection through a hub. Otherwise, ground transport to a nonstop airport.
Avoid cross-airport transfers. No direct transit links between most metro airports. Budget 4+ hours minimum if you must.
Check which London airport your domestic flight arrives at, then book San Francisco from that same airport.LHR arrivals → LHR–SFO · LTN arrivals → LTN–OAK
LHR → SFO
