London (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO)
Flight time
≈ 11h 30m
Bearing
316° NW
London (LHR) to San Francisco (SFO) is 5,354 miles (8,616 km) as the crow flies — the great-circle baseline most distance-based mileage programs credit.
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What actually flies LHR–SFO
Filed traffic dataIn July 2026, United Airlines operated the most departures, one of 3 carriers flying nonstop LHR–SFO; the Boeing 787-9 was the most common aircraft at 57% of departures; flights ran 89% full.
Departures
430
July 2026
Seats
123,666
both directions
Passengers
110,506
both directions
Load factor
89.4%
RPM ÷ ASM
Who flies LHR–SFO?
United Airlines operated the most nonstop LHR–SFO departures in July 2026 (185), one of 3 carriers on the route.
- UA
185 departures · 42,925 seats
Share of departures43.0%89.3%
Load
- BA
British Airways
124 departures · 44,826 seats
Share of departures28.8%91.1%
Load
- VS
Virgin Atlantic
121 departures · 35,915 seats
Share of departures28.1%87.3%
Load
What plane flies LHR–SFO?
In July 2026, the Boeing 787-9 flew 57% of LHR–SFO departures — more than any other aircraft type.
- Boeing 787-9
245 departures · 88.0% load
57.0% - Boeing 777-300ER
62 departures · 92.8% load
14.4% - Airbus A380-800
62 departures · 90.1% load
14.4% - Airbus A350-1000
61 departures · 89.4% load
14.2%
How has LHR–SFO traffic changed?
Nonstop LHR–SFO departures held steady at about 430 a month between August 2025 and July 2026.
Monthly nonstop LHR–SFO traffic, trailing 12 months through July 2026. Bars scale to the busiest month; months with no filed service show as zero.
August 2025
430 departures · 103,322 passengers
82.1%
Load
September 2025
413 departures · 99,552 passengers
82.2%
Load
October 2025
382 departures · 88,212 passengers
77.2%
Load
November 2025
294 departures · 67,572 passengers
75.1%
Load
December 2025
298 departures · 75,301 passengers
82.2%
Load
January 2026
298 departures · 67,982 passengers
73.5%
Load
February 2026
270 departures · 55,887 passengers
67.8%
Load
March 2026
312 departures · 81,977 passengers
86.2%
Load
April 2026
367 departures · 86,069 passengers
78.5%
Load
May 2026
434 departures · 96,397 passengers
76.0%
Load
June 2026
412 departures · 108,161 passengers
90.1%
Load
July 2026
430 departures · 110,506 passengers
89.4%
Load
By direction
Each direction is filed separately — they rarely match.
LHR → SFO
95.2% full
215 departures · 58,897 passengers
SFO → LHR
83.5% full
215 departures · 51,609 passengers
Nonstop LHR–SFO traffic has been filed since 2025.
Source: US DOT BTS Form 41 T-100 Segment (All Carriers). Data through July 2026; filings from 2025. Public domain (US Government work).
The airports
London
GB
London Heathrow Airport
Coordinates
51.47°N, 0.46°W
Hemisphere
N · W
Frequently asked
How far is London (LHR) from San Francisco (SFO)?
LHR to SFO is 5,354 miles (8,616 km / 4,652 nautical miles) measured great-circle — the shortest path over the surface of the Earth.
How long is the flight from LHR to SFO?
A nonstop covers the 5,354-mile great-circle distance in roughly 11h 30m of block time, before winds. Actual schedules vary a few percent by direction and aircraft.
What plane flies LHR–SFO?
In July 2026, the Boeing 787-9 flew the largest share of departures (57.0%), followed by the Boeing 777-300ER (14.4%).
What mileage do I earn flying LHR–SFO?
Distance-based programs credit off the 5,354-mile great-circle figure, then apply your fare-class earning rate. Revenue-based programs credit off the fare instead.
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