SJO - CHI

$241 Find Cheap Flights from San José to Chicago

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San José to Chicago departing on 10/1. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Chicago

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from San José to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$385
Typical prices: $490-$298
JetBlue
Tue 9/1Tue 9/8
SJO - ORD • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$704
Typical prices: $845-$675
JetBlue
Sat 7/4Sat 7/25
SJO - ORD • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
United Economy Plus adds up to six inches more legroom than standard economy.
American Main Cabin Extra adds early boarding; use the app for entertainment.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Nonstop flights
Sat
You can fly direct with United Airlines. Average duration is 5h 35m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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Direct flights
Direct flights
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Top airlines
Cheapest • from $385 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $362 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 7h 23m (one-way)
Insights
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Insights
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
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Insights
Insights
Avoid delays
Most punctual • 94% on-time
Best time • Fewest delays
Insights
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Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 10% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
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Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 38% price drop
Most popular
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from San José to Chicago (SJO-CHI)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San José to Chicago that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San José to Chicago

Tue, Sep 1 - Tue, Sep 8
JetBlue Logo
2:02 pm - 11:44 pm
SJO
-
ORD
8h 42m
1 stop
JetBlue Logo
7:00 am - 12:57 pm
ORD
-
SJO
6h 57m
1 stop
$385JetBlue
Thu, Sep 3 - Wed, Sep 9
Southwest Logo
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
SJO
-
MDW
8h 00m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
10:30 am - 6:40 pm
MDW
-
SJO
9h 10m
1 stop
$390Southwest
Wed, Aug 5 - Sat, Aug 8
Copa Airlines Logo
6:17 pm - 1:02 am
SJO
-
ORD
29h 45m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
1:20 am - 8:19 am
ORD
-
SJO
7h 59m
1 stop
$392Copa Airlines
Tue, Sep 1 - Mon, Sep 7
Southwest Logo
1:40 pm - 11:10 pm
SJO
-
MDW
8h 30m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:55 am - 6:40 pm
MDW
-
SJO
11h 45m
2 stops
$395Southwest
Tue, Sep 15 - Fri, Sep 25
Southwest Logo
1:40 pm - 11:10 pm
SJO
-
MDW
8h 30m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
10:05 am - 6:40 pm
MDW
-
SJO
9h 35m
2 stops
$404Southwest
Fri, Aug 28 - Sun, Aug 30
JetBlue Logo
2:02 pm - 11:44 pm
SJO
-
ORD
8h 42m
1 stop
JetBlue Logo
7:00 am - 12:57 pm
ORD
-
SJO
6h 57m
1 stop
$405JetBlue
Fri, Sep 11 - Tue, Sep 15
Avianca Logo
1:25 pm - 12:59 am
SJO
-
ORD
10h 34m
1 stop
Avianca Logo
12:47 pm - 7:37 pm
ORD
-
SJO
7h 50m
1 stop
$416Avianca
Tue, Aug 11 - Mon, Aug 17
Copa Airlines Logo
5:55 pm - 1:59 pm
SJO
-
ORD
19h 04m
1 stop
Copa Airlines Logo
3:21 pm - 10:58 am
ORD
-
SJO
20h 37m
1 stop
$424Copa Airlines
Mon, Sep 28 - Wed, Oct 7
United Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 11:27 pm
SJO
-
ORD
14h 32m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 11:38 am
ORD
-
SJO
30h 38m
1 stop
$428United Airlines
Thu, Oct 15 - Tue, Oct 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 12:09 pm
SJO
-
ORD
18h 54m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:49 pm - 11:59 pm
ORD
-
SJO
11h 10m
1 stop
$434Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San José to Chicago flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San José to Chicago to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

How much is a round-trip flight from San José to Chicago?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from San José to Chicago departing in September.

What is the cheapest San José to Chicago flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from San José to Chicago costs $701 on the route between San José (SJO) and Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San José to Chicago?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San José to Chicago clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to Chicago on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Sunday is the most expensive day to fly from San José to Chicago. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Tuesday and avoiding Saturdays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San José to Chicago?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Chicago, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from San José to Chicago is April, where tickets cost $103 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and July, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $194 and $193 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San José to Chicago?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $528, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

How far in advance should I book a flight from San José to Chicago?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San José to Chicago, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from San José to Chicago, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 10% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from San José to Chicago

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

Expert on American Airlines

Harriet is an award-winning journalist who is happiest in an airport or an unusual museum. Her stories about airports, air travel, and the business of travel have appeared on NBC News, CNBC, USA TODAY, The Points Guy and other outlets. She is the creator of the StuckatTheAirport.com blog and the author of nine books. When not out on the road or exploring the latest airport amenities, she’s home in Seattle getting ready for the next adventure.

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on United Airlines and ORD

Stefanie Waldek is a freelance space, travel, and design writer based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her words have appeared in Space.com, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, among other publications. An expert in aviation and expedition cruising, Stefanie is frequently up in the air or on the sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut

Expert on SJO

Mark Chesnut is a travel writer and public speaker with more than 30 years of experience. The 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark is the author of the book “Prepare for Departure” and has covered air travel for multiple top consumer and trade media outlets.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$241
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 12% lower on average.
Flight from San José to Chicago Midway Airport

When to book flights from San José to Chicago

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from San José to Chicago based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from San José to Chicago

  • What is the cheapest flight from San José to Chicago?

    In the last 5 days, the lowest price for a flight from San José to Chicago was $246 for a one-way ticket and $385 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between San José and Chicago?

    Yes, you’ll need a passport to travel to Chicago from San José.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from San José to Chicago?

    Iberia, Air Canada, GOL, Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the San José to Chicago flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from San José to Chicago?

    The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the San José to Chicago flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from San José to Chicago?

    Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between San José and Chicago, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from San José to Chicago?

    You can catch a nonstop flight from San José to Chicago on on Saturday.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from San José to Chicago, Southwest or Delta?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from San José to Chicago are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $507 and an overall rating of 7.9, Southwest is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $592 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San José to Chicago?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from San José to Chicago.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San José to Chicago?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Chicago from San José is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from San José to Chicago?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to Chicago with an airline and back to San José with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San José to Chicago?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to Chicago from San José up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from San José to Chicago

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $353 or less one-way.

Prefer to fly direct from San José to Chicago?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Chicago.
Find which airlines fly direct from San José Juan Santamaria Intl Airport to Chicago, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

San José Juan Santamaria Intl to Chicago

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Chicago to San José Juan Santamaria Intl

Saturday

United Airlines

United Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San José to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from San José to Chicago. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San José to Chicago? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4237 reviews
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

Flight was delayed over 3 hours. Planes were dirty. Staff indifferent. And they serve vegan pretzels as snacks.

2.0 MediocreMatthew, Jun 2026
CVG - MDW
Read more Southwest reviews

Flight was delayed over 3 hours. Planes were dirty. Staff indifferent. And they serve vegan pretzels as snacks.

It was great. The gate staff were very helpful in Portland when my son forgot his rolling bag and had to go back to get it just in time to make it on the plane. We really appreciate that. Great job!

Airline is not very senior friendly. Flights are late, forcing us to run to the connecting flight. Food is awful. Wish they would go back to pretzels and peanuts. During flight, pressurization isn’t quite right and all of our ears get plugged. Everything is nickel and dime, charging for boarding, seat selection and legroom. While a screen at the desk in the gate area says check your roll on bag now for free due to space limitation, the employee at the desk will not check the bag without a $100 fee. Insane.

Kayak could’ve posted the correct gate number. Almost missed my flight.

Slow boarding, limited food and drink portions. Bad delays and turbulence

there were two flight attendants that were up front...that were the best! They get KUDOs for making my trip only fantastic. Tell them Jeff said that!

OKay. I sat in the back of the plane and it was really loud between babies and little kids, and adults who.like to talk a lot and loudly most of the flight.

Flight coming out of Buffalo was delayed, so we had to be rescheduled on another flight from Baltimore to Phoenix which means we had a long layover and got home 3.5 hours late. Shuttle to parking stopped at 10pm, so we had to pay for an Uber to the parking lot and got charged an extra day of parking since it was after midnight. Not the best experience. Long day!

Was fine, delayed and feels like southwest is always late

I don't know why flying out of Sarasota requires two plane changes.

Five hour delays every hour, I wish it were all at once

Flight delayed four separate times. I’m now one hour hours late to landing.

worst flight ever from Delta, it got delayed and kept on delaying..

Should never have had to go to Detroit from Orlando back to Tennessee!

Got rerouted from a straight flight from Orlando to Atlanta to Knoxville to a flight from Orlando to Detroit to Knoxville! Seriously!! Flight delay out of Detroit! Long day for what should have been a pretty easy travel day!

Two delays on two separate planes with parts they could not easily find and replace.

I like the lane and orderliness and timely everything was executed. Amazing

If you cant travel Delta One, Comfort Class is the next best thing!

Checkin was good, fllight ws good. Onlly complaint is lack of foot on 6 hour flight from Seattle to Boston. Snacks were flimsy - chips and cookies. could have offered something more substantial for such a long flight. I know you can buy food in airport but for the price you pay for a ticket, they should step up for the passengers.

Only beverages were offered to first class and I thought the flight attendant could have also served the Delta Comfort as well instead of sitting down and staring at her phone and walking past all of us to the back of the plane to charge her phone more. There was a complete lack of turbulence and was safe enough for flights attendant to walk around in the front of the plane, collect trash and serve a few people water and turn off the seat belt light. Also didn’t enforce people putting their seats into the upright position and allowed two passengers to remain reclined during landing. They seemed out to lunch completely. Usually my experience on Delta is much better.

Same as the previous flight as far as comfort and food. Entertainment didn’t have a watchable screen so everything would need to be watched on your own device in which they didn’t have a charging port that accommodated my iPhone. Seats were very uncomfortable. Staff was very friendly.

They didn’t have any headphones for the entertainment screen and their USB port didn’t accommodate a USB-C for more modern phones. The food was just ok. The staff was friendly but the seats were very uncomfortable for a full flight.

Entire experience from check in to landing was amazing the flight crew was excellent and friendly. Seats were comfortable.

The food is terrible I ask for water never got transport my mother we’re late and my sister from Lima was the worst waiting to long for wheelchair

Do not book it’s a scam! They stole $1200 from me

Flight got delayed; had to go through security three times.

A lot things happened in this trip.The fly should be less stress.

There should be a warning regarding the quality of the aircraft on the website as we reserve the tickets. There was no TV or any type of screen onboard. The wifi they offer is good for nothing. Traveling 9 hours straight with kids and no type of entetainment was horrible. I wish I had been informed prior so I could buy a ticket with another airline. The food was a joke too. A very tiny portion per passenger. They also charged $100 per checked bag. With United I used to pay $60. So, fair to say that I wont be flying Copa anymore. Their aircraft was super old, outdated, no entertainment, with nearly no onboard food.

Some of the Air hostesses are not that friendly. Need improvement

I liked the meatloaf the chicken was awful but the plane was on time and got there and the staff was nice.

Over 5 hour delay with minimal updates or ability to standby for alternative flights. During boarding and 1 hr+ wait for takeoff, seats were drenched w water from air conditioning condensation and always leftover crumbs on carpet and seats

I flew from Barcelona to Chicago on UA yesterday. The flight was on time, the pilots did a great job and the flight attendants were super nice. All of them. Also food was good, and the drinks, including wine were served a few times during our flight. I highly recommend this airline.

Boarded early, left early, arrived 40 mins early! A win win for me!

These airplanes should be illegal. The seats are two tight, it is a safety issue. Wheelchair support was ridiculously slow. We almost missed our flight.

This flight is a quick way to get to Chicago, but a bit expensive.

The flight to Houston the agents were not very helpful

The clerk at check in for my bags was very rude. My credit card was hacked during my vacation and she told me it was not possible to pay in cash for my bag. “You bought the cheapest ticket, you should have bought a ticket that included a bag. If you cannot pay with a credit card, we will not let you on this flight”. She spoke to her supervisor and then told me , I could ask other passengers, if they would use their credit card to check my bag. I had to beg 5 different people, till one agreed to use their credit card. I payed them cash of course. This was a very stressful and humiliating experience for me. I strongly suggest you build in some kind of provision for travelers who got robbed.

O’hsre taxi and deboarding took 40 minutes. Needed 20 minutes extra time between connecting flights to avoid running through terminal.

Flight crew was super friendly and helpful. Food was frequent and honestly pretty good. Plenty of on-board entertainment. Economy seats are super cramped for such a long flight, but the crew allowed people to get up and stretch, and kids could wander with their parents, so we all made it work. Overall a very good experience.

Standard flight with a drinks and a snack- overall very quick flight. The flight attendants were very strict, bordered on rude.

The flight attendants were extremely sourly and borderline rude. I did not feel appreciated as an AA customer once.

The flight from LA to Chicago was smooth and service was very good overall.

The Mario was so helpful and provided amazing customer service however l have being waiting for a callback for almost a week now and have not heard anything further after l informed them l wanted to change my date of traveling because of my hospital appointment even send them proof and l was unable to use manag your booking on their website is a bit frustrating and l would appreciate an update on My request as soon as possible. And have called them times without numbers no response

Awful, tons of delays, I got into Chicago multiple hours late meaning I hit the very traffic I tried so desperately to avoid. Just empty apologies from American Airlines text alerts. Trash behavior from a trash airline.

They lost my baggage and I am still struggling to the information and update

The homeless eat better than what was served on that plane. Pretzels and ice cream? My last trip to Europe. Everything is small, but the bill.

Awful customer service, horrible experience. We travel a lot domestic & international- worst flights to/from ever. Brief bkgd as Inhate to relive this experience: booked and chose 2 seats 4 months prior in Premium Economy - last row end seats close to bathroom, no one behind us, plenty of legroom;, underwear storage — flown this was on other airlines, love it. We receive notice 4 days before scheduled overseas flight - plane has changed, new seats assigned. Seats are split into single seats, opposites of the plane, FRONT Row so no reachable storage. Called BOTH British Air & America. American “switched planes and the seats you want are taken;” British Air “Yes, we’ll be glad to accommodate you (type type type). Just ask at the Gate and someone will give you new boarding passes with seats together in middle, OK?” — OK. —At Gate the attendant looks us up saying “No, it is an overbooked flight and yours are the only seats available.” But but but wait, “We were TOLD our seats had been switched and seated together?” Gate attendant “Well they were wrong and don’t change your seats. Your original seats are where you’ll sit.”. Right. No help WHATSOEVER. We sit opposite on way there, wife VERY disgruntled, a Tol 5 worst ways to start a 3-week bus tour of UK. We promise to NEVER FLY AMERICAN OR BROTISH AIR EVER, and we have 3 more extensive trips planned..

Requested early boarding to disinfect seat, tray table, etc. before general boarding. Instructed to board after wheelchair passengers. Waited on jet bridge behind 12 wheelchair passengers. Stopped immediately after entering plane to wait for gate agent in rear of plane cleaning a seat that was wet, got to my row and found both seats adjacent to mine already occupied, with the lack of room making it impossible for me to clean my own space and defeating the purpose of my boarding early. Cleaned the armrests and tray table as best I could.

The wifi experience is awful. I had to try again and again, taking over 30 minutes, to connect to the wifi. I had to watch the same two ads over and over until I was finally successful. Once connected, it was anything but "high speed" and disconnected at least three times during the flight.

It was good, the staff was great, and the food, was as usual, tea and biscuit. Bathroom was clean, and the plane was clean as well.

Everything you need to know for your flight from San José to Chicago

Information on your arrival and departure airports