$104 Find Cheap Flights from Buffalo to Chicago - Compare and Save

There are quite a few daily nonstop flights from Buffalo to Chicago and these journeys are usually serviced by airlines like American Airlines and United. You can also find some daily journeys that have connections and they can also be serviced by United. Connections often take place in cities such as Charlotte.

If you drive from downtown Buffalo to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, you can plan on the journey taking you around 15min in total. You can always choose public transportation instead, like bus line 24. The bus will get you to BUF in around 45 to 50min in total.

One easy way to go from O'Hare International Airport to central Chicago is by driving, which normally will take you approximately 20 to 25 minute. You can also grab the Blue metro line, which will bring you to downtown Chicago in around 50 to 55 minute.

Chicago Midway International Airport does offer the option of renting a car directly from this transportation hub. The rental center can be found in the Arrivals terminal and there are a few different companies that have offices here, including Budget, Enterprise, and National. They all store their fleets right near the Midway Airport Rental Car Facility, so it will be easy to walk to your vehicle after completing any necessary paperwork.

Among airlines operating Buffalo to Chicago flights:

• United Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• Southwest: offers free seat selection
• American Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

3 airlines operate flights between Buffalo and Chicago. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• Southwest

Flights from Buffalo to Chicago usually depart from Buffalo (BUF) and may arrive at several airports in Chicago area, including Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) and Chicago Greater Rockford (RFD).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• United Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Southwest: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• American Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Two cabin classes are available on flights from Buffalo to Chicago:

• Economy Class
• First Class

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than nonstop options on average. Layover fares average $144 round-trip via Raleigh-Durham (RDU), compared to $357 for nonstop.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $40–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Buffalo to Chicago most commonly connect through:

• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) - 55% of one-stop connections
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) - 16% of one-stop connections
• New York John F Kennedy Intl (JFK) - 16% of one-stop connections
• Boston Logan Intl (BOS) - 4% of one-stop connections

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

On the Buffalo to Chicago route, being flexible with your departure day can save you up to 27%. Saturday is the cheapest day at $308 round-trip on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $420: a $112 difference. Cheaper weekend fares like these are typical of routes dominated by weekday business travel.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Buffalo to Chicago flights, with 50% of flights leaving in that window. Evening departures account for 30%, afternoon flights for 20%, and night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in Chicago are Magnificent Mile, Grant Park and River North. These are among the most viewed places in Chicago on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Buffalo to Chicago:

• Earliest: departs at 6:00 am and lands at 8:01 am
• Latest: departs at 9:45 pm and lands at 11:46 pm.

The flight takes about 2h 01m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 61% above the route average of $348. Book 20 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A nonstop flight from Buffalo to Chicago takes 2h 01m, covering 459 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $234 to $899. That means the highest observed fare was about 4x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Buffalo to Chicago are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $128, which is 38% below the typical average for this route.

Flying via Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 3h 57m, compared with 4h 33m via Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) and 5h 49m via Boston Logan Intl (BOS).

Chicago is 1 hour behind Buffalo (Central Time vs Eastern Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

Since Chicago is served by multiple airports, car rental options and rates can vary depending on which one you fly into.
Near Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) — daily rates from around $17:

• Routes Car & Truck Rentals
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Dollar
• Ace

Near Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) — daily rates from around $32:

• Hertz
• Dollar
• Budget
• Alamo
• Rent-A-Wreck

Near Chicago Greater Rockford Airport (RFD) — daily rates from around $30:

• Alamo
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Budget
• Avis
• National

Round-trip flights from Buffalo to Chicago range from $280 to $448, with an average of $348 over the past 12 months. Anything below $280 counts as a good deal.

Two airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi on Buffalo to Chicago flights:

• • American Airlines
• • JetBlue