CHI - CPT

$599 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Cape Town

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to Cape Town departing on 1/20. 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 Cape Town

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Cape Town.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Cape Town.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$1,132
Overall average: $1,169
Ethiopian Air
Wed 3/11Thu 3/19
ORD - CPT • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$599
Typical prices: $923-$929
Multiple Airlines
Tue 1/20
ORD - CPT • 3 stops
Top airlines
Ethiopian Air
Cheapest • from $1,157 (round-trip)
United Airlines
Best reviews • 7.4 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to travel
April
Cheapest • 25% price drop
December
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to Cape Town (CHI-CPT)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to Cape Town 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 Chicago to Cape Town

Wed, Mar 11 - Thu, Mar 19
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:15 am - 2:35 pm
ORD
-
CPT
21h 20m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
1:50 pm - 8:40 am
CPT
-
ORD
25h 50m2 stops
$1,132Ethiopian Air
Sun, Feb 15 - Tue, Feb 24
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 11:50 am
ORD
-
CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 10:05 am
CPT
-
ORD
24h 50m1 stop
$1,135Turkish Airlines
Wed, Feb 11 - Fri, Feb 20
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 11:50 am
ORD
-
CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 10:05 am
CPT
-
ORD
24h 50m1 stop
$1,145Turkish Airlines
Sat, Feb 14 - Tue, Feb 24
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 11:50 am
ORD
-
CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 10:05 am
CPT
-
ORD
24h 50m1 stop
$1,155Turkish Airlines
Mon, May 4 - Thu, May 7
Ethiopian Air Logo
10:15 am - 2:35 pm
ORD
-
CPT
21h 20m1 stop
Ethiopian Air Logo
1:50 pm - 8:15 am
CPT
-
ORD
25h 25m2 stops
$1,157Ethiopian Air
Thu, Feb 12 - Mon, Feb 23
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 11:50 am
ORD
-
CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 6:25 pm
CPT
-
ORD
33h 10m1 stop
$1,164Turkish Airlines
Thu, Feb 12 - Fri, Feb 20
Turkish Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 11:50 am
ORD
-
CPT
31h 30m1 stop
Turkish Airlines Logo
5:15 pm - 10:05 am
CPT
-
ORD
24h 50m1 stop
$1,166Turkish Airlines
Mon, Jan 19 - Tue, Feb 3
Virgin Atlantic Logo
12:48 pm - 7:15 pm
MDW
-
CPT
22h 27m1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
9:30 pm - 5:29 pm
CPT
-
MDW
27h 59m1 stop
$1,372Virgin Atlantic
Mon, Jan 19 - Tue, Feb 3
Delta Logo
1:26 pm - 7:15 pm
MDW
-
CPT
21h 49m2 stops
Delta Logo
9:30 pm - 1:06 pm
CPT
-
MDW
23h 36m2 stops
$1,377Delta
Mon, Feb 23 - Mon, Mar 16
Delta Logo
10:53 am - 7:15 pm
MDW
-
CPT
24h 22m1 stop
Delta Logo
9:30 pm - 12:02 pm
CPT
-
MDW
21h 32m1 stop
$1,462Delta
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to Cape Town flights

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

How much is a round-trip flight from Chicago to Cape Town?

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

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to Cape Town?

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

Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Cape Town on a Wednesday and more expensive on a Friday. On your return trip to Chicago, you should consider flying back on a Friday, and avoid Thursdays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Cape Town?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to Cape Town, 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 Chicago to Cape Town is April, where tickets cost $1,074 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,798 and $1,753 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago to Cape Town?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to Cape Town, 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 Chicago to Cape Town, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$599
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 8% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to Cape Town

When to book flights from Chicago to Cape Town

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to Cape Town 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 Chicago to Cape Town

  • How can I easily get out of Cape Town Airport to the city center?

    After arriving in Cape Town from Chicago through the CPT Airport, one of the most convenient methods of transportation that will easily get you to the city center from the airport is using a taxi. Even though you can easily get around town with public transit, you can consider renting a car.

  • Which neighboring cities close to Cape Town I can easily connect to?

    Upon your arrival in Cape Town, there are various neighboring cities which you can consider visiting to create unforgettable memories. These cities include Bellville, Stellenbosch, Atlantis, Somerset Wes, and Malmesbur, South Africa. Renting a car when in Cape Town will help you easily navigate from one city to another without any restrictions.

  • Which is the popular layover when flying from Chicago to Cape Town?

    Booking with Delta Air Lines for your flight from Chicago to Cape Town generally provides one popular layover along this route. Amsterdam International Airport will be your layover airport along this route. However, the number of layovers you will have for your journey depends on the airline you book your flight with.

  • Which is the suitable airline for the reduced mobility passengers?

    Delta Air Lines is one of the top-rated airlines flying from Chicago to Cape Town that is mobility friendly. It offers wheelchair assistance to passengers with reduced mobility to enhance their movement through the airport and on the plane. It also has an onboard staff that is always ready and willing to offer assistance whenever it is required.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago to Cape Town?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to Cape Town was $599 for a one-way ticket and $1,132 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Chicago and Cape Town?

    Yes

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to Cape Town?

    Chicago is served by 2 major airports and there is only 1 main airport in Cape Town. You will leave Chicago from one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. You will be arriving at Cape Town Intl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to Cape Town?

    We unfortunately don’t have that data for this specific route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to Cape Town?

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

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Chicago to Cape Town, Delta or KLM?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to Cape Town are Delta and KLM. With an average price for the route of $1,938 and an overall rating of 7.9, Delta is the most popular choice. KLM is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $1,809 and an overall rating of 7.7.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to Cape Town?

    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 Chicago to Cape Town.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Cape Town from Chicago 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 Chicago to Cape Town?

    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 Cape Town with an airline and back to Chicago with another airline.

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

    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 Cape Town from Chicago 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 Chicago to Cape Town

  • If you’re looking for an eco-friendly airline when you’re planning to travel from Chicago to Cape Town, consider RwandAir. This airline is dedicated to upholding trustworthiness, general integrity, and honesty when working with its stakeholders. It is also committed to reducing carbon emissions around the world.
  • For those passengers located in Downtown Chicago who want to connect to the airport for their flight to Cape Town, they have a variety of options to explore according to their personal needs. One of the best transport options you can choose is a train, and not just from the city to the airport. CTA Blue line operates 24 hours a day from downtown to the airport, so you will always be able to catch a train for your flight.
  • When you are planning for your trip from Chicago to Cape Town, you likely start your journey from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and land at Cape Town International Airport (CPT). However, you can still consider departing from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) in Chicago and arrive in Cape Town via Cape Town Winesland Airport.
  • If you want to fly with your pet from Chicago to Cape Town, you will be required to book an airline that allows its passengers to come onboard with their animals. Qatar Airlines allows passengers to come onboard with a pet inside its carrier, and the maximum weight of the carrier with that of the pet should not exceed 165 lbs.
  • When you are traveling from Chicago to Cape Town with special dietary requirements, you need to consider booking Turkish Airline for your flight. It offers various specialized meals like gluten-free meals, vegetarian meals, diabetic meals, and vegan meals.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to Cape Town

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to Cape Town. 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 Chicago to Cape Town? 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 9094 reviews
7.3Comfort
7.1Entertainment
8.1Crew
7.7Boarding
6.6Food
Airline reviews

The movies offered were great. Staff were very pleasant and very efficient.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Dec 2025
ORD - HND
Read more United Airlines reviews

The movies offered were great. Staff were very pleasant and very efficient.

After a delay at the gate, C3, at Ohare on Sunday, I left my Blk ski coat on the bench at the gate, lost! Please review my lob claim, thx.

Very nice flight love the small aircraft. We had a wonderful flight attendant. Nice to see someone that really enjoys her job. Don't have her name but had a southern accent.

Very thoughtful flight attendant offered me water immediately since I had run to make my connection.

Seats in waiting area and on plane hard as rock. Fast internet on the flight was great! Crew was kind.

Always wish for more healthy, gluten free options. We have to bring our own.

Having a long layover, I was very appreciative of the ability to stand by for an earlier flight. Other airlines like Delta have refused this to me in the past, just to be mean (because my ticket class wasn't high enough). United went out of their way to help me get to my destination early, which I really appreciated given that it was the third leg of a 24+ hour journey for me.

Other than a way way too cold cabinets for the entire flight, all was great

One bag is incorrect and not acceptable for an international flight. The food was not just good. I won't fly with them again.

Excellent flight. Smooth, efficient boarding. Quick flight. Arrived early at STL.

it was like a banya -so hot... They did provide a great experience with special food. one toilet broke midflight In general it was a peaceful and relaxing flight - for business class it was good.

Chicago to Istanbul was a much better experience than I expected since I’m more accustomed to Qatar Airways business class. The business lounge in the Istanbul airport was amazing - loved the lockers and phone charging stations, and the bathroom was a spa experience in itself. The onward leg from Istanbul to Karachi was utterly disappointing. Terrible plane, and I felt like I was in economy - the seats don’t come near to lying flat and the food was mediocre. What a sad downgrade - it isn’t as though the ticket on that leg was cheaper. So, on that front, there’s no contest with Qatar airways.

Second leg of Turkish Airline with Indigo is disaster for following reason. 1) You have to carry your cabin bags through ladder to boeing 777 because it was parked somewhere in parking lot and was not given a gate to board passengers and this seems to be people traveling to and fro from those flights and is not issue with flight itself. 2) I choose non vegetarian food on Turkish portal way ahead of checkin to entire trip, However the Indigo flight gave me random veg food saying they code veg food code from Turkish. 3) Indigo did not served any alcoholic beverages stating some weird reason which is non nonsensical. 4)Indigo have TV screens in front of you but it displays nothing except "Welcome Onboard" with annoying white black ground in dark flight. This is the most stupidest and annoying part because you are held hostage for 7 hours and only thing you could do is stare back at white screen which does not have entertainment package or even flight tracker. Such a shame.

nice and clean plane but the seats and the comfort was not what i expected. i expected more based on all the ads and reviews that i've read. I guess you get what you pay for in economy.

Overall it was good. Food was bad. I ordered gluten free vegetarian meal. But I got gluten free chicken for my long flight from Seattle to Istanbul. I don’t eat any kind of meat. Second meal I got eggplant with meat which I couldn’t eat. I don’t understand why we can’t get gluten free vegetarian meal for a 12 hour flight. I eat the bread and that was it.

Worse worse worse, i would not recommend this airline to anyone. Istanbul airport maybe State of the Art facility but staff is rude, only works if they get tips, and they push you to give tips even though my family had spent $50 in tips. Airline staff doesn't speak english so you really can't understand them. It was a nightmare travelling with Turkish. Never again.

As a big guy the seats are way too small for me. Would prefer more comfortable seats on these long haul flights.

My flight was canceled 1 minute before boarding. The customer service was owful, no one could tell us what was going happened. I spent 30hrs instead of 15 from Washington DC to Brussels. No apologie or help

Boeing 777 is a bad choice for a such a long flight.

The staff at IST airport could have been more helpful. Too much wasted time and the plane from IST to KHI was just horrible. The plane was not clean and smelled bad!

We loved the steward on the plane. He made the night enjoyable

The plane was late, when we did board the plane was as cold as a freezer. I was freezing the entire flight, no blankets. Lost miserable flight I’ve ever had.

My wife and I love to travel, so we fly a lot. We've already logged 381,075 miles and with practically every major airline. But this flight was very disappointing. It started off well, with no delays and a new plane. But when lunchtime approached, all that good impression was ruined. Instead of white tablecloths, we were offered small, dark placemats, which, as it turned out, were perfectly adequate for the food. All the food offered—and my wife and I only took fish, and the meat—was not just bad, it was downright disgusting and not heated enough. The same applies to the appetizers. This was the first time in many years of traveling that we've been offered such disgusting food.

Lost luggage stuck no clothes and no word after 2 days leaving on cruise no stuff or clothes

3 hour weather delay followed by 1 hour (and counting) maintenance delay. UGH!

After we'd boarded , they canceled the flight. The crew didn't even know , we just all received text messages. Then after they deplaned us , AA was just like "too bad, go F your self, we sure ain't gonna help you"

After a two hour delay, my flight was CANCELLED! No pilot available. Such BS.

Amazing food, great staff, with one noticable detail missing ...but no seat entertainment in any of aircraft ...I am not a fan

I wish American Airlines would change the airline industry by loading the plane back to front instead of front to back. Planes would board so much more smoothly and quickly.

I have long legs, my foot was out in the aisle and when a flight attendant came walking by and I didn't notice, instead of saying "excuse me" or anything like that, she kicked my foot. Extremely rude

Check in took over an hour because printer was not working. Attendant did not know how to give free layover Addis Ababa hotel vouchers or update frequent flyer number. After repeated attempts, got voucher emailed. However hotel wanted printed voucher hence more delay. Bus time from hotel back to airport was printed 4:50 hours, but hotel reception called at 3 pm saying bus will leave at 4 pm. Then hotel reception called again saying 4:15 pm. We rushed at 4:15 pm and bus was not ready until 4:40 pm. Many audio outlets were not working in planes.

The Boeing 737 MAX on this route, flown in the middle of the night, is an UTTER FAILURE for business travellers. The whole point of business travel is to arrive alert and recover from travel quickly, and this little aeroplane with its quarter recline uncomfortable business seats does nothing for that. It’s a small step up from economy in that you have decent legroom, but that’s it. Absolute margin at the cost of the traveller.

Good. Crew do seem to be less friendly- management are clearly limiting them or not empowering them as they used to.

The food was terrible and the seating was uncomfortable, but the airline did a great thing letting us board in Abbis Ababa on our connecting flight after our original flight was very delayed.

Checking in wasn't organized, too many so-called diplomats were jumping line while everyone was waiting in line. They should have their own line not to impede on other passengers that was also waiting to be served. We all paid money and there should be no discrimination because everyone's money should have the same value diplomat or not! If they want to give diplomats some special treatment then let them create their own check in desk and not treat other passengers some that are (elderly, some with children, pregnant women) making them stand longer in line than necessary just because people are jumping line 😡

The flight is packed and it feels like the space per individual has gotten smaller. Excruciating for a 14hr flight.

Were not told that carryon laggage has to be only 12 kgs but my bag was heavier asked to pay an additional $550.00. I could have upgraded to a bussiness class for that price and no one at the gate to upgrade but able to take money for the extra weight. I felt like this was a setup scam.

Forgotten Suite inside of the top compartment but went back to ask and they didn’t leave at the lost and found place. Also the checking in was so horrible. I had multi city and one of the passenger saint have visa go go go Dubai. The Ethiopian airlines never had information about requirement for US permanent resident so couldn’t go to Dubai. And when coming back to US we were told we can not use our Addis to Washington ticket and they forced us to get new ticket. Very horrible experience.

I had a comfortable seat that makes my trip wonderful. I appreciate the Ethiopia crew, they were very helpful

The flight itself was fine. The exception is that my luggage was destroyed, and I filed a claim that I haven't heard from anyone.

Check in was was and the agent was very friendly and helpful The lounge was nice...boarding was straight from the lounge Everything worked at our seats, and video entertainment was good ..food was mediocre

The flight was excellent in World Travellor plus. Well worth the extra money. Boarding at Phoenix was the usual poorly organized event. Very stressful.

Although business class, the seating was really cramped. The food was so so.

Smooth trip no turbulence which is always a bonus for me lol! In cattle class so an element of being a bit squished (but not as bad as other shorter haul airlines) smaller plane than the one we flew out on and entertainment system wasn’t as modern but still definitely passed the time. Lovely crew x

I was attacked in the Miami airport and the staff did nothing. On my flight from London to Miami one of the flight attendants screamed at me and demanded I keep my seat in the upright position at all times during the fight so the man behind me was comfortable for the flight. I will never in my life use British airways again

Airlines have to stop assuming passengers bring entertainment. Provide it like you used to in business class and above!! N

I don't know about the others but the flight attendant that took care of us had the absolute wrong approach "how do we dare asking for water or anything else for that matter"

Flying on the Boeing 787 from Seattle to London was everything that I expected. Every thing was great.

Not my definition of first class. No leg room and barely any recline. The food was good. The crew was great. The comfort for the price I paid for London to Cairo was highway robbery. The Wi-Fi didn't work for me either.

Seat pitch is not enough to eat comfortably. When seat in front is reclined, your screen comes closer to your face. Ryanair seats are actually more comfortable.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to Cape Town

Information on your arrival and departure airports