$29 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Houston

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 Houston departing on 8/23. 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

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

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Houston, 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 Chicago to Houston, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flights Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to Houston (CHI-HOU)

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

Wed, Aug 27 - Wed, Sep 3
Spirit Airlines Logo
8:47 pm - 11:29 pmORD-IAH
2h 42mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:02 pm - 7:42 pmIAH-ORD
2h 40mnonstop
$54Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Sep 18 - Mon, Sep 22
Spirit Airlines Logo
8:56 pm - 11:45 pmORD-IAH
2h 49mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
5:05 pm - 7:50 pmIAH-ORD
2h 45mnonstop
$58Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 3 - Sun, Oct 5
Frontier Logo
4:03 pm - 7:10 pmORD-IAH
3h 07mnonstop
Frontier Logo
8:00 pm - 10:45 pmIAH-ORD
2h 45mnonstop
$75Frontier
Find Deal
Thu, Aug 21 - Mon, Aug 25
Frontier Logo
8:15 am - 11:06 amMDW-IAH
2h 51mnonstop
Frontier Logo
11:36 am - 2:10 pmIAH-MDW
2h 34mnonstop
$93Frontier
Find Deal
Wed, Aug 20 - Sun, Aug 24
 Logo
8:47 pm - 11:29 pmORD-IAH
2h 42mnonstop
 Logo
8:46 pm - 11:37 pmIAH-ORD
2h 51mnonstop
Mon, Aug 18 - Sat, Aug 23
 Logo
6:30 am - 9:20 amORD-IAH
2h 50mnonstop
 Logo
5:02 pm - 7:42 pmIAH-ORD
2h 40mnonstop
Wed, Oct 8 - Tue, Oct 14
Southwest Logo
6:40 pm - 9:15 pmMDW-HOU
2h 35mnonstop
Southwest Logo
6:50 pm - 9:20 pmHOU-MDW
2h 30mnonstop
$157Southwest
Find Deal
Wed, Sep 17 - Fri, Sep 19
Southwest Logo
9:10 am - 11:45 amMDW-HOU
2h 35mnonstop
Southwest Logo
9:45 pm - 12:05 amHOU-MDW
2h 20mnonstop
$177Southwest
Find Deal
Sat, Sep 20 - Sat, Sep 20
American Airlines Logo
8:25 am - 3:55 pmORD-HOU
7h 30m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
6:44 pm - 11:59 pmHOU-ORD
5h 15m1 stop
$251American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, Dec 25 - Tue, Dec 30
American Airlines Logo
11:10 am - 3:54 pmORD-HOU
4h 44m1 stop
American Airlines Logo
12:26 pm - 5:31 pmHOU-ORD
5h 05m1 stop
$283American Airlines
Find Deal
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Chicago to Houston

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airlines
Frontier

Frontier's Premium Bundle includes priority boarding and extra legroom seats.


Frontier charges for airport check-in; use online or kiosk check-in to avoid fees.

Read more about Frontierby Stefanie Waldek
Spirit Airlines

Spirit's Big Front Seat offers 20-inch width and extra legroom for a nominal fee.


Spirit offers gate-to-gate Wi-Fi coverage across all routes, including browsing and streaming packages.

United Airlines

United's Economy Plus seats offer up to six inches more legroom than standard economy.


United offers Priority Boarding in Zone 2, reducing the risk of gate-checking carry-ons.

American Airlines

American's Main Cabin Extra provides early boarding and complimentary drinks.


American Airlines offers high-speed Wi-Fi for purchase on most flights.

Airports
ORD

For a quick check-in at ORD, arrive early as security lines can exceed 30 minutes during peak times.

Read more about ORDby Stefanie Waldek
IAH

At IAH, use the rideshare pickup at Terminals A or C, as Terminal E lacks a designated area.

Read more about IAHby John Walton
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on Frontier, United Airlines and ORD

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

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.

Read more
Joe Cortez

Joe Cortez

Expert on Spirit Airlines

Joe Cortez

Joe Cortez

Joe Cortez is a seasoned managing editor in aviation with over a decade of industry experience. His work has been featured on prominent platforms such as FlyerTalk and TripSavvy, establishing him as a respected voice in aviation journalism.

Read more
Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

Expert on American Airlines

Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

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.

Read more
John Walton

John Walton

Expert on IAH

John Walton

John Walton

Independent aviation journalist John Walton took his first flight at eight weeks old and hasn’t stopped travelling since. A world-renowned expert in airlines and the passenger experience, he writes in depth on aviation, is a resident expert on travel in Japan and France, and offers a uniquely queer perspective on travelling the world.

Read more
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to Houston flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to Houston 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 Houston?

What is the cheapest Chicago to Houston flight route?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from Chicago to Houston.

Our data shows that the cheapest route for a return flight from Chicago to Houston cost $102 and was between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH). On average, the best prices are found if you fly from Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) to Houston George Bush Intcntl Airport (IAH). The average price for a return flight for this route is $102.

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

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

For Chicago to Houston, Thursday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Sunday is the most expensive. Flying from Houston back to Chicago, the best deals are generally found on Friday, with Sunday being the most expensive.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Houston?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to Houston, 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 Houston is August, where tickets cost $161 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $264 and $259 respectively.

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

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 Houston, 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 Houston, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 28% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Cheapest flight$29
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to Houston George Bush Airport

When to book flights from Chicago to Houston

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

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago to Houston?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to Houston was $29 for a one-way ticket and $54 for a round-trip.

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

    Yes

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

    Chicago is served by 2 major airports and there are 2 airports in Houston. You will leave Chicago from one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. You will be arriving in Houston at one of these airports: Houston Hobby or Houston George Bush Intcntl.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to Houston?

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

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

    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 Houston.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Houston 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 Houston?

    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 Houston 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 Houston?

    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 Houston from Chicago up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Prefer to fly direct from Chicago to Houston?

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

Direct departures

Chicago to Houston

Monday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Tuesday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Wednesday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Thursday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Friday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Saturday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Sunday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Houston to Chicago

Monday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Tuesday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Wednesday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Thursday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Friday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Saturday

American Airlines, Southwest, Spirit Airlines, +1 more

American Airlines, Southwest, +2 more

Sunday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to Houston

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to Houston. 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 Houston? 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.
8.0
SouthwestOverall score based on 4241 reviews
8.0Comfort
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
7.5Entertainment
7.0Food
Airline reviews

Better and more food and drinks. Put msnbc and free speech tv on the news channel selection list.

10.0 ExcellentKevin, Jul 2025MDW - PUJ
Read more Southwest reviews

Better and more food and drinks. Put msnbc and free speech tv on the news channel selection list.

after landing, we stay 2 hours on the taxi way before reaching the gate The airline and the crew were good though

I'm not a fan of Southwest's model. I don't like the herding style of boarding.

My flight to Chicago left and landed early. My return flight left two minutes late and arrived 2 minutes late. My seat selections were ideal! There were no snacks going to Chicago and no snacks on the return trip. There are no charging outlets on board.

Multiple delays and gate changes. Arrived at final destination 6 hours late. All rental cars had been taken.

The movies using Southwest WiFi kept pausing and I had to restart multiple times.

One of the crew performed a hilarious skit to accompany the standard instructions. Passengers enjoyed it so much they applauded at the end!

First, my flight was a usual flight nothing exceptional or unexpected. Over all it was a normal, good flight! Second, your questionaire is wholly lacking in the proper options to which one can answer a question. Often on short flights, there is no food let alone entertainment so why isn't that reflected in your questionaire? A simple "not applicable" would cover that issue appropriately but no, your form arbitrarily enters an answer based on the initial assessment which normally isn't factual. Until you provide an accurate means of assessing flights, I'll no longer be completing of these unimpressive and misleading assessements. Thank you!

Easy to book and to get check in and get on and off.

Excellent experience. WiFi worked on this leg of My trip

United sent me a mileage plus number last year but that number is invalid so I can’t use it to check into flights or collect mileage. There is human to speak about the problem, only computers who keep asking me if I am using the correct email. It’s so frustrating and I cannot resolve it.

The woman gate agent in Phoenix was none too sympathetic about my check-in process as I am relatively new with using apps. I almost did not get on because she said I did not check-in. I thought I had via Kayak where I purchased a very expensive ticket. Lesson learned but to be told I may not get on as a matter of factly was difficult to hear.

Flight was on time. Boarding was smooth. Flight attendants were friendly and efficient. Entertainment system was broken for all passengers on the left side of the aisle. I would prefer if meals were not served on red eye flights. No one should need to dine at that time and it is disturbing for those passengers trying to sleep.

Gate agent did not hold flight for connection, provided no assistance to get new flight

The plane pushed back from the gate on time. However, it stopped on the ramp, and we waited for over 20 minutes before the aircraft pulled back to the gate. Apparently, something of importance had to be removed from the aircraft by the gate agent. I found this to be odd. The delay was not significant, but I felt that whatever was on the aircraft that had to be taken off, should’ve been done before we pushed back from the gate.

Smooth boarding process. Early departure, smooth flight, early arrival. The entertainment package has very good recent movie options. The flight crew were friendly and professional.

I don’t understand the purpose of the orange “priority” tag on my bag. This tagged, my bag is last or near to the last bag to come down the carousel at IAH.

Oh my gosh, I loved my experience with United! they made me want to travel more often.

The planes are so dirty! Food crumbs and finger print smudges, Dust over the vents and carpet stains. It’s disgusting.

The bag drop personal were not helpful. There was no food on the flight. Boeing aircraft, lousy as always. Everything else was fine.

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

Excellent! The gate agents were kind enough to rebook me on an earlier flight saving me from a 6 hour layover. Even my luggage made it despite the fact that the connection was technically too narrow. The flight itself was very comfortable, roomy, and clean. Plenty of space for my carryon items with plugs to charge my phone. After a long international flight of 14 hours, this was an excellent way to end my travels!

Great experience. Flight boarded easily. Departed early. Smooth flight. Great arrival in DC--almost no taxing! Almost direct to gate from runway. Crew was terrific. Same cookies and beverages in main cabin. I did not use the entertainment system on this flight.

Most of the delay was due to weather which is not what was at issue here. One delay was due to a missing flashlight and in the end the flashlight was actually found on the plane. The entertainment system is very limited. Live TV options offer only a few channels that are not very appealing. Boarding and deplaning are always difficult. It just takes too much time to get on and off the plane. On the plus side, I missed my connecting flight, but was easily able to book a later flight from the app while enroute.

You were more on time than United. I'm so over united delays.

EVERYTHING! It was so bad that I will be filing a claim for reimbursement for my seat as I could not fully sit in it due to an obese person being next to me and spilling over into my "space." And my personal item in the overhead been got crushed between two suitcases, so now my business laptop has been damaged beyond repair. Also, it was expensive! Since you pay for EVERYTHING, the cost of the trip was probably more than if you I used an airline that was not discounted. I will NEVER fly Spirit Airlines again!

One of worst experienc my family have every had with this airline. I was informed my Kayak that my flight was delayed and that my family will not make it to houston for our connecting flight. I contacted Spirit customer service to get my family on a later flight due to the delay in Vagas and them not making their connecting flight. The customer rep keep telling me that the flight from vagas is on time and not delayed. She even make to go to the spirit app on my phone and show me how to look up weather or not the flight was delayed. The app showed "on time" 20 minutes later when my family arrived at the airport for their flight, they were told that the flight was delayed and she will not make her connecting flight. I call spirit airline customer support again that night and spoke to another rep who apologize for his collegue and he told me that my family will receive a credit for this, this was on Saturday I still have not received the credit or an email letting me know when I will be credited for this inconvenience. This is not good business and it need to be fixed.

It was very bad it got delayed by 2 hours.Never going to travel with spirit airlines in future.

I wanted to upgrade my seat because I’m 6’2 and never have enough leg room for my comfort. They upgraded my seat for free putting me in an emergency exit seat. I was very comfortable

We had an almost 7 hour flight delay. We left the gate twice and taxi-ed and then returned the gate twice. Finally we got a new flight crew (our third one) and then left the gate to the final time before departing at 6:45pm (original flight time was 12pm). Out of Newark.

The flight times got delayed multiple times due to weather which is understandable, but later the time got prepared 30min. Made to the flight barely but got stressed too much.

Worst airline ever! The guy weighing my bag had his foot on the metal plate and when I called him out on it, I got this stupid little smirk. La is a scam and so is Spirit Airlines. All the flight attendants looked like they hated our flight just as much as we did.

Spirit is awful. Too expensive for what you get. Stop nickel and diming.

Good crew and safe. However, comfort and being nickeled-and-dimed are my issues. $75 each way for luggage is exhortation. The space to the next seat is so close you cannot open a laptop. The magazine rack doesn’t hold your items. Not a fan.

WiFi could have been a little more consistent - otherwise a phenomenal and positive experience. The 1000 mile giveaway was awesome!!!

Severe turbulence. Captain never came on to reassure passengers after things settled down.

My first flight was delayed 5 hours. The 2nd flight was canceled til the next day and the never even tried to compensate for it. Worse I was delayed again on the flight the rebooked me on.

Boarding in Orlando was not good. Giant mob at the gate, should have been lines.

Decent clean onboard experience. Okay discount airline experience. Unfortunately, any customer service interactions are difficult and unhelpful. There is no service. Also, a premium seat only gets you premium boarding if you line up first. Once they start general boarding you must go to the back of the line. Not very premium

baggage clamed had to wait over a hour and half for all people on my flight it was terrible

The ticketing agents were rude but then we had a great gate agent very nice we had to ride a buss out to where the plane was parked but it was in some back corner of the airport when we got to the plane the captain who was great btw was cleaning the plane because the same rude ticketing agent told them they we not contracted to vacuum the plane. The ride to las Vegas was fine We had a connecting flight to Dallas. The flight was fine but when we arrived in Dallas everyone who flew on any frontier airlines the picked up bags from baggage claim D15 had to wait over a hour for their bags to start we arrived at 11:30pm ish to the gate we didn't leave the baggage clamed till 12:50 am very not happy and i used to fly frontier 4 times a week for work in Denver i will not be using them again

I was 2 hr arrive in the airport and 45 min in the line . After take to my turn . The agent tell me I’m later . I can not board . So my vacation was going to the floor . Just for their bad customer service agent in the airline

Frontier Airlines was AWFUL. I was an hour early for my flight and the lady refused to check me in. I had to purchase a whole new ticket with a different airline.

My flight was canceled I was promised a reginf still not received.

Late, terrible communication, horrible planning of passenger seating until the literal last minute. One of the worst flying experiences of my life. Y'all suck

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to Houston

Cabin class types available on flights from Chicago to Houston

Cabin classes available on flights from Chicago to Houston. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.

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