CHI - SNA

$145 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana departing on 5/19. 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 Santa Ana

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

Cheapest round-trip
$284
Overall average: $347
Frontier
Do 4/23Do 4/30
ORD - SNA • 2 stops
Cheapest non-stop
$289
Typical prices: $290-$439
American Airlines
Mi 4/15Di 4/21
ORD - SNA • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
United's Economy Plus offers more legroom than standard.
At SNA, rideshare pick-up zones are clearly marked.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Top airlines
Cheapest • from $285 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with American Airlines and United Airlines. Average duration is 4h 40m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $208 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 5h 45m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 19% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 19% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Chicago to Santa Ana (CHI-SNA)

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

Do, Apr 23 - Do, Apr 30
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:20 am - 6:01 pm
ORD
-
SNA
14h 41m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 6:08 am
SNA
-
ORD
20h 38m
1 stop
$284Multiple Airlines
Mo, Apr 13 - Sa, Apr 18
Spirit Airlines Logo
3:21 pm - 9:53 am
ORD
-
SNA
20h 32m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
3:23 pm - 5:25 am
SNA
-
ORD
12h 02m
1 stop
$285Spirit Airlines
Sa, Mai 2 - Sa, Mai 9
Southwest Logo
10:15 am - 5:35 pm
MDW
-
SNA
9h 20m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
6:45 am - 5:15 pm
SNA
-
MDW
8h 30m
2 stops
$285Southwest
Fr, Apr 10 - Mi, Apr 15
Spirit Airlines Logo
3:21 pm - 9:53 am
ORD
-
SNA
20h 32m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
3:23 pm - 5:25 am
SNA
-
ORD
12h 02m
1 stop
$286Spirit Airlines
Fr, Apr 24 - Mo, Apr 27
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:07 pm - 6:00 pm
ORD
-
SNA
21h 53m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:41 pm - 10:02 am
SNA
-
ORD
17h 21m
2 stops
$287Multiple Airlines
So, Apr 12 - Mo, Apr 13
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:41 pm - 9:53 am
ORD
-
SNA
19h 12m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:20 pm - 6:20 am
SNA
-
ORD
9h 00m
1 stop
$288Multiple Airlines
Fr, Mai 1 - Di, Mai 5
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:58 pm - 6:00 pm
ORD
-
SNA
23h 02m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 6:39 am
SNA
-
ORD
21h 09m
2 stops
$289Multiple Airlines
Di, Jun 23 - Di, Jun 30
Spirit Airlines Logo
9:59 pm - 2:55 pm
ORD
-
SNA
18h 56m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
3:50 pm - 12:59 pm
SNA
-
ORD
19h 09m
1 stop
$290Spirit Airlines
Mi, Apr 8 - Do, Apr 16
Frontier Logo
3:29 pm - 11:34 am
ORD
-
SNA
22h 05m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
7:56 pm - 6:08 am
SNA
-
ORD
8h 12m
1 stop
$291Frontier
Sa, Mai 2 - Fr, Mai 8
Southwest Logo
10:15 am - 6:10 pm
MDW
-
SNA
9h 55m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:15 pm - 5:45 am
SNA
-
MDW
7h 30m
1 stop
$297Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to Santa Ana flights

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

What is the cheapest Chicago to Santa Ana flight route?

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

The cheapest return flight from Chicago to Santa Ana costs $269 on the route between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and Santa Ana (SNA). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

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

When flying from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana), you should consider leaving on a Saturday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Wednesdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago to Santa Ana?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago to Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana is September, where tickets cost $307 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and February, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $454 and $441 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago to Santa Ana?

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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 2 stops layover the cheapest option at $313 on average.

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

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 Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 15 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Chicago to Santa Ana

 
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.

Esther Carlstone

Esther Carlstone

Expert on SNA

Esther Carlstone is a travel and food writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in publications such as Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Forbes, Tripadvisor, Insider, and more.

Good to know

Low seasonNovember
Cheapest flight$145
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 1% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 9% lower on average.
Flight from Chicago O'Hare Airport to John Wayne (Santa Ana)

When to book flights from Chicago to Santa Ana

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to Santa Ana 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago to Santa Ana?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to Santa Ana was $145 for a one-way ticket and $284 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Chicago and John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana). However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    When flying out of Chicago you will be using one of these airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl. You will be landing at Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    American Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana) flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana) flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Chicago and John Wayne (Santa Ana), with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    There are nonstop flights from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana) on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Chicago to Santa Ana, Southwest or Alaska Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to Santa Ana are Southwest and Alaska Airlines. With an average price for the route of $419 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. Alaska Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $489 and an overall rating of 7.9.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana).

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to John Wayne (Santa Ana) 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) 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 Santa Ana

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $218 or less one-way and $343 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Chicago to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty.
Find which airlines fly direct from Chicago to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Chicago to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty

Monday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Friday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty to Chicago

Monday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Tuesday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Wednesday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Thursday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Friday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Saturday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

Sunday

American Airlines,United Airlines

American Airlines,United Airlines

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to Santa Ana

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Ana. 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 Santa Ana? 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 4331 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
8.6Crew
7.0Food
Airline reviews

I flew twice this week on Southwest, was delayed over 2 hours both ways. From Pittsburgh to Chicago it was due to weather but the gate agents, pilot etc were great at updating everyone. Today from Midway to Pittsburgh the plane had come from an international location, kept getting delayed, no information was given until we were delayed for the third time. It was ridiculous, whoever scheduled that plane to fly to Pittsburgh after didn’t consider a lot of things.

2.0 MediocreBeth, Mar 2026
MDW - PIT
Read more Southwest reviews

I flew twice this week on Southwest, was delayed over 2 hours both ways. From Pittsburgh to Chicago it was due to weather but the gate agents, pilot etc were great at updating everyone. Today from Midway to Pittsburgh the plane had come from an international location, kept getting delayed, no information was given until we were delayed for the third time. It was ridiculous, whoever scheduled that plane to fly to Pittsburgh after didn’t consider a lot of things.

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

The staff was very friendly, professional, and courteous. The overall flight was a great experience.

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

I like flying Alaska Airlines. I think the staff are happy, the plane is comfortable, the entertainment reasonable, the food acceptable.

I paid for the WiFi and it didn’t work during the whole flight

I paid for wifi and it never worked... it was miserable. I couldn't access my shared files to work on the plane, it didn't work on my phone. I paid for nothing but frustration and continual refreshing, hoping it would work

No WiFi. Terrible food. Very long walk to the gate and from the gate after landing. Gate changed without notice.

The flight was excellent and very friendly and helpful staff. Will travel again and recommend to friends. Thank you

I really hate the seat assignment at the gate. I understand it is so families can sit together but it caused me and others a lot of unnecessary stress and confusion, enough for me to not fly Alaska again. The app is so awful that it did not even update my seat assignment on the boarding pass but sent me a notification of my seat... it showed in Apple Wallet but not in the Alaska app itself. That only made the stress worse. I think most people like myself prefer to know where they are seated at check in 24 hours before so they don't have to anxiously hang out at the gate the entire time. This is not a good use of your agents time either to be dealing with all of us asking where we are sitting. You should automatically assign the multiple seat purchases to be together before they check in and fill us solo travelers in those gaps as we check in.

Great. Went right to the desk and the people were helpful and kind. I was able to get my boarding pass in under 5minutes. They made sure I received the text.

They canceled my flight with only a couple hours before checking in at the airport and offered no alternatives to get home.

The flight was delayed so we didn’t get into San Diego until almost 1 AM. Otherwise, it was lovely.

My flight got canceled never left san diego and miss out my fam event

This trip did not start off well. The inbound flight was delayed about 20 minutes. Then, after initial onboarding, the passengers had to deplane due to a mechanical problem. That took about 30 minutes to fix and be cleared. Then, reboarding was chaotic. It took a long time to sort passengers and two passengers on standby were ticketed but there was no seat. So, they had to deplane. One of the flight crew was trying to help passengers figure out a place to put their carry-on bags and that took more time. In the end, our scheduled 10:30 am departure did not actually take off until about 12:05 pm CST. The flight itself was long but we got to Houston. Some passengers missed their connecting flights and had to rebook. Not the best of flights I've had.

Flight delayed for more than 16 hrs and no effort was spent to provide an alternate

We were delayed for about an hour from taking off due to traffic control procedures at the destination airport. But once in the air, the flight went well. The crew members were great and provided cabin service despite moderate turbulence during much of the flight.

Short flight, but no drink/snack service. The flights both going and coming were delayed.

Not being stranded in Chicago for her airport to 11:30 tomorrow morning the 3rd

I was fully checked in the prior night and i was unchecked and then didn’t have a seat when I boarded. Instead of an aisle seat, I was out in the middle seat of the very last row of the plane.

In overall it was a good experience, the only down point was that the entertainment screen was working properly.

They lost my luggage, so, not happy. The crew was nice but my suitcases never made it, still trying to find out what happened!

I understand weather is an issue, but making us chase our plane down at five scheduled gates across three terminals in an airport the size of O'Hare was unfair. They'd have probably been better off to leave gates as TBD until the inbound plane is in final approach instead of running us all over the place. Also, props to the consistently-unprepared ground crew in Richmond for once again leaving my lane parked short of the gate because they couldn't have a crew in place on time with 2 hours notice...

cabin crew was OK, food was OK, the trip from the US to Munich was actually pretty bad comfort wise. Noisy aircraft, lights never dimmed even in Business class (night flight) barely sufficient amenities for the price. I have millions of miles with United but TBH American is gaining ground and Delta has always been marginally better then United although on paper United has more longes and cheaper upgrades.

Pretty awful. 2 hours late due to operational issues and finally deboarded around 2am.

The gate got changed several times and the flight was delayed over an hour. Awful experience

American continues to decline in their customer service and its beyond disappointing.

It was an older plane. First Class was not especially roomy or comfortable. It was a short flight so there were no meal but they did offer mixed nuts which used to be normal but now is rare. Crew member was very polite and professional.

Flight to Tampa was delayed taking off due to plane arriving late but no other issues

As previously stated the delay I experienced flying from Wichita to Chicago caused a host of issues. When I finally was able to be booked on the last remaining American flight from Chicago to Cincinnati, the gate changed four times with the last change occurring very near the scheduled boarding time. While I didn't have a problem moving from gate to gate, I did notice and make note of others that had mobility issues and had to move each time for the gate change.

Maintenance took a very long time and then we were in a holding pattern. While a one-off maintenance issue is standard, there were delays on both of my flights for this trip based on maintenance issues with the planes, which delayed both flights over 45 minutes. Thankfully, I didn't have any connections but it wasn't an experience that would make me pick AA if I have other options.

No Snacks or Entertainment. The flight was short, snacks should still be given.

See prior comment about how Kayak mishandled my reservation and delayed my arrival by 6 hours.

Boarding delayed 20 minutes for no reason, no wifi, in flight entertainment, or snacks / waters?

They cancelled our flight. 2 hours before we were supposed to take off and offered us nothing! We got our money back and that was it. No other flight to get to our cruise no working with another airline or with us to get there. Terrible customer service, no apology.

We get stuck in the plane when landed during 45min and no communication from the crew People were listening to their phone and music out loud and nobody told them anything I definitely want stop booking spirit flight it is a disaster

Good: It was cheap and they got us to our destination safely. Not so Good: Gates experience with many, many nauseatingly (almost) threatening announcements about bags size and how much they were going to charge us if our bag was too big, even to the point of having a gate agent roaming around through the passengers eyeballing bags size and making people go check their bags in the sizers.

Terrible. The flight was randomly delayed in Chicago causing us to miss our connection and they offered us a flight the next day at 6 am and it would have taken till 345 to get to Pensacola. They didn’t cover any fees. Our bags also supposedly were on the flight to Pensacola and we tried to get them yesterday after driving 6 hours and nobody was available. Worst company ever and will never use them again. Had to pay for a rental. Spirit is claiming in climate weather for the delay but there wasn’t any weather issuesz it’s a bunch of bullshit and I am not happy

Checking in at desk in Chicago was horrible. Person was not friendly never smiled and said my flight was not paid for so I had to give another credit card. Then it ended up that I was charged twice. Then after arriving at my destination had to wait on the phone a long time to speak to a person to fix the double charge! Thank goodness the flight was perfect.

Flight was delayed for 12 h. They should stop overlooking flights.

All of our flights were canceled, though every other airline was flying out and in

The airplane had a strange noise that was constant throughout the flight. Thankfully I had noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that muted much of it.

it was terrible. flight was cancelled hours before the flight without a given reason and no other booking available .

Spirit Airlines has a reputation for being a terrible, cheap airline, this is why. I took a gamble on them, having never flown with them before, and the flight got cancelled. First they delayed the flight about 4 times before finally canceling it because a flight attendant didn’t show up to work that day. That’s so stupid. When I asked a ticketing agent she said that’s “company policy”. A company policy that inconveniences hundreds of passengers because a single flight attendant didn’t show is ridiculous and inefficient. I will never, ever try flying Spirit Airlines again.

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to Santa Ana

Information on your arrival and departure airports