CHI - SNA

$146 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 3/18. 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
$269
Overall average: $380
United Airlines
Sat 2/28Mon 3/2
ORD - SNA • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$146
Typical prices: $174-$324
Frontier
Wed 3/18
ORD - SNA • 2 stops
Our travelers' advice
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
United Airlines
Cheapest • from $269 (round-trip)
Alaska Airlines
Best reviews • 8.0 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
Top routes
ORD
-
SNA
Cheapest
ORD
-
SNA
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
3 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 21% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 15% price drop
March
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Flight Deals
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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

Sat, Feb 28 - Mon, Mar 2
United Airlines Logo
4:15 pm - 6:57 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 42mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
2:22 pm - 8:25 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 03mnonstop
$269United Airlines
Sat, Feb 28 - Sat, Mar 7
American Airlines Logo
6:54 pm - 9:39 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 45mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
3:23 pm - 9:35 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 12mnonstop
$270American Airlines
Mon, Feb 16 - Wed, Mar 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:19 pm - 12:25 pm
ORD
-
SNA
19h 06m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 6:08 am
SNA
-
ORD
11h 31m
1 stop
$271Multiple Airlines
Fri, Feb 27 - Mon, Mar 2
Frontier Logo
7:32 pm - 11:40 am
MDW
-
SNA
18h 08m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
12:36 pm - 11:54 pm
SNA
-
MDW
9h 18m
1 stop
$272Frontier
Mon, Mar 2 - Fri, Mar 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:00 am - 4:25 pm
ORD
-
SNA
12h 25m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 11:56 pm
SNA
-
ORD
15h 11m
1 stop
$272Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 16 - Sun, Apr 19
Spirit Airlines Logo
8:53 pm - 8:57 pm
ORD
-
SNA
26h 04m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 8:25 pm
SNA
-
ORD
29h 05m
2 stops
$274Spirit Airlines
Thu, Apr 23 - Mon, Apr 27
Spirit Airlines Logo
7:41 am - 3:42 pm
ORD
-
SNA
10h 01m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 5:31 am
SNA
-
ORD
14h 11m
1 stop
$276Spirit Airlines
Tue, Feb 24 - Wed, Mar 4
Alaska Airlines Logo
7:00 am - 4:26 pm
ORD
-
SNA
11h 26m
1 stop
Alaska Airlines Logo
11:31 am - 11:56 pm
SNA
-
ORD
10h 25m
1 stop
$278Alaska Airlines
Sat, Feb 28 - Sat, Mar 7
Frontier Logo
9:15 am - 10:37 am
MDW
-
SNA
27h 22m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
8:50 am - 10:41 pm
SNA
-
MDW
11h 51m
1 stop
$284Frontier
Sat, Feb 21 - Mon, Mar 2
Frontier Logo
9:15 am - 6:40 pm
MDW
-
SNA
11h 25m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
12:36 pm - 11:54 pm
SNA
-
MDW
9h 18m
1 stop
$287Frontier
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 $318 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $469 and $431 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 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $400 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 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 21% 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$146
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 1% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 25% increase in price.
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 $146 for a one-way ticket and $269 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, Alaska Airlines or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to Santa Ana are Alaska Airlines and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $476 and an overall rating of 8.0, Alaska Airlines is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $412 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • 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 $233 or less one-way and $314 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11843 reviews
8.5Crew
7.1Food
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
7.8Comfort
Airline reviews

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

4.0 OkayStephanie, Jan 2026
SFO - SNA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

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

Food and entertainment not applicable - standard drinks and cinnamon cookies; crew did not do a song and dance for us so no entertainment. I like the slightly better leg room than American Airlines - at least it felt that way. Flight crew and atmosphere seemed more welcoming than American, too.

Alaska Airlines adds time to flight time to make up for late departures. Also Alaska Airlines destroyed my suitcase and I had to buy another suitcase for return flight. Very frustrating and not sure I would fly Alaska Airlines again.

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.

Essy to get on. The hostess gave very little pop, the plane was late getting in, and we are still waiting for our bags. This sucks. :/

Great flight. On time boarding. Smooth flight and on time arrival at EWR. The flight crew was marvelous and there was a great selection of movies on the entertainment system. Our bags were at the carousel before we got there. Another excellent flight from United.

I liked the snacks and the flight attendants were friendly.

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.

Delayed an hour due to operational issues. Minimal apologies or care for the significant inconvenience caused. Landed at nearly 1am and they still couldn’t find ground staff to get us off the plane promptly.

The aircraft had several problems - from excess fuel to non operational ac. Two hours of delay in Chicago could have been avoided with proper planning and aircraft maintenance.

Crew in Columbia was not prepared for landing. It was a bit of a disaster and getting bags took forever.

We were upgraded to First Class and it was a great flight

We experienced gate changes and a long delay. My seat was dirty when I boarded and I had to use wipes to clean it myself. There was an unpleasant and overpowering cleaning product scent on the plane as well that lingered through the flight.

My carry on baggage was damaged. Entire trip, I had to carry the baggage. When complained to the boarding crew, they got mad at me and still asked me to valet check in the cabin baggage. Rude boarding crew!!!

Crew were all friendly and helpful. It was a short flight so just a beverage service with a cookie. After we were boarded the plane took about 45 minutes to leave the gate but it was New Year’s Eve so not shocking there was some delay. Overall good experience and very grateful.

The boarding process needs to be fixed. The zone don't work, especially when there is hardly anyone in zones 3, 4,and 5, leaving the majority of the passengers backed up in the aisle, especially because passengers seated near the front are blocking passengers who are seated in the rear of the plane. It would also help if the size of carry on bags was more strictly enforced.

The boarding by groups is pointless. The first two groups worked fine, but almost Noone boarded in goups three thru five leaving the vast majority boarding when group six was called. It defeated the purpose of spreading out the crowd.

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

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

The flight was delayed by 2 hours and we had no food or water or chargers

Horribly late because they had no crew!!! And then jet bridge didn’t work!! Then we arrived at a gate at lax miles away that we had to take a shuttle to a terminal!! I was over 3 hours late to getting the LA! Should have been here at 8:30 and at an appointment at 10:30 and arrived and left lax at 11 am!! Horrible experience!!!

Once again, the staff seem to think they are above the customers and treat everyone with disdain, belittling people.

Flight was canceled 8 hours before departure for lack of operational control and prepositioning of a plane. Then had the audacity to say it was because of weather, however there was no weather here in California or New Orleans or in between. It was the weather in Florida, Florida it had nothing to do with our flight path just the plane was supposed to fly us. 8 hours is more than enough time to move a plane anywhere in the US. That left me with a bill of 1200 dollars to re book a flight oh and kayaks insurance what a joke. Probably will never use kayak or spirit ever again terrible companies terrible customer service. I’ll also let everyone and anyone know this was an abomination and only for the customer. Also will be making a report to the DOT on bad business practices on behalf of kayak and spirit as well as the BBB. Do better, take care of your customers and don’t suck

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.

Cancelled my flight and the earliest that they are willing give me for the next flight which was 3 days later on a weekday. Only accommodation they are willing to give was $30 airline credit that will expire in 1 year

Flight was canceled, huge lines to get baggage returned. Most other airlines had delays but not widespread cancellations like Spirit.

There was no food and no entertainment, so I'm not sure why these are even in the survey, as my understanding is frontier does not ever offer food without a few, not even a snack, and there are no screens so unless the flight safety talk is our entertainment why ask how we liked it?. One of the flight attendants say in the back of the plane as people filed in to their seats, yelling orders about where to put baggage and telling people to hurry up. It was the least professional experience I've ever had on a flight.

Very well recently! Frontier is improving and less harrassing customer on luggages! Positive!

Good for a budget airline! It was easy to get on, staff was really nice. Can’t say anything about the food or entertainment because it wasn’t available, which is fine.

I am writing to express my disappointment with my recent Frontier Airlines flight. I was charged $99 at the gate because my bag was said to be too large, yet once onboard there was no available overhead bin space, and I was required to place the bag under the seat in front of me anyway. This made the charge feel unnecessary and unfair. Additionally, before the flight even took off, I was asked to move from the seat I paid for into a middle seat so another passenger and her cat could have my seat to themselves. I was not offered compensation or an explanation for being moved from a paid seat. Between the unexpected bag fee and being forced to give up my seat, this experience fell well below acceptable customer service standards. I would appreciate a review of this situation and appropriate compensation.

Better than expected. Staff were friendly and nice on both flights.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

Just know that everything, and I mean everything is “ala cart”. 60$ just to put something in the overhead bin. I will never fly Frontier again nor do I recommend them to anyone else.

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

Great for the price. No wifi or entertainment, but gate agents and crew were fantastic and we boarded quickly and left on time.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports