CHI - SNA

$145 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to John Wayne (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 6/15. 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)

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

Cheapest round-trip
$309
Typical prices: $503-$347
American Airlines
Wed 6/3Sat 6/6
ORD - SNA • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$145
Typical prices: $159-$318
Frontier
Mon 6/15
ORD - SNA • 1 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 $309 (round-trip)
Best reviews • 7.9 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Airline reviews
Airline reviews
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Nonstop flights
You can fly direct with American Airlines and United Airlines. Average duration is 4h 35m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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Direct flights
Direct flights
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Top routes
Cheapest
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $244 (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 25% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 56% price drop
Most popular
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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

Wed, Jun 3 - Sat, Jun 6
American Airlines Logo
12:00 pm - 2:24 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 24mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
3:21 pm - 9:45 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 24mnonstop
$309American Airlines
Thu, May 21 - Sun, May 24
Frontier Logo
9:37 pm - 9:09 am
ORD
-
SNA
13h 32m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:54 am - 8:32 pm
SNA
-
ORD
8h 38m
1 stop
$310Frontier
Thu, May 21 - Sat, May 23
Allegiant Air Logo
7:49 pm - 12:19 pm
MDW
-
SNA
18h 30m
1 stop
Allegiant Air Logo
4:15 pm - 6:59 pm
SNA
-
MDW
24h 44m
1 stop
$314Allegiant Air
Sat, Jul 4 - Mon, Jul 6
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:20 am - 5:45 pm
ORD
-
SNA
12h 25m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:54 pm - 5:28 am
SNA
-
ORD
7h 34m
1 stop
$317Multiple Airlines
Tue, Aug 11 - Sat, Aug 15
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:50 pm - 5:45 pm
ORD
-
SNA
29h 55m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:54 pm - 5:28 am
SNA
-
ORD
7h 34m
1 stop
$318Multiple Airlines
Wed, Jun 24 - Wed, Jul 1
Southwest Logo
5:25 am - 9:25 am
MDW
-
SNA
6h 00m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
3:35 pm - 12:05 am
SNA
-
MDW
6h 30m
1 stop
$319Southwest
Wed, Jun 3 - Sat, Jun 6
Southwest Logo
11:45 am - 4:20 pm
MDW
-
SNA
6h 35m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
7:10 pm - 5:00 am
SNA
-
MDW
7h 50m
1 stop
$323Southwest
Tue, Jun 2 - Tue, Jun 9
United Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 9:07 am
ORD
-
SNA
6h 07m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
4:00 pm - 12:44 am
SNA
-
ORD
6h 44m
1 stop
$324United Airlines
Wed, Aug 5 - Mon, Aug 24
United Airlines Logo
5:00 am - 9:07 am
ORD
-
SNA
6h 07m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
2:10 pm - 8:24 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 14mnonstop
$325United Airlines
Sun, Jun 14 - Wed, Jun 17
Allegiant Air Logo
8:03 pm - 9:48 am
MDW
-
SNA
15h 45m
1 stop
Allegiant Air Logo
1:43 pm - 7:13 pm
SNA
-
MDW
27h 30m
1 stop
$331Allegiant Air
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.

How much is a round-trip flight from Chicago to Santa Ana, California?

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 Santa Ana, California departing in June.

What is the cheapest Chicago to John Wayne (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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) costs $309 on the route between Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) and John Wayne (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 John Wayne (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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) is December, where tickets cost $70 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and February, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $269 and $235 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Chicago to John Wayne (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 John Wayne (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 John Wayne (Santa Ana), you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 25% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 8 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
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 11% 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana) was $145 for a one-way ticket and $309 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)?

    JetBlue, American Airlines, 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana), Alaska Airlines or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to John Wayne (Santa Ana) are Alaska Airlines and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $516 and an overall rating of 7.9, Alaska Airlines is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $419 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana)

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $198 or less one-way and $365 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 John Wayne (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.
7.9
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 12332 reviews
7.8Comfort
8.5Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Entertainment
7.1Food
Airline reviews

Thanks for all you do to keep us safe and on time!

8.0 ExcellentGlenn, Apr 2026
ORD - SEA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Thanks for all you do to keep us safe and on time!

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.

Not having a five hour delay with little notice! The crew was very kind, though, and just as tired as we passengers were. The flight didn't depart until nearly 1 am...and no reason was ever given.

This leg was much better, but we did have to have a 3 hour lay o er after coming from a very exhausting hiccup with our flight from BNA to Den

The Air hostess were very rude on my flight from Houston to Austin . Their regular communication itself felt a they are shouting at people.

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.

A long delay. Don't travel late in the day.

Super friendly with lots of drink options an entertainment. Friendly crew.

The crew was great. Very friendly and responsive. The plane was old, small and tight. We ran out of overhead space and I had to check. Middle seat was particularly tight.

Several missed and almost missed connections. It felt like everything was being patched together last minute without enough resources and it ended up being an extremely stressful experience that basically ruined our weekend on the west coast. What a waste.

Crew was friendly. Seats are too narrow, particularly when a big person is in the adjacent seat, but I understand this is due to smaller planes usually flight into Lincoln. I have experienced several flight delays going out and coming into Lincoln airport, I say maybe 50% or higher of the flights I've taken out of this airport have been delayed.

Great flight. Boarded efficiently. Arrived early at CLT. There was no in flight entertainment on this aircraft. Great crew.

The seat was comfortable. There was a lot of turbulence. If it weren't for that,it would have been okay.

Poor communication, flight was delayed for preventable reasons. I missed my connection.

No meal service to the back of the plane as it started late or was too slow to get it out before it was time to land.

Terrible, if possible won't be flying again anytime soon!

The airplane was an old model, the overhead didn’t have enough room for people’s items and made boarding and boarding disappointing and stressful. Crew allowed passengers to bring more than the permitted baggage sizes.

Original flight was on time, then late, then changed gates...4 times. Once our newest plane came in, it was fine.

To have arrived on time and not 3 hours late after having already spent $100 to change to an earlier flight, only to arrive back home close to the original flight time.

I almost missed my flight and they helped me out enormously

The WiFi would not connect enough for me to do my actual work. It permaspooled, disconnected, said it was connected, then wouldn't open an email... it was frustrating. I am not a tall person, 5'4" - and I felt cramped with little room to reach into my bag under the seat in front of me. I feel sorry for anyone taller than me having to fly. the one positive thing I will add, is the overhead bins are roomy enough to manage more bags than other carriers.

Delays experienced in boarding/take off due to incoming plane delayed. However, the boarding time/depart time in the app was significantly delayed in providing these updates. Usually not updated until an hour after we should have already boarded. Poorly managed.

Moved to earlier flight which unexpectedly had maintenance issues initially indicated as quick fix to ultimately plane changes. Moved back to original flight, also delayed. In all cases customer updates and communication very unclear, no updates on drivers for delays.

Typical AA - late by 90+ mn. Gate changed twice... Changed the departure time 6 times No explanation, no communication on reasons for delay I travel with AA twice a year... and it is consistently very poor.. I will continue to use AA only when i have to.

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.

The airline cancel mi flight, lost a lot of money!!!

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