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 3/17. 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.
Travelers love KAYAK
41.299.237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 23% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

Track pricesNot ready to book? Create a price alert for when prices drop.

Bundle and saveSave money when you bundle your flight + hotel.

Filter your dealsChoose cabin class, free Wi-Fi and more.

Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$269
Overall average: $352
United Airlines
Fri 4/3Wed 4/8
ORD - SNA • Non-stop
Cheapest non-stop
$269
Typical prices: $310-$431
United Airlines
Fri 4/3Wed 4/15
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
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
Nonstop flights
Every day
You can fly direct with American Airlines and United Airlines. Average duration is 4h 43m
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top routes
ORD
-
SNA
Cheapest
ORD
-
SNA
Most popular
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
Top layover airports
Las Vegas (LAS)
Cheapest • Avg $206 (round-trip)
Phoenix (PHX)
Shortest trip • 6h 00m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 20% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 18% price drop
March
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Santa Ana!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
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

Fri, Apr 3 - Wed, Apr 8
United Airlines Logo
7:49 pm - 10:30 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 41mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
2:20 pm - 8:25 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 05mnonstop
$269United Airlines
Thu, Mar 12 - Mon, Mar 16
Frontier Logo
8:55 pm - 1:00 pm
ORD
-
SNA
18h 05m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
1:12 pm - 6:08 am
SNA
-
ORD
14h 56m
1 stop
$270Frontier
Thu, Apr 16 - Mon, Apr 20
Spirit Airlines Logo
8:52 pm - 12:28 pm
ORD
-
SNA
17h 36m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 8:19 pm
SNA
-
ORD
35h 34m
2 stops
$271Spirit Airlines
Wed, Mar 11 - Sat, Mar 14
Frontier Logo
8:55 pm - 6:11 pm
ORD
-
SNA
23h 16m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
11:32 am - 9:43 am
SNA
-
ORD
20h 11m
1 stop
$272Frontier
Mon, Apr 20 - Sat, Apr 25
Spirit Airlines Logo
7:20 pm - 8:56 pm
ORD
-
SNA
27h 36m
3 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 7:00 am
SNA
-
ORD
22h 15m
2 stops
$273Spirit Airlines
Wed, Apr 29 - Sat, May 2
Spirit Airlines Logo
7:55 am - 3:40 pm
ORD
-
SNA
9h 45m
2 stops
Spirit Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 5:50 am
SNA
-
ORD
11h 13m
1 stop
$274Spirit Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Sun, Apr 12
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:36 pm - 9:53 am
ORD
-
SNA
19h 17m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:27 pm - 3:41 pm
SNA
-
ORD
18h 14m
1 stop
$276Multiple Airlines
Tue, Apr 7 - Sat, Apr 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:36 pm - 9:53 am
ORD
-
SNA
19h 17m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 5:26 pm
SNA
-
ORD
8h 41m
1 stop
$278Multiple Airlines
Wed, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 13
Southwest Logo
10:15 am - 3:05 pm
MDW
-
SNA
6h 50m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
8:10 pm - 5:00 am
SNA
-
MDW
6h 50m
1 stop
$289Southwest
Wed, Mar 11 - Fri, Mar 13
Southwest Logo
5:55 am - 12:10 pm
MDW
-
SNA
8h 15m
2 stops
Southwest Logo
8:45 pm - 5:45 am
SNA
-
MDW
7h 00m
1 stop
$294Southwest
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?

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 departing in April.

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 December, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $442 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 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 20% 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 with an average 17% 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 $145 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 $417 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 $226 or less one-way and $349 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 11922 reviews
8.5Crew
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
7.1Food
7.0Entertainment
Airline reviews

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

2.0 MediocreGloria, Feb 2026
SEA - SNA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

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

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.

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.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

Plane crashed into a bus or some other vehicle on the ground while pulling out of the gate. No injuries, but wing tip was damaged and returned to gate for “maintenance issues” and we departed 5 hours later because the plane went out of service and new plane was flown in from a nearby airport, Midway.

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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

Crew was very nice. Take off and landing were great. Economy seats are not comfortable. Extra cost for snacks.

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!!!

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.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports