CHI - SBA

Find cheap flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara from $198

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 11/11. 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
Economy
0 bags
sáb. 10/21
sáb. 10/28
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Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Santa Barbara

How much is the cheapest flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara 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.
10:15 am - 3:16 pmORD-SBA
8h 01m1 stop
5:00 am - 12:41 pmSBA-ORD
7h 41m1 stop
$387American Airlines
Find Deal
sáb., nov. 11 - mar., nov. 14
12:00 am - 5:51 amORD-SBA
8h 51m2 stops
5:00 am - 10:48 amSBA-ORD
5h 48m1 stop
$392American Airlines
Find Deal
sáb., nov. 11 - mar., nov. 14
3:30 am - 9:38 amORD-SBA
9h 08m2 stops
1:30 am - 10:47 amSBA-ORD
9h 17m2 stops
$396American Airlines
Find Deal
sáb., nov. 11 - mar., nov. 14
3:10 am - 8:13 amORD-SBA
8h 03m1 stop
10:07 am - 4:58 pmSBA-ORD
6h 51m1 stop
$452United Airlines
Find Deal
mié., oct. 11 - jue., oct. 19
1:00 am - 4:04 pmORD-SBA
18h 04m1 stop
12:04 pm - 5:59 pmSBA-ORD
5h 55m1 stop
$486United Airlines
Find Deal
mar., oct. 10 - sáb., oct. 14
5:28 pm - 8:13 amORD-SBA
17h 45m1 stop
12:59 pm - 8:25 amSBA-ORD
19h 26m1 stop
$490United Airlines
Find Deal
mar., oct. 10 - lun., oct. 16
10:35 am - 6:44 pmORD-SBA
11h 09m2 stops
10:08 am - 4:58 pmSBA-ORD
6h 50m1 stop
$491United Airlines
Find Deal
mar., oct. 10 - sáb., oct. 14
12:15 pm - 4:08 pmORD-SBA
6h 53m1 stop
1:30 am - 7:58 amSBA-ORD
7h 28m1 stop
$495American Airlines
Find Deal
jue., nov. 2 - dom., nov. 5
3:35 pm - 6:44 pmORD-SBA
6h 09m1 stop
1:15 am - 6:27 pmSBA-ORD
17h 12m1 stop
$496United Airlines
Find Deal
mié., oct. 18 - dom., oct. 22
2:16 pm - 9:58 amORD-SBA
22h 42m1 stop
12:05 pm - 10:00 pmSBA-ORD
9h 55m1 stop
$830Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
dom., nov. 26 - sáb., dic. 2

Good to know

Low season

September

High season

December

Cheapest flight

$198
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 19% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 18% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara

When to book flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Estimated round-trip price
Average price per month
Flight prices as travel date approaches

Top tips for finding a cheap flight out of Chicago

  • The cheapest flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara was found 37 days before departure, on average.
  • Book at least 3 weeks before departure in order to get a below-average price.
  • High season is considered to be November, December and January. The cheapest month to fly is September.
  • Morning departure is around 10% more expensive than an evening flight, on average*.
*Average of the lowest prices shown in KAYAK’s search results for departures within the next 30 days

FAQs for booking flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

  • How long does a flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara take?

    There are no direct flights for this route. The shortest travel duration to get to Santa Barbara from Chicago is 6h 09m.

  • Which airlines provide the cheapest flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    In the past 3 days, the cheapest one-way tickets to Santa Barbara from Chicago were found on Alaska Airlines ($198) and American Airlines ($204), and the lowest round-trip tickets were found on American Airlines ($387) and United Airlines ($452).

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

    No, a passport isn't needed to fly from Chicago to Santa Barbara. However, local authorities might ask for an official ID.

  • What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    When flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara, you should consider leaving on a Saturday and avoid Thursdays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Fridays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

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

    Chicago airport is called Chicago O'Hare Intl and the only airport in Santa Barbara is Santa Barbara.

  • What’s the earliest departure time from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    The earliest departure to Santa Barbara leaves Chicago at 12:10 am.

  • What’s the latest departure time from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    The last departure to Santa Barbara leaves Chicago at 11:30 pm.

  • Which airlines fly nonstop between Chicago and Santa Barbara?

    There are no direct flights connecting Chicago to Santa Barbara.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

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

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Chicago and Santa Barbara, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara, American Airlines or United Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara are American Airlines and United Airlines. With an average price for the route of $507 and an overall rating of 7.2, American Airlines is the most popular choice. United Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $471 and an overall rating of 7.0.

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

    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 Santa Barbara.

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

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

    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 Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara?

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

Top airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews
7.2
American AirlinesOverall score based on 46234 reviews
68entertainment
75boarding
67food
71comfort
78crew
73overall
Airline reviews

Don’t fly American. Do anything you can to avoid it

Read more about American Airlines

Don’t fly American. Do anything you can to avoid it

My seat was changed from window to middle. I do not like sitting in the middle which is why I chose a window seat.

Cons: "The plane was ancient. Cabin was freezing, seats were rocks. Using an old short-haul CRJ for a 3.5 hour flight sucked."
Cons: "American airlines oversold and that caused us to start late. The seats are too small for 2 adults to sit next to each other. 1/2 the people wore masks. when we arrived we sat on the taxiway for an hour"
Pros: "The crew was amazing. They kept us updated."
Cons: "Not wearing masked, but I understand the requirement to wear one."
Pros: "Crew was absolutely precious."
Cons: "Delayed because a passenger was let on that shouldn’t have been. The plane was kind of beat up and gross. The gate changed after boarding started. This is the second flight in two weeks that had the wrong gate posted."
Pros: "The crew was very attentive and caring."
Cons: "The flight was delayed. The pilot explained that the plane had been sitting in the sun all day and during the flight check, they realized that the interior of the plane had gotten over 100 degrees by not being operated for hours before the flight. Seems like poor planning or preparation."
Pros: "Crew was great"
Cons: "Delayed rerouted delayed again horrible airline this is why I stopped flying American"
Pros: "Didn't have any entertainment so I was able to sleep."
Cons: "Equipment not functioning so couldn't watch movies or listen to music."
Pros: "The plane was not busy so services took about 5 minutes, everyone had 2 seats minimum and generally quiet. Had it been busy, it would have been different in that seats were not very wide, aisles very small, if the seat in front reclines and you don't, you can't see your screen and not a lot of space in general."
Cons: "If you want to select your seat, be prepared to pay £175 per flight. This is ridiculous! Second meal was a very bare bbq beef pie or sweet potato pie... On their own with nothing else and it arrived 30 minutes before we landed so very rushed. On a 9.5hr flight the 2nd meal needed to be an actual meal and come sooner than it did."
Cons: "Told I would need to check my bag at the gate, only to find plenty of overhead bin space once all passengers boarded"
Pros: "A typical uncomfortable flight from Grand Junction to Denver. The crew was great."
Cons: "More leg room, seat very uncomfortable."
Cons: "Waited on runway for 30 minutes before taking off. No explanation from cockpit. Waited another 10 minutes once landed before pulling into deplaning area. It was an uncomfortable flight."
Pros: "Non stop flight"
Cons: "Every flight was delayed or ran late on this trip. Going to and headed home."
Pros: "I LOVED that they got me on the next flight without any issues. Wait time was just an hour longer"
Cons: "No ear buds for sale or offered. No charger plug ins in the seat"
Pros: "Entertainment variety and selection. Food and Drink. Had the curry chicken, surprisingly good."
Cons: "Not enough food & drink service. On an 11 hour flight went 4 hours without a visit from food/drink cart. On the flight from Houston to Munich the food was lousy but we got several more visits/opportunities for drinks."
Cons: "Very little communication at the gate and 4 hours late. No offer of food vouchers or future travel vouchers."
Pros: "Our flight was delayed for no apparent reason. Then the luggage will took more than an hour and finally another half hour delay at the AVIS rent a car."
Pros: "Most of my flights this time had more legroom than I’ve been seeing lately. Very pleasant flight and nice not to be so cramped. The flight also left from the same terminal in Denver as my previous flight. With a 1 hour connection that was wonderful. Keep that up, United! The crew also came by regularly with offers of water. Much appreciated."
Cons: "Naturally no food except pretzels."
Pros: "Safe landing. Open seats."
Cons: "Late take off. No one to take my bag by the plane so it stayed on the ground and then they had to come in the plane to decide if each carry on stowed under was safe."

Book cheap flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Recent one-way flight deals

11/11sáb.
1 stopAlaska Airlines
28h 06mORD-SBA
$198
10/14sáb.
1 stopAmerican Airlines
8h 14mORD-SBA
$204
11/11sáb.
2 stopsAmerican Airlines
9h 06mORD-SBA
$208
11/9jue.
1 stopAmerican Airlines
15h 56mORD-SBA
$263
10/15dom.
1 stopAlaska Airlines
11h 01mORD-SBA
$283
9/27mié.
1 stopUnited Airlines
12h 19mORD-SBA
$303
9/27mié.
2 stopsUnited Airlines
12h 57mORD-SBA
$308
10/14sáb.
3 stopsUnited Airlines
18h 04mORD-SBA
$374
10/15dom.
2 stopsUnited Airlines
18h 47mORD-SBA
$404
9/26mar.
1 stopUnited Airlines
6h 49mORD-SBA
$483

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Last minute flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

9/26mar.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
8h 32mORD-SBA
9/29vie.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
8h 04mSBA-ORD
$898
9/26mar.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 19mORD-SBA
9/29vie.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
7h 24mSBA-ORD
$903
9/26mar.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 19mORD-SBA
9/29vie.
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 04mSBA-ORD
$1,072
9/26mar.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
6h 06mORD-SBA
9/30sáb.
multi-stopUnited Airlines
6h 25mSBA-ORD
$1,598

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Flights to Santa Barbara

Destination:

Santa Barbara (SBA)United States

Return flight deals:

Santa Barbara - Chicago

Cabin classes: