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ORD - SBA

Find cheap flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara from $160

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 Barbara departing on 5/28. 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
0 bags
Thu 6/6
Thu 6/13

Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Santa Barbara

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Santa Barbara, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to Santa Barbara, as well as popular online travel agencies
In the last 7 days travelers have searched 43,707,506 times on KAYAK, and here is why:

Save 21% or moreCompare multiple travel sites with one search.

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

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

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

Cheap flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara (ORD-SBA)

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.
Discover the best prices and deals for you by selecting your travel dates.
Choose your dates
7:35 pm - 12:16 amORD-SBA
6h 41m1 stop
1:48 pm - 12:50 amSBA-ORD
9h 02m1 stop
$320United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, May 28 - Wed, May 29
12:00 pm - 6:08 pmORD-SBA
8h 08m2 stops
6:39 pm - 5:24 amSBA-ORD
8h 45m1 stop
$325American Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, Jun 5 - Wed, Jun 12
7:24 pm - 11:46 pmORD-SBA
6h 22m1 stop
1:15 pm - 9:42 pmSBA-ORD
6h 27m1 stop
$330Delta
Find Deal
Tue, Jul 2 - Tue, Jul 9
7:25 am - 12:42 pmORD-SBA
7h 17m1 stop
1:12 pm - 10:25 pmSBA-ORD
7h 13m1 stop
$340American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, May 30 - Mon, Jun 3
3:29 pm - 9:56 pmORD-SBA
8h 27m2 stops
7:15 pm - 5:16 amSBA-ORD
8h 01m1 stop
$345American Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, May 30 - Mon, Jun 3
7:15 am - 12:18 pmORD-SBA
7h 03m1 stop
7:25 am - 4:35 pmSBA-ORD
7h 10m1 stop
$350Delta
Find Deal
Sat, Oct 26 - Wed, Oct 30
4:23 pm - 12:14 amORD-SBA
9h 51m1 stop
8:44 pm - 6:00 amSBA-ORD
7h 16m1 stop
$353United Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Jun 21 - Tue, Jun 25
6:02 am - 11:35 amORD-SBA
7h 33m1 stop
6:39 pm - 5:24 amSBA-ORD
8h 45m1 stop
$355American Airlines
Find Deal
Sun, Jun 9 - Wed, Jun 26
9:20 pm - 1:01 pmORD-SBA
17h 41m2 stops
6:01 pm - 5:40 amSBA-ORD
9h 39m1 stop
$384Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, May 28 - Wed, May 29
9:20 pm - 1:01 pmORD-SBA
17h 41m2 stops
6:01 pm - 4:40 amSBA-ORD
32h 39m2 stops
$449Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, May 28 - Wed, May 29

Flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara - Travel Insights & Trends

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

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

The average price of all flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
Your flight ticket price will generally be cheaper if you fly to Santa Barbara on a Friday and more expensive on a Saturday. On your return trip to Chicago, you should consider flying back on a Wednesday, and avoid Mondays for better deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara, 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 O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara is January, where tickets cost $366 on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are July and June, where the average cost of tickets is $551 and $536 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara?

To calculate daily average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each day before departure over the last year for flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each month.
To get a below average price on the flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 29 days before departure.

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

The cheapest price for the route for each airline clicked by KAYAK users in the last 72 hours.
In the last 3 days, American Airlines offered the best one-way deal for that route, at $160. KAYAK users also found Chicago to Santa Barbara round-trip flights on United Airlines from $320 and on American Airlines from $325.

Good to know

Low season

April

High season

June

Cheapest flight

$160
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 2% increase in price.
Flight from Chicago to Santa Barbara

When to book flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to Santa Barbara 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 Chicago to Santa Barbara flights

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to Santa Barbara was $160 for a one-way ticket and $320 for a round-trip.

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

    Even though you are not required to have a passport, keep in mind that an official ID is needed to board the airplane.

  • 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, SkyTeam, 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, United Airlines or American Airlines?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara are United Airlines and American Airlines. With an average price for the route of $500 and an overall rating of 7.4, United Airlines is the most popular choice. American Airlines is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $499 and an overall rating of 7.3.

  • 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. Booking your flights between Chicago and SBA can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • 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.

See more FAQs

Top airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to Santa Barbara. 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 Barbara? 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 11073 reviews
6.7Food
7.7Boarding
8.1Crew
7.1Entertainment
7.2Comfort
Airline reviews

Great! The plane was decently sized and comfortable. The staff was nice and there was great in flight entertainment

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Apr 2024ORD - PHX
Read more about United Airlines reviews

Great! The plane was decently sized and comfortable. The staff was nice and there was great in flight entertainment

Last minute gate change nearly caused us to miss our flight. Change was not announced or displayed in the main board at the old gate. Terrible communication. When we landed we had to wait 20 minutes because there was another plane at the assigned gate. Not the crew’s fault, but adding 20 minutes to a 45 minute flight sucked.

delay several times and wait extra long to board. no entertainment service because there are problem for some rows. always encounter some delays for the last flight of the day.

The flight experience was very good! Especially the United Club!

I was not able to buy food in the flight. They refer to include your Credit card in the APP, and if you are not from USA (i have a credit card form Canada) it is not possible

The flight from Ottawa to Chicago took a lot longer due to DC in Ottawa. We got to Chicago and went to our gate to catch our flight. We only had nine minutes I found that very stressful.

Good boarding. Crew started quick with drinks and food. They came around several times for trash which I really liked. Other than turbulence due to storms in the area, flight was great.

The control panel for the seat back screen did not work at all after takeoff.

Plane was so old it had cigarette butt trays in the seat

Everything was good, hard to really comfortable on a flight that long.

Good flights. Departure and arrivals were on time. DFW was a little problematic in that the Skytrain without prior notice bypassed the Echo terminal so that delayed my arrival at my connecting flight.

Because I can’t stand very long in one place, I was allowed to reword.

5 hour flight - full flight - not enough room to use my computer - slightly delayed - Admirals club was excellent quality food, drink made up for flight seating. No food offerred on flight, you ahd to prebook.

Excellent- plan was barely populated. I cannot remember a flight where I was able/encouraged to stretch out!

Great flight. Boarding was efficient and quick. On time departure and smooth flight. Flight arrived early at destination. Good experience.

Had technical issue which delayed the flight period. Flight crew knew there was 5 passengers that the connecting flight was within 15 minutes once at the gate. Rather than identify the 5 passengers to assure they got first. The flight attended mentioned it but didn't assist to assure passengers with connecting flights off first. This caused a hardship and our party of 3 missed the connecting flight.

I don't like that I have to pay if I want extra leg room. The seats are so expensive; I sit in normal seats and my legs and knees cramp the entire flight. I never feel comfortable on AA flights.

Flight was delayed at departure due to weather and the need for de-icing. The flight was smooth but there was a delay at arrival due to weather. We were in a hold for 20 minutes or more. The flight arrived more than 30 minutes late. Airlines have no control over the weather and I'm glad that they follow all safety procedures. Had to wait a long time for my checked luggage. Whole process was slow and the bags arrived wet due to the rain. The onboard wifi and entertainment access was spotty and the signal was dropped several times. Otherwise the crew was great and friendly. They tried to get everyone's bags stowed and seated so we could take off.

Regarding the boarding: it needs more efforts to make it more convenient

Deicing in Denver took forever and I almost missed my connection. De-ice faster! Not Americans fault.

Book cheap flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Recent one-way flight deals

 
Only flying one-way? Below are some of the best one-way flight deals from Chicago to Santa Barbara found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.
5/28Tue
1 stopAmerican Airlines
6h 56mORD-SBA
$160
6/11Tue
2 stopsDelta
11h 38mORD-SBA
$162
9/2Mon
1 stopAmerican Airlines
9h 14mORD-SBA
$193
6/15Sat
1 stopDelta
6h 35mORD-SBA
$198
6/14Fri
2 stopsDelta
13h 04mORD-SBA
$203
5/28Tue
2 stopsAlaska Airlines
33h 01mORD-SBA
$233
6/13Thu
1 stopUnited Airlines
9h 51mORD-SBA
$238
5/28Tue
2 stopsUnited Airlines
18h 09mORD-SBA
$239
5/20Mon
1 stopAmerican Airlines
7h 09mORD-SBA
$253
10/16Wed
2 stopsAlaska Airlines
31h 47mORD-SBA
$308

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Last minute flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara

Last minute flight, train and bus deals

 
These last-minute flight deals are the cheapest flights found on KAYAK in the last 72 hours for flights from Chicago to Santa Barbara that are departing in the next 10 days.
5/11Sat
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
9h 13mORD-SBA
5/15Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
5h 26mSBA-ORD
$694
5/11Sat
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
6h 18mORD-SBA
5/15Wed
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
7h 48mSBA-ORD
$699
5/9Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
7h 16mORD-SBA
5/12Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
6h 00mSBA-ORD
$733
5/9Thu
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
8h 27mORD-SBA
5/12Sun
multi-stopAmerican Airlines
6h 06mSBA-ORD
$743
5/11Sat
multi-stopUnited Airlines
15h 01mORD-SBA
5/15Wed
multi-stopUnited Airlines
12h 12mSBA-ORD
$849
5/9Thu
multi-stopUnited Airlines
16h 32mORD-SBA
5/12Sun
multi-stopUnited Airlines
17h 34mSBA-ORD
$1,410

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Chicago - Santa Barbara Flights

Departure:

Chicago (undefined)United States

Destination:

Santa Barbara (SBA)United States

Return flight deals:

Santa Barbara - Chicago

Cabin classes: