BNA - CHI

$48 Find Cheap Flights from Nashville to Chicago

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Nashville to Chicago departing on 9/5. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Chicago

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Nashville to Chicago, 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 Nashville to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Nashville to Chicago (BNA-CHI)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Nashville to Chicago 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 Nashville to Chicago

Fri, Oct 10 - Fri, Oct 17
Frontier Logo
9:59 pm - 11:44 pmBNA-ORD
1h 45mnonstop
Frontier Logo
7:20 pm - 9:04 pmORD-BNA
1h 44mnonstop
$75Frontier
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 10 - Mon, Oct 13
Frontier Logo
9:59 pm - 11:44 pmBNA-ORD
1h 45mnonstop
Frontier Logo
7:25 pm - 9:09 pmORD-BNA
1h 44mnonstop
$77Frontier
Find Deal
Fri, Oct 17 - Sun, Oct 19
Spirit Airlines Logo
2:08 pm - 3:56 pmBNA-ORD
1h 48mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:26 pm - 3:10 pmORD-BNA
1h 44mnonstop
$78Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Sep 12 - Mon, Sep 15
Allegiant Air Logo
12:56 pm - 2:25 pmBNA-RFD
1h 29mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
10:37 am - 12:06 pmRFD-BNA
1h 29mnonstop
$78Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Thu, Oct 9 - Thu, Oct 16
Spirit Airlines Logo
9:02 pm - 10:49 pmBNA-ORD
1h 47mnonstop
Spirit Airlines Logo
1:26 pm - 3:10 pmORD-BNA
1h 44mnonstop
$81Spirit Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, Sep 12 - Mon, Sep 15
Allegiant Air Logo
12:56 pm - 2:25 pmBNA-RFD
1h 29mnonstop
Allegiant Air Logo
10:37 am - 12:06 pmRFD-BNA
1h 29mnonstop
$81Allegiant Air
Find Deal
Sun, Oct 5 - Mon, Oct 6
 Logo
9:02 pm - 10:49 pmBNA-ORD
1h 47mnonstop
 Logo
12:43 pm - 2:26 pmORD-BNA
1h 43mnonstop
Fri, Oct 3 - Sun, Oct 5
 Logo
2:59 pm - 4:56 pmBNA-ORD
1h 57mnonstop
 Logo
1:26 pm - 3:10 pmORD-BNA
1h 44mnonstop
Tue, Sep 16 - Wed, Sep 17
Southwest Logo
8:50 pm - 10:25 pmBNA-MDW
1h 35mnonstop
Southwest Logo
4:30 pm - 6:00 pmMDW-BNA
1h 30mnonstop
$137Southwest
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Fri, Oct 3 - Tue, Oct 7
Southwest Logo
9:45 pm - 11:15 pmBNA-MDW
1h 30mnonstop
Southwest Logo
8:40 am - 10:10 amMDW-BNA
1h 30mnonstop
$147Southwest
Find Deal
Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Nashville to Chicago

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarization of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airlines
British Airways

BA offers 31-inch legroom on most planes, ensuring comfort even on short flights.


BA's free carry-on policy avoids surprise fees, unlike many budget carriers.

Frontier

Frontier's Premium Bundle offers extra legroom and priority boarding for a small fee.


Avoid Basic Fare to prevent middle seats; consider Economy Bundle for seat selection.

Read more about Frontierby Stefanie Waldek
Southwest

Southwest offers two free checked bags, ideal for travelers with more luggage.


Southwest's Rapid Rewards program has no blackout dates and points never expire.

Read more about Southwestby Blane Bachelor
American Airlines

AA's Main Cabin Extra offers early boarding and complimentary drinks for a small fee.


AA Basic Economy includes carry-on but restricts seat selection and boarding group.

United Airlines

United's Economy Plus offers up to 6 inches more legroom than standard economy.


United's Wi-Fi allows free messaging; check coverage map before purchasing.

Airports
BNA

Security screening is typically quick and efficient at BNA; check estimated wait times on the BNA website before heading to the airport.

Read more about BNAby Stefanie Waldek
ORD

The CTA Blue Line connects ORD with downtown Chicago in about 45 minutes, offering a reliable alternative to traffic-prone car travel.

Read more about ORDby Stefanie Waldek
MDW

The CTA Orange Line from MDW to downtown Chicago takes about 25-30 minutes, providing a convenient and traffic-free option.

Read more about MDWby Stefanie Waldek
Our travel experts
Duncan Madden

Duncan Madden

Expert on British Airways

Duncan Madden

Duncan Madden

Duncan is a freelance travel writer, copywriter and book author in constant search of travel stories and the perpetual sensation of being on holiday. He’s never happier than when on a dusty trail in search of empty waves or ducking under the piste tape in search of snowbound solitude. British born, living in Germany, but happiest heading for the horizon. His first book, Found in Translation, explores the etymologies and stories of country names around the world and is out now.

Read more
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on Frontier, United Airlines, ORD, MDW and BNA

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

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.

Read more
Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on Southwest

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specializing in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favorite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history. She will always choose the window seat.

Read more
Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

Expert on American Airlines

Harriet Baskas

Harriet Baskas

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.

Read more
Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 4% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 15% lower on average.

When to book flights from Nashville to Chicago

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Nashville to Chicago 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.
  • What different kinds of flights can I find between Nashville and Chicago?

    You typically will be able to find several daily flights between Nashville and Chicago, with these journeys generally being operated by airlines such as United Airlines. Flights that require a connection are also offered as well, and your layover may occur in cities like New York or Washington, D.C. Flights that require a connection are frequently serviced by American Airlines and Delta.

  • What kinds of transportation can I use for going from downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport?

    An easy way to go from downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport is by car, with the drive generally taking around 10 to 15min in normal circumstances. You can choose to take public transportation instead, such as bus line 18, which will bring you to the airport in around 35 to 40min as long as there is not any extra traffic.

  • How can I travel from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to the city center?

    If you choose to drive from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to the city center, or take a taxi, you can plan on the trip normally taking around 40 to 45min in total. Otherwise, public transportation is an option as well, such as the Blue Line tram. If you take public transportation, you can be in the heart of Chicago in approximately 50 to 55min.

  • Is there an on-site car rental center at Chicago Midway International Airport?

    Chicago Midway International Airport has its own car rental facility that can be reached by a free shuttle service that picks up travelers from the Arrivals Lower Level front curb near Door 2 of the main terminal. This facility has desks for quite a few major car rental agencies, including Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty. You will find that the fleets are located directly next to the facility, making it easy to pick up your vehicle.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Nashville to Chicago

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $102 or less one-way and $176 or less round-trip.
  • When you fly to the Chicago region, you will typically land at one of two airports. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is located approximately 11 miles from downtown Chicago, while Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) is around 8 miles from the city center.
  • If you’re traveling with a small child, keep in mind that Nashville International Airport (BNA) has a nursing room that is located behind the food court in the main terminal. This nursing room has a few different amenities, including a changing station, outlets, a sink, and comfortable seating.
  • To freshen up after spending the day traveling, go to the Hilton Athletic Club in Chicago O'Hare International Airport once you have landed. You can pay to use the shower facilities here and they will provide you with items like shampoo, bodywash, and a towel.
  • Treat yourself to some pampering before you board your flight at Nashville International Airport and go to one of the Massage Bar locations in Concourses B and C. This salon has massage chairs and offers foot massages.
  • Those that are traveling for business may want to get their shoes shined at Chicago Midway International Airport before heading to their meeting or conference. You can do so at the Shoe Hospital, which is located airside in Concourse A.

Prefer to fly direct from Nashville to Chicago?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Nashville Intl to Chicago.
Find which airlines fly direct from Nashville Intl Airport to Chicago, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Nashville Intl to Chicago

Monday

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, +4 more

Tuesday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Wednesday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Thursday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Friday

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, +4 more

Saturday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Sunday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Chicago to Nashville Intl

Monday

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, +4 more

Tuesday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Wednesday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Thursday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Friday

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

Allegiant Air, American Airlines, +4 more

Saturday

American Airlines, Southwest, United Airlines

American Airlines, Southwest, +1 more

Sunday

American Airlines, Frontier, Southwest, +2 more

American Airlines, Frontier, +3 more

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Nashville to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Nashville to Chicago. 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 Nashville to Chicago? 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
SouthwestOverall score based on 4242 reviews
8.0Comfort
7.0Food
7.5Entertainment
8.1Boarding
8.6Crew
Airline reviews

AC sub par. WiFi not working correctly. Ac sucked. Seats very narrow.

2.0 MediocreMike, Aug 2025AUS - BWI
Read more Southwest reviews

AC sub par. WiFi not working correctly. Ac sucked. Seats very narrow.

Near 4 hour flight with only 1 service. Had to use call button to request water. Internet and power not working until into flight. Internet would stop working during flight.

Southwest's seats are the least comfortable I have ever sat in.

The cabin was quiet for the redeye flight. The area was clean. The staff was great. The 787 Max was in good condition. Drawbacks were that the seat widths were tight for some passengers. The seat padding was at best average and for a long flight uncomfortable.

Southwest like most American domestic airlines, is a mediocre airline. But it is among the cheapest. Oh well.

My flight was delayed 50 minutes and we were rushed to board to then sit for 15 minutes until the pilot arrived. Unacceptable since we could have waited to board. Also the delayed flight was updated AFTER we boarded to more than the 10 minutes as originally stated.

Other than a bit of a delay, everything was good. Again, the boarding process and picking seats is the only thing I don't enjoy.

If we are going to have to pay for luggage, make it easier to do. Put something on the app during check-in so I don't need to do it at the kiosk. I've done it twice recently and I ended up having to pay at the desk because something went wrong at the kiosk in Tampa.

southwest just starting charging for luggage. hadnt realized it until it was too late. now out $70 when i couldve bought a carry on if i wouldve known. free bags was one of the only reasons i chose southwest over another airline (the other being no assigned seats, which is apparently also being changed). stupid business decision. wont be flying southwest anymore.

The quality of Southwest Airlines continues to degrade each time I fly with them. If it were not for the free luggage, I would probably choose another airline. Their prices are a little bit competitive, but way too high for the quality of the service. Southwest is not unique in this way. Domestic flight in the United States of America has continued to be a lower and lower quality product. Very sad when you compare the quality of domestic airlines to that of many international airlines around the world.

Flight attendant in first class gave poor service (like he didn't want to be there) and food was awful. We sat waiting for gate upon arrival over 45 mins.

Weather delay in Chicago?. No sense of urgency to make connection in Chicago for our connecting flight that wasn't delayed. Connection was missed.

Overall it was good. I missed my connection but I was put on another flight.

Overall a very poor experience - booked premium economy tickets but due to last minute flight delays , all my itinery went for a toss and had to fly economy class with no access to lounge or any compensation by united airlines to make up for the flight delays . i had expected better experience than that from united.

It was fine, definitely older planes with no charging or anything. There’s no entertainment set up on board, but it is nice that they allow you to access the in flight entertainment from your phone without having to pay for the Wi-Fi and they do offer free texting.

I liked that the flight was nonstop from ORD to CIU for $200 round trip.

While the staff was pleasant and helpful, the following observations are for your awareness. There was some delay on the tarmac on take off and landing. The paid lunch/food offerings were limited. Entertainment was only available on WiFi at a cost.

The first flight was better in terms of the aircraft.

Smooth flight. Boarding was chaotic. Could not hear the gate agent over the intercom. People were lined up in the wrong lines. Groups one and two were told to board through line one and group 3 through line 2. All very confusing. Once in the air, the flight was smooth. There was no entertainment option on this aircraft, even though it was a larger aircraft.

Overall poor for me I paid extra for seats with leg room and my regional flights exit row seats have less leg room then the others that's money that could have been saved and on my final flight home the flights air was not operating it was unbearably hot in the cabin I will be contacting United and filing a DOT complaint

Any flight to ORD after about 2pm this summer has been challenging. Flight was delayed getting in (coming from ORD) and that led to it not leaving before a ground stop due to lightening before they could fuel the plane, and so forth. They made up some time but we were still late in arriving at ORD, and that led to missed connections.

Food was ok, but not as good as I have had before on AA.

Pretty good. The food was just mediocre, the boarding and crew were good.

My flight got switched and my prepaid bag didnt transfer over properly so I paid to check ANOTHER BAG. I was placed in a middle seat and it was just miserable. At least it was a bulkhead row so I had legroom. The flight just never seem3d to end

Was not able to watch most shows on the entertainment site. They would not load

On Wednesday, July 30 we were in mid flight from Manchester to Charlotte and we turned around because the right engine was malfunctioning. That was the last flight out of Manchester that night. I was rebooked for Thursday, which became a weather event Friday. There were no seats left on the flight from Manchester to Charlotte. Consequently I didn’t leave Manchester until Saturday morning and we flew to Chicago so to say the least my scheduled flight and return to Iowa was three days off and it messed with my business schedule. Consequently cash flow. I would like some sort of acknowledgment of this event.

Dreadful experience. Our flight was delayed more than 8 hours due to a maintenance issue and the assistance from rebooking was poor. I was travelling with a bad knee and needed assistance waited in one place more than 3 hours before someone came with a wheelchair. The woman next to me was a 91 year old great grandmother who had waited more than 4 hours. There were moments of support from the staff but it appeared as they were going against the direction of management. It was apathy, lack of ownership and dismissive responses with small moments of kindness and understanding typically from grey haired, female, veteran staff..

Couldn’t get the door on the plane to close leading to a nearly 2 hour delay. But, hey at least they didn’t cancel the flight.

The flight delay in Dallas created a domino effect that impacted all connecting flights, leading to an increase in the number of connections. As a result, I missed my flight from Casablanca to Marrakech due to the tight turnaround when landing in Casablanca. CMN Airport was understaffed; only one employee was available to assist passengers while others just stood by and watched. It was an extremely frustrating situation. Many passengers were crying and banging their hands on the counter while talking to customer service representative Allabough. Unfortunately, Allabough couldn’t change my flight in the system. At the same time, I was on the phone with an American Airlines customer service representative named Solomon, who said he couldn’t make the change either. So, I decided to take an ONYA Voyages train from Casablanca to Marrakech to reach my destination on Friday, June 26. It turned out to be an unpredictable trip.

The flight was fine and the crew awesome. The problem is ORD and AA. Computers went down, ORD fell apart and a 40 min flight turned into a 3 hour trip. Guess the answer is to not try and fly to ORD after noon. But, as I said, crew was awesome and did everything they could to lesson the flight time.

Just total easy flight experience!! What could you do better..? Hmmm..? There was nothing I can remember. Spirit was a far more comfortable and easy process than American, United & Delta. I'll always look for Spirit and I've told a few people about, since flying this past trip!! I'm a SPIRIT FAN!! Thank You, SPIRIT AIRLINES!! Very, VERY well done, 100%!! See you...SOON!! -Best, Linda R.

Spirit is a very uncomfortable travel experience. It’s cheap but you are squeezed into the seats like canned meat.

The seat belt was lengthy enough that I did not need an extender. Courteous and helpful flight attendants.

As expected. Nothing jumps out at me as bad or wrong, but the flight was fine. No complaints with pilot or crew. The flight left on time and arrived earlier than stated. Overall, I will continue to plan on flying with Spirit.

Horrible considering I didn’t go and I bought travel insurance and I didn’t receive a refund.

It was horrible. We were not allowed on the flight by spirit staff at the gate during boarding because I had a guitar. The same guitar I had at check in which I paid for and they said I can take it on the plane. We missed our flight, lost our luggage, and had to pay another $900 to rebook flights. Worst travel experience ever and spirit staff are the worst staff ever.

While on the flight we had a delay and had to sit on the plane while maintenance fixed it. It’s ended up taking an hour and a half longer to leave than expected. I had an unruly passenger sitting behind me that vaped during the flight and was rude and loud for the majority of the flight.

Spirit is by far the worst airline to travel with, period. Seats are cardboard, flight attendants need anger management and if you ask for water, you’re basically a criminal. I don’t care how much it costs but I will travel with an airline who actually cares about their customers. Oh and one more thing, the next time your gate agent puts his foot on someone’s baggage's scale, I hope they get what’s coming next, a viral video of your scams. You suck Spirit, do better.

I mean, it’s Spirit. But it was frustrating to have our flight canceled, get bumped to a later flight, and then Spirit was unwilling to check our bag until 4 hours before our flight… tell us we could not sit in the waiting area’s chairs… and really negative experience getting checked in and dropping the bag.

Not having it be changed after we bought the flight tickets from a direct flight getting in at a reasonable time to a connecting flight red eye of 9 hours, so that we would lose our 35 dollars in nonrefundable insurance would've been great! Our country really does need low-cost carrier options, but this type of "service" ain't it. Fortunately, had a little better success with them flying to and from San Juan PR last month at least.

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

sluggish boarding and arrival procedures, fake nice flight attendants, and lots of delays.

Disaster. They lied every step of the way. We ended up being delayed due to crew and then allegedly abandoned the flight because of a curfew at LGA. No rebooking to LGA at any reasonable time. No hotel. No meal vouchers. Had to sleep in the airport and fly to Newark instead. Will never fly Frontier again.

What I expected, nickeled and dined and a frontier flight attendant loudly complained about her job and lack of communication as she headed to the gate on her cell phone. Not professional.

As every law enforcement agency I could imagine surrounded the plane and we didn’t disembark for 2 hours and then had to stick around for another hour to go get our personal belongings after leaving them behind and being bused away from the plane, it was scary and inconvenient. We were given no information as to why this was happening. Lack of communication with passengers was disappointing.

After boarding and un-boarding twice over 6+hours, the flight was canceled.

Severe turbulence. Captain never came on to reassure passengers after things settled down.

My first flight was delayed 5 hours. The 2nd flight was canceled til the next day and the never even tried to compensate for it. Worse I was delayed again on the flight the rebooked me on.

Boarding in Orlando was not good. Giant mob at the gate, should have been lines.

Decent clean onboard experience. Okay discount airline experience. Unfortunately, any customer service interactions are difficult and unhelpful. There is no service. Also, a premium seat only gets you premium boarding if you line up first. Once they start general boarding you must go to the back of the line. Not very premium

Everything you need to know for your flight from Nashville to Chicago

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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