$144 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois departing on 7/20. 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 Illinois

Travelers love KAYAK
41,299,237 searches in the past 7 days on KAYAK

Save 21% 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.

Useful Info

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$144
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 3% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 4% lower on average.
Flight from San Jose to Chicago O'Hare Airport

FAQs for booking flights from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    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 San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois 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 San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    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 from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    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 from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • Which airlines fly most frequently to Illinois?

    San Francisco Bay Area and Illinois are connected by different airlines. The airlines that fly that route the most regularly are United Airlines (109 flights per week), Air New Zealand (94 flights per week), and Air Canada (92 flights per week).

  • How many airports are there in Illinois?

    There are 12 airports in Illinois. The busiest airport is Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD), with 92% of all flights arriving there.

  • Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Illinois?

    Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Illinois is Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), with an average flight price of $287.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Illinois?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Illinois is Wednesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $439. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Sunday, where round-trip prices are $552 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Illinois?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Illinois is generally at night, when round-trip flights cost $451 on average. Morning departures are around 3% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Illinois is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $492.

  • What is the cheapest flight to Illinois?

    The cheapest ticket to Illinois from San Francisco Bay Area found in the last 5 days was to Chicago Midway Airport, at $296 round-trip. The most popular route is Oakland (OAK) to Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 5 days was $296.

  • What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    The cheapest month for flights from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois is October, when tickets cost $179 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are November and February, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $382 and $286 respectively.

  • How far in advance should I book a flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois?

    To get a below average price on the flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 42% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 6 weeks before departure.

  • How many cities have direct flights to Illinois?

    From San Francisco Bay Area, there are direct flights to Illinois from 2 cities. The city with the most direct flights is San Francisco, with 710 direct flights each week.

  • How many direct flights to Illinois are there each day?

    There are around 105 direct flights from within San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois every day. Most flights (43%) depart in the morning.

  • How many direct flights to Illinois are there each week?

    Each week there are around 731 direct flights from within San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 16% of flights taking off on this day.

  • How long is the flight to Illinois?

    An average nonstop flight from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois takes 13h 04m, covering a distance of 1771 miles. The shortest route is San Francisco (SFO) to St. Louis (STL) with an average flight time of 3h 50m.

  • How many long-haul flights are there to Illinois each week?

    There are not any long-haul (6-12 hour flight duration) or short-haul (up to 3 hour flight duration) flights to Illinois. Instead, there are 731 medium-haul flights (3-6 hour flight duration), with the most arriving from San Francisco.

  • What are the most popular destinations in Illinois?

    Based on KAYAK flight searches, the most popular destination is Chicago (93% of total searches to Illinois). The next most popular destinations are St. Louis (5%) and Moline (1%). Searches for flights to Bloomington (1%), to Peoria (0%) and to Champaign (0%) are also popular.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco Bay Area to Illinois? 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 12533 reviews
8.1Boarding
7.8Comfort
7.0Entertainment
8.5Crew
7.0Food
Airline reviews

Subject: Formal Complaint – Incompetent Service and Denied Boarding on Flight 1409 (CLSVJM – Dear Alaska Airlines Customer Relations, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience on Flight 1409 departing from Seattle on 6/13/26. As a physician and business owner who frequently coordinates group travel, this was one of the worst airline experiences I have encountered. Upon arrival, I was informed that my check-in boarding pass was not official, despite successfully obtaining it electronically through your website/app with no warnings or indications of issues. My electronic boarding pass was rejected, leading to cancellation/denial of boarding. The gate agent (an older woman) was unhelpful, claimed my name had been announced multiple times (which it had not—she did not even know my name correctly), and mistakenly boarded my traveling companion under my name. Additionally, an older blonde staff member nearly failed to return my passport, highlighting a clear lack of training on your check-in and boarding systems. This chaos forced me onto a later flight while my group waited in Canada, unable to check into our Airbnb or pick up rental cars (as I was the primary booker). The entire incident caused significant business disruption, stress, and additional expenses. I have flown Alaska Airlines previously but will not consider it again without resolution. I request: • Full reimbursement of any additional costs incurred. • Appropriate compensation (vouchers/miles) for the inconvenience and poor service. • Confirmation of corrective actions for Please respond within 7-10 business days. Sincerely, Dr. Chunwen Teng

2.0 MediocreJane, Jun 2026
SMF - SEA
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

Subject: Formal Complaint – Incompetent Service and Denied Boarding on Flight 1409 (CLSVJM – Dear Alaska Airlines Customer Relations, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience on Flight 1409 departing from Seattle on 6/13/26. As a physician and business owner who frequently coordinates group travel, this was one of the worst airline experiences I have encountered. Upon arrival, I was informed that my check-in boarding pass was not official, despite successfully obtaining it electronically through your website/app with no warnings or indications of issues. My electronic boarding pass was rejected, leading to cancellation/denial of boarding. The gate agent (an older woman) was unhelpful, claimed my name had been announced multiple times (which it had not—she did not even know my name correctly), and mistakenly boarded my traveling companion under my name. Additionally, an older blonde staff member nearly failed to return my passport, highlighting a clear lack of training on your check-in and boarding systems. This chaos forced me onto a later flight while my group waited in Canada, unable to check into our Airbnb or pick up rental cars (as I was the primary booker). The entire incident caused significant business disruption, stress, and additional expenses. I have flown Alaska Airlines previously but will not consider it again without resolution. I request: • Full reimbursement of any additional costs incurred. • Appropriate compensation (vouchers/miles) for the inconvenience and poor service. • Confirmation of corrective actions for Please respond within 7-10 business days. Sincerely, Dr. Chunwen Teng

Never had so many staff members be rude and disrespectful. I had a staff member sarcastically call me “girly” after making me wait 20 minutes to be seen by her. I was able to print my luggage tag and she told me I was too late to check luggage I said the system obviously disagrees. And you had me wait way too long while you asked every single passenger ahead of me about their Disney vacations. She wasted so much time to then say “girly your bag won’t make it on the plane” I’m not her girly I’m a full grown adult. She needs to learn a hell of a lot of respect

My flight was several times rescheduled and then finally canceled.

The flight itself was great. But we had to wait over an hour to deplane so I missed my train. Not the crews fault. They were wonderful!

Flying into PAE was so easy because it’s baggage claim is quick and accesible. I had a car rental and the counter is inside the baggage claim area, very convenient.

It was a very short flight so there really wasn’t any entertainment my. The little pretzels were good though and the cabin crew was awesome.

The first flight was fine, great crew, but the plane was delayed 45 minutes to go to Seattle because of they were missing a ramp. That would make sense if the plane was actually at the gate. Not if we’re still waiting for a plane. After we landed we waited 30-45 minutes on the tarmac just to get off the plane. Alaska made me miss my connecting flight, wasting my time, and my money. I should honestly be reimbursed, but hey, when does the airline ever actually take accountability? Never.

Over all it was great. My original flight was canceled but they quickly rebooked me. I was frustrated because I had to cancel my entire plans for the day but all considered, not bad. The crew tried to keep us calm while we sat in the plane for was felt was an hour or so but they could use a bit of a script. The seats were comfortable and I would give it another try.

Flight delayed Didn’t send second leg of trip itemerary First class was fair, but not great.

Short trip, was nice to have a drink on the short flight still.

Flight was delayed, full flight and I had to change gates. Southwest flights are always late later in the day.

Flight was delayed over 3 hours. Planes were dirty. Staff indifferent. And they serve vegan pretzels as snacks.

Was fine, delayed and feels like southwest is always late

The flight was smooth. The Southwest experience has degraded overall, but this one was okay.

The checking experience in Orlando was terrible, almost missed the flight. Too many travelers and Southwest completely understaffed.

The entire experience from boarding to landing was amazing! The crew were very friendly. Will definitely be back.

no service at all due to turbulence. they should've at least given us snacks, there were only 10 people on the entire flight.

Delayed flight, lack of information, boarding process is a mess as is the carryon luggage causing issues when leaving the plane….just a poor experience.

Comfortable. Easy. No problems. Just wish they had gf options for snacks.

The crew was very kind and made going to Hawaii relaxing and fun to look forward to! Thank you Southwest for a pleasant flight!

Over 5 hour delay with minimal updates or ability to standby for alternative flights. During boarding and 1 hr+ wait for takeoff, seats were drenched w water from air conditioning condensation and always leftover crumbs on carpet and seats

Boarded early, left early, arrived 40 mins early! A win win for me!

These airplanes should be illegal. The seats are two tight, it is a safety issue. Wheelchair support was ridiculously slow. We almost missed our flight.

This flight is a quick way to get to Chicago, but a bit expensive.

O’hsre taxi and deboarding took 40 minutes. Needed 20 minutes extra time between connecting flights to avoid running through terminal.

Standard flight with a drinks and a snack- overall very quick flight. The flight attendants were very strict, bordered on rude.

Delayed - weather wasn't bad at either end. Also sat on tarmac in ORD.

boarded early to only find out that flight would sit at gate for 45 min to an hour. Landed in chicago and sat on runway for over an hour before got to gate. Total delay was extensive for a 45 min flight door to door.

The flight was significantly delayed. The inbound flight from EWR was delayed departing because of mechanical problems. My original departure from CLT was 5:28 pm but due to the delay of the inbound flight, after arrival, deplaning, cleaning, boarding, we did not push back from the gate until 9:00 pm. Once in the air, the flight was smooth and what was originally supposed to be an arrival in ORD at 7:30 pm local time turned out to be 9:35 pm.

The flight I was supposed to be on was supposed to take off at 1:50 from State College. It was delayed over and over and over again until somehow I had to rebook on a flight that was supposed to have left State College at 8 am that morning but didn't end up taking off until almost 6 pm. Not only was this completely unacceptable, the "token from United" was a 15 dollar meal voucher that has to be used by today. I would personally like some miles added to my account for this inconvenience. I was in transit for 8 hours from the time I arrive at State College Aiport to when I got home. I was supposed to be home at 3 pm and I returned at 8 pm. Unacceptable. I have not been on an on Time united flight in nearly 5 years.

weather delay of almost 2 hours then we landed and our gate wasn't available so we waited another 30 min

Delayed flight more than I hour. When boarding we spent some additional time on the plane before takeoff ....

The flight was delayed significantly and we sat on runway after landing for awhile. Best thing was the flight attendant, Jenny, in first class, who was very professional and attentive. She was excellent - the rest of the flight was not.

The flight attendants were extremely sourly and borderline rude. I did not feel appreciated as an AA customer once.

The flight from LA to Chicago was smooth and service was very good overall.

The Mario was so helpful and provided amazing customer service however l have being waiting for a callback for almost a week now and have not heard anything further after l informed them l wanted to change my date of traveling because of my hospital appointment even send them proof and l was unable to use manag your booking on their website is a bit frustrating and l would appreciate an update on My request as soon as possible. And have called them times without numbers no response

Awful, tons of delays, I got into Chicago multiple hours late meaning I hit the very traffic I tried so desperately to avoid. Just empty apologies from American Airlines text alerts. Trash behavior from a trash airline.

They lost my baggage and I am still struggling to the information and update

Requested early boarding to disinfect seat, tray table, etc. before general boarding. Instructed to board after wheelchair passengers. Waited on jet bridge behind 12 wheelchair passengers. Stopped immediately after entering plane to wait for gate agent in rear of plane cleaning a seat that was wet, got to my row and found both seats adjacent to mine already occupied, with the lack of room making it impossible for me to clean my own space and defeating the purpose of my boarding early. Cleaned the armrests and tray table as best I could.

The wifi experience is awful. I had to try again and again, taking over 30 minutes, to connect to the wifi. I had to watch the same two ads over and over until I was finally successful. Once connected, it was anything but "high speed" and disconnected at least three times during the flight.

Flight was scheduled at 9:40pm. Got delayed to 10 am, the next day. crazy

The bag check, flight check-in, and onboard experience convinced my wife and me that we will actively go out of our way to avoid flying Frontier Airlines in the future. At bag check, we were informed that check-in could only be completed via the Frontier mobile app. Unfortunately, the app was extremely frustrating—sending us through repetitive, confusing loops that repeatedly forced us to decline add-on services with nearly every click. While most airline apps upsell, this one felt intentionally exhausting. As the process dragged on, we became genuinely concerned that my phone battery would die before check-in could be completed. We approached the bag check staff—who were standing together talking—and explained both our frustration and our predicament. They laughed. Later, my wife described the interaction as “gaslighting,” which felt accurate. We were then informed it would cost $25 per person simply to have our boarding passes printed. From that point forward, the tone of the experience was consistently hostile. The bag check employees were condescending and combative, behaving more like bullies than customer service staff. Unfortunately, that same attitude continued onboard. One flight attendant argued with me when I attempted to stow my backpack in the overhead bin. I explained that we had each paid $75 to check our bags specifically so we would not need to use carry-on space and could have adequate legroom. She demanded to see my ticket, pointed out that it said “no carry-on”—which I acknowledged—and I reiterated that this was precisely why we paid to check our bags. Her response was, “I don’t make the rules.” She then walked away, but not before asking if I “truly wanted to fly back to Chicago today?”—an unnecessary and unmistakable threat. It is also worth noting that despite booking our tickets together in the same transaction, we were not seated together. Upon our return to Chicago—where we could once again sit together—we compared onboard experiences. We both remarked on how unhappy the flight attendants appeared and how each of us was separately asked whether we would like to purchase a beverage. We declined. At no point was water mentioned as an option, leaving us with the clear impression that even water came at a cost—or that complimentary water, if available at all, was deliberately left unmentioned. Overall, the experience was shocking and deeply disappointing, but it was also a profound learning experience—one we will not forget and will not repeat. -Steve

They didn’t offer a water, even after I asked

Remind customers of the need to have passport or new ID for boarding.

The flight never took off and we spent 7 hours at the airport

Good for a budget airline! It was easy to get on, staff was really nice. Can’t say anything about the food or entertainment because it wasn’t available, which is fine.

It was ok. It was expensive to check 2 bags ($75.00 per bag), and then it took a long time to wait for shuttle to take us from one terminal to the terminal where the plane was taking off at LAX. And all of this for a flight where we had to pay for any food or drink that was not water.

This company socks. It's fraud. They canceled our flight yesterday, and today we were late because of a really long line at the check in bag. At the rebook station, there was ton of people. The workers were all rude. I am gonna make a report to FTC.

When I wanted to check in 3 hours prior to boarding time, the employees mentioned “a little over an hour delay” so I waited for an hour then I went to go look for food in the terminal and most people from that flight were in the same area looking for food. Finally I decided after food to check to see if it’s anytime closer and now it’s 2 mins until boarding closes?! What are you kidding me? I didn’t receive anything via sms about boarding now nor via email or on the intercom. I luckily made it through, barely, and then there’s no room for my carry on mind you I’m in the very first row so I had to place my purse in one further row back and my carry on sections down. Not sure who pays for better seats to get your stuff placed all over the plane but that was the worst experience I’ve ever had flying with anyone.

The single worst check in experience I could imagine. I’ll never do any business with Frontier or any affiliated company

Everything you need to know for your flight to Illinois

Cabin class types available on flights to San Francisco Bay Area

Cabin classes available on flights to San Francisco Bay Area. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.