SNA - CHI

$120 Find Cheap Flights from Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana to Chicago departing on 2/5. 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, 0 bags

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 Santa Ana to Chicago.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Santa Ana to Chicago.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$269
Overall average: $386
United Airlines
Thu 2/19Mon 2/23
SNA - ORD • Non-stop
Cheapest one-way
$117
Typical prices: $140-$394
Frontier
Thu 2/5
SNA - ORD • 1 stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
United's Economy Plus offers extra legroom benefits.
SNA's quick security lines ensure a smooth departure.
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
Top routes
SNA
-
ORD
Cheapest
SNA
-
ORD
Most popular
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 19% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
August
Cheapest • 18% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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We hope you love your trip to Chicago!
Flight Deals
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Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Santa Ana to Chicago (SNA-CHI)

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

Thu, Feb 19 - Mon, Feb 23
United Airlines Logo
2:22 pm - 8:25 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 03mnonstop
United Airlines Logo
7:44 pm - 10:30 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 46mnonstop
$269United Airlines
Sun, Mar 29 - Sat, Apr 4
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:53 pm - 11:21 am
SNA
-
ORD
37h 28m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
5:53 pm - 11:34 am
ORD
-
SNA
19h 41m
1 stop
$270Multiple Airlines
Tue, May 5 - Mon, May 11
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 5:31 am
SNA
-
ORD
10h 54m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:43 am - 1:44 pm
ORD
-
SNA
8h 01m
1 stop
$271Multiple Airlines
Thu, Feb 12 - Mon, Feb 16
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 5:26 pm
SNA
-
ORD
22h 49m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:19 pm - 12:25 pm
ORD
-
SNA
19h 06m
1 stop
$272Multiple Airlines
Fri, Mar 6 - Sun, Mar 8
Frontier Logo
5:07 pm - 4:49 am
SNA
-
ORD
9h 42m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
7:00 am - 8:50 am
ORD
-
SNA
27h 50m
1 stop
$273Frontier
Tue, May 5 - Tue, May 12
American Airlines Logo
7:45 am - 1:57 pm
SNA
-
ORD
4h 12mnonstop
American Airlines Logo
11:45 am - 2:22 pm
ORD
-
SNA
4h 37mnonstop
$274American Airlines
Sun, May 17 - Wed, May 20
Spirit Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 5:31 am
SNA
-
ORD
10h 54m
1 stop
Spirit Airlines Logo
7:41 am - 8:57 pm
ORD
-
SNA
15h 16m
2 stops
$275Spirit Airlines
Thu, Feb 19 - Sun, Feb 22
Frontier Logo
12:46 pm - 11:41 pm
SNA
-
MDW
8h 55m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
3:21 pm - 8:13 am
MDW
-
SNA
18h 52m
2 stops
$278Frontier
Thu, Feb 19 - Mon, Feb 23
Southwest Logo
7:30 pm - 5:05 am
SNA
-
MDW
7h 35m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
2:05 pm - 9:05 pm
MDW
-
SNA
9h 00m
1 stop
$289Southwest
Thu, Feb 19 - Wed, Feb 25
Southwest Logo
7:30 pm - 5:05 am
SNA
-
MDW
7h 35m
1 stop
Southwest Logo
9:55 am - 6:20 pm
MDW
-
SNA
10h 25m
2 stops
$294Southwest
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Santa Ana to Chicago flights

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

How much is a round-trip flight from Santa Ana, California to Chicago?

This analysis is based on the cheapest round-trip price found on KAYAK in the last 12 months by searching for a flight from Santa Ana, California to Chicago departing in February.

What is the cheapest Santa Ana to Chicago flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest return flight from Santa Ana to Chicago costs $269 on the route between Santa Ana (SNA) and Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD). It is also the most popular route.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Santa Ana to Chicago clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

When flying from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago, you should consider leaving on a Wednesday and avoid Sundays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to John Wayne (Santa Ana), you’ll find the best rates on Saturdays and the most expensive ones on Sundays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Santa Ana to Chicago?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Santa Ana to Chicago, 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 Santa Ana to Chicago is August, where tickets cost $323 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $465 and $449 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Santa Ana to Chicago?

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 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $322 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Santa Ana to Chicago?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Santa Ana to Chicago, 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 Santa Ana to Chicago, you should book around 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 19% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 10 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Santa Ana to Chicago

 
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 seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$117
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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago O'Hare Airport

When to book flights from Santa Ana to Chicago

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Santa Ana 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.

FAQs for booking flights from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago

  • What is the cheapest flight from Santa Ana to Chicago?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Santa Ana to Chicago was $117 for a one-way ticket and $269 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between John Wayne (Santa Ana) and Chicago?

    A passport is not required to fly from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    On your way to Chicago, you’ll fly out from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty. You’ll be landing in one of Chicago’s 2 airports: Chicago Midway or Chicago O'Hare Intl.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    All the following airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago flight route: American Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Delta, Finnair, and British Airways.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    Star Alliance, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between John Wayne (Santa Ana) and Chicago, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    There are nonstop flights from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago on a daily basis.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Santa Ana to Chicago, Alaska Airlines or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Santa Ana to Chicago are Alaska Airlines and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $581 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 $446 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Chicago from John Wayne (Santa Ana) 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    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 Chicago with an airline and back to John Wayne (Santa Ana) with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

    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 Chicago from John Wayne (Santa Ana) 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 Santa Ana to Chicago

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $234 or less one-way and $358 or less round-trip.

Prefer to fly direct from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago?

 
Direct data is based off flight results for the next 60 days. Find direct flights from all airlines flying direct from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty to Chicago.
Find which airlines fly direct from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport to Chicago, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

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

Direct returns

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

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Santa Ana to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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
Alaska AirlinesOverall score based on 11805 reviews
7.0Entertainment
7.1Food
7.8Comfort
8.1Boarding
8.5Crew
Airline reviews

The stewardess are very nice and pleasant, Someone onboard had a medical attention, and they attended that person non-stop all throughout the flight, and yet, did not forget to serve and help other passengers.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jan 2026
SFO - MCO
Read more Alaska Airlines reviews

The stewardess are very nice and pleasant, Someone onboard had a medical attention, and they attended that person non-stop all throughout the flight, and yet, did not forget to serve and help other passengers.

Worst first/business class I have ever flown after 75 years on planes. Barely acceptable seats, terrible food, uninterested attendants, unavailable WiFi. I’ll never fly this airline again.

The bathroom trash container under the sink fell out and was like that long before my flight. The plane smelled of canned fish and floor was Deteriorating

My TSA pre check was left Off my boarding pass which was a large inconvenience.

Again, very smooth and all of the Alaska folks were great. They continue to meet all my needs.

Overall it was fine, however one of my two checked bags did not arrive and I was told it was left in Palm Springs. I don't understand how one of the two bags made it through fine but the other got lost .

The Alaska Airlines app made it very difficult to find my boarding pass. It was very frustrating to use! The flight itself was flawless.

It wasn’t great. Your app is not user friendly unless you sign up for those points. It tries to force you and won’t show you flight/trip info until you sign up. You have to somehow get into get your boarding pass because your kiosks don’t offer boarding pass information only bag check. It was not helpful or user friendly. The app is useless unless you sign up for your rewards program. My daughters info was missing even though I checked us in we had to get out of security and go back to a ticket window the woman told us that it sometimes populates incorrectly so it didn’t have her information. It populated incorrect birth date. She said this is common. Luckily we were at Palm Springs and not JFK where leaving the giant security line would have been a much bigger problem. I will avoid your airline in the future if it’s possible. Also no food availability except dry snack boxes.

The whole experience went smoothly with no hitches along the way.

You need categories to denote when food and entertainment are not available.

All good except once again bags took an hour at Midway Airport Happens all the time. Ridiculous

Great flight but super high price. Glad it was a business trip and not personal

The seats were comfortable, and the boarding process was pretty smooth.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

We got exit row seats both flights. Everything was running on time

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.

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

It was rough. The staff was unprofessional, the choice of on board drinks terrible, it was cramped in space at every airport, they always ran out of overhead bin space so they pressured people to check bags for free or we couldn’t leave on the plane— so I did check my bag to help, and they nearly lost my bag. My bag did not arrive on the luggage belt, another man on my flight and I had to waste our time going to the baggage office to search for our bags. I would only fly southwest again if it was my last choice. Also, my flights were consistently delayed over and over again— at one point they straight up told us we were waiting for the pilot to arrive.

Crew could have been friendlier, maybe I'm spoiled by SW crews. In flight wifi was good. Would be nice to have more food offerings on a 4 plus hour flight

Seated dude next to me even though lots of empty rows. But main thing was we sat on the tarmac after landing for 30 minutes because of, in the words of the dude who sat next to me, “operational incompetence”. We got changing directions about where to pick up gate checked bags. Pilot and flight attendant were awesome though.

It was a pretty standard flight... until the almost hour and a half spent on the taxi way. I get that the weather has been poor but the delay had nothing to do with the weather and more to do with a plane with several issues tying up the gate. I get that that happens from time to time but this has been EVERY flight I've been on for the past 5 years and I fly 3 to 5 times a year. This isn't just United... it's American, it's Delta. It's an issue with the entire industry. I work for UPS and packages on a cargo plane get better service than people do these days. Anymore I HATE flying.

Perfect flight. Smooth flight. Arrived 20 minutes early at destination. Excellent service.

The flights were on time which was great give. It was holiday travel season and there’d been some weather issues. The only complaint and this is every time with United is the terrible seat design. The head rest is not built for comfort and having my neck bent forward for a cross country trip reminded me while I try not to take United flights as a rule.

Everything was absolutely wonderful from check in to baggage claim. Staff was very professional and sweet. Will definitely recommend United to family and friends.

They did the one thing that really matters - got to Chicago early.

The flight was on time. I generally don’t drink or eat on short flights and the seats were good and the flight attendants were friendly. That’s all I expect

It was nice to have gotten up upgraded to first class with a meal on a three hour flight

Very bad! They kept delaying my flight and wouldn’t do anything about it

Door to door, the crew and staff were amazing. It was a stressful travel day with delays, but they were focused on customers and doing what they could to get us to our destinations.

Pilot navigated severe weather/snow storm with skill. Described his intentions clearly

Little warm on the plane and delayed for an hour

So excited very proud first of all I wanna thank kayak all updates very professional and fast alart And amazing cabin crew so nice to me they deserve big salute

The boarding process needs to be fixed. The zone don't work, especially when there is hardly anyone in zones 3, 4,and 5, leaving the majority of the passengers backed up in the aisle, especially because passengers seated near the front are blocking passengers who are seated in the rear of the plane. It would also help if the size of carry on bags was more strictly enforced.

Awful. They won’t help me with anything. I booked on American but they abdicated to Iberia. The ticket was overpriced. Everything negative

I enjoyed the extra leg room compared to other airlines. The first stewards made my daughter’s birthday special by giving her an extra snack. Then the last one coming home from Chicago to Appleton made our night really enjoyable Thanks for making our trip enjoyable

It was good..clean, comfy seat. Friendly warm welcoming crew. Was able to check my cabin luggage at the gate which I was able to pickup in a decent time from baggage claim. The app gave all updates from delays to baggage claim info. Overall smooth flight.

It was a typical flight. We had a delay which seems to be the normality now. And we had no in flight service due to conditions.

After we landed we sat on the tarmac for 1.5 hours waiting to get to our gate. Ridiculous.

Terrible. Flight delayed for more than 8 hours with only a $12 meal voucher provided for the inconvenience. The airplane did not have breaks on arrival yet they still made us go through the motions and board on time knowing we could not take off then sit for 40+ minutes before having to get of the time. A complete waste of my time. I cannot believe they can stay business with these shenanigans. I’ll avoid this company like the plague moving forward as the lack of accountability is disgraceful.

Not seat assigned because overbooking. We could go because some people decided to give their seats.

The flights were very uncomfortable the seats don't have much leg room at all and they are pretty hard as well.

spirit delayed my first flight 9 hours and then cancelled my flight back home. Very disappointed with their service.

Late taking off. ATC sent us circling around Chicago for almost an hour, after landing taxied for 40 minutes.

I waited for 4+ extra hours to even board when i was fighting off a cold. So i was sitting there in the airport with a fever and chills while spirit wasted my time. Then once on the plane we had at least an extra hour of taxiing before and after takeoff. Really poor airline, no amenities to speak of, and a lack of organization that will just ruin your experience.

Terrible. They cancelled the flight at the last minute after I had checked in at the airport and then told me they could only put me on a flight after 7 days. Pathetic.

Flight was on time. Friendly crew. Gate agents in the other hand were very unfriendly.

Bought round trip tickets. Ended up upgrading to first class. Both flights were new planes but hadn’t been equipped with WiFi and there were no charging ports at my seat despite it being new and first class accommodations.

Like: seats that don't move; fast boarding; engaging crew; low-prices; individual gate at LGA; access to restrooms at the gate Dislike: no water on the flight

To be Honest they canceled my flight and didn't have other options. Until 4 says later and I have a 2yr old very disappointed.

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports