$145 Find Cheap Flights from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Chicago - Compare and Save

Among airlines operating Santa Ana to Chicago flights:

• American Airlines: offers extra legroom; offers free seat selection
• United Airlines: offers free seat selection
• Alaska Airlines: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

2 airlines operate flights between Santa Ana and Chicago. The airlines offering nonstop flights on this route include:

• American Airlines
• United Airlines

Flights from Santa Ana to Chicago usually depart from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty (SNA) and may arrive at several airports in Chicago area, including Chicago Midway (MDW), Chicago O'Hare Intl (ORD) and Chicago Greater Rockford (RFD).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• American Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• Alaska Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy Class
• United Airlines: a cabin bag and a checked bag in First Class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route and airline, so travelers should check the fare details before booking.

Three cabin classes are available on flights from Santa Ana to Chicago:

• Economy Class
• Business Class
• First Class

On this route, layover flights are cheaper than nonstop options on average. Layover fares average $328 round-trip via Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), compared to $443 for nonstop.

There is no standard. Checked-bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge $40–$100 for the first checked bag in economy. Premium fares and elite-status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

One-stop flights from Santa Ana to Chicago most commonly connect through:

• Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) - 37% of one-stop connections
• Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS) - 29% of one-stop connections
• Denver Intl (DEN) - 14% of one-stop connections
• Salt Lake City (SLC) - 8% of one-stop connections

Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) handles the largest share of one-stop connections on this route.

On the Santa Ana to Chicago route, being flexible with your departure day can save you up to 27%. Saturday is the cheapest day at $415 round-trip on average, while Sunday is the most expensive at $563: a $148 difference. Cheaper weekend fares like these are typical of routes dominated by weekday business travel.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Santa Ana to Chicago route, 9% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 3 hours 14 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Santa Ana to Chicago flights, with 67% of flights leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 33%, evening flights for 0%, and night flights for 0%.

Some of the most popular sights in Chicago are Magnificent Mile, Grant Park and River North. These are among the most viewed places in Chicago on KAYAK.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Santa Ana to Chicago:

• Earliest: departs at 6:45 am and lands at 11:03 am
• Latest: departs at 3:30 pm and lands at 7:48 pm.

The flight takes about 4h 18m.

Last-minute fares on this route - booked within 2 weeks of departure - run 21% above the route average of $441. Book 10 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A nonstop flight from Santa Ana to Chicago takes 4h 18m, covering 1,734 miles.

No, a passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, round-trip prices on this route showed a wide range, from about $300 to $2,450. That means the highest observed fare was about 8x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Santa Ana to Chicago are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about $148, which is 50% below the typical average for this route.

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl (PHX) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time at 6h 16m, compared with 6h 20m via Salt Lake City (SLC) and 7h 32m via Las Vegas Harry Reid Intl (LAS).

Chicago is 2 hours ahead of Santa Ana (Central Time vs Pacific Time). Plan for the time shift when scheduling connections or first-day activities.

Since Chicago is served by multiple airports, car rental options and rates can vary depending on which one you fly into.
Near Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport (ORD) — daily rates from around $17:

• Routes Car & Truck Rentals
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Dollar
• Ace

Near Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) — daily rates from around $32:

• Hertz
• Dollar
• Budget
• Alamo
• Rent-A-Wreck

Near Chicago Greater Rockford Airport (RFD) — daily rates from around $30:

• Alamo
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Budget
• Avis
• National

Round-trip flights from Santa Ana to Chicago range from $357 to $550, with an average of $441 over the past 12 months. Anything below $357 counts as a good deal.

Two airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi on Santa Ana to Chicago flights:

• • American Airlines
• • JetBlue