SNA - SMF

$76 Find Cheap Flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento

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 Sacramento departing on 4/25. 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 Sacramento

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Santa Ana to Sacramento, 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 Santa Ana to Sacramento, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$185
Overall average: $337
Multiple Airlines
Thu 4/16Sun 4/19
SNA - SMF • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$337
Typical prices: $265-$493
Southwest
Tue 4/14Tue 4/21
SNA - SMF • Non-stop
Advice from real travelers
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
Enjoy short security lines at SNA for a quick start.
SMF offers easy highway access for exploring California.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Nonstop flights
Every day
You can fly direct with Southwest. Average duration is 1h 33m
Direct flights
Direct flights
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+1
Direct flights
Direct flights
+1
Top layover airports
Cheapest • Avg $160 (round-trip)
Shortest trip • 3h 38m (one-way)
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to book
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 3 weeks in advance save around 54% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
Cheapest • 35% price drop
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
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Good to know
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KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Sacramento!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Expert advice
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento (SNA-SMF)

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

Thu, Apr 16 - Sun, Apr 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 2:16 pm
SNA
-
SMF
6h 46m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 8:05 am
SMF
-
SNA
13h 13m
1 stop
$185Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 16 - Thu, Apr 23
Frontier Logo
7:56 pm - 5:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
21h 39m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
11:03 am - 10:44 am
SMF
-
SNA
23h 41m
1 stop
$191Frontier
Wed, Apr 8 - Mon, Apr 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:53 pm - 9:19 am
SNA
-
SMF
18h 26m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:51 pm - 3:33 pm
SMF
-
SNA
20h 42m
1 stop
$192Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 16 - Mon, Apr 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 2:16 pm
SNA
-
SMF
6h 46m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:51 pm - 3:33 pm
SMF
-
SNA
20h 42m
1 stop
$193Multiple Airlines
Fri, Apr 17 - Sun, Apr 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 5:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
10h 50m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 8:05 am
SMF
-
SNA
13h 13m
1 stop
$195Multiple Airlines
Fri, Apr 17 - Sun, Apr 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 5:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
10h 50m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 8:05 am
SMF
-
SNA
13h 13m
1 stop
$206Multiple Airlines
Wed, Apr 8 - Mon, Apr 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 7:29 am
SNA
-
SMF
24h 44m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:51 pm - 3:33 pm
SMF
-
SNA
20h 42m
1 stop
$211Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 23 - Sun, Apr 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
7:30 am - 3:25 pm
SNA
-
SMF
7h 55m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 4:20 pm
SMF
-
SNA
21h 28m
1 stop
$213Multiple Airlines
Wed, Apr 8 - Sun, Apr 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:53 pm - 9:19 am
SNA
-
SMF
18h 26m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:52 pm - 8:05 am
SMF
-
SNA
13h 13m
1 stop
$218Multiple Airlines
Tue, Apr 14 - Mon, Apr 20
Multiple Airlines Logo
2:53 pm - 10:05 am
SNA
-
SMF
43h 12m
2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:51 pm - 3:33 pm
SMF
-
SNA
20h 42m
1 stop
$219Multiple Airlines
Booking Insights

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

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento?

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

If you are looking for a flight deal from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento, look for departures on Saturdays and avoid leaving on a Monday, as it's usually the priciest day. When flying back from Sacramento, Monday is the cheapest day to fly and Wednesday is the most expensive.

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

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento, 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 Sacramento is September, where tickets cost $239 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are February and October, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $604 and $515 respectively.

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

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 $419 on average.

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

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 Sacramento, 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 Sacramento, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 54% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 13 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Santa Ana to Sacramento

 
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
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.

Bill Fink

Bill Fink

Expert on SMF

Bill is an award-winning travel writer with extensive credits covering airlines and the aviation industry for publications including AARP, AFAR, The Points Guy and Yahoo. Based in Portland, Oregon, Bill has traveled to more than 75 countries - and been late for his flight in most of them. He once achieved top-level frequent flier status for all of American, Delta and United Airlines during a single year.

Good to know

Low seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$76
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 6% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 22% increase in price.
Flight from John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento

When to book flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento

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

  • Is there a playing area at SNA?

    A 'Wish lounge' has been created at SNA, allowing children to have a play area. If you travel with your children, they can enjoy the facility, which contains reading books, games, coloring activities, giant teddy bears, and photo creation.

  • How early should you arrive for a domestic flight at SNA?

    The security screening doesn't take quite some time as SNA is equipped with high-security tools making the process less complicated. It would be best if you arrived at least 2h early at the airport. This will give you adequate time to go through the security checkpoints for your flight.

  • Are there rental car services at SMF?

    There are several car rental services at SMF. Their desks are located at the rental terminal, which you can access via a free shuttle service connecting the airport terminal. If you do not want to rent a car, taxis, shuttles, and buses can ride from SMF to Sacramento.

  • Can I get assisted travel services on my flight from SNA to SMF?

    If you require assisted travel services on your flight from SNA to SMF, you should contact the airline you intend to travel with at least 72h before your flight. Contacting your airline this early will give its staff adequate time to plan for the assistance you need.

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

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Santa Ana to Sacramento was $76 for a one-way ticket and $185 for a round-trip.

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

    No

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

    When flying out of John Wayne (Santa Ana) you will be using Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty. You will be landing at Sacramento, also known as Sacramento Intl.

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

    Alaska Airlines, Delta, and American Airlines offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento flight route.

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

    The Embraer 175 (Enhanced Winglets) is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento flight route.

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

    SkyTeam is the only airline alliance operating flights between John Wayne (Santa Ana) and Sacramento.

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

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

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento, Southwest or Delta?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Santa Ana to Sacramento are Southwest and Delta. With an average price for the route of $360 and an overall rating of 8.0, Southwest is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $236 and an overall rating of 7.9.

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

    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 Sacramento.

  • 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 Sacramento?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to Sacramento 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 Sacramento?

    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 Sacramento with an airline and back to John Wayne (Santa Ana) with another airline. Booking your flights between John Wayne (Santa Ana) and SMF 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 John Wayne (Santa Ana) to Sacramento?

    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 Sacramento 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 Sacramento

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $189 or less one-way and $365 or less round-trip.
  • There are several lounges found at John Wayne Airport (SNA). A USO lounge caters to active military personnel and family members of the military personnel. It's located at Terminal B, adjacent to the baggage carousel 4. There is also the American Airlines Admirals club located at Terminal A, which caters to travelers traveling aboard American Airlines flights. The American Airlines Admiral club operates from Monday to Saturday from 05:30 am to 08:45 pm while on Sunday, it operates from 06:30 am to 08:45 pm.
  • If you are traveling to Sacramento from SNA with your baby, you can easily breastfeed your baby and change his/her diapers while waiting for your flight. This is because SNA offers a dedicated nursing facility located at Terminal B, between gates 11 and 12. This nursing room features a comfortable seat, power outlets you can use to charge your breastfeeding pump, a deep sink, and curtains that enhance privacy.
  • The transportation you will use to get to SNA will be determined by how fast you would like to get to the airport and how much you are willing to part with as fare. If you want to get to SNA quickly, it's in your best interest to board a taxi, whereas taking a bus is recommended if you would like to travel cheaply. Alternatively, if you want to balance cost and speed, it's advisable to board one of the metro trains that travel to the airport.
  • If you are driving to SNA, you can park your car at either an off-site or onsite parking space. Main street parking is the cheapest of all the available slots. It would be best to park at the off-site parking lots as it's cheaper than the onsite parking lots. Your choice is welcomed as both onsite and off-site parking places provide heavy security.
  • Traveling with a person with reduced mobilityat Sacramento International Airport (SMF) is less challenging as the airport has introduced services that are accessible and friendly. Features such as TDD telephones, braille signs placed all over the terminals, and also visual paging as some of the disabled-friendly services implemented at SMF.

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

 
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 Sacramento Intl.
Find which airlines fly direct from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport to Sacramento Intl Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty to Sacramento Intl

Monday

Southwest

Southwest

Tuesday

Southwest

Southwest

Wednesday

Southwest

Southwest

Thursday

Southwest

Southwest

Friday

Southwest

Southwest

Saturday

Southwest

Southwest

Sunday

Southwest

Southwest

See more direct flights

Direct returns

Sacramento Intl to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty

Monday

Southwest

Southwest

Tuesday

Southwest

Southwest

Wednesday

Southwest

Southwest

Thursday

Southwest

Southwest

Friday

Southwest

Southwest

Saturday

Southwest

Southwest

Sunday

Southwest

Southwest

See more direct flights

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from Santa Ana to Sacramento

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Santa Ana to Sacramento. 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 Sacramento? 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 4325 reviews
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
8.0Comfort
7.5Entertainment
Airline reviews

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

8.0 ExcellentNicole, Mar 2026
LGB - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

Boarding was easy. The seats are small and fairly uncomfortable

The problem with the seat assignments is that there were a lot of rows in the front that were empty but my row at the back was full. Just not so pleasant.

No food or entertainment, just a quick 40 minute flight. A little bumpy due to Santa Ana winds but pilot has no control over that. Good flight and landing!

Good but I prefer choose your own seat. With the new assigned seats they should board from the back I see no advantage to this new boarding. Just like every other airline

Mediocre. Boarding is now unpleasant. The employees, once friendly and nice, are now regularly speaking sternly to passengers, badgering them to do things right so they can take off on time and gate check bags because they don't have enough overhead bin space. The pretzel snack was crushed flat and broken into even smaller pieces, which happens frequently lately. Drink service was suspended before they reached my row.

The charges were ridiculous for an hour flight and the turbulence was very scary.

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

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

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.

Left a few minutes early. Got in 15 minutes early. Very attentive service on board. Very organized boarding.

There’s not much to say about a one hour flight. This is a connection from LA to RNO that I missed the previous night due to a mechanical check delay on my originating flight from JFK to LAX. The short flight itself was fine. Instructions from the pilot and crew were per usual. The coffee was barely lukewarm, which possibly was purposeful so we would down it quickly. Bags were already on carousel upon reaching baggage claim, which was excellent.

Delta continues to set the benchmark for traveler-friendly service with minimal disruption and clear communication within the mainland US (coast to coast). I am consistently pleased to be a Delta customer, and this experience once again met my expectations. There was a brief delay departing from MIA due to a technical issue that required the aircraft to return to the gate. However, the situation was handled professionally and transparently. Fortunately, my planned layover allowed ample buffer time, so the adjustment caused no stress. Overall, another smooth and reassuring experience.

Awesome! On time flight, early arrival, and a complimentary upgrade!

Was forced to check in my small carry on, even though I informed the crew it has very fragile items inside

They double booked seats, the gate staff changed my ticket as I was boarding she went over to the computer and changed it without telling me. She messed up an entire three row section for me and others. Other travelers were outraged but the gate staff were so rude, so condescending saying it wasn't their problem to solve. I would rate this a zero if I could. Will not fly Delta again I'll stick with United and American.

I usually get upgraded so my experience is usually amazing. I did not get upgraded this time - which was fine - but the wifi had issues, the monitors were going in & out, & (though not Delta's fault) one of the gentlemen next to me desperately needed a shower.

I really liked the legroom. I am 6’4”.a at For some reason our seats were not together and using the app to fix it didn’t work. Passengers were nice enough to move for us but you should absolutely ensure a parent sits with their child.

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

No WiFi, no outlets to charge phones, no complimentary beverages on a 6 hour flight

Flight was delayed more than 3 hours, and the metro had stopped running by the time we got to the terminal well past midnight, so I was stranded, alone, with no way to get home until the metro started up the next morning.

My flight was cancelled I missed time at work and got a parking ticket

I cannot effectively rate the food and drink as I had not. Otherwise, the trip was fine. The seats were nice, the crew was fine. They could smile once in a while. They all look like they were mad.

Crew was very nice. Take off and landing were great. Economy seats are not comfortable. Extra cost for snacks.

The flight was delayed by 2 hours and we had no food or water or chargers

Horribly late because they had no crew!!! And then jet bridge didn’t work!! Then we arrived at a gate at lax miles away that we had to take a shuttle to a terminal!! I was over 3 hours late to getting the LA! Should have been here at 8:30 and at an appointment at 10:30 and arrived and left lax at 11 am!! Horrible experience!!!

Once again, the staff seem to think they are above the customers and treat everyone with disdain, belittling people.

Flight was canceled 8 hours before departure for lack of operational control and prepositioning of a plane. Then had the audacity to say it was because of weather, however there was no weather here in California or New Orleans or in between. It was the weather in Florida, Florida it had nothing to do with our flight path just the plane was supposed to fly us. 8 hours is more than enough time to move a plane anywhere in the US. That left me with a bill of 1200 dollars to re book a flight oh and kayaks insurance what a joke. Probably will never use kayak or spirit ever again terrible companies terrible customer service. I’ll also let everyone and anyone know this was an abomination and only for the customer. Also will be making a report to the DOT on bad business practices on behalf of kayak and spirit as well as the BBB. Do better, take care of your customers and don’t suck

The airplane had a strange noise that was constant throughout the flight. Thankfully I had noise-cancelling over-ear headphones that muted much of it.

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

Our flight was canceled. I will never use Kayak nor Frontier for travel again. The entire experience was a headache.

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.

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.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

I think Frontier was very good at communication. Their app worked very well. Loading was great and the flight was nice and easy.

This airline sucks. They offer low rates then charge you for everything, the app does not work well, the seats are the most uncomfortable. Maintenance issues on the flight, and you still have to sit through their credit card commercials. People are nice enough but does not make up for overall poor experience.

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports