SNA - SMF

$71 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 2/28. 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
$154
Overall average: $328
Multiple Airlines
Fri 1/23Sun 1/25
SNA - SMF • 1 stop
Cheapest non-stop
$311
Typical prices: $272-$497
Southwest
Thu 1/15Mon 1/26
SNA - SMF • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
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
Video guide: How to find cheap flights to Sacramento
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When to book
4 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 4 weeks in advance save around 56% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 28% price drop
March
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
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+1
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Flight Deals
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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

Fri, Jan 23 - Sun, Jan 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 12:57 pm
SNA
-
SMF
6h 12m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:48 pm - 12:25 pm
SMF
-
SNA
22h 37m1 stop
$154Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 15 - Mon, Jan 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:37 pm - 3:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
22h 58m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:48 pm - 8:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
7h 09m1 stop
$155Multiple Airlines
Sat, Jan 17 - Mon, Jan 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 3:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
8h 50m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 3:42 pm
SMF
-
SNA
23h 22m1 stop
$159Multiple Airlines
Fri, Jan 16 - Mon, Jan 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 3:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
8h 50m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 3:42 pm
SMF
-
SNA
23h 22m1 stop
$160Multiple Airlines
Sat, Mar 7 - Mon, Mar 9
Frontier Logo
11:32 am - 10:06 am
SNA
-
SMF
22h 34m1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:08 am - 12:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
3h 49m1 stop
$163Frontier
Fri, Jan 9 - Mon, Jan 12
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:14 pm - 2:54 pm
SNA
-
SMF
18h 40m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
3:36 pm - 8:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
5h 21m1 stop
$164Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 22 - Sun, Jan 25
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 12:57 pm
SNA
-
SMF
23h 37m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:48 pm - 8:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
7h 09m1 stop
$165Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 15 - Mon, Jan 26
Multiple Airlines Logo
10:23 am - 12:18 pm
SNA
-
SMF
25h 55m2 stops
Multiple Airlines Logo
1:48 pm - 8:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
7h 09m1 stop
$169Multiple Airlines
Thu, Jan 15 - Mon, Jan 19
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:28 am - 10:50 am
SNA
-
SMF
23h 22m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 12:25 pm
SMF
-
SNA
20h 05m1 stop
$170Multiple Airlines
Sat, Jan 17 - Sun, Jan 18
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:45 am - 3:35 pm
SNA
-
SMF
8h 50m1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:20 pm - 8:57 pm
SMF
-
SNA
4h 37m1 stop
$175Multiple 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.

Find cheap flights to Sacramento
Find cheap flights to Sacramento

Planning a trip from Santa Ana to Sacramento? KAYAK’s data-powered insights will help you find cheap flights. Learn the best time to fly, how early to book your ticket, and other tips to secure great prices.

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 Tuesdays and avoid leaving on a Sunday, 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 October and November, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $515 and $359 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 $339 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 4 weeks before departure, which saves you about 56% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 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.
Airports
SNA

Enjoy short security lines at SNA, rarely exceeding 10 minutes, making it a stress-free start to your journey.

SMF

SMF offers easy highway access for quick travel to Sacramento and beyond, ideal for exploring California.

Our travel experts
Esther Carlstone

Esther Carlstone

Expert on SNA

Esther Carlstone

Esther Carlstone

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.

Read more
Bill Fink

Bill Fink

Expert on SMF

Bill Fink

Bill Fink

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.

Read more

Good to know

Low seasonDecember
Cheapest flight$71
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 7% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 2% 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 $71 for a one-way ticket and $154 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 Boeing 737-700 Passenger/BBJ1 (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 $330 and an overall rating of 7.9, Southwest is the most popular choice. Delta is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $197 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 $193 or less one-way and $339 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.
7.9
SouthwestOverall score based on 4249 reviews
8.6Crew
8.1Boarding
7.0Food
7.5Entertainment
8.0Comfort
Airline reviews

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.

8.0 ExcellentRussell, Dec 2025
SAN - OAK
Read more Southwest reviews

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.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

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

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

Connecting flight is on time and boarding was a breeze!

Very smooth checking in our luggage with a super pleasant SW agent. I enjoyed a fun entertaining movie.

First time traveling on Southwest since bag fees were implemented. Usual good service. Just more expensive now.

It was a perfect flight in all aspects! Both legs!

No lunch on a x-country flight scheduled for 10:50 am departure, arrived 5+ hrs later. That requires a black box label before you pay for the tickets. Worst, when I checked in online, it's specifically said that lunch was served on his flight for economy Plus passengers.

Our flight from SFO to MSP was right on time on 11/15/2025. No delays. As we approached MSP at about 8 pm, we circled in the air until 8:40 pm so I don't call that efficient for MSP. I think the captain should announce the delay and why. (as if we all don't know that we are just circling around the area, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down.) Thank you. Marilyn Fischer

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 .

Flight was too crowded and seats are too small, especially since passengrs are getting larger. Having a middle seat is ALWAYS tough! Woman on my left was large & kept creeping in to my space. Flight personnel were great! Have more savory rather than sweet snacks please.

The crew took good care of us. The flight from ATL to SFO is a longer one, and there were multiple beverage offerings. I like the 757's that Delta uses. Good airplane that is comfortable. I do wish Delta would separate Priority boarding from the better seats. I would gladly take a smaller seat in an open row than be jammed into Comfort just to get priority boarding, just to make sure I don't have to check a bag.

Gate agent rushed to fill hot jetway with crowd so it took over 12 minutes to go from gate to plane. Just like a discount airline Pooly prepared cabin and third time that claim of rough air prevented any cabin service. Friends on a Southwest flight at similar time had service.

Flight delayed for two and half hours and then canceled altogether due to mechanical issues. No mechanic onsite to fix so had to send one from LAX.

I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

The plane was freezing and everyone had on their winter coats. I pulled out my sweaters out of my carryon to cover myself and put on an extra pair of socks. They offered NO FREE drinks or snacks on a 6 hour flight. The seats don’t have plugs or charges or any form of entertainment- so I just played my one downloaded game on my phone because I couldn’t sleep because I was too cold. Miserable flight though we landed safely.

Always comes in handy when I want a quick weekend getaway.

My luggage didn’t arrive at LAX, so that wasn’t a good experience.

I was never aware that I had to pay $100 per luggage to them on the plane that are simply carry-ons. This is discriminatory and I’m going to be alerting my entire family and friends and my Instagram following up over 75,000 of this issue and misunderstanding, including mismanaging.

Cancelled my flight last minute and did not help me rebook. It was a horrible experience.

Late departure by 1:45min. No explanation why. During boarding inconsistent policing of their baggage rules. Before takeoff and lamdimg strange obsession with window shade and armrest positions. Don't know why they care. 15 min tarmac delay on arrival, they blamed airport congestion but we were the o lh flight waiting, it was clear it was due to poor staff planning (only one ground crew to receive airplanes and multiple arrivals) Got there but was rrally lame the whole trip.

Good on that leg. When I arrived in Detroit I had to wait over an hour for luggage.

Boarding was a breeze, however, two of the flights that I boarded with Spirit did not have Wi-Fi available.

Very good. Nothing more or less than expected. No complaints.

My experience with the spirit as a first time it was OK, but the seats need a little cushion, the problem I had the most impacted me was when checking in the scales were so off and wrong. It will tell that you would have more weight, which was not true. The scale was say that it had Thirty Eight Pounds, when get in the labels when we send the luggage into the band. It says that it was overweight. I really really dislike that because the scales are not accurate. If I use Spirit and I have that issue again. That will be my last time flying with the spirit, even though I like so much to service the planes, and everything else

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.

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

The crew was mostly okay. The flight attendant who answered our questions was curt and unhelpful unfortunately. He seemed upset and I understand having off days.

Very bad! No good service delayed my second connection flight

They canceled flight. Hard to believe there was even a plane incoming for us to get on

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports