ORD - SFO

£67 Find Cheap Flights from Chicago to San Francisco

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Chicago to San Francisco departing on 29/5. 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

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Francisco

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Chicago to San Francisco, 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 Chicago to San Francisco, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Cheap Flight Deals from Chicago to San Francisco (ORD-SFO)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for return flights from Chicago to San Francisco 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.

Recent return flight deals from Chicago to San Francisco

KAYAK's recommended return flight deals from the most popular airlines that fly from Chicago to San Francisco.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.
Choose your dates
United Airlines Logo
14:40 - 17:26ORD-SFO
4h 46mdirect
United Airlines Logo
23:25 - 05:39SFO-ORD
4h 14mdirect
£134United Airlines
Find Deal
Tue, 1 Jul - Wed, 2 Jul
Alaska Airlines Logo
19:59 - 22:49ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
Alaska Airlines Logo
12:33 - 18:59SFO-ORD
4h 26mdirect
£141Alaska Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, 29 May - Tue, 3 Jun
Frontier Logo
17:03 - 10:23ORD-SFO
19h 20m1 stop
Frontier Logo
06:37 - 23:59SFO-ORD
15h 22m1 stop
£141Frontier
Find Deal
Wed, 4 Jun - Mon, 9 Jun
United Airlines Logo
19:47 - 22:37ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
United Airlines Logo
16:50 - 23:13SFO-ORD
4h 23mdirect
£147United Airlines
Find Deal
Wed, 18 Jun - Tue, 24 Jun
United Airlines Logo
21:09 - 23:59ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
United Airlines Logo
16:50 - 23:13SFO-ORD
4h 23mdirect
£148United Airlines
Find Deal
Fri, 23 May - Sat, 24 May
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
19:59 - 22:49ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
18:49 - 05:40SFO-ORD
8h 51m1 stop
£156Hawaiian Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, 29 May - Tue, 3 Jun
 Logo
19:59 - 22:49ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
 Logo
06:37 - 23:59SFO-ORD
15h 22m1 stop
Wed, 4 Jun - Mon, 9 Jun
Southwest Logo
18:55 - 23:30ORD-SFO
6h 35m1 stop
Southwest Logo
22:45 - 12:45SFO-ORD
12h 00m1 stop
£166Southwest
Find Deal
Tue, 15 Jul - Tue, 22 Jul
Southwest Logo
17:25 - 23:10ORD-SFO
7h 45m1 stop
Southwest Logo
05:30 - 14:05SFO-ORD
6h 35m1 stop
£169Southwest
Find Deal
Wed, 16 Jul - Thu, 21 Aug
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
19:59 - 22:49ORD-SFO
4h 50mdirect
Hawaiian Airlines Logo
12:33 - 18:59SFO-ORD
4h 26mdirect
£177Hawaiian Airlines
Find Deal
Thu, 15 May - Tue, 20 May

Expert advice for your flight from Chicago to San Francisco

 
Snippets provided in this section are AI-generated based on a summarisation of KAYAK-commissioned articles. The articles are presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the articles are specific to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Airports
ORD

Security lines at ORD can exceed 30 minutes during peak times. Arrive early to ensure a smooth departure experience.

Read more about ORDby Stefanie Waldek
SFO

For a quick city transfer, take BART from SFO. It's affordable and avoids traffic delays.

Read more about SFOby Blane Bachelor
Our travel experts
Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

Expert on ORD

Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek

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 out at sea, likely en route to Antarctica or the Arctic.

Read more
Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Expert on SFO

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor

Blane Bachelor is a journalist and editor specialising in travel and aviation who writes regularly for top global outlets. Born and raised in Florida, Blane has worked and lived in four countries, including the Netherlands, where she’s currently based with her family. Her favourite way to get to know a new destination is by running or riding a bike around town – or hearing a spooky ghost story about local history.

Read more

KAYAK's insights & trends for Chicago to San Francisco flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Chicago to San Francisco 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 Chicago to San Francisco?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.
When flying from Chicago to San Francisco, you should consider leaving on a Friday and avoid Mondays if you are looking for the best rates. For your return to Chicago, you’ll find the best rates on Fridays and the most expensive ones on Saturdays.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco, 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 Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco is September, where tickets cost £218 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are March and June, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is £287 and £268 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco, 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 Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco, you should book around 4 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 20 weeks before departure.

Good to know - Cheap tickets from Chicago to San Francisco

Low season

February

High season

July

Cheapest flight

£67
Best time to beat the crowds (9% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (6% more expensive on average)
Flight from Chicago to San Francisco

When to book flights from Chicago to San Francisco

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Chicago to San Francisco based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated return price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or returns 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 Chicago to San Francisco flights

  • What is the cheapest flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco was £90 for a one-way ticket and £179 for a return.

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Chicago to San Francisco?

    Chicago and San Francisco are both served by 1 main airport. You will leave Chicago from Chicago O'Hare Intl and will be arriving at San Francisco.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Chicago to San Francisco?

    American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Delta offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Chicago to San Francisco flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Chicago to San Francisco?

    The Airbus A321neo is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Chicago to San Francisco flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Chicago to San Francisco?

    oneworld, and Star Alliance are the airline alliances operating flights between Chicago and San Francisco, with oneworld being the most commonly used for this route.

  • On which days can I fly direct from Chicago to San Francisco?

    There are direct flights from Chicago to San Francisco on a daily basis.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Chicago to San Francisco?

    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 Chicago to San Francisco.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Francisco from Chicago is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Chicago to San Francisco?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly to San Francisco with an airline and back to Chicago with another airline.

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

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

See more FAQs

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco

  • Looking for a cheap flight from San Francisco to Chicago? 25% of our users found flights on this route for £107 or less one-way.

Prefer to fly direct from Chicago to San Francisco?

Find which airlines fly direct from Chicago O'Hare Intl Airport to San Francisco Airport, which days they fly and book direct flights.

Direct departures

Chicago O'Hare Intl to San Francisco

Monday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +21 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +22 more

Tuesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +22 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +23 more

Wednesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +20 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +21 more

Thursday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +22 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +23 more

Friday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +20 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +21 more

Saturday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +23 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +24 more

Sunday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +21 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +22 more

See more direct flights

Direct returns

San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare Intl

Monday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +21 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +22 more

Tuesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +22 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +23 more

Wednesday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +20 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +21 more

Thursday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +22 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +23 more

Friday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +20 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +21 more

Saturday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +23 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +24 more

Sunday

ANA, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, +21 more

ANA, Aer Lingus, +22 more

See more direct flights
See more direct flights

Top airline flying from Chicago to San Francisco

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Chicago to San Francisco. 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 Chicago to San Francisco? 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.
7.4
United AirlinesOverall score based on 8683 reviews
7.3Comfort
7.1Entertainment
8.1Crew
6.6Food
7.7Boarding
Airline reviews

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Mar 2025LAX - SFO
Read more United Airlines reviews

The gate was too far away for the connecting flight

Generally good. The aisles have gotten narrower which can slow down boarding. Flight crew was great! Healthier complimentary snacks would be appreciated. Due to earthquake in San Francisco we had to circle in air space for a bit but then had a smooth landing. I laud the flight crew for their patience ;)

The agents was very rude and they charged me $50 for a carry-on bag saying that it was too big and then I saw someone going on a plane with the same size bag as me

For the most part united was a good experience, how ever when they came by with the snacks and water, they completely passed by my wife and I. As we were in separate rows. On a 5 hr flight we were not offered water

Fantastic crew. Flight was delayed at last minute but we were given updates every 20 minutes and the crew was so friendly and considerate. I miss the touch screens on the back of the seats, wish they would bring that back though.

Awful. Worst airline I have ever been on. Crew were among the rudest people I have ever dealt with. United staff members were rude and disrespectful. My flight was delayed, causing me to miss a connecting flight. I understand things happen, but when staff start lying about what actually happened, that is when I have an issue. Just be honest, really it isn’t that hard. I’m being very honest with this review and I don’t find this difficult what so ever. In fact, because of United Airlines, my Christmas holiday was off to a really rocky start. As someone who has traveled across the world, it has only been United that I have had a truly awful experience.

Good flight. On time. Boarding and seating was easy. Crew were really friendly, yet professional. Bathroom (by cockpit) was small but serviceable. Some the seats were showing some notable wear & tear, but were comfy. Very happy UA customer. TY! 🤛🏽💗

We arrived early and finally made it to our gate almost an hour after.

We were delayed 3x and because I didn’t purchase my tickets directly from United Airlines I was told I Have to take care of it myself so I called Underpricer and they helped me but before I changed my flights I took the risk of sticking by what my tickets were and was lucky to have gotten on the original all flight with only 15 mins before take off. not sure if I will do this again

Everything good until we waited for jet bridge at SFO. Then pilot gets on speaker & said it won’t reach plane- too short, need to go to different gate. Then 5 min later, adjusted plane/jetbridge & all ok?!?

Everything you need to know for your flight from Chicago to San Francisco

Information on your arrival and departure airports

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