Cheap Flights from SFO to SNA: When to Fly from San Francisco to Santa Ana

 

The cheapest times to fly from SFO to SNA are

• July 30th to November 18th
• December 3rd to February 25th (except the weeks of December 17th and February 12th)

based on data collected exclusively by Champion Traveler across tens of millions of flights. Among all the dates above, the very cheapest time to fly from SFO to SNA is early September. Prices can be as high as $524 for Sunday flights during mid May, or as low as $102 for Tuesday flights around early September.

 

When to Fly to Santa Ana

Flying from San Francisco, CA (SFO) to Santa Ana, CA (SNA) will usually cost between $107 to $257 per person if booking more than four weeks in advance. On average the very cheapest time to fly is early September with an average ticket price of $121. Due to high demand the most expensive time to fly is mid May, with an average price of $278. Planning your trip to low-cost times can easily save you $157 on economy flights and even more on first-class flights. Generally, any price below $208 can be considered a good price for a round-trip SFO to SNA flight.

See below for a graph of average weekly prices for the SFO to SNA route. All prices are for round-trip tickets in USD.

Compared to other flights, the SFO to SNA flight is much cheaper than the average and costs much less than the average flight leaving from San Francisco. The average price per mile (for a direct flight) is $0.35, which is in the normal range for a flight.

 

Flight Prices by Day of the Week

Tuesday is usually the cheapest day to depart and return on this flight. Sundays are the most expensive days to fly out or take a return trip. Selecting flights on the least expensive days could save you up to $50 (23%) on this flight.

Departing prices are for round-trip flights returning on the day of departure. For example, a flight departing on Tuesday and returning a week later will cost an average of $172. Return trip prices are from the SNA to SFO flight, and often highlight the quality of our data in showing the same trend.

 

Nonstop Flights and Layovers

Travelers looking to fly from SFO to SNA can generally find a 0-layover flight. Because there is a direct flight option the real-world direct flight time of 1 hour 39 minutes may be realistic.

 

Alternative Nearby Airports

Champion Traveler tells you which airports are nearby and whether tickets might be cheaper alternative airports nearby. Sometimes it’s worth it to fly into a closer airport and then commute to your destination. Remember that there is a nonstop flight from SFO to SNA while comparing.

 

Flight Questions Answered

Still have questions about flying from SFO to SNA? We’ve got answers.

Which airlines fly this route?

You can find 6 major airlines flying this route most often: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United, and potentially more during busy seasons.

How far away is it from John Wayne-Orange County Airport to San Francisco International Airport?

The distance between the two airports is roughly 372 miles or 599 kilometers.

How long does it take to fly from SFO to SNA?

The real-world flight time for a nonstop SFO to SNA flight is about 1 hour 39 minutes.

How many flights go between San Francisco, CA and Santa Ana, CA?

It depends on the day of the week and the date, but a typical day might have around 67 available flights from SFO to SNA.

 

Airport Location Info

 

 

Late and Early Flight Data

Flights from SFO to SNA tend to depart late far less frequently than the average flight. According to our recently updated data, 14% of flights departed 5 or more minutes late, and 30% of flights left 5 or more minutes early. On average you can expect to leave SNA heading for SFO about 3 minutes late. This does not significantly impact arrival time, as the average landing time in Santa Ana, CA is about 4 minutes early. The numbers below show a recent average of take-off times versus the scheduled departure flight:

• SkyWest: 2 minutes late
• United: 5 minutes late
• Some airlines not reporting

 

Please note that while we’ve worked hard to analyzed tens of millions of flights to get you this data, we do not calculate current live prices or guarantee pricing. Please see our partners using the links above for current offers.