SNA

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) Flights & Information

Search for one-way and round-trip flights departing to and from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA). After clicking find deals, you’ll be taken to a page where you can modify your flight criteria if needed, and then proceed to selecting travel providers offering Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport flight deals.
— SNA
1
We work with more than 300 partners to bring you better travel deals

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) Flight Information

Find helpful information about Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) to aid in your flight search on Cheapflights.

Airport code

SNA

Daily departures

1,050

Daily arrivals

988

Most popular destination

LAS (Las Vegas)

Cheapest destination

OAK (Oakland)

Average flight price

$519
Average number of daily flights departing from SNA
Average number of daily flights to SNA
Average for round-trip flights in January 2025

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport Guide

Scott Laird
September 9, 2024

The closest major airport to popular Orange County attractions such as Disneyland, beach towns, and shopping, John Wayne Airport (SNA) can save travelers a good amount of transit time vs. larger, more congested airports like Los Angeles International (LAX). With a single-building, easily navigable terminal, and nonstop flights to a growing number of cities, SNA is a preferred departure point for local residents and visitors to the region.

Getting to and from SNA

Like most Southern California airports, the transit options outside of cars are virtually nonexistent, so plan on taking a taxi, rideshare, rental car, or airport shuttle to or from SNA. There is a single public bus service that runs from SNA to Huntington Beach, but only during daylight hours.

Rideshare services can drop you off at the terminal directly, but to get a ride from the airport, you’ll need to go to the designated areas on the roof of the parking structures. It takes a few minutes to walk to them from the terminal, so if the ride apps are showing pickups available quickly, it’s best to wait until you’re enroute to the pickup zones before requesting your ride.

SNA is divided into three terminals: A, B, and C, but they’re all in the same building, and the gate areas are all conjoined behind the security checkpoint. The terminals essentially describe three ticketing lobbies used by the various airlines. Each of the terminals also has dedicated parking structures, but again, this is really just a descriptor of which parking structure is most convenient to which ticketing lobby.

Navigating Security Lines at SNA

SNA has a security checkpoint for each of the three terminals, but everything is the same once you’re past security, so it’s possible to “checkpoint shop” for the shortest line. If the line seems long at one, just check out the next one to see if the situation is any different. Each of the checkpoints also has a TSA PreCheck lane and they generally operate the same hours at each of the three checkpoints.

If arriving by car, keep an eye on how busy the curbside appears to be at each of the three terminals. Passengers tend to use the checkpoint closest to their ticket counter, and less traffic curbside can often translate into less traffic at that terminal’s checkpoint. As with many California airports, the checkpoints tend to be the busiest early in the morning and in the early evening.

Airline lounges at SNA

SNA has two airline lounges: an American Airlines Admiral’s Club and a United Airlines United Club. Both are accessible by elevator near Gate 8 and Gate 9, respectively. They’re membership clubs that also sell single-day passes, but they won’t accept the day passes when they’re full.

Once inside, they both have a selection of snacks and light meals, and a host bar for well drinks (premium drinks are available for purchase at each). There’s also comfortable seating and a rather distinctive “loft” feel, on the second floor near the terminal’s distinctive half-moon shaped curved ceiling.

Things to do during a layover at SNA

Layovers aren’t common at SNA, as the airport is generally designed as terminus for travelers originating in or bound for Orange County and the surrounding areas. Many airlines also prevent connecting itineraries from being sold via SNA because the county has capped the total number of passengers that can fly through the airport annually, to limit noise and air pollution impacts on the community.

That said, it’s not uncommon to find yourself with some extra time on your hands in the terminal if you’ve arrived really early (which is a good idea, given the unpredictable traffic on the surrounding freeways) you can always check out the various art collections scattered around the terminal (both pre- and post-security). If you’re a piano player, there’s a Yamaha piano that’s frequently serviced and tuned on the upper level between Terminals A and B.

Foodwise, there are some California chains operating in the terminal, like California Pizza Kitchen, Qdoba, Jamba Juice, Sambazon Acai Bowls, and Carl’s Jr. There are also outposts of the Orange County favorites Ruby’s Diner and Taps Fish House, both of which offer table service.

If you’re a coffee lover, know that there’s both Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf options available in the terminal. The one Starbucks is near Gate 12 just past the central Terminal B checkpoint, while the two Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations are near Gate 5 and Gate 16, near the Terminal A and Terminal C checkpoints. There’s also a “Bean & Leaf” in Baggage Claim at Terminal B, but if you need an evening coffee fix, pick up a coffee before leaving the gates—the baggage claim coffee shop closes in the very early evening.

Alternative airports to SNA

SNA is centrally located in Orange County, but there are plenty of other alternatives in Southern California. Long Beach Airport (LGB) is just 21 miles away. Ontario International Airport (ONT) is 41 miles, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) 41 miles. Many parts of the LA Basin have at least two airports a similar distance away, so it can be beneficial to check alternate airports each time you travel.

That said, many travelers value SNA for its small-terminal convenience. But, because it’s also capacity-constrained because of environmental regulations, it means there are not enough seats for everyone who wants to use the airport, and that drives fares higher than surrounding airports without restrictions. Because of this, it’s worth checking other airports if you’re particularly price sensitive, as SNA is sometimes excluded from fare sales that airlines might run at other airports without capacity restrictions.

LA’s airports also serve different roles. Most service from SNA is domestic, so if you’re wanting to travel internationally booking from SNA may involve a connection while there may be nonstop flights from LAX. It’s a similar story if you’re wanting to go to Hawai’i – nonstop flights to the Aloha State from SNA are very limited, and there are more options available from LGB or LAX.

Getting between LAX/LGB and SNA

The days when you could fly into LAX and take a connecting flight onward to SNA are over. However, the airports are close enough that they can be used as alternatives to each other in the event of a flight cancellation. This is particularly helpful if one is affected by weather or operational delays, but not the other, or if flights are sold out for several hours from either airport.

It’s pretty much a straight shot between the two airports on the I-405 freeway. And you drive right by LGB at roughly the halfway mark between them. Travel times, however, can vary greatly between the two airports, as the 405 can tend to be pretty congested, even during off-peak travel times throughout the day, for various unforeseen reasons. Be sure to check a traffic or map app for current estimates before considering travel between LAX/LGB and SNA.

Parking at SNA

Parking at SNA is pretty reasonable: the daily rate for terminal parking is roughly a third of what you might pay at LAX. In fact, you can even park your car at the curbside valet at SNA for significantly cheaper than the regular terminal parking at LAX. If you’re looking for the absolute best price, there’s an off-airport lot with a free shuttle, but the savings aren’t huge.

The parking lots at SNA do, however, have a tendency to fill up, so be sure to check the airport’s website to find out which parking structure still has availability before heading out. If the parking structure nearest your check-in counter is full, it might be a slightly longer walk to check baggage if you have to park further away. If you’re not checking bags, there’s no impact, as you can use any of the terminal checkpoints to enter the secure area.

A Different Takeoff

Departures from SNA have been described by uninitiated passengers as “intense”. With a short runway and the airfield hemmed in by noise-sensitive suburban areas, the airport has strict regulations on aircraft noise. Each airline handles this a bit differently, but most departures from SNA involve spooling up the engines with the brakes on, a fast acceleration and a very steep initial climb out. After screaming into the air, the aircraft levels off slightly and the engines almost seem to turn off, even though they’re really just throttled back to reduce noise. The aircraft then seems to float, quietly, toward the coast, where the engines throttle back up once over water.

If you’ve flown plenty (but not out of SNA) it can be disconcerting. I’ve had flight attendants who frequent SNA routes tell me that sometimes passengers will ask if everything was ok on departure, thinking the engines had briefly stopped working because they go so quiet. Travelers can rest assured that’s just all part of the procedure at this rather extraordinary airport.

This Cheapflights-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.

Cheap flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport in January and February 2025

Find deals on flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) in January and February 2025. Deals are based on recent searches Cheapflights users made over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Wed 2/57:00 amOAK - SNA
Nonstop1h 28mSpirit Airlines
Sat 2/89:23 amSNA - OAK
Nonstop1h 19mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/9$53
Sun 1/263:48 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 33mFrontier
Thu 1/3012:29 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$60
Mon 1/207:49 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Wed 1/222:17 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/9$67
Wed 1/2210:35 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 38mUnited Airlines
Wed 1/225:50 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 36mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/10$77
Tue 2/1112:00 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 27mMultiple Airlines
Fri 2/145:49 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/9$78
Wed 1/2211:43 amDEN - SNA
Nonstop2h 35mFrontier
Sat 1/252:08 pmSNA - DEN
Nonstop2h 28mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$78
Thu 2/1310:39 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop20h 10mMultiple Airlines
Mon 2/172:46 pmSNA - DFW
1 stop25h 55mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/8$129
Sat 2/86:49 amDFW - SNA
1 stop8h 29mFrontier
Tue 2/112:08 pmSNA - DFW
1 stop7h 53mFrontier
Deal found 1/8$130
Tue 1/142:57 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop8h 47mSpirit Airlines
Thu 1/166:45 amSNA - DFW
1 stop14h 43mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/7$133
Tue 2/43:48 pmPDX - SNA
Nonstop2h 24mAlaska Airlines
Sat 2/86:45 amSNA - PDX
Nonstop2h 41mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/9$137
Sun 1/1210:37 amPDX - SNA
1 stop25h 09mFrontier
Thu 1/166:14 pmSNA - PDX
1 stop15h 31mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$138
Fri 1/315:30 pmPDX - SNA
1 stop4h 14mSpirit Airlines
Wed 2/56:45 amSNA - PDX
1 stop9h 50mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/8$139

Round-trip flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA)

Find deals on round-trip flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport. Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Wed 2/57:00 amOAK - SNA
Nonstop1h 28mSpirit Airlines
Sat 2/89:23 amSNA - OAK
Nonstop1h 19mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/9$53
Sun 1/263:48 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 33mFrontier
Thu 1/3012:29 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$60
Mon 1/207:49 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Wed 1/222:17 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/8$67
Tue 2/1112:00 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 27mMultiple Airlines
Fri 2/145:49 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/9$78
Wed 2/197:30 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 44mUnited Airlines
Mon 2/246:18 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 30mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/8$106
Fri 2/76:20 amSEA - SNA
Nonstop2h 52mDelta
Mon 2/107:55 pmSNA - SEA
Nonstop3h 07mDelta
Deal found 1/9$147
Wed 1/2211:43 amDEN - SNA
Nonstop2h 35mFrontier
Wed 2/52:08 pmSNA - DEN
Nonstop2h 28mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$78
Wed 1/224:18 pmSFO - SNA
1 stop4h 41mAmerican Airlines
Fri 1/249:56 amSNA - SFO
1 stop6h 15mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/9$159
Tue 2/46:10 amDEN - SNA
1 stop6h 05mSouthwest
Tue 2/41:35 pmSNA - DEN
Nonstop2h 15mSouthwest
Deal found 1/8$242
Thu 2/1310:39 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop20h 10mMultiple Airlines
Mon 2/172:46 pmSNA - DFW
1 stop25h 55mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/8$129
Tue 1/142:57 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop8h 47mSpirit Airlines
Thu 1/166:45 amSNA - DFW
1 stop14h 43mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/7$133
Tue 2/43:48 pmPDX - SNA
Nonstop2h 24mAlaska Airlines
Sat 2/86:45 amSNA - PDX
Nonstop2h 41mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/9$137

Flights departing from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA)

Find deals on round-trip flights from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA). Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Sat 2/223:32 pmSNA - LAS
Nonstop1h 15mFrontier
Sat 3/13:34 pmLAS - SNA
Nonstop1h 15mFrontier
Deal found 1/8$48
Sat 2/222:46 pmSNA - LAS
Nonstop1h 16mSpirit Airlines
Sat 3/112:37 pmLAS - SNA
Nonstop1h 14mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/7$49
Wed 1/229:23 amSNA - LAS
1 stop3h 45mMultiple Airlines
Fri 1/2410:25 amLAS - SNA
Nonstop1h 14mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/8$54
Wed 2/52:17 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Mon 2/103:15 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 29mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/8$57
Thu 1/239:23 amSNA - OAK
Nonstop1h 19mSpirit Airlines
Fri 1/247:00 amOAK - SNA
Nonstop1h 28mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/8$54
Thu 3/65:54 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mFrontier
Sat 3/812:59 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 33mFrontier
Deal found 1/8$58
Fri 1/2410:05 amSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 46mUnited Airlines
Tue 1/287:10 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 35mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/9$117
Fri 1/3112:29 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mMultiple Airlines
Sun 2/27:49 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 31mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/8$61
Tue 1/283:00 pmSNA - SJC
1 stop4h 07mSpirit Airlines
Wed 1/2911:36 amSJC - SNA
1 stop10h 08mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/9$68
Thu 1/236:45 amSNA - SFO
1 stop5h 45mAmerican Airlines
Mon 1/274:18 pmSFO - SNA
1 stop4h 41mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/9$158
Sat 1/256:37 pmSNA - PHX
Nonstop1h 21mFrontier
Mon 1/279:22 amPHX - SNA
1 stop3h 17mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$74
Thu 2/66:45 amSNA - PHX
1 stop3h 16mMultiple Airlines
Thu 2/63:40 pmPHX - SNA
Nonstop1h 27mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/9$80

Flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) departing soon

Find deals on flights to Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) leaving in the next seven days. Deals are based on recent searches made by Cheapflights users over the past 12 months. Click “Pick Dates” to customize your flight criteria, and browse current flight deals from travel providers.
Thu 1/167:00 amOAK - SNA
Nonstop1h 28mSpirit Airlines
Tue 1/213:00 pmSNA - OAK
1 stop6h 35mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/9$69
Sun 1/193:48 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 33mFrontier
Mon 3/35:29 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 35mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$73
Wed 1/157:25 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Thu 1/162:17 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 31mAlaska Airlines
Deal found 1/9$77
Thu 1/167:20 amSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 41mUnited Airlines
Fri 1/2410:05 amSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 46mUnited Airlines
Deal found 1/9$93
Mon 1/208:17 amDEN - SNA
Nonstop2h 40mFrontier
Wed 1/222:08 pmSNA - DEN
Nonstop2h 28mFrontier
Deal found 1/9$96
Fri 1/173:48 pmSFO - SNA
Nonstop1h 33mMultiple Airlines
Wed 1/222:17 pmSNA - SFO
Nonstop1h 31mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/9$133
Tue 1/142:57 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop8h 47mSpirit Airlines
Thu 1/166:45 amSNA - DFW
1 stop14h 43mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/7$133
Sun 1/199:15 amSFO - SNA
1 stop6h 02mAmerican Airlines
Thu 1/2312:47 pmSNA - SFO
1 stop6h 12mAmerican Airlines
Deal found 1/10$159
Thu 1/166:15 amDFW - SNA
1 stop5h 42mFrontier
Thu 1/2310:47 amSNA - DFW
1 stop6h 12mFrontier
Deal found 1/8$178
Tue 1/142:57 pmDFW - SNA
1 stop8h 47mMultiple Airlines
Thu 1/166:14 pmSNA - DFW
1 stop8h 28mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/8$184
Sat 1/185:30 pmPDX - SNA
1 stop4h 14mMultiple Airlines
Tue 1/212:08 pmSNA - PDX
1 stop9h 59mMultiple Airlines
Deal found 1/9$184
Wed 1/155:30 pmPDX - SNA
1 stop20h 35mSpirit Airlines
Wed 1/296:45 amSNA - PDX
1 stop9h 50mSpirit Airlines
Deal found 1/9$197

Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA) flight status

Find the status of flights flying to and from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA). Search by flight number or origin/destination and date/time to find the specific flight(s) you’re interested in.
Utilize the flight tracker to see the current status of flights flying to and from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport.
or
Sun 1/12
4:00 am

Reviews of airlines servicing Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA)

Read reviews of airlines servicing Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA). Use this information to make informed decisions when choosing an airline for your flight to or from Santa Ana J. Wayne/Orange Cnty Airport (SNA). Reviews last updated January 10, 2025.
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

8.0
Very good
9,643 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

8.0
Very good
8,501 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

8.0
Very good
141 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

7.4
Good
8,942 reviews
8.1
Very good
4,650 reviews

Comfort

8.1

Entertainment

7.7

Overall

8.1

Crew

8.7

Boarding

8.2

Food

7.2

Reviews

1 / 10

My first time, surprisingly good! It was a good ride overall. Coming from Singapore, this budget flight is better than the budget airline for our national carrier Singapore Airlines.

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

Other airports near J. Wayne/Orange Cnty

Other Santa Ana travelers fly to these airports near J. Wayne/Orange Cnty.