$86+ Cheap flights from Chicago (CHI) to Los Angeles (LAX)

If you catch a nonstop flight from Chicago to Los Angeles, you can expect to spend about four and a half hours in the air. If your flight includes a stopover, add the time spent changing planes to determine your total flight time.

Most of the major U.S. airlines fly between Chicago and Los Angeles. Look for flights with Spirit, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United, and Southwest Airlines.

Almost three dozen nonstop flights connect Chicago to Los Angeles every day, with hundreds more connections available if you're willing to take the time for a stopover. Flights depart beginning at 6 a.m. and keep going till midnight.

Most of Chicago's air traffic flows through O'Hare International Airport, the second-busiest airport in the country, but Midway International Airport can also serve as your starting point to get to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County, you'll find three airports: Los Angeles International Airport, Long Beach Airport and the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.

Flights from Chicago's biggest airport, O'Hare, to the biggest airport in Los Angeles, LAX, tend to be cheaper than other routes. If you can fly late in the day, you may also find some cheaper choices.

O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) are the two main airports serving flights to Los Angeles from Chicago. You will find direct, one- and two-stop flights to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from either airport. ORD is the busier of the two airports, and it offers the most direct flights from Chicago to Los Angeles. However, you will also find a couple of direct flights to Los Angeles from MDW offered by budget carriers such as Southwest Airlines. MDW is much closer to downtown Chicago compared to ORD, so if you want easier access to the airport, it would be the better option.

Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines are the main airlines that provide direct flights from Chicago to Los Angeles. These flights are available any time of the day at both airports in Chicago. The earliest flight is usually offered by American Airlines and the latest by United Airlines. Direct flights from Chicago to Los Angeles take about four hours and 30 minutes. American Airlines and United Airlines are the two main players offering direct flights to Los Angeles from Chicago, with at least five daily trips. Most flights are from ORD, while only Southwest Airlines offers direct flights from MDW to LAX.

One- and two-stop flights are also available from Chicago to Los Angeles. American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Delta are the main airlines offering these connecting flights to Los Angeles from Chicago. Most American Airlines flights have a layover in Phoenix, while those offered by Delta stop in Atlanta. United Airlines’ flights stop in Denver, while Spirit Airlines’ flights have most layovers in Dallas. Other popular layover cities are Las Vegas, Miami, and Charlotte. Most of these flights add anywhere between one to three hours to the overall flight time, and they are more expensive than direct flights.

US citizens will not need a passport or visa to fly to Los Angeles from Chicago. However, you will need a valid form of photo ID to take this trip. A valid form of ID is usually a government-issued document bearing your photo and name. As listed by TSA, some valid forms of ID include passports, driver’s licenses, permanent resident cards, border crossing cards, military IDs, and state-issued photo IDs. Kids below 18 don’t need an ID if they’re traveling with an adult with a valid ID. However, it is recommended to carry some form of ID, like a school ID card.

Most people fly into Los Angeles (LAX) if they book a flight to Los Angeles from Chicago. On average, Los Angeles has 98 inbound flights from Chicago per day from 9 airlines. Los Angeles is conveniently located just 9.4 mi from Los Angeles’s city center.

According to our current data, Frontier ($170), Spirit Airlines ($170), and Southwest ($179) offers the cheapest pricing from Chicago to Los Angeles. Users have found that Frontier is 42% cheaper than the other options available to this destination.

The cheapest airline one-way is Frontier, with whom users have recently found tickets for as low as $86. However, be on the lookout for offers from Spirit Airlines and Southwest, as they are both options that can get you from Chicago to Los Angeles for a low price.

Consider Austrian Airlines (95%), Spirit Airlines (91%) or Brussels Airlines (90%) when booking your flight. These represent the most reliable airlines when flying from Chicago to Los Angeles.

While on average a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles is generally $996, our data shows the cheapest flight currently is $85. When looking at the most popular route, (Chicago O'Hare Intl - Los Angeles), you can expect to pay $110 for that flight.

Yes. In addition to deals on Chicago to Los Angeles flights, Cheapflights offers vacation packages that include both flights and hotel.

After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from Chicago to Los Angeles by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.

Currently, January is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from Chicago to Los Angeles (average of $246). Flying from Chicago to Los Angeles in March is currently the most expensive (average of $344). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

Today, perhaps more than ever before, passengers are searching for sustainable travel options. When the time comes to book your next flight from Chicago to Los Angeles there are a number of eco-friendly airline carriers to choose from including Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines. United Airlines, for example, works closely with its partners on the ground to reduce jet fuel usage and waste in an effort to lower its emissions. Likewise, Spirit Airlines has invested in a newer fleet of aircraft which are lighter and more fuel efficient. Additionally, Spirit works with its passengers by offering incentives to travel lighter, thereby reducing the amount of fuel needed for flights, such as to Los Angeles from Chicago. American Airlines is another eco-friendly carrier which has instituted recycling policies and efforts to reduce carbon emissions. When you choose to fly with any of these airlines, you can rest assured that the environmental impact of your journey will be minimal.

There are several ways to implement sustainable travel practices into your personal habits. For example, it’s always a good idea to carpool or use public transportation to and from the airport in order to reduce emissions on the ground. It’s also helpful to pack as lightly as possible so as to reduce the amount of jet fuel needed for your flight. While you're in the air, try to select straw-free beverage options to reduce plastic waste. Of course before, during, or even after your flight it's also a good practice to donate to reforestation organizations working to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as those emitted by aircraft.