$586 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to Chicago

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight to Chicago departing on 11/12. 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 Chicago

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to Chicago, as well as popular online travel agencies
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$903
Overall average: $989
SWISS
Mon 11/17Mon 12/1
CPT - ORD • 1 stop
Cheapest one-way
$549
Typical prices: $629-$839
Multiple Airlines
Wed 11/12
JNB - ORD • 2 stops
When to travel
February
Cheapest • 10% price drop
June
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
Good to know
Good to know
+1
Start a new search
KAYAK searches 100s of sites at once to find you the best travel deals.
We hope you love your trip to Chicago!
Flight Deals
Booking Insights
Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from South Africa to Chicago

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from South Africa to Chicago 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 South Africa to Chicago

Mon, Nov 17 - Mon, Dec 1
SWISS Logo
11:35 pm - 4:20 pmCPT-ORD
24h 45m1 stop
SWISS Logo
6:35 pm - 7:30 amORD-CPT
28h 55m2 stops
$903SWISS
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Mon, Nov 17 - Mon, Dec 1
Virgin Atlantic Logo
9:30 pm - 4:38 pmCPT-MDW
27h 08m1 stop
Virgin Atlantic Logo
5:34 pm - 7:15 pmMDW-CPT
17h 41m1 stop
$907Virgin Atlantic
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Mon, Feb 2 - Mon, Feb 23
United Airlines Logo
8:50 pm - 10:53 amCPT-ORD
22h 03m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
8:50 am - 4:10 pmORD-CPT
23h 20m1 stop
$918United Airlines
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Mon, Nov 17 - Mon, Dec 1
United Airlines Logo
8:50 pm - 1:12 pmCPT-ORD
24h 22m2 stops
United Airlines Logo
8:50 am - 4:10 pmORD-CPT
23h 20m1 stop
$922United Airlines
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Sat, Dec 13 - Sat, Jan 10
Delta Logo
11:59 pm - 2:20 pmJNB-ORD
22h 21m1 stop
Delta Logo
2:30 pm - 8:50 amORD-JNB
34h 20m2 stops
$1,004Delta
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Mon, Nov 17 - Sun, Nov 30
Delta Logo
10:00 pm - 6:11 pmJNB-ORD
28h 11m2 stops
Delta Logo
7:10 am - 10:05 pmORD-JNB
30h 55m2 stops
$1,009Delta
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Sat, Dec 13 - Sat, Jan 10
KLM Logo
11:59 pm - 2:20 pmJNB-ORD
22h 21m1 stop
KLM Logo
4:25 pm - 10:05 pmORD-JNB
21h 40m1 stop
$1,011KLM
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Wed, Mar 11 - Sun, Mar 15
British Airways Logo
8:35 pm - 5:33 pmCPT-ORD
27h 58m2 stops
British Airways Logo
9:45 pm - 12:40 pmORD-CPT
31h 55m2 stops
$1,090British Airways
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Wed, Mar 11 - Sun, Mar 15
British Airways Logo
6:55 pm - 5:33 pmCPT-ORD
29h 38m2 stops
British Airways Logo
9:45 pm - 12:40 pmORD-CPT
31h 55m2 stops
$1,097British Airways
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Thu, Dec 11 - Sun, Jan 4
KLM Logo
11:59 pm - 2:20 pmJNB-ORD
22h 21m1 stop
KLM Logo
4:25 pm - 10:05 pmORD-JNB
21h 40m1 stop
$1,405KLM
Find Deal
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to Chicago

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to Chicago to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Chicago?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights to Chicago, 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 to Chicago is February, where tickets cost $968 on average for one-way flights. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and December, where the average cost of tickets from South Africa is $1,240 and $1,193 respectively. For return trips, the best month to travel is February with an average price of $968.

How far in advance should I book a flight to Chicago?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to Chicago, 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, you should book around 0 weeks before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 46 days before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in Chicago?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in Chicago is Chicago Greater Rockford Airport, with an average flight price of $148.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$549
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 9% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 1% lower on average.
Flight from Johannesburg to Chicago O'Hare Airport

FAQs - booking Chicago flights

  • Which Chicago airport is closest to central Chicago?

    9 miles away from Chicago’s city center, Chicago Midway Airport is the closest of the 3 major airports in the city. There are 16 miles separating Chicago city center to Chicago O'Hare Airport, and 79 miles to Chicago Greater Rockford.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to Chicago?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to Chicago is Tuesday where tickets can be as cheap as $967. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Thursday, where prices are $1,318 on average.

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

    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 to Chicago.

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

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

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

    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 Chicago with an airline and back with another airline.

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

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

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Chicago?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Chicago is generally in the morning, when flights cost $1,005 on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Chicago is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,099.

  • How many direct flights to Chicago are there each week?

    Each week there are around 13,426 direct flights from within South Africa to Chicago. The most common day for departures is Sunday, with 15% of flights taking off on this day.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Chicago

  • Enter your preferred departure airport and travel dates into the search form above to unlock the latest Chicago flight deals.

Reviews of the top 4 airlines serving from South Africa to Chicago

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to Chicago. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from South Africa to Chicago. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with to Chicago? 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
DeltaOverall score based on 8001 reviews
7.3Food
8.5Crew
7.9Comfort
7.9Entertainment
8.2Boarding
Airline reviews

I truly love flying with Delta. They have always treated me with the upmost respect

10.0 ExcellentMAYRA, Nov 2025JFK - MIA
Read more Delta reviews

I truly love flying with Delta. They have always treated me with the upmost respect

Our flight attendant in FIRST CLASS was one of the worst I’ve ever had. She was not at all pleasant, nor particularly good at her service.

Everything went well and was good. Nothing exceptional, but no complaints either. Cheap seats are pretty comfortable.

DELTA does a terrific job making sure you are well taken care of during the flight, gives you assurance before the flight through numerous email notifications about your upcoming flight & lastly good follow up after the flight making sure your needs were mat. It has been, is & will continue to be my carrier of choice in all my future travels. Good Job DELTA

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 ended up paying for the bag twice, but the counter wouldn't take my baggage receipt. Left it to me to resolve. Not sure how to resolve the issue.

The customer service before board was very rude and when I expressed my concerns about making the connecting flight she laughed and told me I bought the wrong ticket. I explained once it showed the flight was delayed it no longer let me change seats or anything. I was trying to upgrade to make sure I would get to the next gate on time.

Non stop on long haul is the way to go. Great experience

Seats comfortable, service and food very mediocre, staff not very attentive, worse than many other our flights with Delta.

Overall good experience; however, there was one flight attendant who was rather rough compared to everyone else. Everything else was good: entertainment, food. Delta keeps on delivering! Thank you!

Flight was ok but lack of communication cost me to literally beg to be put on another flight as connecting flight had departed

They forgot to serve food and the crew was very unfriendly. Never experienced such a bad KLM flight. Usually fly from Toronto. New York was different.

Couldn’t get boarding pass in SLC even with help from a redcoat, so had to find a desk in AMS to get boarding pass. Technical problems so not sure why. Very inconvenient. The KLM app is not as user friendly as most apps. Also had to wait almost an hour on the tarmac for a fuel truck, which caused us to miss a connecting bus in LUX.

The immigration hall in Amsterdam was understaffed, so passport checking was slower than it should be for a major airport. They need to get the automatic readers up and running for non EU passport holders. Waiting in line after a long flight feels a bit abusive.

Short flight so it was okay. Nice crew, all very pleasant and professional. We were near the back in row 27 so just as we got our drinks, we started our descent so had to drink very quickly!

KLM remains a quality flag carrier airline which maintains its standards whilst all their competitors are lowering theirs.

Our first flight was delayed so we missed our connecting flight. However it was easy to book a later flight on their app.

Klm start boarding while somw air issue in the plan

The service was great. However the lounge only gets passing grade

Cabin crew professional, polite and friendly, boarding was seemless, but come on KLM surely you can do better than a pack of cheesy biscuits as an inflight snack

Flight was delayed only slightly before takeoff due to traffic control. However, the flight arrived early to ORD. Good flight. United has been very reliable for me.

Another delayed flight. When the delays exceed the duration of the flight, it’s a problem.

After boarding the plane in Chicago, the passengers were told that there was a technical problem with the plane. Passengers remained on the plane as they tried to fix the problem. After what was probably an hour passengers were told that there was a need to change planes as the problem was not solved. Passengers disembarked and boarded another plane. After taxing to the runway and waiting for takeoff, passengers were told that owing to the thunderstorm the flight was unable to take off but would try and reroute. After some time passengers were told there wasn't enough fuel for the new route and the plane had to return to the gate for additional fuel. after another log delay the flight got underway. On the plane there was food, drinks, ice or entertainment. We were a glass of water, which appeared rationed. Flight arrived about 5 hours late. The pilot was fantastic and communicated with the passengers throughout the ordeal.

Excellent all round, first time flying United. App is very helpful.

Efficient all round, very good crew. Short flight so the food, of course, was just snacks

Better WiFi. I cannot understand that in 2025, United is so behind on a technology that is now a necessity and still painfully unreliable, slow and keeps disconnecting.

Trip was great. A wild landing in Ottawa with the wind and rain, but the pilot did a great job. Always love flying United.👍

Excellent experience. Starting with the agent at the Premier bag drop who noticed I was very early for my scheduled flight and offered to rebook me on an earlier flight with my seat preference. She would not let me leave the counter until she knew that all of the changes and new boarding pass showed up on my United app. At the gate, the flight boarded quickly such that we departed early and the flight was smooth. We arrived 20 minutes early at ORD and I was able to be home in time for dinner. One of the best flights I've had.

Salina to travers city was great! But the sept 24 Tranverse city was not! Traverse city to chichago was cancelled, i went to Denver & got to Salina 6 hours later!

See previous note about the passenger in Denver who threw my husband's bag out of the overhead bin in order to maker room for his own. And the flight attendant back up the new passenger.

The boarding process was chaotic at LHR and the seat was not as comfortable as other airlines....

Airlines have to stop assuming passengers bring entertainment. Provide it like you used to in business class and above!! N

Great flight. One unique individual assisting in business class who should have not been there. Need more generic meals, not British centric.

Not my definition of first class. No leg room and barely any recline. The food was good. The crew was great. The comfort for the price I paid for London to Cairo was highway robbery. The Wi-Fi didn't work for me either.

There might be more food options for people who can't eat so much starch/sugar/bread/rice. Meat, cheese, walnuts/pecans for snack, maybe jerky or other kinds of meat-based snacks would be better than bread and rice and sweets. I had an extra chardonnay, which was fine. The entertainment was great.

Unfortunately, my flight was cancelled because of some sort of emergency over the Atlantic and had to return to London. While I think British Airways made every effort to mitigate the situation, I must say it was still pretty unpleasant. I do appreciate the fact, however, that British Airways put my safety first…and I think the effort to correct a bad situation was very sincere. But I think the process might be handled better in future.

Crew service was poor and very little difference between premium economy and economy. Disappointed.

My bags never made it on the flight and I now have to wait for them to arrive hopefully tomorrow. You can’t even track your bags in the app to see where they are since they didn’t arrive. You have to file a claim and then wait for them to inform you when you will receive your bag. We were already delayed for an hour due to baggage so I don’t understand how my bag didn’t make the flight.

One of the worst experience given the middle seat even asked for the change no one honored,boarded at the end and overall one of the worst experience

It was good although our flight to the UK was cancelled and rescheduled for two days later. This was after we were already seated on the plane. We missed the first leg of our trip. BA did put us up at a hotel and paid for our meals but we lost our hotel costs in Glasgow.

Traveling to a place near Chicago?

Book flights to Chicago if you plan to visit one of these locations
Merrillville
Saint Joseph
Hammond
Portage
Lansing
Valparaiso
Chesterton
Schererville
Munster
Porter
Monticello
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Griffith

Everything you need to know for your flight to Chicago

Cabin class types available on flights to Chicago

Cabin classes available on flights to Chicago. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.