Flights to Orange County (QLA)

Why You Should Fly to Orange County

Much more laid back and relaxed than its neighbor, Los Angeles, you’re far more likely to see surfers than celebrities in the OC. Disneyland is perhaps the most popular attraction but its beach communities and urban cool also have huge appeal.

When to Book Flights to Orange County

The best time to visit for endless sunny days on the beach is between May and October, with August and September being the real high season. Although, this being Southern California, things are rarely too cold for a day on the coast.

However, it also gets very busy at this time, especially at the major attractions. To avoid the crowds and save money on both flights and accommodation, then the last half of November and into December are the quietest, providing you’re not traveling over Thanksgiving weekend.

How to Find the Best Flight Deals to Orange County

You can find one of the biggest and best selections of cheap flights to Orange County with Orbitz. Use the search bars to select your departure and arrival airports and enter your dates of travel and number of travelers. Click through and you’ll be presented with a comprehensive choice of cheap tickets to Orange County.

You can refine your search even more if you have preferences for a specific airline, time of departure or arrival, or stopover options. Just select the boxes in the filter menu to the left of your screen.

To see what’s available on other days around your chosen departure, click the ‘Show flexible dates’ button. Flights maybe cheaper on certain days of the week, especially in high season. You can also see flights from other convenient departure and arrival points by using the ‘Nearby airports’ buttons under the search bars.

US Departures to Orange County

There are available cheap flights to Orange County from departure points across the US.

These include:

• San Francisco to Orange County – 1 hour 5 minutes
• Seattle to Orange County – 2 hours 15 minutes
• Sacramento to Orange County – 1 hour
• Dallas to Orange County – 2 hours 30 minutes
• Chicago to Orange County – 3 hours 30 minutes

Main Airports in Orange County

John Wayne Airport, named after the legendary movie actor who lived at Newport Beach, is the largest airport in the Orange County area. It is located just to the south of Santa Ana and serves around 4.5 million passengers a year. The airport is served by the Orange County Transportation Authority and there are onsite car rental facilities.

Other airports that are convenient for travel to Orange County include Long Beach, which is around 45 minutes away by car depending on the traffic. Los Angeles International, known as LAX, is around 30 miles away but travel to Orange County can be lengthy, especially in rush hour.

Which Airlines Fly to Orange County?

A choice of domestic carriers offers bargain flights to Orange County from airports across the US, including:

• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta
• Southwest
• Frontier

How to Get to and Around Orange County

As with much of LA and the surrounding area, the motor car is king. A vast and comprehensive road network connects the urban area making car travel the most convenient option. There are car rental agencies in all the major airports as well as scattered around the city and suburban areas.

If you want to go without a car, it is still possible but may take a little more planning. From the airport, you’ll probably need to take a taxi to your accommodation. This can be expensive but ride sharing options are available to the larger towns such as Newport Beach. Buses connect the more than 30 cities that make up the Orange County area but going can be slow and it is mostly only major roads that are served.

What Are the Must-sees in Orange County?

The main tourist attraction in the OC is without doubt Disneyland. Visit Mickey Mouse and his friends at the colossal park in Anaheim and explore more of the Magic Kingdom. However, if busy theme parks are not your thing then there are plenty of more serene options available around the region. Miles of sandy beach are bathed in sunshine for much of the year and surfing conditions are great. Visit the beach town communities like Newport Beach or go hiking in Crystal Cove State Park.

For more outdoor fun, Irvine has hundreds of miles of dedicated bike paths and Orange County Great Park is a former Marine base transformed into more than a thousand acres of outdoor enjoyment.

Tips for Traveling in Orange County

Orange County is located in the Pacific Time zone, so times can change during Daylight Savings periods. Cash is no longer accepted on the toll roads that run through the OC, so you will need to set up an automatic payment option if renting a car.

Traditional American holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as the summer months between June and August, make up the high season in Orange County. Around these times, you can expect beaches, malls, and movie theaters to get very crowded and parking to get much harder to find.

Low travel season is between January and April. It is during these months that you have the best chance of finding cheap flights in and out of John Wayne Airport. Shoulder season falls on May and September into October.

Because the climate in Orange County is pretty comfortable year-round, there are few bad times to visit. Summers are hot, with highs in the 80s. Winters are cooler and sometimes rainy, with average temperatures in the mid to high 60s.

There are, however, two weather phenomena in Orange County to be mindful of: the Santa Ana winds and June gloom. Hot and very dry, the Santa Ana winds blow through Southern California from October to November and are typically responsible for the brush fires that occur around this time. They are also responsible for spreading dust, pollens, and other irritants in the air. Also, June can be considered a bad month for visitors since the overcast skies that characterize June gloom dominate. Other than that, Southern California has beautiful West Coast weather most days of the year.

*Savings based on all package bookings with Flight + Hotel made on Orbitz.com from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 as compared to the price of the same components booked separately. Savings will vary based on origin/destination, length of trip, stay dates and selected travel supplier(s). Savings not available on all packages.