The people of Orange County have a handful of options for air travel hubs. The three major airports are John Wayne, Los Angeles International (LAX), and LA/Ontario. Long Beach is a secondary option as it is limited depending on the destination. All of these airports have their advantages and disadvantages depending on what you are looking for. Usually the biggest factor in which airport to choose however, is the price of the ticket. Another huge factor for travelers is the comfort and ease of use of the airport.

John Wayne Airport is located in Santa Ana officially, although it is really situated in an unincorporated area of Orange County on the borders of Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana. The main airlines that fly out of John Wayne are Southwest, American, United and Alaska. One interesting thing about flying out of this airport is the take-off. Because of the shorter runways and noise sensitivity of the area, airplanes are forced to take at a steep climb to decrease the noise of the aircraft. There is one large main terminal for passengers which is divided into two wings. Both wings feature many amenities including shops and restaurants. Terminal A houses the following food services: Gibson Guitar Lounge, McDonalds, and Starbucks. Terminal B has Creative Croissants, McDonalds, Starbucks, and the Sports Page Pub. Also there is an adjoining area between the two terminals that features the Brioche Doree Café & Bakery, Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge, and an additional Starbucks. Both terminals also feature gift shops, newsstands and Terminal A has a specialty Sunglass Hut/Life is Good store. Several movies have been filmed at John Wayne Airport including Jerry Maguire, Clear and Present Danger, The Insider, and Gleaming the Cube.

LA/Ontario International Airport is located in the San Bernardino County city of Ontario and was formerly called the Ontario International Airport. Southwest Airlines is the predominant airline here, and additional airlines include United, Delta, US Airways, and American. Although this airport is located inland of Orange County, many travelers choose this option because the crowds are usually smaller, and good deals can often be found. Forbes.com has called this airport one of the five best alternate airports in America. There are few noise restrictions in this area, so take-offs are not unusual such as in John Wayne or the Long Beach Airport. Ontario has three separate terminals that are not connected but very close in proximity. Two of the terminals are domestic, and the third smaller one is for international travel. Ontario has a much better selection of restaurants than John Wayne. Terminal 2 has Applebee's, Carl's Jr., Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, El Paseo Bar & Grill, Round Table Pizza, and Schlotzsky's Deli. Terminal 4 features many of the same places and also Auto Club Speedway Café, and T.G.I. Fridays. This airport has been featured in various movies, TV shows, and commercials including Blow, Meet the Fockers, Entourage, Prison Break and 24.

Long Beach Airport is the next closest major airport for Orange County travelers. Many people like the convenience of this airport because it is smaller, easy to navigate, and they get to feel like jet-setters boarding straight from the tarmac. This airport will always remain small most likely because of restrictive ordinances adopted to minimize noise in the surrounding neighborhoods. Jet Blue made Long Beach airport its west coast hub in 2001 and is the main airline here. Great deals can be found on this airline, making Long Beach airport a great alternative if it works for your itinerary. There are plans in the works to improve the terminal, while still keeping the art deco style and convenience of the airport. The $136 million project will add parking structures, ramp improvements, a garden, and eleven new gates.

If the best deal to be found traveling from Orange County is at LAX airport, it may be worth the drive, depending on time and day of traffic. This is one of the top airports in the world with options for every airline and almost every destination.