A calm and efficient airport that offers a refreshing change from the busy LAX experience. It’s compact, quiet, and rarely feels crowded, making it an excellent choice if you’re traveling to or from the Santa Ana, Irvine or greater LA area. Security and check-in are usually quick, and the gates are conveniently located just a short walk after TSA, which makes the whole process smooth and stress-free. While the airport doesn’t have a huge range of dining options, the available cafés and snack spots are decent for a quick bite before your flight. Overall, a pleasant and hassle-free airport experience , ideal for travelers who value convenience and efficiency over size and variety.

Flying out of John Wayne Airport was such a smooth experience! Compared to the chaos of LAX, this airport was a breath of fresh air. Returning my rental was simple and getting to the gate was no hassle at all. I was on my way to Texas and found the whole process easy and stress-free. What I like most is that the airport is small enough to navigate without feeling rushed or overwhelmed, but still big enough to handle things efficiently. It really makes travel feel less like a chore and more like a pleasant part of the journey. I’m glad this airport exists because it makes flying out of Southern California so much easier. If you want a smoother, calmer, and quicker travel option, this airport is a solid choice. Follow @joeypauga on TT, FB, YT, IG, LinkedIN and X

I love this airport. Super casual, super easy. Casual enough that a TSA agent chatted with me about our favorite films. That’s a huge difference from the high traffic at LAX. Planes land, and they immediately pull up to the gate to deplane, like they should. If you land at ORD you might spend an hour on the tarmac, which is awful, but not at SNA! Find the John Wayne statue in terminal A by checked baggage. This airport is like one long tunnel. Super easy to navigate, without any confusion. They also had a nice guy playing piano near some restaurants! You can park right outside which is nice but they raised the prices to $30/day which is my only complaint. Highly recommend you park at Renaissance Newport Beach hotel across the street for $9.99. They have a shaker service and driver you to the airport in a nice new Tahoe. They give you a claim check to pick up your car and they pick you up at the airport when you call them. I used the Cheap airport parking site for that. Beats LAX where it feels like you’re getting arrested if your friend picks you up at the airport.

This was a great alternative to flying into LAX. Much less busy than LAX. Still significant traffic, so leave early. They have some direct flights and have lots of connections from major hubs. The airport is easily walkable from one end to the other, but had multiple food options and other shops. We definitely liked navigating this airport better than LAX. We definitely plan to use John Wayne airport in the future.

I would do whatever in my power to avoid LAX. SNA, on the other hand is probably the best airport in CA. In fact, In September 2024, the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study ranked John Wayne as the #1 large airport in North America (for airports handling 10–32.9 million passengers annually). The TSA staff is overall friendly and laid back - polar opposite of those at LAX. Bathrooms are clean and there are plenty of it. I rarely face flight delays here. Large selection of restaurants to get your vacation buzz started and kill time.

Great small-ish airport in the LA area. This place isn't packed like LAX. The employees and passengers are all polite. The gate seating all has chargers. There is a decent but not exceptional variety of food offerings. Even the toilet paper is quality! It could use a better variety of food. Who needs two golden arches (or even one). On this visit, there were also WAY too many bandwagon baseball fans wearing blue. UGH!