Award flights from Houston (HOU) to Chicago
Award space from Houston (HOU) to Chicago
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AwardTool saw award space on 2 airport pairs between Houston (HOU) and Chicago (ORD, MDW) in the last 30 days. Lowest economy: 8,000 miles + $5.60 on HOU–ORD (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest business class: 50,000 miles on HOU–ORD (GOL Smiles); mixed cabin from 49,800 miles + $5.60 on HOU–ORD (United MileagePlus).
Prices observed – .
Page regenerated from the Nov 12, 2026 data snapshot (normally daily). Summary last changed . Seats change quickly.
- Lowest economy
- 8,000 pts + $5.60
- HOU–ORD · AAdvantage
- Lowest business class
- 50,000 pts + taxes not reported
- HOU–ORD · Smiles · mixed cabin from 49,800 pts + $5.60 on HOU–ORD (MileagePlus)
- Lowest first class
- 18,500 pts + $5.60
- HOU–ORD · AAdvantage
Economy was lowest on HOU–ORD: 8,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage. The lowest on another airport pair was 12,300 miles + $5.60 with Delta SkyMiles on HOU–MDW. With American Airlines AAdvantage, first class started at 18,500 miles + $5.60, about 2.3 times the points of its lowest economy award (8,000 miles + $5.60).
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
Lowest economy from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points: 8,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage on HOU–ORD (seen on 30 dates).
Business Class
Lowest business class from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points: 50,000 miles + taxes not reported with GOL Smiles on HOU–ORD (seen on 6 dates).
| Program | Points + taxes | Airports | Dates seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlusLowest, mixed cabin | 49,800 pts + $5.60Mixed cabin | HOU–ORD | 5 |
| GOL Smiles | 50,000 pts + taxes not reported | HOU–ORD | 6 |
First Class
Lowest first class from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points: 18,500 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage on HOU–ORD (seen on 30 dates).
Not seen means AwardTool hasn't observed this cabin on this route in the last 30 days. It doesn't mean the airline has no seats.
Houston (HOU) to Chicago at a glance
- From
- Houston (HOU)
- To
- Chicago (ORD, MDW)
- Programs with award space seen
- 5 of 5 programs tracked on this route
- Nonstop award space seen
- Yes, in economy, business class and first class, via American Airlines AAdvantage, GOL Smiles and United MileagePlus
- Airlines seen on these awards
- American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS), Delta Air Lines (DL), United Airlines (UA)
- Departures with open awards
- Nov 2026 to Apr 2027
- Latest departure with space
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Distance
- 938–946 miles (1,510–1,522 km) between the airports, great-circle
- Destination guide
- Award flights to Chicago
Compare airports
Lowest one-way award AwardTool observed on each airport pair between Houston (HOU) and Chicago, with the program and the number of departure dates seen.
| Airports | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston (HOU) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) | 8,000 pts + $5.60AAdvantage · 30 dates | 49,800 pts + $5.60MileagePlus · 5 dates · Mixed cabin | 18,500 pts + $5.60AAdvantage · 30 dates |
| Houston (HOU) to Chicago Midway (MDW) | 12,300 pts + $5.60SkyMiles · 5 dates | — | 29,800 pts + $5.60SkyMiles · 5 dates |
Not seen means AwardTool hasn't observed this cabin on this route in the last 30 days. It doesn't mean the airline has no seats.
Prices are one-way per traveler: the program's points or miles plus taxes and carrier fees in USD, as AwardTool observed them in the observation window. Award space changes constantly. A seat we saw may be gone, and space we haven't seen may exist. Always confirm with a live search before transferring points; most transfers can't be reversed.
Lowest observed by cabin, Houston (HOU) to Chicago
- Economy: 8,000 miles + $5.60 on Houston (HOU) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed economy award space there on 30 dates.
- Business Class: 50,000 miles on Houston (HOU) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) with GOL Smiles, which showed business-class award space there on 6 dates; mixed cabin from 49,800 miles + $5.60 on HOU–ORD (United MileagePlus).
- First Class: 18,500 miles + $5.60 on Houston (HOU) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed first-class award space there on 30 dates.
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Airports | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | HOU–ORD | American Airlines AAdvantage | 8,000 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Business | HOU–ORD | United MileagePlus | 49,800 pts + $5.60Mixed cabin | 9+ | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | HOU–ORD | GOL Smiles | 60,100 pts + taxes not reported | 7 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | HOU–ORD | American Airlines AAdvantage | 18,500 pts + $5.60 | — | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| First | HOU–ORD | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 25,000 pts + $31.20 | 8 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| First | HOU–MDW | Delta SkyMiles | 29,800 pts + $5.60 | 5 | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| First | HOU–ORD | United MileagePlus | 48,500 pts + $5.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date |
Prices are one-way per traveler: the program's points or miles plus taxes and carrier fees in USD, as AwardTool observed them in the observation window. Award space changes constantly. A seat we saw may be gone, and space we haven't seen may exist. Always confirm with a live search before transferring points; most transfers can't be reversed.
Nonstop award space
- Economy: nonstop from 8,000 miles + $5.60 via American Airlines AAdvantage on HOU–ORD, which showed nonstop space there on 30 dates (3 programs had nonstop space).
- Business class: nonstop from 58,000 miles + taxes vary via GOL Smiles on HOU–ORD, which showed nonstop space there on 6 dates.
- First class: nonstop from 19,000 miles + taxes vary via American Airlines AAdvantage on HOU–ORD, which showed nonstop space there on 30 dates (2 programs had nonstop space).
Best months to fly from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points
Each month shows the lowest award seen across the 2 airport pairs, with that program's open dates on the airport pair behind it.
| Month | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,000 pts + $5.60 (13 dates)AAdvantage | 60,100 pts + taxes not reported (4 dates)Smiles | 20,500 pts + $11.20 (13 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 8,000 pts + $5.60 (10 dates)AAdvantage | 49,800 pts + $5.60 (2 dates)MileagePlus · Mixed cabin | 18,500 pts + $5.60 (10 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 9,000 pts + taxes not reported (4 dates)AAdvantage | — | 20,500 pts + $5.60 (4 dates)AAdvantage | |
| 8,000 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | — | 18,500 pts + taxes not reported (1 date)AAdvantage | |
| 9,000 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage | — | 21,000 pts + taxes not reported (2 dates)AAdvantage |
A month's taxes are those of an award AwardTool recorded at that month's lowest price for a departure that month. “Taxes not reported” means the data has none for that month; the award still has taxes and fees.
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | — | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 · Instant | — | — | — | — | — |
| United MileagePlus | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed.
Questions about Houston (HOU) to Chicago award flights
Which airports had the lowest award prices from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
In business class, HOU–ORD with 50,000 miles (GOL Smiles); mixed cabin from 49,800 miles + $5.60 on HOU–ORD (United MileagePlus). In economy, HOU–ORD with 8,000 miles + $5.60 (American Airlines AAdvantage). Prices are the lowest AwardTool observed in the last 30 days; search live before transferring points.
Which airport pairs between Houston (HOU) and Chicago had award space?
HOU–ORD (economy, business class and first class) and HOU–MDW (economy and first class). Airport pairs not listed had no award space AwardTool observed in the last 30 days.
How many points does it take to fly from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
The lowest economy award AwardTool has seen was 8,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage. Seen Oct 21, 2026, 17:51 UTC for a Dec 24, 2026 departure. American Airlines AAdvantage showed economy award space on 30 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 12, 2026, 03:50 UTC). The lowest business-class award AwardTool has seen was 50,000 miles with GOL Smiles. Seen Nov 9, 2026, 21:51 UTC for a Dec 1, 2026 departure. GOL Smiles showed business-class award space on 6 departure dates at any price (newest observation Nov 10, 2026, 21:38 UTC). A mixed-cabin itinerary, with part of the trip in a lower cabin, was seen from 49,800 miles + $5.60 with United MileagePlus. Search live before transferring points.
Which loyalty programs had award space from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
5 programs in the last 30 days: American Airlines AAdvantage (economy 30 dates, first class 30 dates); Alaska Atmos Rewards (economy 4 dates, first class 4 dates); Delta SkyMiles (economy 10 dates, first class 5 dates); GOL Smiles (economy 6 dates, business class 6 dates); United MileagePlus (economy 6 dates, business class 5 dates, first class 6 dates). Dates count departure dates with an open award.
Can you fly nonstop from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points?
Yes. AwardTool observed nonstop award space in economy, business class and first class, bookable via American Airlines AAdvantage, GOL Smiles and United MileagePlus. The lowest nonstop award in economy was 8,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage.
How much are taxes and fees on award flights from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
Taxes and fees on each program's lowest award ranged in economy from $5.60 with AAdvantage (8,000 miles + $5.60) to $31.20 with Atmos (12,500 points + $31.20). GOL Smiles did not report taxes for its lowest economy award. Amounts are one way per traveler in USD and can differ on other dates and routings.
Which credit card points can book awards from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
American Express Membership Rewards: Delta SkyMiles (1:1). Bilt Rewards: Alaska Atmos Rewards (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Chase Ultimate Rewards: United MileagePlus (1:1). Citi ThankYou Points: American Airlines AAdvantage (1:1). These are US card programs; ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list. Check current bonuses first.
What's the best month to fly from Houston (HOU) to Chicago on points?
Counting only month prices from programs with award space on 2 or more dates that month, and leaving out unusually low outliers: in economy, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 8,000 miles + $5.60 with AAdvantage (10 dates); in business class, the lowest award was for Dec 2026 departures, 50,000 miles + taxes not reported with Smiles (2 dates), and a mixed-cabin itinerary was seen for Dec 2026 departures from 49,800 miles + $5.60 with MileagePlus. The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.
When do award seats open for flights from Houston (HOU) to Chicago?
Booking windows before departure published by the programs with award space here (AwardTool's program data, reviewed Nov 6, 2026): United MileagePlus about 337 days, American Airlines AAdvantage about 331 days, Delta SkyMiles about 331 days and Alaska Atmos Rewards about 330 days. AwardTool saw award space on this route for departures as late as Apr 29, 2027; seats can open earlier or later, and released seats may already be booked. See award release dates by program.