Award flights from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to San Diego (SAN)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw award space on 7 programs for ORD→SAN. Lowest economy: 8,500 miles + $5.60 (American Airlines AAdvantage). Lowest business: 43,600 points + $5.60 (Qantas Frequent Flyer). Lowest first: 18,000 miles + $5.60 (American Airlines AAdvantage).
Data as of
Award prices last changed . AwardTool checks these routes daily; seats change quickly.
ORD to SAN at a glance
- From
- Chicago O'Hare International, Chicago, United States (ORD)
- To
- San Diego International, San Diego, United States (SAN)
- Programs with award space seen
- 7 of 10 programs tracked on this route
- Nonstop award space seen
- Yes, in economy, business and first, via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Avianca LifeMiles, JetBlue True Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, United MileagePlus and Virgin Australia Velocity
- Airlines seen on these awards
- American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS), JetBlue (B6), United Airlines (UA)
- Departures with open awards
- Oct 2026 to Sep 2027
- Observation window
- Awards observed in the last 30 days
- Destination guide
- Award flights to San Diego (SAN)
Compare programs by cabin
The lowest one-way award each program showed in each cabin, sorted by points.
Economy
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 8,500 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | — | 320 | See dates | |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 10,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | 9+ | 329 | See dates | |
| JetBlue True Blue | 13,800 pts + $11.20 | 1 stopNonstop from 26,400 pts | JetBlue (B6), United Airlines (UA) | 9+ | 308 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 15,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | JetBlue (B6), United Airlines (UA) | 9+ | 316 | See dates | |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 15,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | United Airlines (UA) | 9+ | 294 | See dates | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 19,000 pts + $9.53 | Nonstop | United Airlines (UA) | 9+ | 266 | See dates | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 20,700 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | 2 | 309 | See dates |
Business
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avianca LifeMilesLowest observed | 30,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | United Airlines (UA) | 1 | 1 | See dates | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 43,600 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | 2 | 313 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 70,000 pts + $5.60 | 1 stopMixed cabin | JetBlue (B6) | 1 | 5 | See dates |
Not seen in business: American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, JetBlue True Blue and Virgin Australia Velocity.
First
| Program | Points + taxes | Stops | Airlines seen | Seats | Dates seen | Newest observation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantageLowest observed | 18,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | — | 320 | See dates | |
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 25,000 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | American Airlines (AA), Alaska Airlines (AS) | 3 | 329 | See dates | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 37,500 pts + $9.53 | Nonstop | United Airlines (UA) | 1 | 1 | See dates | |
| United MileagePlus | 44,800 pts + $5.60 | Nonstop | United Airlines (UA) | 9+ | 316 | See dates |
Not seen in first: Avianca LifeMiles, JetBlue True Blue and Qantas Frequent Flyer.
Premium Economy: not seen in the last 30 days.
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. Dates seen counts departure dates with an open award in that cabin at any price; newest observation is the latest time AwardTool saw one of them. Seats is the count the program reported when we observed it; some programs report at most 9.
Observed award examples
| Departure | Cabin | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | American Airlines AAdvantage | 8,500 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Economy | JetBlue True Blue | 15,400 pts + $11.20 | 9+ | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Business | Avianca LifeMiles | 30,000 pts + $5.60 | 1 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Business | Qantas Frequent Flyer | 43,600 pts + $5.60 | 2 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | American Airlines AAdvantage | 18,000 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | Alaska Atmos Rewards | 25,000 pts + $25.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | Virgin Australia Velocity | 37,500 pts + $9.53 | 1 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| First | United MileagePlus | 44,800 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 at the time shown. 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 8,500 miles via American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed nonstop space on 320 dates (7 programs had nonstop space).
- Business: nonstop from 43,600 points via Qantas Frequent Flyer, which showed nonstop space on 296 dates (2 programs had nonstop space).
- First: nonstop from 18,000 miles via American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed nonstop space on 320 dates (4 programs had nonstop space).
Best months to fly ORD to SAN on points
| Month | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,500 · AAdvantage (16 dates) | 30,000 · LifeMiles (1 date) | 18,500 · AAdvantage (16 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (27 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (27 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (27 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (25 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (31 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (28 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (26 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (28 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (28 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (28 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (30 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (28 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (26 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (31 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (26 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (30 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (30 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (30 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (31 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (31 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (31 dates) | |
| 8,500 · AAdvantage (10 dates) | 43,600 · Qantas (9 dates) | 18,000 · AAdvantage (10 dates) |
Points that transfer to these programs
| Program | Amex | Bilt | Capital One | Chase | Citi | Wells Fargo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | — | 1:1 · ~1 day | — | — | — | — |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | — | — | — | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant |
| JetBlue True Blue | 5:4 · Instant | — | 1:0.6 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant | 1:1 · Instant |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · ~1-2 days | — | 1:1 · Instant | — |
| United MileagePlus | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | 1:1 · Instant | — | — |
Check current transfer bonuses. Most transfers can't be reversed. No bank transfers to Virgin Australia Velocity.
Search, calendar and alerts for ORD to SAN
Route calendar
Every departure date with open award seats on ORD→SAN for Alaska Atmos Rewards and the other programs: a limited window on the free plan and 365 days with Pro.
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Search one date across programs to see current flights, seats and taxes before you transfer points.
Search ORD to SANQuestions about ORD to SAN award flights
What's the lowest Chicago O’Hare to San Diego award price AwardTool has seen?
In economy, 8,500 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage. American Airlines AAdvantage showed economy award space on 320 departure dates (newest observation Oct 15, 2026, 23:58 UTC). In business, 43,600 points + $5.60 with Qantas Frequent Flyer. Qantas Frequent Flyer showed business award space on 313 departure dates (newest observation Oct 16, 2026, 01:41 UTC). Search live before transferring points.
Which loyalty programs had award space on ORD→SAN?
7 programs in the last 30 days: American Airlines AAdvantage (economy 320 dates, first 320 dates); Alaska Atmos Rewards (economy 329 dates, first 329 dates); Avianca LifeMiles (economy 294 dates, business 1 date); JetBlue True Blue (economy 308 dates); Qantas Frequent Flyer (economy 309 dates, business 313 dates); United MileagePlus (economy 316 dates, business 5 dates, first 316 dates); Virgin Australia Velocity (economy 266 dates, first 1 date). Dates count departure dates with an open award.
Is there nonstop award space from ORD to SAN?
Yes. AwardTool observed nonstop award space in economy, business and first, bookable via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Avianca LifeMiles, JetBlue True Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, United MileagePlus and Virgin Australia Velocity. The lowest nonstop award in economy was 8,500 miles with American Airlines AAdvantage.
Which credit card points transfer to these programs?
American Express Membership Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), JetBlue True Blue (5:4), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). Bilt Rewards: Alaska Atmos Rewards (1:1), Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Capital One Miles: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), JetBlue True Blue (1:0.6), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). Chase Ultimate Rewards: JetBlue True Blue (1:1), United MileagePlus (1:1). Citi ThankYou Points: American Airlines AAdvantage (1:1), Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), JetBlue True Blue (1:1), Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1). Wells Fargo Rewards: Avianca LifeMiles (1:1), JetBlue True Blue (1:1). Ratios come from AwardTool's transfer partner list; check current bonuses first.
Which months had the lowest ORD→SAN award prices?
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, 8,500 miles with AAdvantage (31 dates); in business, the lowest award was for Jan 2027 departures, 43,600 points with Qantas (31 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.