Economy award flights from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to San Diego (SAN)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw economy award space on 7 programs for ORD→SAN. Lowest: 8,500 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed economy award space on 320 dates. Nonstop economy space was seen via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, JetBlue True Blue and 4 other programs.
Data as of
Award prices last changed . AwardTool checks these routes daily; seats change quickly.
- Lowest observed
- 8,500 pts + $5.60
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Programs with space
- 7 of 7
- programs seen on this route
- Most dates seen
- 329
- Alaska Atmos Rewards
- Nonstop
- Seen
- from 8,500 pts + taxes not reported
Compare programs for economy
The lowest one-way economy award each program showed on ORD→SAN, sorted by points.
| 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 |
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 economy award examples
| Departure | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 8,500 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 8,500 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 10,000 pts + $5.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| United MileagePlus | 15,000 pts + $5.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Avianca LifeMiles | 15,000 pts + $5.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| JetBlue True Blue | 15,400 pts + $11.20 | 9+ | 1 stop | Check this date | ||
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 19,000 pts + $9.53 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 20,700 pts + $5.60 | 2 | 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 economy award space
- American Airlines AAdvantage: nonstop from 8,500 miles; nonstop space on 320 dates.
- Alaska Atmos Rewards: nonstop from 10,000 points; nonstop space on 329 dates.
- JetBlue True Blue: nonstop from 26,400 points; nonstop space on 246 dates.
- United MileagePlus: nonstop from 15,000 miles; nonstop space on 316 dates.
- Avianca LifeMiles: nonstop from 15,000 miles; nonstop space on 228 dates.
- Virgin Australia Velocity: nonstop from 19,000 points; nonstop space on 240 dates.
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: nonstop from 20,700 points; nonstop space on 300 dates.
Best months for economy from ORD to SAN
| Month | Lowest observed | Program | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 16 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 27 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 28 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 28 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 26 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 30 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 8,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 10 |
Airlines seen in economy
Airlines that appeared on the award itineraries AwardTool observed, and the programs that showed them.
- American Airlines (AA): American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards and Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Alaska Airlines (AS): American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards and Qantas Frequent Flyer
- JetBlue (B6): JetBlue True Blue and United MileagePlus
- United Airlines (UA): JetBlue True Blue, United MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles and Virgin Australia Velocity
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.
Questions about economy award flights from ORD to SAN
What's the lowest economy award from Chicago O’Hare to San Diego?
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). Search live before transferring points.
Which programs had economy award space on ORD→SAN?
American Airlines AAdvantage (320 dates), Alaska Atmos Rewards (329 dates), JetBlue True Blue (308 dates), United MileagePlus (316 dates), Avianca LifeMiles (294 dates), Virgin Australia Velocity (266 dates) and Qantas Frequent Flyer (309 dates), in the last 30 days.
Is there nonstop economy award space from ORD to SAN?
Yes. AwardTool observed nonstop economy award space via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, JetBlue True Blue, United MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Australia Velocity and Qantas Frequent Flyer. The lowest nonstop award was 8,500 miles with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed nonstop economy space on 320 dates.
Which months had the lowest economy award prices from ORD to SAN?
Counting only month prices from programs with award space on 2 or more dates that month, and leaving out unusually low outliers, the lowest economy award AwardTool observed was for Dec 2026 departures: 8,500 miles with AAdvantage (31 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.