First class award flights from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to San Diego (SAN)
In the last 30 days AwardTool saw first award space on 4 programs for ORD→SAN. Lowest: 18,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed first award space on 320 dates. Nonstop first space was seen via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Virgin Australia Velocity and 1 other program.
Data as of
Award prices last changed . AwardTool checks these routes daily; seats change quickly.
- Lowest observed
- 18,000 pts + $5.60
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Programs with space
- 4 of 7
- programs seen on this route
- Most dates seen
- 329
- Alaska Atmos Rewards
- Nonstop
- Seen
- from 18,000 pts + taxes not reported
Compare programs for first class
The lowest one-way first 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 | 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.
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 first award examples
| Departure | Program | Points + taxes | Seats | Stops | Observed (UTC) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 18,000 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 18,000 pts + $5.60 | — | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 25,000 pts + $25.60 | 7 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Alaska Atmos Rewards | 25,000 pts + $25.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| Virgin Australia Velocity | 37,500 pts + $9.53 | 1 | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| United MileagePlus | 44,800 pts + $5.60 | 9+ | Nonstop | Check this date | ||
| 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 first class award space
- American Airlines AAdvantage: nonstop from 18,000 miles; nonstop space on 320 dates.
- Alaska Atmos Rewards: nonstop from 25,000 points; nonstop space on 329 dates.
- Virgin Australia Velocity: nonstop from 37,500 points; nonstop space on 1 date.
- United MileagePlus: nonstop from 44,800 miles; nonstop space on 316 dates.
Best months for first class from ORD to SAN
| Month | Lowest observed | Program | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18,500 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 16 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 27 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 28 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 28 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 26 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 30 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 31 | |
| 18,000 pts + taxes not reported | American Airlines AAdvantage | 10 |
Airlines seen in first class
Airlines that appeared on the award itineraries AwardTool observed, and the programs that showed them.
- American Airlines (AA): American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Atmos Rewards
- Alaska Airlines (AS): American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Atmos Rewards
- United Airlines (UA): Virgin Australia Velocity and United MileagePlus
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 | — |
| 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 first award flights from ORD to SAN
What's the lowest first award from Chicago O’Hare to San Diego?
18,000 miles + $5.60 with American Airlines AAdvantage. American Airlines AAdvantage showed first award space on 320 departure dates (newest observation Oct 15, 2026, 23:58 UTC). Search live before transferring points.
Which programs had first award space on ORD→SAN?
American Airlines AAdvantage (320 dates), Alaska Atmos Rewards (329 dates), Virgin Australia Velocity (1 date) and United MileagePlus (316 dates), in the last 30 days.
Is there nonstop first award space from ORD to SAN?
Yes. AwardTool observed nonstop first award space via American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Atmos Rewards, Virgin Australia Velocity and United MileagePlus. The lowest nonstop award was 18,000 miles with American Airlines AAdvantage, which showed nonstop first space on 320 dates.
Which months had the lowest first 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 first award AwardTool observed was for Dec 2026 departures: 18,000 miles with AAdvantage (31 dates). The month table shows every lowest price, including those. Based on dates we observed, not a forecast.