Compare 12 loyalty programs for Chicago to Shanghai award flights, with economy seats from 33,000 points.
Chicago to Shanghai is an ultra-long-haul US–China route with no nonstop award in the data, so every best-priced seat connects through hubs such as Seattle and Los Angeles. A full 12 programs price the route, and the cheapest economy award is 33,000 points on a routing that includes KLM. The lowest price comes through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, not KLM's own program, so it pays to look past the obvious choice before transferring anything. Below, every program pricing ORD–PVG is compared side by side.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 KLMKL | 33,000Lowest | 65,000pts | 115,000pts | Not available |
 American AirlinesAA | 35,000pts | Not available | 163,000pts | Not available |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 37,500pts | Not available | 225,000pts | 300,000pts |
 Cathay PacificCX | 37,500pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
 EmiratesEK | 37,500pts | Not available | 105,000pts | 299,300Lowest |
 Japan AirlinesJL | 37,500pts | 50,000Lowest | 225,000pts | Not available |
Malaysia AirlinesMH | 37,500pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
 FinnairAY | 42,500pts | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Korean AirKE | 44,000pts | Not available | 111,500pts | Not available |
 United AirlinesUA | 48,000pts | 65,000pts | 98,010Lowest | 344,218pts |
When award seats between Chicago and Shanghai price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 33,000 |
| Dec 2026 | 33,000 |
| Jan 2027 | No award data |
| Feb 2027 | No award data |
| Mar 2027 | No award data |
| Apr 2027 | 33,000 |
| May 2027 | 33,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 42,500 |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
12 airlines with award seats between Chicago and Shanghai, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaACAlaska AirlinesASFinnairAY
British AirwaysBACathay PacificCX
DeltaDLEmiratesEK
Etihad AirwaysEY
LufthansaLH
Turkish AirlinesTKUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Chicago to Shanghai with points.
~7,040 miles; ~14h40 of flying before connections (approximate). Local time in Shanghai is 13 hours ahead of Chicago (14 while Chicago is on standard time). The data runs November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for five months. Of the well-covered ones, November 2026, December 2026, and April 2027 are among the cheapest, at 33,000 points.
Chicago to Shanghai is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 30 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 12 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 33,000 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Chicago to Shanghai covers about 7,040 miles, from O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG); the distance alone works out to roughly 14h40 in the air, with connection time on top. Expect a connection: the award data shows no nonstop on this route.
The cabin call comes first on Chicago–Shanghai; on an ultra-long-haul trip, the right program follows from it. The economy floor connects once; with no nonstop to pay up for, extra points buy only a better connection or a higher cabin. The cheapest economy seat's $459 in taxes and fees is the catch, well above the route's typical economy taxes; more points and less cash can come out ahead. Stepping up costs about 1.5 times the economy points for premium economy and about 2.6 times for business.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club takes economy at 33,000 points. American AAdvantage is cheapest in premium economy at 50,000 points. Air France-KLM Flying Blue wins business class at 86,250 points. First class starts at 299,300 points through Qantas Frequent Flyer on a connecting itinerary, often first on one leg only, so confirm the cabin on each flight. Among the remaining eight programs, Air Canada Aeroplan, Alaska Atmos Rewards, and United MileagePlus are good places to cross-check.
On this route, SkyTeam carriers KLM and Air France hold two of the four cabin floors, so SkyTeam programs are a good first check. The economy floor is a SkyTeam partner award: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club prices KLM seats. Connecting awards can mix carriers, so confirm who operates each leg before moving points.
Neither Chicago nor Shanghai shows a same-metro alternate airport in the data, so the live price table above is the one to watch. Flexible on where you land? From Chicago, Athens starts at 9,500 points and Anchorage at 10,000 at last check.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside Chicago to Shanghai.
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From 7,500 ptsBusiness 25,000 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the Chicago to Shanghai route.
