Compare 5 loyalty programs for Chicago to San Diego award flights, with economy seats from 8,500 points.
Chicago to San Diego is a medium-haul domestic route, and nonstop award space shows up on Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. The data shows five programs pricing it, and the cheapest economy award is 8,500 points through American AAdvantage. On domestic flights, check the cash fare before redeeming: points earn their keep when the award price clearly undercuts it. This page compares all five programs on ORD–SAN side by side.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
 American AirlinesAA | 8,500Lowest | 43,600Lowest | 18,000Lowest |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 10,000pts | 46,000pts | 25,000pts |
 United AirlinesUA | 15,000pts | Not available | 43,000pts |
 JetBlueB6 | 16,000pts | 111,300pts | Not available |
When award seats between Chicago and San Diego price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | No award data |
| Dec 2026 | 8,500 |
| Jan 2027 | 8,500 |
| Feb 2027 | 8,500 |
| Mar 2027 | No award data |
| Apr 2027 | No award data |
| May 2027 | No award data |
| Jun 2027 | No award data |
| Jul 2027 | No award data |
| Aug 2027 | No award data |
| Sep 2027 | No award data |
| Oct 2027 | No award data |
4 airlines with award seats between Chicago and San Diego, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAAAlaska AirlinesASJetBlueB6United AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Chicago to San Diego with points.
Distance ~1,720 miles; nonstop flying time ~3h55 (estimate). San Diego runs 2 hours behind Chicago. Award data window: November 2026–October 2027. Calendar pricing is flat: all three priced months come in at 8,500 points.
Chicago to San Diego is served by American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and 1 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 5 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 8,500 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
Flying Chicago to San Diego covers about 1,720 miles, linking O'Hare International Airport (ORD) with San Diego International Airport (SAN); a nonstop takes roughly 3h55, with winds moving it either way. The nonstop award space in the data is split between Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. The Boeing 737-900 appears on some of those nonstop award segments. Nonstops make up only about 15% of the award options in the data; the rest connect.
Chicago–San Diego is domestic, so price it in cash before you price it in points. Saving points means connecting: the economy floor connects once, and an economy nonstop on either carrier costs more. The cheapest economy seat adds about $6 in taxes and fees, in line with the route's typical economy taxes. Run the miles-or-cash math each time: a cheap fare usually beats spending points. Before moving bank points anywhere, confirm the seat is bookable, since transfers are one-way.
American AAdvantage wins economy at 8,500 points and first class at 18,000. Qantas Frequent Flyer takes business class at 43,600 points. JetBlue TrueBlue, United MileagePlus, and Alaska Atmos Rewards also price the route and are worth a cross-check before transferring. No program wins more than two cabins here, so pick the seat first, then the currency.
Chicago–San Diego draws nonstop award space from two alliances: Alaska Airlines (oneworld) and United Airlines (Star Alliance). Partner programs in both alliances can each book a nonstop. The business-class floor is a oneworld partner award: Qantas Frequent Flyer prices American Airlines seats. Only four airlines hold award inventory on the route, yet five programs price them, so the competition is between currencies more than carriers.
No nearby alternate airports turn up in the data for Chicago–San Diego; the live price table above tracks the main pair. For a longer redemption from Chicago, Aruba and Athens are tracked too.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside Chicago to San Diego.
From 1,883 ptsBusiness 9,000 pts
From 4,900 ptsBusiness 21,000 pts
From 5,500 ptsBusiness 29,000 pts
From 5,700 ptsBusiness 25,500 pts
From 6,293 ptsBusiness 55,000 pts
From 6,900 ptsBusiness 30,000 pts
Common questions travelers ask about the Chicago to San Diego route.
