Compare 16 loyalty programs for Chicago to Tokyo award flights, with economy seats from 27,500 points.
Chicago to Tokyo is a long-haul US–Japan corridor, and nonstop award space shows up on four carriers, including American Airlines and Japan Airlines. It's priced by 16 programs, and economy starts at 27,500 points with Alaska Atmos Rewards. That spread of programs is the opportunity: identical seats often price differently from one to the next, so compare before transferring a single point. This page compares every way to book ORD–NRT on points.
Best one-way award prices per airline over the next 12 months.
| Airline | Economy | Premium economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 American AirlinesAA | 27,500Lowest | 54,500Lowest | 119,000pts | 100,000pts |
 Alaska AirlinesAS | 27,500Lowest | Not available | Not available | 185,000pts |
 KLMKL | 33,000pts | 56,875pts | 115,000pts | Not available |
 Japan AirlinesJL | 35,000pts | Not available | Not available | 100,000pts |
 Cathay PacificCX | 38,000pts | Not available | 115,000pts | Not available |
 Qatar AirwaysQR | 38,000pts | Not available | 200,000pts | Not available |
 DeltaDL | 39,375pts | 72,000pts | Not available | 213,200pts |
 Air FranceAF | 40,000pts | 65,000pts | 148,500pts | Not available |
 EmiratesEK | 40,000pts | 99,000pts | 110,000pts | 299,300pts |
 United AirlinesUA | 42,000pts | 65,000pts | 98,010Lowest | 85,000Lowest |
When award seats between Chicago and Tokyo price cheapest over the next year.
| Month | Cheapest award (points) |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | 27,500 |
| Dec 2026 | 33,000 |
| Jan 2027 | 33,000 |
| Feb 2027 | 33,000 |
| Mar 2027 | 31,000 |
| Apr 2027 | 31,000 |
| May 2027 | 31,000 |
| Jun 2027 | 33,000 |
| Jul 2027 | 31,000 |
| Aug 2027 | 43,200 |
| Sep 2027 | 49,000 |
| Oct 2027 | 76,100 |
13 airlines with award seats between Chicago and Tokyo, nonstop or connecting.
American AirlinesAA
Air CanadaAC
AeromexicoAMAlaska AirlinesAS
JetBlueB6Cathay PacificCXDeltaDLEmiratesEK
Etihad AirwaysEY
LufthansaLHQatar AirwaysQR
Turkish AirlinesTKUnited AirlinesUAWhat to know before booking Chicago to Tokyo with points.
About 6,260 miles, roughly 13h05 nonstop. Tokyo runs 14 hours ahead of Chicago (15 while Chicago is on standard time). The data runs November 2026–October 2027, with calendar prices for 12 months. Counting well-covered months only, November 2026 is the cheapest (27,500 points), while December 2026, January 2027, and September 2027 (33,000–49,000) run higher.
Chicago to Tokyo is served by American Airlines, Air Canada, Air France and 25 more, offering multiple options for award travelers. Compare 16 loyalty programs to find the best value for your points. Award prices start from 27,500 points in economy. Use our search tool to check real-time award availability on this route.
At about 6,260 miles from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tokyo's Narita International Airport (NRT), a nonstop runs roughly 13h05, give or take with the winds. The nonstop award space in the data is split across American Airlines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, and ANA. Aircraft logged on those nonstops include the Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 787-8. Expect mostly connecting results: only about 4% of the award options in the data are nonstop.
On a long-haul trip like Chicago–Tokyo, pick the cabin before the program. The economy floor connects once; an economy nonstop on any of the four carriers costs more. The cheapest economy seat adds about $31 in taxes and fees, below the route's typical economy taxes. Premium economy runs about double the economy price and business about 2.2 times. Before moving bank points anywhere, confirm the seat is bookable, since transfers are one-way.
Alaska Atmos Rewards is cheapest in economy at 27,500 points. American AAdvantage wins premium economy at 54,500 points. Avianca LifeMiles takes business class at 60,500 points. First class starts at 85,000 points through Air Canada Aeroplan on a connecting itinerary, often first on one leg only, so confirm the cabin on each flight. The first-class routing changes airports in Toronto, from Pearson (YYZ) to Billy Bishop (YTZ), so allow transfer time.
The Chicago–Tokyo nonstop is contested on points, with carriers from oneworld (American Airlines, Japan Airlines) and Star Alliance (United Airlines, ANA) all showing award space. That gives partner currencies from both alliances a way onto a nonstop. Connecting awards near the price floor run through Seattle, Toronto, and Mexico City. The lowest business-class award here is a Star Alliance partner booking: Air Canada seats through Avianca LifeMiles.
Arriving in the Tokyo area, Haneda (HND) starts at 33,000 points in economy, close to the route's 27,500-point economy floor and worth pricing when Narita space is thin. Haneda has nonstop flights from Chicago in the data too. Two related routes to weigh at last check: Las Vegas to Tokyo at 34,700 points and Chicago to Athens at 9,500.
Alternative corridors travelers consider alongside Chicago to Tokyo.
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Common questions travelers ask about the Chicago to Tokyo route.
