here's a recap - just did it again to be precise

1. select SNA SJO
2. select dec 08 $320
3. dec 28th $320
4. change return calendar to january
5. select jan 4 $320
6. click no thanks
7. American airlines is lowest at $805 frontier $987

i chose dates according to price and ended up with $805 when i was hoping for $320

*** i corrected the outbound to the 28th which was a typo specific to this thread/post ***