Nothing compares to having Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which can be obtained through cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or even business cards like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card when it comes to travel and point and mile accumulation.
Granted, having a hoard of American AAdvantage or Delta SkyMiles can be quite beneficial. However, you have a lot more value and freedom with Chase. Almost any flight or hotel may be reserved immediately through the Chase travel portal. Even better, you can transfer points directly to over a dozen different airline and hotel partners.
We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite uses for a large stash of those points, since some cards, like the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, currently offer a welcome offer bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, or even 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on the Ink Preferred.
Use Points to Reserve Free Flights
Using Google Flights or a Thrifty Traveler Premium subscription to book the lowest domestic or international airline prices is the most common method for many travelers to begin using their frequent flyer points. Using Chase Ultimate Rewards points is also one of the greatest ways to make reservations.
This is because when you book through the Chase travel portal and have the Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred card—or even further, the Reserve card—your Chase points are boosted. With a Sapphire or Ink Preferred Card, each point you have is worth 1.25 cents toward travel. The Sapphire Reserve raises that to 1.5 cents per unit.
Go to Europe with Delta One Business Class
One of the greatest business class seats in the sky is the Delta One Suite. Each apartment features a private entrance, flat beds, chef-prepared meals, and more. Even though flying at this level of luxury often costs $5,000 or more, you can still afford it if you have a lot of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Booking one of these seats often costs 300,000 SkyMiles or more, according to Delta. Avoid doing that. Rather, you would transfer your Chase points to Virgin Atlantic, one of Delta’s closest partners. And after that, a one-way journey to Europe only costs 50,000 points. Securing these seats may be purchased for as little as 39,000 Chase points according to Virgin Atlantic’s regular 30% transfer bonuses.
Four (or more) Hawaii round-trip tickets
With a sizable Chase bonus, you can reserve two, four, or more round-trip flights to Hawaii. Yeah, so much for Hawaii being a pricy destination. In this case, Chase transfer partners truly shine because there are multiple ways to reserve round-trip tickets to the Hawaiian islands for roughly 25,000 points apiece, or significantly less.
As demonstrated by this round-trip ticket from Oakland (OAK) to Maui (OGG), you can go to Hawaii for less than 12,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points if you plan your travel accordingly. Furthermore, 12,000 Chase points are plenty because they transfer 1:1 to Southwest.
Two-way ticket to Europe, or one in business class
Cheap and European vacations don’t usually go together. However, you might utilize some Chase points to make it happen and even travel in elegance.
Once more, you should transfer your Chase points. You’re going to send them to Iberia this time, a Spanish airline that has some of the cheapest tickets to and from Europe. Iberia receives Chase points at a 1:1 ratio. That implies you can obtain 34,000 Iberia Avios for 34,000 points. Have at least 68,000 Chase points? That’s 68,000 Avios, or even more if you timing your transfer bonus to Iberia perfectly.
Nor are such figures arbitrary. For as little as 34,000 miles round-trip, you may take an Iberia flight from Boston (BOS), New York City-JFK (JFK), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), or Chicago-O’Hare to Madrid (Madrid). A hoard of 60,000 points is nearly enough to pay for two round-trip tickets to Europe at that ridiculously low rate!
Traveling alone and feeling conceited? Instead, how about using those points to book a business-class ticket to Spain? For just 68,000 miles round-trip, you can accomplish this! That’s less than the average business class one-way ticket price on most carriers. Learn how to get cheap tickets in the business class of Iberia.
Iberia business class is going to be a real pleasure for you. The meal is delicious and the seats are very roomy, with the ability to fully recline into a nice bed. You cannot match this price even though it may not be the greatest business class in the world.
Make a lot of Domestic Travel Plans
Not looking to go too far? Airline miles from Europe are a great way to reserve a quick domestic flight in the United States. We mean business. British Airways is a member of the Oneworld alliance and a Chase transfer partner, so you may use your Avios to book flights on partner American Airlines. Additionally, British Airways is one of the only airlines that uses an award program based on distance, so tickets for trips less than 1,150 miles will only cost 9,000 Avios.
You might fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), New York City-JFK (JFK), or Washington, D.C. (DCA) with a range of 1,150 miles. Chicago to Denver (DEN), New York City to Miami (MIA), and more routes are also available.
The best way to uncover award availability on British Airways is to check American Airlines’ website and search for lower fares, as their site can be erratic. Next, enter the information of your flight on BritishAirways.com or give the airline a call to finalize the reservation. British Airways instantly receives Chase points in a 1:1 ratio.
With Hyatt stay free
Transferring points to hotel chains with different credit cards is frequently a losing venture. Thanks to Hyatt, Chase Ultimate Rewards may be the greatest option available on this list. Because you can book even some four- and five-star Hyatt resorts at ridiculously low prices, Hyatt is one of our favorite Chase transfer partners. Here are a few brief illustrations of how moving your Chase points to Hyatt can help you get the most value out of them.
First up, the finest of the best: One of the few hotel groups that offers point-based reservations for all-inclusive vacations is Hyatt. These amazing Hyatt All-Inclusive resorts are dispersed across Mexico and the Caribbean. Hyatt has recently expanded its portfolio to include over 100 all-inclusive resorts, having previously absorbed several new chains bearing names such as Secrets, Dreams, and others.
The best part, though, is that reservations may be made for as little as 20,000 to 25,000 points per night. It’s still a great offer even after several significant rate increases at some well-known resorts.
Hotel Ziva The Island of Puerto Vallarta
If you transferred 60,000 Chase points to Hyatt, you could spend two or three nights dining, drinking, and sleeping on a beach for nothing. The cost is less than if you stay at home!
Would you like to stay in the hotel chain’s ultimate premium brand, Park Hyatt? When you vacation overseas, look for amazing deals: For only 15,000 points a night, guests can reserve a room at the Park Hyatt Siem Reap in Cambodia, while the Park Hyatt Saigon in Vietnam charges 20,000 points per night. The Park Hyatt Melbourne and Park Hyatt Auckland are comparable.
Travel to Europe in First Class with Emirates Airlines
It’s time to cross this item off your list of priorities. From the suites to the food and champagne to the onboard showers, Emirates first class is unmatched—at least while traveling on the Airbus A380. Even though traveling through the Middle East will cost you substantially more, there’s a clever method to use your Chase points to make the trip even more affordable.
Recently, Emirates increased various award rates and increased cash surcharges on numerous flights as part of their detrimental modifications to the Skywards mileage program. But this is still a great deal even with the increase. But take note: starting in late October, Emirates plans to discontinue operating its iconic Airbus A380s, which are equipped with showers and a bar onboard.
Return to Singapore or One-Way Business Class Travel
Perhaps it’s the Michelin-starred meals available at hawker centers for a few dollars. Perhaps it’s the nightly light displays in the Garden by the Bay. Perhaps it’s a spinoff from the popular movie Crazy, Rich Asians.
With Chase points, you may book a lengthy flight on one of the top airlines in the world to Singapore. Transferring these points to Singapore Airlines would allow you to schedule a round-trip economy ticket from West Coast locations such as Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), or Seattle (SEA) for a mere 84,000 miles. With its excellent service and roomy seats, Singapore will make the 15-hour travel more bearable.
A one-way ticket can be purchased for as little as 107,000 miles. Even the longest trip in the world, which takes about 19 hours to complete from New York City (JFK) to Singapore in business class, covers 111,500 miles and costs less than $6 in taxes and fees. A 19-hour business class flight to Singapore for a once-in-a-lifetime experience? Please say yes.
However, there’s a better approach. These same business class flights to Singapore are now available for just 87,500 Aeroplan points each way when you pair with Air Canada. Additionally, you’ll be set thanks to your cache of Chase points because Aeroplan is another Chase transfer partner.
Returning to Tokyo in Business Class
In the realm of points and miles, this atonement is among the greatest: All Nippon Airways’ business class round-trip tickets from the United States to Tokyo are among the best in the world, especially if you can get a seat in The Room business class.
It costs more like an economy ticket when using Virgin Atlantic miles, another partner for Chase transfer partners. For just 90,000 Virgin Atlantic miles or 95,000 miles from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) or East Coast destinations, you can take a plane from the western United States to Tokyo and return. That’s about what most airlines charge for a business-class one-way ticket! Virgin Atlantic now offers separate one-way tickets, starting at 45,000 miles each, to and from Japan.
Before Virgin Atlantic raised reward rates for this redemption, booking ANA First Class was an even better deal. However, ANA business class is not to be laughed at. The 60,000-point incentive on the Preferred Card is almost enough to fly business class to Tokyo and return, at 90,000 miles or more per round trip. You’ll have almost enough points if you time it perfectly with one of the frequent 30% incentives from Chase to Virgin.
It takes a little more work to pull off this redemption with Virgin Atlantic because it may be very challenging to find the reward availability to purchase these tickets. However, if you can pull it off, this is one of the greatest offers on the list.
Travel First Class on Lufthansa
Flying first class on Lufthansa to Europe is the ultimate bucket list trip if you’re seeking to splurge. This is among the best ways to fly, in my opinion. Despite being mostly absent during the pandemic, Lufthansa First Class has triumphantly returned to the United States as the German flag airline has repositioned its Boeing 747 aircraft to Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), Miami (MIA), Los Angeles (LAX), and Newark (EWR). Another alternative is to fly first class on the Airbus A380 or A340-600, which includes occasional flights into Munich (MUC) rather than Frankfurt.
However, nothing compares to enjoying a five-course meal (with caviar) and champagne while perched in the nose of a 747 while traveling over the Atlantic.
But traveling first class on Lufthansa is about much more than just the aircraft. You will have access to the unparalleled Lufthansa First Class Terminal from Frankfurt (FRA), regardless of whether you are returning to the United States or connecting elsewhere in Europe. And it goes well beyond simply lounging.
You can check in at the lounge directly and forego airport security entirely. There’s a cigar bar in the First Class Terminal, as well as private sleeping accommodations, fantastic shower suites, and excellent meals available. When it’s time to board your flight, your attendant will notify you. After that, you can board a Porsche for a discreet journey on the tarmac that takes you directly to your aircraft.
How to Compile Points for Chase
If you are devoid of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, these redemptions are meaningless. Fortunately, there are several cards available, making it simple to accrue Chase points. The greatest place to begin is unquestionably with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Even though the once-in-a-lifetime, 100,000-point welcome incentive is already gone and unlikely to return, you may still spend $4,000 in the first three months to receive 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
For every $1 spent on dining, including acceptably delivered meals, you will also receive three times as many points. For every dollar spent on online grocery shopping, you’ll receive three times as many points as you would on certain streaming services, and for every dollar spent on vacation, you’ll receive twice as many points.
It is more than reasonable considering the annual charge of only $95. And that’s a ton of value for a low-cost travel credit card, given you’ll receive at least $750 toward travel when you book through the Chase travel portal (or much more by using any of the redemptions above).
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Sadly, it is not possible to stack both bonuses. Only one card may be used at a time, according to Chase, and incentives cannot be accrued more than 48 months apart. The infamous Chase 5/24 rule, which states that you won’t be accepted if you’ve opened five or more credit cards from any bank during the last 24 months, also applies to them (and the majority of Chase cards).
However, there is an additional card that is an ideal match for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. There are two.
Put your Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex credit cards in. These two Chase credit cards usually yield rewards and come with no annual fee. However, when combined with a Chase Sapphire card, they provide a potent combination that can increase your Chase Ultimate Rewards point total.
Using Business Cards to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
The Chase Ink Business card suite is another way to accrue a ton of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Assure me that you are not qualified for a business card. Rethink that; you can probably get accepted even if you are a traveler with a side gig. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is possibly the best choice for small business owners wishing to increase their collection of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
In addition to offering a substantial return on spending over the first three months of card membership—$8,000 after spending just $8,000—the Ink Preferred card also provides excellent travel privileges. The best part is that the card only costs $95 annually, so keeping it in your wallet is worthwhile.