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Labeling any card the ‘ultimate card’ for a specific use is a tough call. But when it comes to traveling with a family, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® stands out as a firm favorite.
You get Priority Pass lounge access allowing you to guest two additional people or immediate family members into the lounge, plus the card offers an unrestricted $300 travel credit to help lower the cost of travel. It lets family combine points between household members and send points into family members airline and hotel partner accounts, and provides a slew of top travel protection perks that cover the entire family when you’re on the road.
Today we’re digging into the Sapphire Reserve perks and benefits and unpacking the top five reasons we think this card is the ultimate family travel rewards card.
1. Priority Pass Membership for Cardholder and Authorized Users
There are plenty of travel rewards cards offering Priority Pass Select memberships as a feature card perk. The Priority Pass provided with the Sapphire Reserve lets you guest two additional people or immediate family members into the lounge. That’s 1,000+ airline lounges you can access free of charge when out exploring the world with those closest to you, regardless of your fare class or the airline you fly.
Lounges are the easiest way of retaining your sanity while traveling long-haul, providing a quiet space to enjoy a bite to eat and a glass of wine, free Wi-Fi to download that next Netflix series before your flight, or a quiet corner to catch some shut-eye. Remember, you can also take advantage of Priority Pass credits at airport bars and restaurants in locations where there is no lounge access. Each guest receives $28 to spend on food and drinks, and you can even grab snacks to take with you on the plane!
A standout lounge feature on the Sapphire Reserve is that authorized user accounts also receive a full Priority Pass Select membership, with the same guesting policies as the primary account, for the grand sum of $75 per year (AU annual fee).
2. A $300 Travel Credit Covering Any Travel Expense
The $300 travel credit attached to the Sapphire Reserve is without a doubt a ‘best in class’ benefit, providing a statement credit for up to $300 every year towards travel purchases. Chase offers the broadest definitions of travel of any card, including:
“…airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.”
The credit is applied automatically when Chase detects a charge from the list above but is dependent on the merchant coding the purchase correctly for the system to pick it up.
Other cards provide similar benefits, but none offer the same value and ease of redemption as the Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit.
3. Primary Auto Insurance Covers Cardholder plus Any Driver on the Rental Agreement
Chase offers primary auto rental insurance (Auto Rental CDW) on the Sapphire Reserve, both here in the U.S. and when you are abroad traveling overseas. There are no specific country exclusions.
The Auto Rental CDW covers you for damage due to collision or theft for most rental vehicles, up to the value of $75,000. To ensure this benefit covers you when renting, you need to pay for the rental using your Sapphire Reserve, or a combination of Ultimate Rewards and the Sapphire Reserve to cover fees and taxes and refuse the rental company’s third party CDW or LDW. The coverage does not include liability insurance, so you're still responsible for damage to other people's property or if anyone is injured and you’re at fault. We recommend taking out liability coverage when renting a vehicle if you don't have coverage through your personal auto insurance or an umbrella policy.
The policy covers the primary cardholder (name embossed on the front of the card), and any additional drivers included in the rental agreement. As long as your spouse, partner, kids, parents, etc., are legally permitted to operate the car under the T&C’s, they are covered driving the vehicle.
Authorized user accounts are also entitled to the full Auto Rental CDW benefit, as they receive a credit card with their name embossed on the front; another significant reason to add Authorized User accounts for $75.
4. Travel Insurance Covers Cardholder Spouse, and Immediate Family Members
We deep-dived the travel insurance benefits on the Sapphire Reserve in a recent post, detailing the stellar travel insurance benefits provided by this card which include:
- Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance
- Lost Luggage Cover
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Emergency Evacuation Insurance
- Emergency Medical and Dental Cover
Reading the Sapphire Reserve Guide to Benefits, one section jumped out that confirmed how well the coverage applies to family travel:
“If I charge multiple travel arrangements for myself and Immediate Family Members, do the benefits apply to each person? Yes, each traveler is eligible to receive the primary benefit up to the Trip Cancellation & Trip Interruption Maximum Limit of Insurance per Occurrence.”
For the record, the maximum limit of insurance per occurrence is $20K for both trip interruption and trip cancellation. Chase defines immediate family members as:
- “…your Spouse or Domestic Partner and their children, including adopted children or step-children; legal guardians or wards; siblings or siblings-in-law; parents or parents-in-law; grandparents or grandchildren; aunts or uncles; nieces or nephews.”
A broad definition of family, and each family member entitled to $20,000 coverage when the trip is paid for with your Sapphire Reserve or a combination of Ultimate Rewards and the fees and taxes paid on the card.
5. Transfer Ultimate Rewards to Household Members plus Their Airline and Hotel Programs
Chase allows you to choose one member of your household to whom you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points earned on your Sapphire Reserve and vice versa. As per the T&C’s, you can transfer:
“…only to another Chase card with Ultimate Rewards belonging to you, or one member of your household.”
This rule strictly enforced and Chase keeps an eye on points transfers between accounts; if you violate the policy, you risk forfeiture of your rewards and Chase may close your credit card account(s). Keep everything above board with your Chase accounts.
Chase also lets you transfer Ultimate Rewards points to a family member’s airline or hotel transfer partner account, provided they are a member of your household and an authorized user on your Sapphire Reserve account. This means you can transfer points directly from your Ultimate Rewards account to your partners United MileagePlus, Korean SKYPASS, or World of Hyatt account, fantastic if you want to top off their account to reach a redemption.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of cards in the marketplace offering big signup bonuses and flashy perks, but the best cards for family travel provide a robust mix of travel perks, purchase protections, and travel insurance, in addition to their high points earning potential.
The Sapphire Reserve delivers all of these and more, a potent mix of best-in-class travel benefits, insurance policies covering the entire family, and the ability to rack up plenty of points via bonus points on travel and dining.
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Is immediate family defined the same way on the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
In what context?
For travel insurance protection. Just wondering if the preferred will extend travel protection to the same categories of immediate family.
Many of the benefits apply to immediate family, but you’ll want to check the specific type of travel protection in the benefits guide. https://awardwallet.com/blog/master-list-credit-card-benefits-guides/
Great post! I currently have the Chase Sapphire Preferred but may look at upgrading for the lounge benefits alone. Anyone else found it a useful upgrade to go from the Preferred to the Reserve?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is an amazing, must have, credit card.
I really wish this card was available in Canada. Unfortunately, Chase seems to be exiting the Canadian market as their other cars (Marriott Rewards Visa) are in the process of being closed =/
Thank you. If I am within the 5/24 Chase limit one day, I’ll have to look into the Sapphire CArd options.
This card was good enough to get Citi to back down on competing in this space. That says something.
Excellent point!
I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred and I love it. However, I am always seeing the Reserved card on the short list of what ppl should have.
I can see how this is an excellent card, but if I have young children, how does the lounge thing work if the lounge doesn’t allow children in?
Even though the card allows you entrance it still looks like you must adhere to their rules, correct?
If a lounge doesn’t allow children, they simply can’t get in. You’ve got to adhere to the rules.
It’s hard not to like this card.
Great travel benefits to this card. Hoping for a better sign-up bonus to come along.
You’re not likely going to see an increased signup bonus on these cards anytime soon.
CSR all the way!!
I am using it daily. What a great card!
Nice perks but expensive and don’t like banking scandal around Chase
To each his own I suppose.
I would agree it is a great card.
I’m a huge fan of this card, but I never put much emphasis on the travel insurance until a couple weeks ago where it applied big time.
I can only imagine how much that value would increase if I was traveling with a family.
Great card and info. Awesome benefits that make AF with it IMO. Only wish they had not denied me during original promotion. Ughh…That chase 5/24. Maybe down the road.
Really wished that Chase did not exit from Canada…
This is absolutely the best card in my wallet.
Thank you for this information! Very helpful. Fingers crossed for a massive bonus points offer for all of us, soon!
Thanks Howie. So, then I think I have 2 options, assuming we keep renting the way we always have.
1. have him pay with another card in his name that also has primary (I think the Cap 1 Visa sig does as well)
2. add him as an AU on my CSR and have him charge the rental on his card. Guess I’m off to see what that will cost me on the CSR – this is a new card for me. Any other benefits he would receive by adding him as AU so that I can justify whatever it is?
cece, this post, and linked articles covers the relevant benefits. He gets his own priority pass membership and all the insurance protection as well.
Re #3 – Rental primary insurance. My CSR is in my name (embossed on card). We use it to pay for the rental cars.
However, when we rent cars, it is my husband who handles the rental contract in his name and the driving -he is the named driver.
I know the post says the policy covers “additional” drivers. But we never pay for an “additional driver” – he is it.
Will we still be covered?
No, you would not be covered. Your husband would need to have a card in his name or you would need to rent a car and add him as an additional driver.
Does look like a good card to have!
if only it wasn’t so expensive! I think this would only makes sense for me if I travel more than 4 times a year.
Definitely worth switching from the CSP. A real game changer!
Good post! I knew about most of the benefits, but I wasn’t aware about the extent of the rental insurance and travel insurance. Does anyone have experience making a claim with Chase?
Great article! I agree.
The meal money in lieu of a club is quite a bonus.
Honestly I never imagined I’d be as excited over a credit card as I am with the CSR. An all-around great experience.
I am very enticed by this card and have been thinking of getting it for the past 1 month…I might just take the leap soon.
Very timely article, as I’m considering applying for this card! I just wish the signup bonus was back where it originally was at 100,000 (or even 75k)!
Hands down this is the best travel card. And I was lucky enough to get the 100,000 Ultimate Reward sign up bonus. Oh yes!
I don’t have this card yet but hope they will bring the 100K point bonus back.
I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Switching my wife to this card while I cancel mine. Double travel credits pay for itself!
what a great card to have. too bad 5/24 limits me to signing up for this.
A good card to consider! Thanks for the detailed info about it.
The ability to transfer points directly to the airline account of a household member is awesome. My GF and I got the Southwest Companion Pass this year, because I have the Chase SW Plus/Premier cards. But she has the CSR – so she can xfer her UR points to my SWA acct, where I book travel with them and add her as the companion. Otherwise I’d have to actually pay for my flights!
This is my favorite credit card, it is worth the annual fee for me.
Looks like a good card to have.
love the perks, getting set for a big trip, CSR card in hand!
I didnt know the insurances also covered family members. That alone could be valuable for some families.
Absolutely love this card — it’s changed the way I travel.
Totally agree. This is my go-to travel card. I love the perks!
I keep putting off switching to this card from my Sapphire Preferred because of the authorized user card fee. (The annual fee itself doesn’t bother me — the travel credit renders it very similar to the Preferred.). I think the additional benefits may be more than worth the extra expense.
That is why we moved everyone to the Sapphire Reserve — the additional benefits.
I’m definitely starting to think the same thing. Those extra benefits look like they outweigh the annual fee if you spend anything more than ~$500 on your card each year
I agree that that’s the way to evaluate it.
It’s my family’s top card. The unlimited Priority Pass guests and very easy to use $300 travel credit make it entirely worthwhile.
100% agree. The CSR is the primary card for both the wife & I. It’s extremely difficult to beat its suite of benefits & coverages.