AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Southwest flights are now bookable through the Chase Travel℠ portal — giving Ultimate Rewards users a way to redeem points for one of the most popular domestic airlines.
But that doesn’t mean it's a good option.
Depending on the flight, your card, and how you redeem, you could get better value by transferring points to Southwest instead — or by booking through the portal. Add in differences in flexibility, pricing, and earning potential, and the “right” choice isn’t always obvious.
Here’s how to decide when to book Southwest flights through Chase Travel — and when you’re better off booking another way.
Two Ways To Use Chase Points for Southwest Flights
Since Southwest is a Chase transfer partner, you can convert Ultimate Rewards points into Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. These transfers are usually instant, which makes it easy to book flights directly with Southwest using points.
But Chase also offers another way to redeem points for Southwest flights: booking through the Chase Travel portal. In many cases, transferring points provides better value, but there are some scenarios where using the portal is worth considering. And we'll show you when that is.
Related: Can You Book Low-Cost Carriers With Amex, Capital One, Chase, or Citi Points?
When Booking Southwest Flights Through Chase Travel Makes Sense
One major advantage of booking Southwest flights through Chase Travel is that the ticket counts as a revenue fare, so you’ll earn Rapid Rewards points when you fly. Members earn Rapid Rewards points based on the fare type purchased and any elite status held, with higher fares and status levels earning more points per dollar.
For Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) cardholders, using the portal can also provide value. Points are redeemable at up to 2 cents each, which in some cases beats the value you'll otherwise unlock by transferring points. Ordinarily, AwardWallet users redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points for 1.52¢ apiece, though this value can fluctuate.
But to showcase an example, let's look at this Los Angeles (LAX) to Denver (DEN) flight. If you book directly through Southwest, the Choice fare costs 16,500 Rapid Rewards points plus $5.60 — or $197 if you book it wholly with cash.
That’s a unimpressive redemption rate of about 1.16 cents per point — which may be less than what a Sapphire Reserveholder could get by booking through the portal. These redemption values have become more dynamic, as Southwest is now requiring more points per dollar for higher-demand flights.
Depending on the flight, booking with Chase could still provide a reasonable value. Chase replaced a fixed redemption value on certain cards with Points Boost in 2025. What that means is that Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can now get up to 2 cents per point on boosted flights. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card members can get up to 1.5 cents apiece on economy flights in the travel portal.
$95Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
$795Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
$95Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
What does this mean in practice? The same Los Angeles to Denver flight above, when booked through the Chase portal, would cost the same $197 as with Southwest directly. But thanks to Points Boost, it's only 13,093 points. In this instance, a Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholder would use fewer points than if they transferred points to Southwest for the same flight. This means you will have to compare booking both ways to see which is best.
If you only have a no-annual-fee Chase card, your option is to book Southwest flights through the portal. Transfers to Southwest (or other partners for that matter) aren’t an option — unless you also have one of the aforementioned Ultimate Rewards-earning cards.
Related: Benefits of Booking Flights via the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
When Booking Southwest Flights Directly Makes Sense
Prices may be lower
It's important to compare the cash price through the Chase portal versus booking direct, as the portal may charge a higher price. This used to be more rampant, but it appears Chase has gotten its act together. Several routes I checked were priced the same both direct and in the portal. This is good news, but it always pays to confirm. If the price is higher through the portal, booking direct may be the way to go.
Points Boost may be lower
Since the new Points Boost feature is fluid, you may not always get better value through the portal. For instance, this Norfolk (ORF) to Dallas Love (DAL) flight costs $292 or 25,339 points for the Choice fare in the Chase portal. That works out to 1.13 cents per point, which is lower than in the previous example.
The same flight direct through Southwest costs 25,000 points. It's not a huge difference but it shows that it will not always be cut-and-dried. Doing your homework will be important.
Booking directly also offers more flexibility
Beyond potential price differences, booking directly with Southwest provides more flexibility. For instance, if you use Rapid Rewards points to book directly with Southwest, you can cancel at any time and get the points refunded to your Rapid Rewards account. If the fare drops after booking, you can rebook at the lower price and get the difference in points back.
With Chase Travel, cancellations typically result in a future travel credit with an expiration date rather than a refund of points. That makes direct bookings the safer bet if there’s any chance your plans might change.
Related: How To Reprice Your Flights and Hotels To Save Money
Bottom Line
Booking Southwest flights through the Chase Travel portal is a good option in some situations, especially for those who want to earn Rapid Rewards points on a booking or don’t have a Chase card that allows point transfers.
But you shouldn't proceed without caution. Some flights in the Chase portal may be priced higher than what Southwest charges directly — and the change and cancellation policies are far less flexible. Before booking, compare the cost of transferring points versus redeeming through the portal. In some cases, it’s a great deal. In others, you’re better off booking direct.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
