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You've built up a healthy balance of Chase Ultimate Rewards, and you're ready to start planning your next trip. Here's everything you need to know about how to use Chase points for flights and get the best possible value for your hard-earned rewards.
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What is the Best Way to Use Chase Points?
Chase Ultimate Rewards are widely considered to be among the most valuable points available. Those that like to keep things simple may opt to redeem at a fixed value through the Chase TravelSM portal. But spending points this way can leave a lot of value on the table. In general, the best way to use Chase points is by transferring them to Chase partners.
Why Chase Transfer Partners Offer More Value
Redeeming with Chase travel partners requires a little more work than booking through Chase Travel, but it's usually well worth the extra effort.
The reason transfers are often better than fixed-value redemptions is simple: Each partner program has it's own unique rules, fees, and prices. Sometimes an award ticket or free-night award will be a great deal; other times, not so much.
The value lies in having a variety of options for any given trip. United Airlines might have terrible pricing for a short economy flight and offer an absolute steal for a business-class ticket to Europe. The exact opposite might be true for British Airways. Since both are 1:1 Chase transfer partners, you can pick the program with the best pricing for the trip you want to book.
Chase Travel Cards That Earn Ultimate Rewards
The fastest way to accumulate these valuable points is with an Ultimate Rewards credit card. There are two consumer cards and one business card that grant full access to Chase's lineup of transfer partners:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
The other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards earn points that can be redeemed through Chase Travel or converted to cash back, but they can't be transferred directly to partners. Fortunately, Chase allows you to combine points earned with any of the Ultimate Rewards cards. That means you can move your rewards balance from one of the no-annual fee cards in the list below to a premium card with access to partners.
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
To combine your points, head to the Chase website, choose the ‘Rewards details‘ drop-down menu, and select ‘Combine points‘. You also combine points with another member of your household by calling the customer service number on your card.
How to Use Chase Points for Flights
If you want to book a flight, the best way to use Chase points is by transferring them to one of 11 airline partners. On average, AwardWallet members redeem Chase points at 1.95¢ each—a significant improvement over the cash value you'll receive by booking through Chase Travel.
Chase points typically transfer to these airline partners at a 1:1 rate, though occasional transfer bonuses can provide a boost. Transferring points is quick and easy on the Chase website, but don't make the huge mistake of taking this step without a plan! These transfers are final; the points cannot be redeposited into your Ultimate Rewards account.
Here are the estimated transfer times from Chase to each airline partner:
Top Partners for Chase Flights
Each of the 11 airline transfer partners of Chase Ultimate rewards provides you access to different routes and airline alliances. Here are some of the most valuable.
Chase Points to Avios
Aerlingus, British Airways, and Iberia all share a points currency called Avios. The most common way to book with Avios is by transferring to British Airways Executive Club, but you can also transfer to Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus directly.
Even though these programs use the same rewards currency, the cost of travel in Avios points and the taxes you'll pay can vary depending on which program you use. Fortunately, Avios points can also be transferred between programs. For example, you can move points in your British Airways account to AerLingus if the taxes or award price is more attractive.
Here are some potential uses:
- Use Aer Lingus Avios to book a one-way economy ticket between Boston and Dublin for 13,000 Avios.
- Book a coveted Qsuite on Qatar Airways using 70,000 British Airways Avios
- Use as few as 34,000 Iberia Avios to book a business-class seat on a flight between the East Coast and Madrid.
With the Avios partner programs, the biggest drawback is that your out-of-pocket cost to book a flight can be quite high when fuel surcharges are added, so it pays to compare your options.
Chase Points to Delta
While Delta Skymiles isn't a direct transfer partner for Chase Ultimate rewards, you can still book Delta flights (and a variety of SkyTeam partner flights) by transferring points to Air France—KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Although Delta might be the first Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic partner that comes to mind for U.S. fliers, each program has a wealth of partners and sweet spots that deliver excellent value.
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue awards provide great value when looking for economy or business class to Europe. From the U.S., economy tickets can frequently be booked for 20,000 each way and lie-flat business class for 50,000 miles to Europe.
- Virgin Atlantic's sweet spots include flights booked on partner airlines, such as flying first class between the U.S. and Tokyo on ANA for as little as 72,500 points. Another great option is booking Delta One business class seats to/from Europe for 50,000 miles per person.
Chase Points to United
United MileagePlus is a direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. Although there are some excellent deals to be found redeeming United miles, it's worth bearing in mind that—as members of Star Alliance—Air Canada Aeroplan and Signapore Krisflyer share many of the same redemption partners with United MileagePlus.
- Air Canada's Aeroplan program can be a great way to book United domestic tickets for as low as 6,000 points or even to Hawaii for 12,500 points.
- Singapore Airlines has several sweet spots that include “fifth freedom” routes from the U.S. to Europe for as low as 25,000 points in economy or 40,000 points in business.
- While United Mileage Plus may not always offer the most valuable redemptions, you shouldn't overlook the option of topping off your United points stash with Ultimate Rewards. Plus, there can be some inexpensive economy awards both domestically and internationally on partners.
Other Valuable Transfer Partners
These transfer partners can be great options, depending on your travel goals:
- Chase points also transfer to Southwest Airlines and JetBlue at 1:1, and both programs have revenue-based award pricing. That means you can snag some convenient, cheap award flights at a fairly consistent value of around 1.4 cents per point. This eliminates the opportunity for outsized value but can still offer decent redemptions. And having a Southwest Companion Pass will certainly stretch your points further!
- Emirates Skywards may not be the most valuable points in terms of redemption costs, but Emirates has some of the nicest first-class seats in the world!
Use Chase Points for Flights with Chase Travel
While transfers to airline partners typically offer the most value for your points, the options for how to use Chase points for flights also include booking directly through the Chase Travel Portal. Booking through the portal can provide better value under some circumstances. The cash price of the tickets and the credit card you hold determine the amount of points needed to book a flight.
Here are the fixed redemption values for using Chase points through Chase Travel:
| Card | Point Value when Booking Travel Through Chase Travel | Points Transferrable to Travel Partners |
|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) | 1.5¢ | Yes |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) | 1.25¢ | Yes |
| Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | 1.25¢ | Yes |
| Chase Freedom Flex℠ | 1¢ | No |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees) | 1¢ | No |
| Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | 1¢ | No |
| Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | 1¢ | No |
| Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) | 1¢ | No |
For low-cost flights, portal bookings often provide better redemption value. Chase Travel bookings also eliminate the problem of finding scarce award availability and allow you to earn points in the airline loyalty program like a normal cash booking.
Consider this flight from Boston to Washington, D.C. Booked in the portal, this flight will cost you 10,248 Ultimate Rewards with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred card. Those with a Chase Sapphire Reserve will only pay 8,600 points, due to the 1.5¢ redemption rate on this premium card.
You could book this Delta flight for as few as 10,500 miles via Flying Blue on some dates, but that's if you can find awards at the cheapest prices. You may see prices at nearly double these rates, depending on demand, but the redemption rates in the portal won't fluctuate. Definitely compare your options.
Related: Benefits of Booking Award Flights via the Chase Travel Portal
Booking a Flight With the Chase Travel Portal
After logging into the Chase Travel website, access the travel portal by clicking “Travel” and then “Book Travel.”
Once in the portal, click on “Flights” and search for your departure and destination the way you would on any booking site. You can then filter by the number of stops, airlines, flight times, and price. The results will display options with prices listed in cash and Ultimate Reward points. You also can book flights with a combination of points and cash.
Final Thoughts
Ultimate Rewards are an excellent, useful reward currency. While transfers to partners often provide the highest value for your points, there are occasions when booking through the portal can provide easier and better redemptions than points transfers. Thanks to Chase Ultimate Rewards' versatility, you can leverage your points to book flights in whichever way works best for your travel goals.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Premier® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees)
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