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Chase has announced the addition of Emirates as a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner. Points are transferable at a ratio of 1:1 with a minimum transfer of 1,000 required. At this point, we do not know exactly how long the transaction takes; although, with most of its other partners, Ultimate Rewards transfer almost instantly.
With this addition, Chase now boasts a total of 10 airline transfer partners. For more details on how to get the most out of your points, check out our complete guide to the Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.
Availability is King
No matter how large your Ultimate Rewards balance, if there is no award availability, then your only option will be to book airfare through the Chase Travel Portal. This is where this new partnership has an ace up its sleeve; Emirates has a lot more award availability for its own Skywards members than it offers to its partners. So even though you can book Emirates awards on Alaska at a great price, a lack of partner availability is a frequent problem.
On the other hand, the enhanced availability by going through Emirates Skywards comes at a heavy price premium, with some business class awards setting you back well over 100,000 points and nearly $800 in taxes and fees for a one-way ticket.
Our Take
It is always good news when a points currency becomes more flexible. More options (even if you don't often use them) creates more value. The addition of Emirates is a win, even if the staggering amount they charge for premium awards does take the shine off the new partnership. On the other hand, if you absolutely must fly Emirates business or their stunning suites aboard the Boeing 777, and can’t find any space with Alaska, transferring directly from Chase to Emirates Skywards could be a lifesaver.
Eager to stock up on Ultimate Rewards? Small business owners should check out the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. Those looking for a consumer card can't go wrong with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & 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
Source: One Mile At A Time
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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