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Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of the most valuable points in the rewards ecosystem, thanks to the many sweet spots in its transfer partner program. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 transfer ratio to 14 transfer partners (11 airline and three hotel programs). These include well-known programs: United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Hyatt.
But don't overlook Chase's international airline partners like British Airways, Air France/KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. These international programs can be valuable for booking award flights within North America. Let's review all of the best ways to use Chase points for domestic U.S. and short-haul international flights.
If you want to build your balance of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, now's a great time to do so. Three Ultimate Rewards-earning cards are offering a solid sign-up bonus to eligible new cardholders:
- 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
- 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
- 8X points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases
- 5X total points on eligible Lyft rides through 9/30/2027
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on advertising purchases made with social media platforms and search engines
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Page Contents
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners
- The Best Chase Ultimate Rewards Sweet Spots in North America
- Southwest award flights from 3,000 points
- JetBlue award flights starting at 3,000 Chase points
- Cheap flights through the Chase Travel portal
- United award flights from 5,000 points
- Delta award flights from 5,000 points
- Alaska award flights from 7,500 points
- American award flights from 12,000 points
- Award flights to Hawaii from 8,500 points
- Bottom Line
Before we dive into the sweet spots, here's an overview of all 11 of Chase's airline transfer partners, their transfer times, and which U.S. airlines each partner with. Note that points transfer to all Chase Ultimate Rewards partners at a 1:1 transfer ratio.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners
| Chase Airline Transfer Partner | ...which you can use to book award flights on: | Time for Points to Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub (Avios) | (none directly) | Instantly |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | United | Instantly |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Delta | Instantly |
| British Airways Club (Avios) | American, Alaska | Instantly |
| Emirates Skywards | United | Instantly |
| Club Iberia Plus (Avios) | American, Alaska | Instantly |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | JetBlue | Instantly |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | United, Alaska | 1 Day |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Southwest | Instantly |
| United MileagePlus | United | Instantly |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Delta | Instantly |
Related: How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points: A Step-By-Step Guide
The Best Chase Ultimate Rewards Sweet Spots in North America
Southwest award flights from 3,000 points
Southwest has recently implemented variable award redemption pricing for its award flights. Rapid Rewards points used to offer a fixed value that required around 86 points per dollar of the flight's base fare (before taxes and fees). Now, the redemption rate of Southwest Rapid Rewards varies based on flight demand and other factors.
Despite the changes, you can pay a surprisingly low number of Rapid Rewards points for Southwest flights when fares are cheap. For example, this Las Vegas (LAS) to Los Angeles (LAX) flight prices as low as just 2,500 points each way:
Chase points transfer to all partners in increments of 1,000 points. So, you'd need to transfer just 3,000 Chase points to book a Basic fare — or 4,000 for a Wanna Get Away Plus fare.
Despite all the changes happening at Southwest, its award flight prices can be incredibly low in the right circumstances.
Related: How to Avoid Seating and Bag Fees with a Southwest Credit Card
JetBlue award flights starting at 3,000 Chase points
JetBlue utilizes a revenue-based redemption system for flights it operates. However, award prices aren't as formulaic. That means some redemptions are better than others.
For some short-haul flights, you can find great deals using JetBlue TrueBlue points. For example, you can fly from Boston (BOS) to Presque Isle, Maine (PQI) from 2,500 points:
International JetBlue flights start at just 3,400 points each way — such as from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Cancun, Mexico (CUN):
It's even possible to fly across the country — from Boston (BOS) to San Francisco (SFO) for only 8,000 points one-way.
If you're hopping through the Caribbean, you can even book JetBlue flights from 2,500 points each way:
Cheap flights through the Chase Travel portal
Although most of this post focuses on redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for award sweet spots by transferring to partners, it's important to remember that this isn't the only way to book flights with Chase points. Sometimes, the best deal is to buy paid flights through the Chase Travel portal.
The value that you get from your Ultimate Rewards points depends on which card you redeem points through:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees): up to 2 cents per point (depending on your specific redemption).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees): up to 1.75 cents per point (depending on your specific redemption).
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card : up to 1.75 cents per point (depending on your specific redemption).
With the implementation of Points Boost, the values above now vary, while they used to be fixed. So there may be instances where you can redeem points at only one 1 cent per point, meaning you need to pay more attention to the value you are getting through the Chase Travel portal.
When a flight is cheap, you can book it for an incredibly low number of points. For example, Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred cardholders can book a flight between Denver (DEN) and Salt Lake City (SLC) for just 4,678 points:
United award flights from 5,000 points
Chase cardholders can use Ultimate Rewards to book United award flights through a few programs — including Air Canada Aeroplan and even Singapore KrisFlyer. However, after recent devaluations, the first place to check is United itself.
United has transitioned to a dynamic award pricing system where the price of an award is loosely based on demand. And you can book some routes for as few as 5,000 United MileagePlus miles each way — such as Denver (DEN) to Cheyenne (CYS), San Francisco (SFO) to San Diego (SAN), and even Vancouver (YVR) to Chicago (ORD):
Other routes, such as Chicago (ORD) to Pittsburgh (PIT), only cost a little bit more:
Other flights can be booked for a reasonable number of miles — like this Houston (IAH) to Mexico City (MEX) flight starting at 8,200 United miles.
Unfortunately, these short-distance United award flights used to be readily available at even better prices when booked through Air Canada Aeroplan. However, Air Canada's recent award chart adjustment for United-flown flights made these prices dynamic — and not as enticing.
Related: Do Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Expire?
Delta award flights from 5,000 points
Just because Delta Air Lines is not a transfer partner of Chase doesn't mean you can't use your Ultimate Rewards to book them. In fact, Air France and KLM's Flying Blue program seems to have reemerged as a great way to book some domestic Delta award flights. Since Flying Blue transitioned to dynamic award pricing for Delta flights, deals can be hit or miss. But you can find some shorter routes bookable for as few as 5,000 miles each way.
Another way to book Delta award flights using Chase Ultimate Rewards points is through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Virgin uses a distance-based award chart for Delta awards (except those to/from mainland Europe) at the following rates:
- 0-500 miles: 7,500 points
- 501-1,000 miles: 11,000 points
- 1,001-1,500 miles: 16,500 points
- 1,501-2,000 miles: 18,500 points
In addition to short-haul flights within the U.S., you can use this award chart to fly to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or Mexico for cheap. For example, you can fly from Atlanta (ATL) to Nassau (NAS) for just 11,000 Virgin points:
The same flight is also bookable with fellow SkyTeam members Air France/KLM Flying Blue program. In this case, only 9,500 Flying Blue miles will get you this flight to the Bahamas. But fees are slightly higher at $34.
For reference, booking the same flight directly through Delta would be 28,000 SkyMiles!
It should be noted, however, that Virgin Atlantic charges for each segment you fly. For instance, adding a flight from Charlotte (CLT) to Atlanta, then Nassau in our above example, still covers less than 1,000 miles in distance. But Virgin prices CLT-ATL and ATL-NAS as two separate awards. That means you'll have to pay 18,500 Virgin points each way:
For these connecting flights, you may be better off booking a paid flight through the Chase Travel portal. The nonstop options will work best from Delta's hub airports.
When comparing all these SkyTeam partners, factors besides cost — like cancellation policies and potential transfer bonuses — could help determine the best airline program to book through.
Alaska award flights from 7,500 points
Alaska has a unique non-alliance partnership with Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer program. And, after recent devaluations to Avios award charts, KrisFlyer is now the best way to book Alaska awards. Rather than using a distance-based award chart, Singapore splits the U.S. into five regions for Alaska Airlines award flights.
Awards between certain regions start at just 7,500 KrisFlyer miles each way — such as flights between Arizona or New Mexico and Canada. The downside with this sweet spot is that you'll need to call Singapore KrisFlyer to book these awards. You can see which destinations fall into each of the five regions here (caution: PDF link).
You can use the British Airways award chart to book nonstop Alaska award flights up to 650 miles in distance for 12,000 Avios, or flights between 651 and 1,151 miles in distance for 16,000 Avios. This can be handy for flights such as Seattle (SEA) to Juneau (JNU):
American award flights from 12,000 points
Despite several recent devaluations, the best way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for flights on American Airlines is by booking through British Airways Club. Nonstop American Airlines flights up to 650 miles in distance cost 12,000 Avios each way. If you can't find better rates elsewhere, this is a good option to keep in your back pocket.
For example, you can fly from Dallas (DFW) to Denver, Colorado (DEN) for just 12,000 Avios one-way in economy, or 24,000 Avios in domestic first class:
While domestic U.S. awards might not provide the best redemption rate, you can also fly internationally using the same distance-based award chart. For example, fly between Miami (MIA) and Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) for 12,000 Avios each way in economy or 24,000 Avios each way in first class:
Nonstop award flights between 2,001 and 3,000 miles in distance cost a bit more at 20,000 Avios each way, which could cover flights between Charlotte (CLT) and Los Angeles (LAX). It's a solid option to get across the country if you can't find cheaper rates elsewhere. Like Virgin Atlantic, British Airways prices awards per segment, so finding nonstop American flights will be your best bet.
Award flights to Hawaii from 8,500 points
If you're looking to visit Hawaii, Chase Ultimate Rewards points offer plenty of options. Southwest is potentially the best option. If you're able to find a cheap enough cash flight, you can book Southwest award flights to Hawaii with just 8,500 Rapid Rewards points:
Alternatively, United Airlines flies extensively to Hawaii. It will be worthwhile to compare United to other Chase Star Alliance transfer partners, like Air Canada Aeroplan. Air Canada has added United to their list of partners with a dynamic award chart, so the award price will vary.
In this case, this United flight is cheapest through Air Canada, at 15,000 miles
Consider booking American and Alaska award flights to Hawaii through British Airways. Nonstop award flights up to 3,000 miles in distance cost 20,000 Avios each way. That covers Alaska and American award flights to Hawaii from the U.S. West Coast and as far inland as Phoenix (PHX):
This gives travelers several options to use Chase Ultimate Rewards to get to Hawaii, helping save money on an otherwise expensive vacation.
Related: The Best Points and Miles for Free Flights to Hawaii
Bottom Line
When considering how to redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it's natural to default to the most well-known airline programs: United, Southwest, and JetBlue. However, don't overlook Chase's other airline partners. Otherwise, you may miss out on an even cheaper way to book the same award.
Hopefully, this list of Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots helps inspire you on how to maximize your points. And, if you need to build up your balance of Ultimate Rewards points, don't forget that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is offering an amazing 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & 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
Or, if you're looking for even more extensive travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering 125,000 bonus points bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 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 $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & 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
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), and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (Rates & Fees)
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