One of the most flexible rewards currencies on the planet, Chase Ultimate Rewards will let you access some amazing value. Chase now provides a Chase Travel℠ platform where you may accumulate and use credit card statement credits in addition to points.
With Chase Travel, you may book practically any flight and a large range of hotels, therefore saving you money especially in cases when conventional award space is not accessible. Here’s all you need to know about Chase Travel.
What is Chase Travel?
Search and reserve flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and more with the online booking tool Chase Travel. You can pay for these bookings directly using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, or you can book in cash through Chase Travel and receive bonus points.
Transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to partner programs like United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt or British Airways Executive Club for award reservations can help you maximize them. But you should compare the points needed for a direct Chase Travel ticket to those needed for a partner award booking.
Sometimes, booking via the portal can save you points since the points value depends on the cash cost of the flight or hotel stay, thereby possibly reducing the point needs.
However, before making a reservation with Chase Travel, you will need some Chase points. Here are some often-used choices if you are not familiar with Chase’s most common cards and welcome offers.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
A site favorite is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. From Chase, it presently boasts one of the greatest sign-up bonuses—90,000 bonus points—after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account setup.
When you transfer the bonus points to travel partners, our September 2024 values show that they alone are worth $1,845. But you can redeem these points for a set value of 1.25 cents apiece through Chase Travel.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Another great addition to your wallet is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. After making $4,000 purchases in the first three months after account opening, the Sapphire Preferred is now providing 60,000 bonus points. Our valuations lead to a bonus worth $1,230.
Booking straight through Chase Travel with the Sapphire Preferred will yield a value of 1.25 cents per point, the same as the Ink Business Preferred. Paid travel bought through Chase Travel will also earn five points per dollar, minus the first $50 in hotel expenditures eligible for the yearly hotel credit on the card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve
Based on our estimates, the 60,000 extra points available from the Chase Sapphire Reserve® when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening are worth $1,230.
Along with other benefits like a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access, and a $300 yearly travel credit, this card also increases your Chase Travel redemption rate to 1.5 cents per point, therefore providing 0.25 cents per point in more spending power over the Sapphire Preferred.
Booking travel through Chase with the Sapphire Reserve will earn five points per dollar on flights (except from purchases eligible for the $300 travel credit) and ten points per dollar on hotels and vehicle rentals.
Cash-Back Cards
Chase also carries several cash-back credit cards, including the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card. On these cards, the rewards are one cent each toward travel in Chase Travel.
If you also have the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred, you can essentially convert these cash-back benefits into completely transferable Ultimate benefits points since Chase lets you mix your earnings into a single account.
How To Use Chase Travel
Through Chase Travel, you may reserve flights, hotels, auto rentals, cruises, and other trips; access is really easy. You will first have to log into your Chase account and then find a box with your total Ultimate Rewards balance on the right side of the screen. Click the box to proceed on the Ultimate Rewards dashboard.
To view the travel homepage—where you may search for airfare, hotels, and more—click “Travel” and select “Book travel” in the menu. When you select your travel, you can pay with points or cash.
Remember that since it’s considered a third-party booking, you usually won’t earn hotel points and elite credits when you book hotels using the site. Still, trips booked through the portal usually result in frequent flyer miles and help you qualify for elite status.
How To Book Flights Using Chase Travel
Once you have navigated to the travel page of the portal, booking your flights is really simple. Type your trip dates and arrival and departure airports, then click the search button.
The flight choices that are accessible will then be shown. Click the blue “Add to trip” button after choosing the fare type you wish to reserve when you identify a flight you desire.
You will be directed to the next page once you have chosen your desired flights, where you may review your travel details and choose any upgrades you would like to apply for.
You will then be guided to the checkout page, where you may select to pay with cash, points, or both together. Once more, points connected to a Chase Sapphire Reserve account are valued at 1.5 cents apiece. Points in the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred are 1.25 cents apiece.
At last, you will be guided to a page where you will enter the traveler’s details—you can book flights for others as well as yourself—and complete your reservation.
How To Book Hotels Using Chase Travel
Booking hotels on the Chase Travel portal is like booking flights. Not all hotels are listed on the site; hence, your choices can be limited should you be visiting a small town or a little-known location. However, booking this way has various benefits should you find a property you like on the portal.
For example, if you are considering independent or boutique hotels, you can get bonus points even if your hotel is not part of a big hotel chain like Hyatt or Marriott.
Alternatively, you might find it beneficial to book a Hyatt property through Chase Travel rather than straight through the hotel if you would prefer to earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points on your booking than, for example, World of Hyatt points.
Still, always compare rates to be sure you’re getting the greatest bargain, as Chase Travel’s pricing doesn’t always line up with those on the hotel’s website or other online booking systems.
If you intend to reserve a points hotel among Chase’s transfer partners (IHG, Marriott or Hyatt), compare the award rates demanded by these hotel loyalty programs to the number of points you would spend on the Chase Travel portal prior to booking.
While you won’t typically be able to use elite benefits at points hotels booked through Chase Travel, if you carry a card allowing access to The Edit by Chase Travel, you will be able to obtain elite-like benefits at over 1,000 premium locations worldwide. Participating cards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, United℠ Explorer Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United Quest℠ Card and United℠ Business Card.
At the bottom, the search results will reveal the price per night of every hotel together with the total price expressed in cash and points. Filter by brand, price, ratings, neighborhood, and more. Click on a property you wish to select an available room, then click “Add to trip.”
You can indicate how many points you wish to use or book with cash on the checkout page. Run through the on-screen prompts to complete your booking, and then you will receive an email confirmation.
Note that a Sapphire Preferred cardholder will get up to $50 in statement credits annually for hotel bookings booked through Chase Travel.
How To Book Car Rentals, Cruises and Other Travel Using Chase Travel
Renting cars with Chase Travel allows you to pay with points and still get the first-rate primary car rental insurance available from the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred cards. Renting cars is like booking hotels and flights; simply click “Search” after typing your itinerary from the “Cars” header on the main landing page.
You will be asked to pick add-ons from the results page after selecting your automobile. Next, you go to the booking page, where you enter your personal details and select the number of points you wish to spend.
Remember that you have to decline the collision damage waiver of the rental business and make sure whoever is driving the car is on the rental agreement in order to qualify for the rental car insurance on your card.
Through Chase Travel, you can also schedule amazing excursions, including a night monument tour of Washington, D.C. and a Singapore heritage culinary tour. Like flights, hotels, and vehicles, you may reserve these with Ultimate Rewards points at 1.25 or 1.5 cents apiece or with cash to get extra points. Using points and miles will enable you to schedule a whole free vacation—not only hotels and flights.
Though you will have to call to reserve those, cruises, tours, and vacation packages are also available.
More Things To Consider About Chase Travel
Given taxes and fees, we advise comparing the points needed through Chase Travel with those needed for transfer partner redemptions. Avoid booking hotels through the portal if you have or want hotel elite status; these stays usually won’t count toward status or qualify for elite amenities.
Making cash bookings with Chase Travel will add points. On all travel, Ink Business Preferred and Sapphire Preferred cardholders earn 5 points per dollar; on flights, Sapphire Reserve cards earn 5 points per dollar; on hotels and rental vehicles, Sapphire Reserve cards earn 10 points per dollar.
Booking straight with the travel agency may result in better rates; yet, if your plans are set in stone and rates are similar, booking via the portal can be profitable for additional points.
However, you should keep in mind that booking through third-party sites could cause problems should your plans change. If you have booked straight with a travel agency, they are more likely to help you.
Bottom Line
From flights and hotels to rental cars, cruises and activities, Chase Travel is a useful tool allowing you to earn and burn Ultimate Rewards points on a range of travel transactions. Booking via the portal can be a smart alternative if award flights are not available or if you discover a low price that calls for fewer points.
Similarly, the portal can be a terrific method to book award nights for less or earn points on independent hotels if cash rates are low. Still, constantly weigh your choices to find whether it would be more beneficial to use the site or transfer points to partners for an incentive.