Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the best flexible rewards currencies available, and you can get some incredible value from your Ultimate Rewards points. Plus, Chase offers the Chase Travel℠ portal, where you can earn and redeem points and take advantage of perks like credit card statement credits. This option can save you money, particularly when traditional award space is unavailable, as you can book almost any available flight and a wide variety of hotels through Chase Travel.
Here’s what you need to know about Chase Travel.
Related: Who are the Chase transfer partners? Everything to know
What is Chase Travel?
Chase Travel is an online booking platform where you can search and book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and more. You can use your Ultimate Rewards points to pay for these bookings directly, or you can earn bonus points when you book in cash through Chase Travel.
To maximize your Ultimate Rewards points, it’s often best to transfer them to partner programs like United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt or British Airways Executive Club for award reservations. However, it’s important to compare the points you’ll need for a direct booking through Chase Travel to those required for a partner award booking. Sometimes, booking through the portal can save you points, as the points price is tied to the cash cost of the flight or hotel stay, potentially resulting in lower point requirements.
However, you will need to have some Chase points before booking with points through Chase Travel. If you’re unfamiliar with Chase’s most common cards and welcome offers, here are a few popular options.
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a TPG favorite. It currently comes with one of the highest sign-up bonuses from Chase — 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Based on our September 2024 valuations, the bonus points alone are worth $1,845 when you transfer them to travel partners. However, you can redeem these points through Chase Travel for a fixed value of 1.25 cents apiece.
Read more: Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review: A great all-around business card
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is another fantastic addition to your wallet. The Sapphire Preferred is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. The bonus is worth $1,230 based on TPG valuations.
Like the Ink Business Preferred, you’ll get a value of 1.25 cents per point when booking directly through Chase Travel with the Sapphire Preferred. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar on paid travel purchased through Chase Travel (excluding the first $50 in hotel purchases that qualify for the card’s annual hotel credit).
Read more: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review: A top travel and dining card
Chase Sapphire Reserve
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, which is worth $1,230 based on TPG valuations.
This card includes additional perks, like a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, Priority Pass lounge access and a $300 annual travel credit. This card also boosts your Chase Travel redemption rate to 1.5 cents per point, giving you 0.25 cents per point in additional purchase power over the Sapphire Preferred. When you book travel through Chase with the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll earn 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals and 5 points per dollar on flights (excluding purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit).
Read more: Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review: Luxury perks and valuable rewards
Cash-back cards
Chase also issues a number of cash-back credit cards, including the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Ink Business Cash® Credit Card and Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card. The rewards you earn on these cards are worth 1 cent apiece toward travel in Chase Travel. However, since Chase allows you to combine your earnings into a single account, you can effectively convert these cash-back rewards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points if you also have the Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Ink Business Preferred.
Related: 10 no-annual-fee credit cards that earn transferable points
How to use Chase Travel
You can book flights, hotels, car rentals, cruises and other travel through Chase Travel, and it’s relatively simple to access. First, you’ll need to log into your Chase account, then navigate to the right side of the page, where you’ll see a box with your total Ultimate Rewards balance. Click the box, and it will bring you to the Ultimate Rewards dashboard, which looks like this:
Click “Travel” and choose “Book travel” in the dropdown to access the travel homepage, where you can search for airfare, hotels and more. When you select your travel, you’ll be given the option to pay with cash or points.
Remember that when you book hotels through the portal, you typically will not earn hotel points and elite credits, and you may not receive elite status perks because it’s considered a third-party booking. However, flights booked through the portal will typically earn frequent flyer miles and help you qualify for elite status.
Related: Why you don’t earn hotel points when booking through online travel agencies
How to book flights using Chase Travel
Booking your flights is fairly straightforward once you’ve navigated to the portal’s travel page. Type in your arrival and departure airports and travel dates then hit the search button. For this example, I looked for a one-way flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
You’ll then see the available flight options. When you find a flight you like, select the fare type you want to book and click the blue “Add to trip” button.
Once you’ve selected your preferred flights, you’ll be taken to the next page, where you can review your flight information and select any upgrades you’d like to make.
Then, you’ll be directed to the checkout page, where you can choose to pay with cash, points or a combination of the two. Again, points linked to a Chase Sapphire Reserve account are worth 1.5 cents each. If you hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred, points are worth 1.25 cents each.
Finally, you’ll be directed to a page where you will enter the traveler’s information (you can book flights for others as well as yourself) and finalize your booking.
How to book hotels using Chase Travel
Booking hotels is similar to booking flights on the Chase Travel portal. Not all hotels are available on the portal, and your options may be limited if you’re heading to a small town or a little-known destination. But if you find a property you like on the portal, there are several advantages to booking this way.
For instance, if you’re looking at boutique or independent hotels, you can earn bonus points even if your hotel isn’t part of a points hotel chain like Hyatt or Marriott. Or if you’d rather earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points on your booking than, for example, World of Hyatt points, you may find it advantageous to book a Hyatt property through Chase Travel rather than directly through the hotel.
However, prices on Chase Travel don’t always match those on the hotel’s site or other online booking platforms, so always compare rates to ensure you’re getting the best deal. The same goes if you plan to book a points hotel that is one of Chase’s transfer partners (IHG, Marriott or Hyatt) — compare the award rates required by these hotel loyalty programs to the number of points you’d pay on the Chase Travel portal before booking.
Although you won’t usually be able to use elite perks at points hotels booked through Chase Travel, you can get elitelike perks at over 1,000 luxury properties worldwide if you hold a card that provides access to The Edit by Chase Travel. Participating cards include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, United℠ Explorer Card, United Club℠ Infinite Card, United Quest℠ Card and United℠ Business Card.
Here’s a sample search for lodging in Olso, which hosts mostly boutique hotels.
The search results will show each hotel’s price per night and the total price in cash and points at the bottom. You can filter by brand, price, ratings, neighborhood and more. Click on a property you like to select an available room, then click “Add to trip.”
On the checkout page, you can choose to book with cash or specify how many points you want to use. Then run through the on-screen prompts to finalize your booking, and you’ll get an email confirmation.
Remember, as a Sapphire Preferred cardholder, you’ll receive up to $50 in statement credits yearly for hotel reservations made through Chase Travel.
Related: Book low-end or luxury hotels to get the best value from your points
How to book car rentals, cruises and other travel using Chase Travel
Using Chase Travel, you can rent cars, pay with points and still receive the excellent primary car rental insurance offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards. The process of renting cars is similar to booking flights and hotels — just navigate to the “Cars” header from the main landing page, type in your itinerary and click “Search.”
Once you choose your car from the results page, you’ll be prompted to select add-ons. Then you’ll head to the booking page, where you’ll input your personal information and choose how many points you’d like to spend. Remember that to qualify for your card’s rental car insurance, you must decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and ensure that anyone driving the car is on the rental agreement.
You can also book activities through Chase Travel, including fantastic tours like a Washington, D.C., night monument tour and Singapore heritage food tour. As with flights, hotels and cars, you can book these with Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1.25 or 1.5 cents each, or you can earn bonus points by booking them with cash. This can help you book an entire free vacation (not just hotels and flights) using points and miles.
Cruises, tours and vacation packages are also available, though you’ll have to call to book those.
Related: Save money on your next trip: Use these tips to never pay full price for a rental car
More things to consider about Chase Travel
We recommend comparing the points needed through Chase Travel with those required for transfer partner redemptions, factoring in taxes and fees. If you have or want hotel elite status, avoid booking hotels through the portal, as these stays generally won’t count toward status or qualify for elite benefits.
Booking through Chase Travel with cash can earn you extra points. Ink Business Preferred and Sapphire Preferred cardholders earn 5 points per dollar on all travel, and Sapphire Reserve cardholders earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and rental cars. You might find better rates by booking directly with the travel provider, but if your plans are firm and rates are comparable, booking through the portal can be worthwhile for earning extra points.
Remember that booking through third-party sites may result in issues if you change your plans, though. Travel providers are more likely to assist you if you’ve booked directly with them.
Bottom line
Chase Travel is a valuable tool that lets you earn and burn Ultimate Rewards points on a range of travel purchases, from flights and hotels to rental cars, cruises and activities. If award flights aren’t available or you find a cheap fare that requires fewer points, booking through the portal can be a good option. Similarly, the portal can be a great way to earn points on independent hotels or, if cash rates are low, to book award stays for less. But always compare your options to see if using the portal or transferring points to partners for an award is more advantageous.
