The best ways to use the points earned from the sign-up bonus on Chase Ultimate Reward credit cards | CNN Underscored (2024)

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This article is a part of CNN Underscored’s Summer Travel Week, a weeklong focus on how to travel smarter and save money during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Going on vacation is always a blast, but it can be expensive. Between flights, hotels and rental cars — not to mention food and souvenirs — costs can add up quickly even if you find a good flight deal. And that’s where travel rewards come into play.

Travel rewards can make travel significantly more affordable. Simply using the right travel credit card for your everyday purchases can lead to nearly free flights and hotel stays around the world. I’ve used travel rewards to get tens of thousands of dollars in airfare and hotel stays over the years.

If you’ve been waiting to get into the travel rewards game, now could be a great time to consider adding a travel credit card to your wallet. This is because two of our favorite travel credit cards just launched higher-than-usual welcome bonuses that can fund your summer vacation. Plus, they’ll give you a good return on your daily spending.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards are currently offering 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. These points are at least $937 toward flights and hotels, with the potential to get even more value.

These cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points which are some of the most valuable and flexible travel rewards points out there. You can redeem them through the Chase Travel℠ portal or transfer them to partners like World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus and Air Canada Aeroplan to book stays at all-inclusive resorts or even fly business class around the world.

But before you apply, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel. This includes everything from booking business-class flights to Japan to saving big on domestic flights.

Best Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus offers

Best ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points

You can book KLM business class by transferring Chase points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

While the easiest way to use Ultimate Rewards points is to redeem them for cash back at 1 cent apiece, there are so many better options allowing you to get significantly more value for your points with a little extra work.

One of our favorite ways to get the most value is by transferring them to any of Chase’s 14 travel partners, which include 11 airlines and three hotel chains.

All Chase points transfer at a one-to-one ratio, meaning that if you transfer 1,000 points from Chase to United Airlines, for example, you’ll end up with 1,000 United MileagePlus miles. Most transfers are also instant but a few will take a day or two to process.

That said, not all Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards directly allow this transfer option. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve and Ink Business Preferred allow you to transfer points to partner loyalty programs, those same redemption options don’t hold true for your no-annual-fee cards, such as the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited.

However, as long as you are a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card holder —meaning having a card that allows you to directly transfer to partners —you can ultimately transfer points from the Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Unlimited to all 14 partners at the same one-to-one ratio.

With many generous offers among Chase Ultimate Reward credit cards, let’s look into the best way to use these points, assuming you have at least one premium Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card.

And since not all points are equal in value, knowing the best ways to utilize your points will help you redeem them for the most value.

Stay at Hyatt’s all-inclusive properties

The Impression Moxché by Secrets all-inclusive resort.

World of Hyatt is one of the most valuable Ultimate Rewards transfer partners — and one of the best ways to leverage this partnership is by booking all-inclusive resorts in one of Hyatt’s various all-inclusive brands.

You’ll find these resorts all around the world, from the Ziva Cancun in Mexico to the Zoëtry Montego Bay in Jamaica. You can even book an ultra-luxurious experience at the Impression Moxché by Secrets in Cancun, a couples-focused all-inclusive with high-end dining and butler service.

The lowest redemption rate on Hyatt’s all-inclusive award chart is 12,000 points per night for Category A properties on off-peak dates. If you earn 75,000 bonus points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll have enough points for as many as six nights at a Hyatt all-inclusive resort.

Aside from airfare and transportation to and from the airport, you truly don’t have to spend anything else on food, alcohol, entertainment or even a kids’ club. It’s all included with your stay.

Earn enough bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred for an all-inclusive vacation.

Book JetBlue flights

If you have a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred, you’ll pay fewer points for JetBlue flights when you transfer your points.

When it comes to booking award travel, JetBlue is one of the easiest airlines for redemptions. That’s because there are no blackout dates or issues with award availability. You can always book a JetBlue flight with points as long as there’s a seat available on the flight.

The number of points you’ll need is tied loosely to the ticket price: The higher the cost, the more points are required. Generally, JetBlue points are worth about 1.4 cents apiece, so while you won’t get outsized value by transferring Chase points to JetBlue, you’ll do better than redeeming them for cash back or through the Chase Travel portal if you have a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred.

A JetBlue award flight from Chicago to New York.

And with JetBlue’s customer-friendly change and cancellation policy, if your plans change, you can cancel your ticket and the points will go back to your JetBlue account. But remember, once your points are transferred out of your Ultimate Rewards account, they can’t be transferred back to Chase.

Book JetBlue flights with the points you earn on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Fly Southwest throughout the United States, Caribbean and Mexico

Get even more value from Ultimate Rewards points with the Southwest Companion Pass.

Similar to JetBlue, booking award flights with Southwest Airlines couldn’t be easier and can allow you to travel throughout the United States, Caribbean and Mexico. Although this might not be the best redemption compared to some of the other transfer options since Southwest points are worth about 1.5 cents apiece, it’s another good option with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Southwest is one of my favorite airlines because of its valuable Companion Pass. With the pass, you can add one traveler to be your companion and they can fly with you for free — they’ll just have to pay the taxes and fees on a ticket. It’s one of the best airline perks out there. While points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred don’t count toward earning the Companion Pass, having the points can still be beneficial.

For example, I booked a flight for my daughter and myself to visit Washington, D.C. for 14,000 Southwest Rapid Reward points round trip. Since my daughter is my companion, I was able to add her to my flight by paying only the taxes and fees,which means I am spending a total of 14,000 points for the two tickets.

With 75,000 points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred sign-up bonus offer, that’s ultimately worth about $1,125 toward Southwest flights when transferred to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. And if you’re a Companion Pass holder, that’ll give you about $2,250 in valuesince a friend or family member can travel for free.

Book Southwest flights with the points you earn on the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Use British Airways points to book domestic flights on American and Alaska

British Airways is part of the Oneworld airline alliance, which means the airline partners with many other carriers across the world, including American and Alaska Airlines. This means you can use British Airways points –— known as Avios — to book domestic flights, and Chase Ultimate Rewards points can transfer to British Airways.

Related article Get the classic Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card with a 75,000-point bonus

It’s important to remember that you’re not booking these tickets through American Airlines. You have to use the British Airways website to create a British Airways Executive Club frequent flyer account and then search for and book your American flights there.

British Airways Executive Club has a distance-based award chart, which means the number of points you’ll need for a flight depends on the number of miles you’re flying.

Flights within the US cost between 8,250 and 16,000 points for an economy class seat, depending on how far you’re going. You’ll find the cheapest prices on flights under 651 miles.

An award flight from Atlanta to Miami.

Also, if you’re flying an itinerary that has a connection, you’ll be charged by distance per flight, not for the entire route. Because of this, you’ll want to use British Airways Avios for nonstop flights on American and Alaska instead of itineraries with a layover.

Use Chase Sapphire Preferred points to book American flights through British Airways.

Use Aeroplan points to fly with United

Chase points can now be transferred to Air Canada's Aeroplan program and redeemed for flights on United Airlines.

Just like you can use British Airways Avios to fly domestically with American Airlines, you can use Aeroplan points to fly with Air Canada’s partners within the US. Aeroplan is part of the Star Alliance airline partnership, so you can use Aeroplan points to book flights on other airlines, including United.

Of course, Ultimate Rewards points also transfer directly to United’s loyalty program as well as Aeroplan, so when should you use Aeroplan instead of United MileagePlus to book United flights? Simple: When you find the same flight for fewer points by booking through Aeroplan rather than United.

Since Aeroplan has a distance-based award chart, short-haul flights throughout the US — routes that are 500 miles or less in distance — only cost 6,000 Aeroplan points. This is often less than what United charges for the same flights.

An Aeroplan award flight from Chicago to Minneapolis.

Of course, you can also use Aeroplan points on longer United Airlines flights, but it’ll cost you more points. Flights between 501 and 2,750 flight miles cost between 10,000 and 12,500 Aeroplan points, which covers most flights throughout the US and even flights to Mexico.

An Aeroplan award from Newark to Fort Lauderdale.

The one exception is if you’re looking to fly to Hawaii from either the Midwest or East Coast. Flights from those parts of the country are more than 2,751 miles, which means you’ll need to redeem 22,500 Aeroplan points. You can use the airline’s award predictor tool to see how many points you’ll need for a flight.

To search and book awards on United with Air Canada points, you’ll need to create an Aeroplan account and look for a United flight on the Air Canada website. Then, if you’re able to find an award ticket that works for you, you’ll want to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to your Aeroplan account — not your United account — to book your United ticket with Aeroplan.

Book United flights for fewer points through Aeroplan with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Fly United Airlines to Hawaii

Visit Hawaii without breaking the bank on flights.

Hawaii is a bucket list destination for many travelers. It’s known for its pristine beaches, incredible food and great places to hike and enjoy the outdoors. But getting there — especially during peak travel season — can be extremely expensive.

But Ultimate Rewards can make this dream trip a lot more affordable. You can transfer 19,500 Ultimate Rewards points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to book a one-way flight from the US mainland to Hawaii. United and Singapore Airlines are partners, so you can book flights on one airline through the other’s loyalty program.

An award flight from Los Angeles to Kona.

This is often cheaper than booking flights from the US mainland to Hawaii with United’s own miles. And better yet, available United flights will show on Singapore Airlines’ website, so you don’t need to call in to book.

If you’re approved for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with a 75,000 point bonus, you’d have enough points for two round-trip tickets to Hawaii. This could save you thousands of dollars on a trip to the Aloha State.

Fly to Hawaii using points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Fly to Spain in business class with Iberia

Get yourself to Europe in style by transferring Chase Sapphire Preferred points to Iberia Airlines and fly to Spain.

While you can also use British Airways Avios to fly with British Airways itself to the United Kingdom and beyond, you could transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Iberia Avios — another international airline, based in Spain.

One of the best ways to use Iberia Avios is to redeem them for flights from the US to Spain, specifically Madrid and Barcelona. Similar to British Airways, Iberia has a distance-based award chart, so the best options are flying out of Boston or New York since they’re closest to Europe.

If you’re able to fly during an off-peak date based on Iberia’s award calendar — which is a surprisingly large portion of the year — you’ll only pay 34,000 Avios for a one-way business-class ticket, plus taxes and fees. You can view off-peak dates on Iberia’s website.

Iberia also offers nonstop flights from Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but only to Madrid, and the number of points you’ll need is slightly higher than it is from the Northeast cities (though it’s still a great redemption). And if you don’t care about business class, economy tickets start at just 17,000 Avios.

Earn 75,000 Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus points to fly business class to Europe.

Use Virgin Atlantic Virgin Points to travel with All Nippon Airways

You can book ANA's newest first-class seat with Ultimate Rewards points.

One of the best uses of Virgin Atlantic Virgin Points is with partner All Nippon Airways (ANA). For a round-trip flight in an economy seat from the US to Tokyo, you’re looking at between 60,000 points to 65,000 Virgin Points, plus moderate taxes and fees.

Or if you really want to fly in style for such a long flight, you can fly business class or first class for slightly more —between 90,000 points and 95,000 points in business class and 145,000 points and 170,000 points in first class.

While the current bonus offer on any of the Chase Ultimate Reward cards alone won’t get you a first class seat, with a little more spend, you could be quickly on your way to one of the best first-class seats in the sky.

Just note that you have to call Virgin Atlantic to book awards. You can search United’s website for award space; anything that’s listed as “Operated by ANA” should be bookable with Virgin Points.

Use the Sapphire Preferred’s 75,000-point bonus to fly to Japan.

Flying Blue runs monthly Promo Rewards that offer discounted award tickets to Europe.

Flying Blue is the loyalty program behind both Air France and KLM, which are two of the largest airlines in Europe. Every month, the loyalty program publishes a set of Promo Rewards that offer discounted flights from select destinations to Europe that must be booked before the end of the month and flown before a set date.

For example, for May 2024, the airline is offering flights from Austin (AUS), Los Angeles (LAX) and Minneapolis (MSP) for as few as 15,000 miles one way, plus taxes and fees. We found flights pricing at the lowest level on numerous dates through the end of the year.

Check the Flying Blue Promo Rewards page for this month’s offers. We’ve historically found the best Promo Rewards toward the end of the year, when our travel editors have been able to book business-class flights from the US to Europe for under 50,000 miles one way.

Earn 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points and fly to Europe on the cheap.

Fly Delta One business class to Europe with Virgin Atlantic Virgin Points

If you want to take advantage of transferring your points to Virgin Atlantic Virgin Points but flying to Japan isn’t in the cards, another great opportunity is for flights to Europe. With your Virgin Atlantic Virgin Points, you can also book flights with the airline’s partner, Delta Air Lines.

With Virgin Atlantic points, you can book a nonstop Delta One business-class seat —where you’ll travel in a 180-degree lie-flat seat —for just 50,000 points one way or 100,000 points round trip.

These low-level awards are to all nonstop European destinations — except the UK. Flights with a layover will cost significantly more and are most likely not a worthwhile redemption. Some popular routes include departing from Atlanta, Boston and New York and arriving in Amsterdam, Rome and Paris.

You’ll find that booking through Virgin Atlantic —even though you’re flying with partner Delta Air Lines —will cost you significantly fewer miles than booking through Delta directly. But note that award space is often limited.

Earn 75,000 Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus points to fly Delta One business class to Europe.

Use the Chase Travel portal to book any flight

Book flights on any airline with the Chase Travel portal.

Finally, if you’re eyeing a particular airline or hotel that isn’t a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can always redeem your points for any travel experience through Chase Travel. No need to worry about blackout dates or award availability — you can search for any flight or hotel just like you normally would (or even car rentals, cruises, vacation homes or activities) and pay with your points.

When redeeming your Ultimate Rewards points directly through your Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited, points are worth 1 cent each. However, if you first transfer them to your premier Chase Ultimate Rewards account (which is incredibly easy to do through your Chase account), your points will be worth significantly more.

With points redeemed through your Chase Sapphire Preferred account, your points are worth 1.25 cents each, making the 75,000 point bonus offer worth roughly $937. However, if you have the more-expensive Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll get an even higher 1.5 cents per point, making the welcome offer on that particular card worth $1,125 when redeeming this way.

Even if you’re able to transfer your points to a partner airline or hotel, there are times when booking through Chase Travel is still a better option. Depending on the cash price for an inexpensive flight or hotel room, you might find that you can use fewer points by booking through the travel portal, so it’s always worth checking the cost on the portal before you transfer points.

Even if you don’t have a specific vacation planned just yet, getting one of the Chase Ultimate Reward credit cards and grabbing up to 100,000 bonus points is a great way to have the right points in your arsenal when you want to travel.

Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Learn more and apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
Learn more and apply for the Ink Business Preferred card.
Learn more and apply for the Ink Business Cash card.
Learn more and apply for the Ink Business Unlimited card.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cardsCNN Underscored Moneychose as thebest travel credit cardscurrently available.