Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most flexible and valuable currencies in the points and miles game – and right now, they're better (and easier to earn) than ever.
The *csp* currently comes with a welcome offer of 100,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months, tying the biggest bonus we've ever seen on this card. Cashed out or used to book travel through Chase Travel℠, that stash is worth a minimum of $1,000. But that's the floor, not the ceiling.
Send those points to one of Chase's dozen-plus airline and hotel transfer partners instead, and 100,000 points can put you in a lie-flat seat to nearly any corner of the globe – Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, you name it. We're talking Qatar Qsuites, ANA's The Room, Singapore Airlines business class – the kind of cabins that typically cost $4,000, $5,000, or more when paying cash.
But this offer won't be around much longer: It's set to expire this Thursday, July 30 at 3 p.m. ET. So if a bonus like this is going to move the needle on your next trip, now's the time to act.
To show you exactly what that bonus can do, we've rounded up some of the best ways to use 100,000 Chase points on business class flights around the world.
Iberia Business Class From 81K Roundtrip
“European vacation” and “cheap” generally don't go well together. But you could use a big stash of Chase points and make it a reality – even when flying in style.
By transferring your Chase points to the Spanish flag-carrier, Iberia, you can fly to Europe in business class for as few as 40,500 miles each way – just 81,000 points roundtrip!
Chase points transfer to Iberia on a 1:1 basis. That means 81,000 Chase points get you 81,000 Iberia Avios needed for a roundtrip booking. And with Iberia business class, you're in for a treat. The seats are plenty spacious and recline all the way into a comfortable bed, the food and wine are tasty, and while the service won't win any awards, it's usually solid.
But if you time it right, you can multiply your points by taking advantage of a transfer bonus. Chase regularly offers a big bonus on transfers to Iberia, as well as British Airways and Aer Lingus. With a 20% bonus, for example, you'd have more than enough points for three one-way flights … in business class.
Considering these flights typically cost $4,000 or more when paying cash, it's a phenomenal way to use Chase points. And with a Thrifty Traveler Premium alert like this one, it's fairly easy to book … so long as you have the points.
Read our step-by-step guide on how to book Iberia business class!
Lie-Flat to London for 29K (or Less)
Virgin's transition to dynamic award pricing has resulted in some outstanding deals, flying Virgin Atlantic itself … for a fraction of the miles. Unfortunately, this deal recently took a big hit: Virgin now tacks on $700 (or so) in taxes and fees on a one-way business class ticket to London-Heathrow (LHR).
Still, flying business class to London from East Coast cities like Boston (BOS), New York City (JFK), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), or Atlanta (ATL) for as low as 29,000 points could be worth stomaching the higher fees.
But it could be even cheaper: Chase regularly rolls out transfer bonuses of 20% to 40% when moving points to Virgin Atlantic. With a well-timed transfer bonus, you could very well have enough points for two roundtrip business class tickets from a big 100,000-point bonus alone.
Thrifty Tip: It’s much easier to search for Virgin Atlantic flights one-way rather than roundtrip – and unlike with many other airlines, it’ll often save you money on taxes and fees booking one-ways separately, too.
Qatar Qsuites from 70K Each Way
Qatar Qsuites are the best business class seats in the world, period. And for years, the best way to book them was redeeming American AAdvantage miles – a program you won't find on the list of Chase transfer partners.
Things have changed: These days, the #1 way to book Qsuites is by using Avios – either British Airways or Qatar. With either program, you can book nearly a full year in advance, which gives you a critical window to snag your Qsuite before other travelers do.
Read our full review of flying Qatar Qsuites!
While you won't find Qatar on the list of Chase transfer partners, British Airways is. And you can book directly through British Airways, or kick them over to Qatar Airways for even more options.
How many Chase points will it cost you? It depends on where you're going:
- Nonstops between the U.S. and Doha (DOH) will cost you 70,000 Avios each way – though you might see more flights at twice that rate
- Flying to Middle Eastern destinations like Dubai (DXB), Abu Dhabi (AUH) or Muscat (MCT) costs 75,000 miles.
- Other destinations like Amman (AMM) and Cairo (CAI) as well as major Indian cities go up to 80,000 miles each way.
- Getting to the Seychelles (SEZ) or Maldives (MLE) will run you 85,000 miles each way.
- Both Southeast Asia and South Africa typically cost 95,000 miles each way.
Read our full guide to booking flights with Qatar Avios!
Both Qatar and BA tack on about $240 for a nonstop flight in business class and over $300 for a connecting flight. Still, that's a small price to pay for one of the best business class experiences in the world.
Air France or KLM to Europe From 45K
With low rates and fairly solid availability to actually book these flights with your miles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue is one of the best ways to book business class to Europe. Whether you want to get to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Amsterdam (AMS), or connect almost anywhere in Europe, Flying Blue charges as low as 60,000 each way in business class.
But occasionally, the deals get even better, thanks to Flying Blue's list of monthly promo rewards. With one of these deals, you'll sometimes see discounted business class awards for as few as 45,000 points each way – and not just to Paris or Amsterdam, but practically anywhere in Europe!
Finding flights at these low rates may require some flexibility, as they aren't available on every date. Luckily, Air France and KLM let you scroll through up to a month's worth of flights to find the best deals. After an increase earlier this year, Flying Blue now typically tacks on about $350 for a one-way business class award to Europe – and about $400 or more for the way back. As steep as it sounds, that's a small price to pay for $6,000-plus flights.
And it’s a great ride across the Atlantic Ocean with either Air France or KLM.
Read our full Air France business class review!
Condor Airlines From 48K Each Way
German leisure carrier Condor might not be the first airline that comes to mind when planning a trip to Europe, but with prices like this … maybe it should be?
Condor has a fancy fleet of new planes (with a criminally underrated business class seat) flying between many North American cities and its hub in Frankfurt (FRA). And those flights got a lot easier to book last year when JetBlue and Condor announced an expanded partnership, giving JetBlue flyers a new way to redeem their TrueBlue points.
Just 47,400 TrueBlue points and $73.70 in taxes and fees are all you'll need to cross the Atlantic in style. Since JetBlue is a 1:1 Chase transfer partner, a big stash of Chase points is enough to book business class from some cities, like Toronto (YYZ), to Frankfurt and back.
If you don't want to book a positioning flight to get in on the lowest rates out of Canada, you can often find one-way business class seats from East Coast cities like New York (JFK) for under 60,000 points each way instead.
Etihad Airways From 99K Each Way
JetBlue TrueBlue points aren't only helpful for flying to Europe – they can get you to the Middle East, too, thanks to partnerships with both Qatar and Etihad Airways.
Take this business class flight on Etihad Airways from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH), for example. 99,000 TrueBlue points – transferred 1:1 from Chase – and just $7 in taxes and fees are enough to book a fancy lie-flat seat with some of the best service in the sky all the way to the Middle East.
And when I say a “fancy lie-flat seat,” I really mean it. Take a look at what Etihad offers in its “business class studio” on the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Is 99,000 points a lot for a single flight? Yes, but considering these flights typically cost $5,000 (or more) when paying cash, this is a great way to use a big 100,000-point bonus.
Singapore Airlines From 87.5K One Way
Maybe it's the hawker centers with Michelin-starred food for a fraction of what you'd pay in the States. Maybe it's the twinkling light shows each night in the Garden by the Bay. Maybe it's a byproduct of the hit film Crazy, Rich Asians. Whatever the draw, Singapore is a country worth visiting – and flying Singapore Airlines is a great way to get there.
Singapore has some of the biggest and best business class seats you'll find in the skies. But it's the service and dining that make Singapore's business class truly shine.
Read our full review of Singapore Airlines business class!
You can book a one-way ticket for just 87,500 Air Canada Aeroplan points – a 1:1 Chase transfer partner. A bucket-list trip to Singapore in business class for just 87,500 Chase points? Yes, please.
ANA's ‘The Room' to Tokyo From 105K Roundtrip
This isn't just business class. It's ANA's The Room business class. And you can book your trip to Japan flying this with Chase points … in theory.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) might not be a Chase transfer partner, but Virgin Atlantic is … and even after a recent devaluation, this is still one of the cheapest ways to fly in style. You can fly from the western U.S. to Tokyo and back for just 105,000 Virgin Atlantic points or 120,000 points from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) or East Coast cities. One-way tickets are half the price.
If you applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and its 100,000-point bonus, you'd have a minimum of 105,000 Chase points in your account after meeting the card's $5,000 spending requirement in the first three months – just enough for a roundtrip from any of ANA's North American gateways.
Just be warned: Finding the award availability to actually book these seats with points has been next to impossible lately.
Bottom Line
A 100,000-point *csp* bonus is worth at least $1,000 on its own – but transferred to the right partner, it can fly you lie-flat to Europe on Iberia for 81,000 points roundtrip, into a Qatar Qsuite for as little as 70,000 points each way, or all the way to Tokyo in ANA's The Room for 105,000 points roundtrip.
That's just a small sampling of what's possible. With this offer set to expire July 30 at 3 p.m. ET, there's never been a better time to put a big Chase bonus to work.
Learn more about the *csp*
