In the world of travel and points and miles, nothing beats having Chase Ultimate Rewards points – the points you earn from cards like the *csp*, the *csr*, or even business cards like the *ink preferred*.
With the current ability to earn a welcome offer bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months … plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases with the Sapphire Preferred – there's never been a better time to earn a big stash of them.
Sure, a stash of Delta SkyMiles or American AAdvantage miles can be great. But with Chase, you have far more flexibility and value. You can book almost any flight or hotel directly through Chase Travel℠ … or better yet, send points straight to more than a dozen different airline and hotel Chase transfer partners.
To help you figure out how to spend these big new bonuses, we've rounded up some of our favorite ways.
- Book Free Flights Using Points
- 4 (or More!) Roundtrip Tickets to Hawaii
- A Roundtrip for 2 to Europe – Or 1 in Business Class
- Stay Free with Hyatt
- Fly Emirates First Class to Europe
- Roundtrip to Singapore – or One-Way in Business Class
- Tokyo & Back in Business Class
- Fly Lufthansa First Class
- Qatar Qsuites from 70K Each Way
- How to Earn Chase Points
Book Free Flights Using Points
The starting point and easiest way for many travelers to redeem any frequent flyer points is booking the cheap domestic or international flight deals you find through Google Flights – or with a Thrifty Traveler Premium subscription. And one of the best ways to book them is with Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
That’s because your Chase points get a bonus when you've got the Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred (or even farther with the Reserve card) and book through Chase Travel℠. Every point you've got from a Sapphire or Ink Preferred Card is worth 1.25 cents toward travel. With the Sapphire Reserve, that jumps to 1.5 cents apiece.
That means a stash of 60,000 Chase points is worth at least $750 in airfare, hotels, or other travel expenses. And there's a kicker: You'll still earn miles when you fly using your points this way, unlike a traditional airline award ticket. Plus, there are no extra fees or taxes. You can take a cheap flight and truly make it free.
As an example, here’s a recent widespread deal on flights to Iceland we sent to our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers: You can get from New York City (JFK) to Reykjavík (KEF) this summer – and all the way into early next year – for just $388.
By booking this flight with points from your Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred, it'd be under 31,000 points for this same round-trip fare. Booking flights directly through Chase Travel℠ is generally simple and straightforward, and you can almost always pull up flights here at the same price you find through Google Flights.
4 (or More!) Roundtrip Tickets to Hawaii
You can book two, four, or more round-trip tickets to Hawaii with a big Chase bonus. So much for Hawaii being an expensive place to get to, right?
This is an example where Chase transfer partners really shine, as you have several options to book round-trip flights to the Hawaiian islands for about 25,000 points each – or much less.
If you time it right, you can get to Hawaii for under 12,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points, as with this round-trip flight from Oakland (OAK) to Maui (OGG). And because Chase points transfer to Southwest on a 1:1 basis, 12,000 Chase points is all you need.
There are some other great ways to get to Hawaii using points. For years, British Airways was at the top of the list, charging just 26,000 Avios to book roundtrip flights from the West Coast to Hawaii on American or Alaska Airlines. A handful of devaluations later, those exact same flights now cost 40,000 Avios total.
But there's a workaround you can use to book those same flights for less. Because they all share Avios as a mileage currency, you can transfer Avios between British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and even Finnair. That means you can transfer Chase points to British Airways … then kick them over to Qatar Airways and book flights for 16,000 Avios each way.
Kick those Avios over to Finnair instead, and it gets even cheaper:
- You can book Alaska-operated flights to and from Hawaii for 13,500 Avios each way
- Flying American, it'll cost you 15,000 Finnair Avios each way
Best of all, you can even book flights with connections at these same rates – a huge advantage over redeeming miles through British Airways or even Qatar Airways, which require you to book shorter nonstop flights from the West Coast in order to get the best deal.
The hitch with using Finnair Avios is that you'll need to call up Finnair at one of its U.S. customer service centers to book these deals – or use its handy (though slow) online chat function to book.
A Roundtrip for 2 to Europe – Or 1 in Business Class
“European vacation” and “cheap” generally don't go well together. But you could use some Chase points and make it a reality – and even fly in style.
Again, you'll want to transfer your Chase points. This time, you're going to send them to Iberia – the Spanish airline offering some of the lowest rates to get to Europe and back. Chase points transfer to Iberia on a 1:1 basis. That means 34,000 points gets you 34,000 Iberia Avios. Got at least 68,000 points with Chase? That's 68,000 Avios – or maybe even more if you time it right with a transfer bonus to Iberia.
And those numbers aren't random. Using Iberia, you can fly from Boston (BOS), New York City-JFK (JFK), Washington, D.C.-Dulles (IAD), or Chicago-O'Hare to Madrid (Madrid) for as low as 34,000 miles roundtrip. At that dirt-cheap rate, a stash of 60,000 points is almost enough for two roundtrip flights to Europe!
Traveling solo – or feeling selfish? Why not use those points to fly business class to Spain instead? You can do it for just 68,000 miles roundtrip! That's less than most airlines charge for a one-way business class ticket. Study up on how to book Iberia business class seats for cheap.
With Iberia business class, you're in for a treat. The seats are plenty spacious and recline all the way into a comfortable bed and the food is tasty. It may not be the best business class in the world, but you cannot beat this price.
Considering these business class tickets cost $4,000 or more a ticket when paying cash, it's a phenomenal way to use those Chase points.
Read our full walkthrough of how to book Iberia business class for 68,000 Avios roundtrip!
Stay Free with Hyatt
With other credit card points, transferring to hotel chains is often a losing proposition. With Chase Ultimate Rewards, it might be the single-best option on this list – and it's all thanks to Hyatt.
Hyatt is one of our favorite Chase transfer partners, thanks to the insanely low rates at which you can book even some four- and five-star Hyatt properties. Here are a few quick examples of how you can squeeze a ton of value out of your Chase points by transferring them to Hyatt.
We'll start with the best of the best: Hyatt is one of the few hotel chains that operate all-inclusive resorts that can be booked with points. These Hyatt All-Inclusive properties scattered throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and even parts of Europe are amazing … even if the hotel chain is making it harder for members to get outsized value.
Even after some hefty rate increases at many popular resorts, you can still book them for as low as just 25,000 to 30,000 points per night. It's a truly amazing deal – and even better, Hyatt just keeps adding new properties to the list.
At that rate, you could spend at least two nights eating, drinking, and sleeping for free on a beach by transferring 50,000 Chase points to Hyatt. It's cheaper than staying at home!
Want to stay at a Park Hyatt, the hotel chain's absolute top-of-the-line brand? Look for incredible value when you're traveling abroad: The Park Hyatt Siem Reap in Cambodia can be booked for just 15,000 points a night, while the Park Hyatt Saigon in Vietnam clocks in at 20,000 points a night. Same goes for the Park Hyatt Melbourne
Fancy a trip to Bali? Get your own villa with a private pool at the Alila Villas Uluwatu – one of the nicest properties on the island – for 40,000 points per night … and sometimes even less! My wife and I spent three nights here last September and loved its unparalleled beauty, warm service, and great food.
Related reading: Pure Beauty (& a Private Pool) in Bali: Alila Villas Uluwatu Review
Fly Emirates First Class to Europe
It's time to knock this one off your bucket list.
Emirates first class is incomparable, from the suites to the food and champagne to the showers onboard – at least if you're flying the Airbus A380. And while a trip through the Middle East will run you much more, there's a fun way to put some Chase points to use to make it happen for even less.
Read our full review of Emirates first class … and our tips for the best way to to book Emirates first class!
Emirates operates two flights from the U.S. straight to Europe: Newark (EWR) to Athens (ATH) and New York City (JFK) to Milan (MXP). And you can book first class on either route with just 102,000 Chase points each way by transferring them directly to Emirates.
After spending the $4,000 required to earn the 60,000-point bonus on the *csp*, you should have at least 64,000 points at your disposal. That puts you more than halfway toward making this bucket list flight a reality. Meanwhile, with the 90,000-point bonus on the *ink preferred*, you'll have almost enough points to pull this off in one fell swoop.
Emirates has made some negative changes to its Skywards mileage program lately, increasing some award rates and jacking up cash fees on many routes. But even after an increase, this one is still a stellar deal … when you can find it.
Alternatively, you could book roundtrip flights in Emirates economy for 45,000 miles or do it in Emirates business class for 108,000 miles total!
Read our in-depth guide on how to book these Emirates flights to Europe!
Roundtrip to Singapore – or One-Way in Business Class
Maybe it's the hawker centers with Michelin star food for a few bucks. 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.
Chase points can get you on a long flight to Singapore on one of the world's best airlines.
You could transfer these points to Singapore Airlines and book a roundtrip in economy for just 84,000 miles from West Coast cities like Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), or Seattle (SEA). The 15-hour flight won't be so bad with Singapore's spacious seats and stellar service.
But we won't blame you if you want to splurge for some extra space for some of the longest flights in the world. So you could also put these points for a one-way business class ticket. And on Singapore Airlines, that's hard to beat.
Read our full review of Singapore Airlines business class!
Singapore has some of the biggest and best business class seats you'll find in the skies. But it's the service and dining where Singapore business class truly shines.
You can book a one-way ticket starting at 107,000 miles. Even a business class flight on the world's longest flight – the nearly 19-hour journey from New York City (JFK) to Singapore – clocks in at 111,500 miles and less than $6 in taxes and fees. Spending 19 hours in business class for a bucket-list trip to Singapore? Yes, please.
But there's an even better way. After pairing up with Air Canada, you can now book these exact same Singapore business class flights for just 87,500 Aeroplan points each way. And since Aeroplan is another Chase transfer partner, your stash of Chase points will have you set.
Tokyo & Back in Business Class
It's one of the best redemptions in the world of points and miles: A roundtrip flight from the U.S. to Tokyo in business class with All Nippon Airways – especially if you can snag a flight on one of ANA's The Room business class – easily one of the best in the world.
Using Virgin Atlantic miles (another Chase transfer partner), it’s priced more like an economy seat. You can fly from the western U.S. to Tokyo and back for just 105,000 Virgin Atlantic miles, or 120,000 miles from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) or East Coast cities. Most airlines charge something like that for a one-way in business class! Virgin Atlantic now lets you book one-way flights to or from Japan separately if you want, starting at 52,500 miles apiece.
Read our full review of ANA business class from Chicago to Tokyo!
Booking ANA First Class via Virgin Atlantic used to be an even brighter spot … until they raised award rates for this redemption. But ANA business class is nothing to scoff at.
At 52,500 miles each way, the 60,000-point bonus on the Preferred Card is enough to get you to Tokyo in business class. If you time it right with one of the frequent 30% bonuses from Chase to Virgin, it gets even cheaper
Pulling off this redemption through Virgin Atlantic requires some extra legwork, as finding the award availability to actually book these seats can be extremely difficult. But if you can make it work, it's one of the best deals on this list.
Fly Lufthansa First Class
If you're looking to splurge for a true bucket list experience, you can't beat flying Lufthansa first class to Europe.
This is truly one of the best ways to fly. While Lufthansa first class disappeared throughout much of the pandemic, it's made a triumphant return to the U.S. as the German flag carrier has redeployed its Boeing 747 fleet to cities like Chicago-O'Hare (ORD), Miami (MIA), Los Angeles (LAX), and Newark (EWR). First Class on the Airbus A380 or A340-600 is another option, including some flights into Munich (MUC) instead of Frankfurt.
But honestly, nothing beats sitting in the nose of a 747, sipping on champagne and noshing on a five-plus course meal (including caviar) on your way across the Atlantic Ocean.
But the Lufthansa first class experience goes far beyond the plane. Whether you're connecting onward elsewhere in Europe or just flying back to the states from Frankfurt (FRA), you'll get access to the incomparable Lufthansa First Class Terminal. And it's so much more than just lounge.
You can skip security at the airport altogether and get scanned in at the lounge itself. There are private sleeping rooms, amazing shower suites, top-notch meals on offer, and even a cigar lounge at the First Class Terminal. You'll be assigned your own attendant to alert you when it's time to catch your flight – then hop in a Porsche for a private ride on the tarmac straight to your plane.
But how to book? Your best bet is, yet again, using Air Canada Aeroplan miles. With Aeroplan, you can book a one-way flight in Lufthansa First class for just 90,000 to 100,000 points each way or more, if you're starting from the West Coast. You can even connect through Frankfurt and continue onward to elsewhere in Europe for the same rate.
Just beware that booking these awards requires a lot of flexibility. You can only book Lufthansa first class within 14 days of departure using partner airline programs like Aeroplan – and oftentimes, you can only find award availability within just three or four days before the flight departs.
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 Qatar's own Avios. Unlike American (which only allows you to book flights 330 days in advance), you can book nearly a full year in advance when using Qatar Avios. That gives you critical window to snag your Qsuite before other travelers have the chance.
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 because you can combine Avios between airlines, you can send Chase points to British Airways, then kick them over to Qatar Airways and book.
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!
Qatar tacks on about $100 for a nonstop flight in business class, though you'll have to double that for making a connection. Still, that's a small price to pay for one of the best business class experiences in the world.
How to Earn Chase Points
These redemptions don’t mean a thing if you don’t have any Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your name. Luckily, it’s easy to pile up Chase points, with plenty of cards to pick from.
The *csp* is easily the best place to start. With a brand new bonus, you can earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Plus, get a one-time $300 statement credit for purchases made through Chase Travel within the first year of account opening.
Add it all up and this bonus is easily worth more than $1,000 when redeemed for travel – and with a little effort, you can likely do even better than that. With just a $95 annual fee, it’s more than reasonable.
You’ll also earn 3x points for every $1 spent on dining, including eligible delivery services. You’ll earn 3x points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases, and 3x points per dollar spent on select streaming services, and 2x points per dollar spent on travel purchases.
Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred!
Learn more about the *csp*
For the more seasoned traveler looking for premium perks, the *csr* is hard to beat. That’s because it comes with an outstanding set of benefits like an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit, a free Priority Pass lounge membership, up to $120 toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, and much more. Those perks can easily outweigh the $550 annual fee – even without accounting for its new, bigger bonus.
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Plus, if you hold the Sapphire Reserve, every point gets you 1.5 cents when booking directly through Chase. You’ll also get 3x points on every travel and dining purchase.
Learn more about the *csr*
Unfortunately, you can’t stack both bonuses so if you're just starting out, you'll need to choose which card is best for you. These (and most Chase cards) also fall under the dreaded Chase 5/24 rule, which means you won’t get approved if you’ve opened five or more credit cards from any bank within the last 24 months.
That said, there's another card that is a perfect complement to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Actually, there are two.
Enter the Chase Freedom Flex and *chase freedom unlimited* cards. These two Chase credit cards have no annual fee and typically earn cashback. But pair one with a Chase Sapphire card, and it forms a powerful tandem that can help you earn even more Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Read more on why you should pair a Preferred Card with a Chase Freedom Card!
Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards with Business Cards
You can also rack up a ton of Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the suite of Chase's Ink Business cards. Swear you're not eligible for a business card? Think again – even travelers with a side hustle can likely get approved.
For small business owners looking to add to their stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, there's perhaps no better option than the *ink preferred*.
Beyond the ability to earn 90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending only $8,000 in the first three months of card membership, the Ink Preferred offers a solid ongoing return on spending and strong travel benefits. Best of all, the card has a low annual fee of just $95 – making it worth a spot in your wallet for the long run.
Learn more about the *ink preferred*
Then there are the no annual fee Chase business cards – both the *ink unlimited*, and the *ink cash*. While both of these cards earn cash back, you'll be able to turn those into Ultimate Rewards points as long as you pair either card with a Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred card.
With the current offers, you can earn up $750 cash back (or 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) with the Ink Cash, and up to $900 cash back (90,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points) with the Ink Unlimited.
- With the *chase ink cash*, it's broken up into two tiers. You can earn $350 (or 35,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 (or 40,000 points) after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
- With the *chase ink unlimited* you can earn $900 (or 90,000 points) after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Make sure to check out our guide comparing the Ink Cash vs Ink Unlimited to help you decide which version is best for you.
Bottom Line
This is just the start of what could be an endless list of ways to use a big bonus of Chase points for travel – or other expenses. This list is truly just the tip of the iceberg.
And that's why we love Chase points so much – and why we always encourage travelers to start with Chase credit cards before moving on to other banks.
Appreciate the way all of you at TT explain how to use these cards to our best advantage. Now that I am a ‘premium member’, I think I finally can start t make the most use of my travel card.
Quick question: Do stores in Europe take the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card? They sure don’t like American Express.
You shouldn’t have a problem with the Chase card in Europe, as it’s a Visa.
Just transferred some to JetBlue. And with the additional discount got some great flights .