Chase Ultimate Rewards® is a highly versatile and value-packed loyalty program that can offer great benefits to frequent travelers. With a robust range of redemption options and a collection of transfer partners that includes some of the world’s most renowned airlines and hotels, this program stands as one of the best in the industry.
In essence, Chase Ultimate Rewards provides an effective way to earn and use points, from booking travel through the Chase portal to transferring points to partners for high-value redemptions or combining points between different Chase accounts.
In this article, we will guide you through the various aspects of the program, helping you understand its advantages and how to maximize your rewards for the best travel experiences.
Chase Airline Transfer Partners
Below is a list of the 11 Chase airline transfer partners along with the minimum transfer required, their transfer ratios, and the typical time it takes for the points to be transferred:
| Chase Airline Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1 hour |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates Skywards | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| United Airlines MileagePlus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
Aer Lingus AerClub
Joining the Chase travel partners in 2017, Aer Lingus AerClub offers excellent value for your Chase points, particularly for travel to the Emerald Isle and beyond. Its affiliation with the International Airlines Group opens up avenues for point redemption on several notable airlines. The primary highlight of the AerClub is the ability to book a one-way ticket from the U.S. East Coast to Dublin for just 13,000 Avios in economy or 50,000 Avios in business class. For those keen to explore further, connecting flights to Europe are available from a mere 17,000 Avios each way. Do note the elevated taxes and fees when comparing transfer benefits versus cash fares.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada Aeroplan, the newest partner to the Chase Sapphire airline program, brings the advantages of Star Alliance membership, enabling point use on all member airlines, including United. The Aeroplan stands out for its lucrative partner award chart, offering one-way business class trips to South America or Europe for 60,000 points, or Asia for 85,000 points. It also allows the addition of a stopover for just an extra 5,000 points. Key highlights include U.S. West Coast to Hawaii for 12,500 points in economy or East Coast to Europe for 60,000 points in business class. The low taxes and fees make Aeroplan an excellent choice for premium cabin awards.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Flying Blue, the loyalty program of multiple airlines including Air France and KLM, offers great value to Chase Ultimate Rewards point holders. As part of the SkyTeam alliance, it allows award flight bookings on all member airlines, including Delta. With reasonable redemption rates for U.S. to Europe tickets in economy and business class, and a monthly Promo Rewards promotion that discounts certain routes by up to 50%, your Flying Blue miles can offer great value with strategic planning.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1 hour.
British Airways Executive Club
The real value of the British Airways Executive Club lies not in flying to London, but in booking short-haul tickets, particularly with American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and other Oneworld partners. Despite its reputation for large fuel surcharges, it can provide remarkable value, such as Caribbean flights for just 7,000 Avios each way. U.S. domestic nonstop flights under 1,150 miles on American and Alaska Airlines are also excellent value, costing only 9,000 Avios and $5.60 in taxes. This makes it a savvy choice for routes like New York to Miami, Chicago to Houston, or Seattle to Los Angeles.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards, the loyalty program of Dubai-based Emirates Airlines, is particularly known for providing incredible value for premium cabin redemptions. While economy redemptions return about 1 cent per mile in value, business class redemptions can yield as much as 3 cents per mile. Despite devaluations and high fuel surcharges, Skywards remains one of the few ways to book Emirates’ coveted first-class seats with points. Its most notable sweet spot is the opportunity to fly the fifth freedom routes between the U.S., Athens, or Milan, where a one-way first-class trip costs 85,000 miles, or a round-trip business class journey for 90,000 miles, with lower taxes and fees.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Iberia Plus
Iberia Plus, a member of the Oneworld alliance and part of the Avios family, offers exceptional opportunities for transatlantic travel. Post an award chart overhaul, Iberia Plus matches British Airways Executive Club’s rates for booking American Airlines flights. But its unique highlight is the availability of business class flights between the U.S. and Madrid on off-peak dates for just 34,000 Avios — one of the cheapest ways to cross the Atlantic in business class. It enables you to travel to Europe in economy for as low as 17,000 Avios each way, making it a highly attractive redemption option.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
JetBlue TrueBlue
JetBlue’s TrueBlue points program is revenue-based, tying the number of points required for an award to the flight’s cash price. Known for its excellent in-flight service, JetBlue typically offers 1.1 cents per point towards Mint redemptions and 1.3 cents per point on economy tickets. While the value may not be substantial for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, it could be beneficial for Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders. Regardless, TrueBlue points hold the highest value for economy flights among U.S. airlines, averaging 1.3 cents per point.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another Star Alliance partner that offers impressive premium cabin redemption options. It shines in offering flights to Europe, Hawaii, and within the continental U.S. For those eyeing the award-winning Singapore first-class product, KrisFlyer miles are typically the only way to book it. Despite being overlooked for domestic travel, KrisFlyer offers fantastic award pricing on domestic United flights, while also being the key to accessing the much-coveted Singapore Suites class.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1-2 days.
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Southwest, like JetBlue, uses a revenue-based redemption program, where the award price is tied to the cash price of the flight. Hence, you won’t need to seek out sweet spots to extract good value from your Southwest Rapid Rewards points. As the world’s largest low-cost carrier, Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program operates on fixed-value redemptions, allowing you to get about 1.5 cents per point on your redemption. One notable sweet spot is for those with the Southwest Companion Pass, as your redemption value doubles when your companion flies with you for free.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
United MileagePlus
United is another U.S.-based Chase Sapphire airline partner. MileagePlus miles are worth approximately 1.1 cents per mile when redeemed for United economy flights, but the value jumps to 2.3 cents per point for business class awards. In addition to being a well-known Chase transfer partner, United MileagePlus allows booking award travel on fellow Star Alliance airlines with low taxes and fees. One notable benefit is the United Excursionist Perk, which allows a free one-way flight on round-trip bookings for no added miles, given that the flight is within the same region.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
London-based Virgin Atlantic, not a member of any airline alliance, has the flexibility to partner with a variety of airlines. As a result, the Flying Club’s redemption sweet spots are as diverse as its partners. For example, you can book Delta One business class awards between the U.S. and Europe for just 50,000 miles one-way, or ANA first-class awards between the U.S. and Japan for as low as 55,000 miles one-way. Other sweet spots include nonstop Delta flights from 7,500 points each way, and ANA business class from Hawaii to Japan for 35,000 points each way.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
Chase Hotel Transfer Partners
You can transfer Chase points to IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt.
| Chase Hotel Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| IHG One Rewards | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1 day |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1,000 | 1:1 | 2 days |
| World of Hyatt | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
IHG One Rewards
IHG One Rewards, formerly known as IHG Rewards Club, has recently gained attention with its rebranding and added perks such as increased bonus points and complimentary breakfasts. However, despite these changes, it doesn’t necessarily make for a valuable Chase transfer partner due to its dynamic pricing. Consequently, it’s seldom advantageous to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which we value at a minimum of 1.25 cents per point, to a program like IHG One Rewards where points are worth approximately 0.5 cents each. Exceptions may arise for topping off your account or for particularly high-value redemptions.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1 day.
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs, boasting over 7,000 properties across more than 30 brands. Despite its breadth, transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott Bonvoy is generally not advisable. Stays at top-tier hotels can cost up to 85,000 to 100,000 points per night, and Marriott points are valued at around 0.8 cents each. This is lower than the redemption value of Chase points, which is 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents each, depending on your Sapphire card. Therefore, you’ll likely be better off booking a Marriott hotel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal than transferring to Marriott directly.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 2 days.
World of Hyatt
The World of Hyatt stands as perhaps the most valuable Chase hotel transfer partner, and possibly even the most valuable travel partner overall. World of Hyatt points can yield between 2 to 2.5 cents each when used for award stays, offering a substantial return on Chase points. Hyatt remains one of the few hotel loyalty programs that maintains a published award chart, providing predictability for your points’ value. Award nights start at 3,500 points, providing opportunities to extend the value of your Chase points at Hyatt hotels. Despite recent devaluations, such as the introduction of peak pricing, even the most expensive award nights don’t exceed 45,000 points per night. As such, you can secure free nights at top-tier Hyatt hotels for about half of what similar hotels from Marriott and Hilton often charge.
Transfer time: Instant.
Transfer ratio: 1:1.
How to Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
With several Chase credit card options, there are many ways to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Here are our favorite personal card options.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is easily one of the best beginner travel cards and one that I always recommend people start with. It unlocks the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, allowing access to transfer partners and the Chase Travel Portal.
Get 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs), and select streaming purchases. Earn 5X on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal and 2X points on all travel purchases.
The card also comes with excellent travel protection benefits, including best-in-class primary car rental insurance.
This card is a must-have in all traveler’s wallets, despite its $95 annual fee.
Current welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is Chase’s premium travel credit card. It comes with elite benefits such as a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass airport lounge access, TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS application credit, and premium travel protection benefits, including best-in-class primary car rental insurance.
Earn 10X points on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 5X points on airfare booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 3X points on all other travel and dining purchases.
If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one to consider. The $300 annual travel credit also really helps to offset the $550 annual fee.
Current welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
Learn how to apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is an excellent everyday spend credit card. It provides excellent cash-back rewards on multiple categories, making it one of the top no-annual-fee credit cards on the market.
It shines in its flexibility, with 5% back on travel via the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, 3% on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% on all other purchases. When paired with one of the Sapphire cards or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, its cash back can be converted into Ultimate Rewards points, increasing its value.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is the best way to earn Ultimate Reward points on non-category bonus spend. With 1.5x and no annual fee, most people should have this card in their wallet.
bonus_miles_fullLearn how to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.
How To Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Travel Partners
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to travel partners is a straightforward process. You’ll need to have an account with the airline or hotel loyalty program you’re transferring points to, and that account must be in the same name as your Chase account.
Step 1: Log into your Ultimate Rewards account, and choose the appropriate card you’d like to transfer points from. It must be a card that has access to transfer Ultimate Rewards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card, or the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Card.
Step 2: From the Ultimate Rewards dashboard, click the “Earn/Use” menu at the top and then choose “Transfer to Travel Partners.”
Step 3: Choose your desired airline or hotel partner.
Step 4: If you haven’t already enrolled your partner account with Chase, you will need to provide your partner membership number. Then you’ll land on a screen with the partner information. Click on “Transfer Points.”
Step 5: Follow the prompts and enter the number of points you’d like to transfer, and click next.
Step 6: Review your transfer and click submit.
Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Using your Ultimate Rewards points for travel is the best way to get the most value out of them. With multiple transfer partners and countless ways to redeem points for travel, it can be overwhelming!
Booking Travel With the Chase Travel Portal
The Chase Travel Portal is an online tool that allows Chase cardholders to book travel using their Ultimate Rewards points. It’s similar to other travel booking sites, like Expedia or Kayak, but it allows you to pay with your points instead of cash.
The value you get for each point varies depending on which Chase card you have:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get 1.5 cents per point.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders and Ink Business Preferred cardholders get 1.25 cents per point.
You can book flights, hotels, car rentals, and more using the Chase Travel Portal, and there are no blackout dates or restrictions.
Should You Transfer to a Partner or Book Through Chase?
Whether you should transfer points to a travel partner or book directly through the Chase portal depends on several factors:
- Value: Compare the value you’d get from each option. This requires checking the cost of booking through Chase vs. the cost of transferring points and booking through a partner.
- Availability: Some airline and hotel partners may have limited availability for award seats or rooms, especially during peak travel times.
- Fees and taxes: Award bookings through airline partners may involve additional fees and taxes that you wouldn’t have to pay when booking through Chase.
- Personal preference: Your personal travel goals and preferences are important. Some travelers prefer certain airlines or hotels, or have specific destinations in mind that are best served by certain partners.
Other Ways To Use Your Points
While using your points for travel generally provides the best value, there are other options available:
- Gift Cards: You can redeem your points for gift cards from a variety of retailers, including Amazon, Starbucks, and Target.
- Statement Credits: You can use your points to pay off purchases on your Chase credit card statement.
- Experiences and Merchandise: The Chase Ultimate Rewards portal also offers unique experiences (such as wine tastings or cooking classes) and merchandise (like electronics or appliances) for redemption. The value of these options can vary and may not be the best use of points.
It’s generally recommended to use your points for travel, as this usually offers the best value, but these options can be useful in certain situations.
Combining Ultimate Rewards From Different Accounts
Chase allows you to combine Ultimate Rewards points from different Chase accounts. This can include your own personal and business cards, your spouse’s or domestic partner’s cards, and your authorized user’s cards. Combining points can be useful for pooling points for a larger redemption, or to take advantage of the benefits of a specific card.
Combining points can allow you to take advantage of the higher redemption values offered by some cards. For example, you might transfer points from a Freedom card to a Sapphire card to get a higher value when booking travel through Chase or transferring to partners. Conversely, you might transfer points to a Freedom card if you want to redeem for cash back or gift cards with a lower minimum threshold.
Bottom Line
Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most versatile and valuable loyalty programs out there, with a wide range of redemption options and a great selection of transfer partners. By using your points wisely — whether by booking travel through the Chase portal, transferring to partners for high-value redemptions, or even combining points between different Chase accounts — you can truly maximize your rewards.
However, as with all rewards programs, the best redemption depends on your personal needs and preferences. Always compare your options and do the math to ensure you’re getting the best value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Happy traveling!
Frequently Asked Questions
What airlines can Chase Ultimate Rewards points be used for?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to 11 airline partners, including Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Iberia Plus, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United Airlines MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
What hotels can Chase Ultimate Rewards points be used for?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to three hotel partners: IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt.
Why is it better to transfer Chase points?
Transferring Chase points to partner airlines and hotels can sometimes provide better value than booking travel through the Chase Travel Portal, especially for premium cabin flights and high-end hotel stays. The value of transferred points depends on the redemption rates of each partner program.
Can you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to another person?
Yes, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to one member of your household or owner of the company, as long as they have a Chase Ultimate Rewards account as well.
Can you transfer points between Chase credit cards?
Yes, you can transfer points between your own Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points. This can be useful if one of your cards offers a higher redemption value or additional transfer partners.
How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?
The value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points depends on how you redeem them. When redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel Portal, points are worth 1.25 to 1.5 cents each, depending on your card. When transferred to travel partners, the value can vary but can sometimes be worth 2 cents or more per point.
Do Ultimate Rewards points expire?
No, as long as your account is open and in good standing, your Chase Ultimate Rewards points do not expire.
