Chase Travel Portal
The Guide to Chase’s Travel Portal
Chase's travel portal is a standout feature of having a Chase credit card. With cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can earn Ultimate Rewards® that pack a punch if you use them wisely on Chase's travel portal.
Similar to popular booking sites like Orbitz or Expedia, you can use Chase's portal to book flights, hotels, and cruises, among other things. You can use points to cover part of the trip cost or pay in cash. Unlike using airline miles or hotel points, you won't encounter blackout dates or limits on award availability since you're essentially paying with cash.
In the portal, you can also use points for merchandise or transfer them to other travel loyalty programs if you're short on miles and points there. In a nutshell, having flexible points like Chase Ultimate Rewards® is a smart move in the travel rewards game. Booking travel through Chase's portal is easy. Here's what you need to know about it.
Who Can Access the Portal?
Not all Chase cards offer the same perks. Only select cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points, while others may earn loyalty miles and points with a specific partner. For instance, the United℠ Explorer Card earns United MileagePlus miles.
Here are the chase cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® and grant access to Chase's travel portal:
The value of your points depends on which Chase card you have. Chase's standard rate is $0.01 per point, which is the same rate you'd get if you redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for cash back.
However, Chase travel cards offer a greater value on travel portal redemptions. Here's how much more you'd get with the current Chase travel cards:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 25% more ($0.0125 per point)
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 50% more ($0.015 per point)
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: 25% more ($0.0125 per point)
Benefits of Booking Travel in the Portal
Earn Points on Paid Reservations:
When you book travel through Chase's portal, you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on your paid reservations. You get 5x points on airfare booked within the portal and 10x points on hotels and car rentals. This can really add up, but keep in mind that when booking hotels with Chase Ultimate Rewards®, you won't earn points with the hotel's loyalty program or receive elite status benefits.
Earn Points on Airfare Even for Redemptions:
Whether you pay with cash or points, booking airfare through Chase earns you miles. So using points for airfare through the travel portal is more beneficial than redeeming for a hotel.
Earn Bonus Points for Restaurant Bookings:
You can also earn bonus points by making restaurant bookings through the portal. It's a great way to enjoy dining experiences during your trip.
Shop for the Best Value Redemption:
While Chase Ultimate Rewards® points have a consistent value, using the travel portal may not always be the best choice. Sometimes, you can spend fewer points by booking the same trip with the specific airline or hotel's points instead of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. Always compare the costs to see which option offers better value. For example, expensive business class tickets with award availability might be better booked with partner programs than with Chase points.
Is Chase's travel portal worth using? It depends on your situation.
Redemptions: If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and you're redeeming points, it's usually worth it. These cards give you higher point values when you redeem through the portal.
Bookings: If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and you want to earn bonus points, it's a good choice. These cards often give bonus points for travel booked through the portal.
Otherwise, if you prefer simplicity for cancellations or changes, it might be better to book directly with the airline, hotel, or rental car company using cash, card, or by transferring points to one of Chase's partners.
Here's how to use Chase's travel portal:
Log in to your Chase account.
Look for your Chase Ultimate Rewards® balance on the right side of the page.
Click on it to see your options for using your points.
Choose "travel" to go to the booking page.
Enter your travel plans for flights, cruises, rental cars, hotels, or activities.
The value of your points depends on your card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives the best value, at 1.5 cents per point, while the Chase Freedom Unlimited® values points at 1 cent each. This means Chase calculates how many points you need based on the cash cost of your travel.
Finding the travel you want is simple. Chase's search engine, powered by Expedia, makes it easy. However, keep in mind that some low-cost airlines might not show up anymore. You might want to check the airline's website first to compare prices, especially for basic economy or main cabin fares.
You can use the advanced options button to sort by airline and class of service.
Booking through the travel portal is straightforward. Once you've picked your travel plans, you enter your personal info. What's great is you can pay with points, cash, or a combo. You can tweak how many points you use, and the site shows you how much cash you still need. If you're short on points, you can transfer from other Chase Ultimate Rewards® accounts you have.
Booking hotels or cars works the same way, letting you choose between cash, points, or a mix.
There's one more thing to note: When booking at Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection properties, you can only pay with cash (you settle the bill when you check out) and can't use Ultimate Rewards® points. Still, it's worth booking through the portal because you'll get extra benefits like daily breakfast for two and a special perk unique to each hotel.
You can also book activities at your destination or home and pay with cash or points. This covers things like tours, museum visits, and other local experiences.
Here are a few more things to consider:
Chase might add a service fee to some bookings. You'll need to decide if this fee is worth the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you'll earn.
Hotels often offer special rates for members booking directly with them, rather than through a third-party site like Chase's portal. You'll need to decide if earning Chase Ultimate Rewards® points is worth potentially paying a bit more for your room.
When you book through Chase's portal, you're subject to their policies for changes or cancellations. If you need to make changes, you'll have to contact Chase directly, which can be tricky for last-minute changes.
Final Thoughts:
With a bit of comparison, you can get great value from points through Chase's travel portal. You can use them like cash for travel, but always check if it's better to use hotel or airline points instead.
Sometimes, using Chase points may not get you all the travel perks. But other times, you can save money by using points, especially when there's no award availability for your preferred travel.
If you want to maximize the value of redeeming chase points, learn how to use Chase’s transfer partners.