Chase Travel: Complete Guide to Booking Trips and Earning Rewards

If you’re a Chase cardholder—or thinking about becoming one—Chase Travel can help you plan and book your trips while saving money and earning rewards. More than just a travel site, it combines convenience, flexibility, and valuable perks through the Ultimate Rewards points system.

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about Chase Travel: how it works, what makes it valuable, and how to use your points wisely.

What Is Chase Travel?

Chase Travel is a booking platform offered by JPMorgan Chase Bank for its credit card customers. You can access it through chase.com/travel and use it to book:

What Is Chase Travel
  • Flights
  • Hotels
  • Car rentals
  • Cruises
  • Vacation packages
  • Local experiences (like city tours or activities)

Unlike many third-party booking sites, Chase Travel is directly linked to your Ultimate Rewards (UR) points, which you earn through Chase credit cards. You can either pay in cash or use your points to book travel, often at a better value than using them for cashback or gift cards.

What Makes Chase Travel Special?

Seamless Booking Platform

Chase Travel is simple to use. It’s powered by Expedia’s technology, meaning you get access to a wide range of travel options and pricing without needing to leave the Chase website. You can search for hotels, flights, or rental cars, compare prices, and finalize your trip within minutes.

The site also includes travel inspiration and editorial guides for destinations like Paris, Tokyo, or Miami—helping you plan not just your booking but your entire experience.

No Booking Fees

One of the key advantages of booking through Chase Travel is zero additional booking fees. Many travel portals charge fees for flights or car rentals—but Chase waives these charges, allowing you to get more value from your purchases.

What Are Ultimate Rewards Points?

Ultimate Rewards (UR) are the flexible points you earn through Chase credit cards. These points can be used in several ways, but they shine when you use them for travel.

You can earn UR points through:

  • Everyday purchases
  • Sign-up bonuses
  • Travel or dining purchases (which often earn more points per dollar)
  • Referral bonuses
  • Chase’s bonus categories (like rotating 5% cash back offers)

Top UR-Earning Cards Include:

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred®: Earns 2x points on travel and dining
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earns 3x on travel and dining, plus special travel perks
  • Ink Business Preferred®: Great for business travel and purchases
  • Chase Freedom Flex® & Freedom Unlimited®: Earn cash back but can convert to UR points if paired with a Sapphire card

Ways to Use Your Points Through Chase Travel

There are two main ways to use Ultimate Rewards points for travel:

Book Through Chase Travel Portal

Your points have boosted value when you use them in the Chase Travel portal depending on your card:

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: 1.25 cents per point
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve: 1.5 cents per point
  • Other Cards: 1 cent per point

Let’s say you have 60,000 UR points:

  • If you use them with Sapphire Preferred: $750 in travel
  • If you use them with Sapphire Reserve: $900 in travel

This means you can book flights, hotels, or rental cars at a discount simply by using points.

Transfer to Travel Partners

For the highest value, you can transfer UR points to one of Chase’s travel partners. Transfers are 1:1 and usually instant or within a day.

Airline Transfer Partners:

  • United Airlines
  • Southwest Airlines
  • JetBlue
  • British Airways (Avios)
  • Air France/KLM (Flying Blue)
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Emirates
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Iberia
  • Aer Lingus
  • Air Canada (Aeroplan)

Hotel Transfer Partners:

  • World of Hyatt
  • IHG One Rewards
  • Marriott Bonvoy

By using points with transfer partners, you can often get 2 cents or more per point—especially for business or first-class flights, or high-end hotels.

What Is “The Edit” in Chase Travel?

If you hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you’ll get access to “The Edit”—a collection of handpicked luxury hotels that come with extra perks:

  • Daily breakfast
  • Early check-in or late checkout
  • On-property credits (for dining or spa)
  • Free room upgrades when available

This is Chase’s way of competing with programs like American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts.

More Travel Perks with Chase Sapphire Reserve

With the Reserve card, you also get:

  • $300 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass lounge access
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement
  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
  • Emergency assistance and travel protections

This makes the $550 annual fee easier to justify, especially for frequent travelers.

Tips to Maximize Your Chase Travel Experience

Tips to Maximize Your Chase Travel Experience

Compare Portal vs. Transfer Value

Before booking, check if transferring points to a partner gives better value. For example, a business-class flight through United might cost 70,000 points via transfer—but $2,000 through the portal. That gives you closer to 3¢ per point vs. just 1.5¢.

Look Out for Transfer Bonuses

Chase sometimes offers bonus points when transferring to select partners. For example, a 30% bonus when transferring to Virgin Atlantic means 10,000 UR points become 13,000 miles.

Don’t Transfer Without a Plan

Once transferred, points cannot be moved back to Chase. Always search for award availability first on the partner site.

Mix Cash + Points

Can’t cover the full cost with points? You can split payments using points and your Chase card. This is helpful if you’re short on UR points but still want to save money.

Is Chase Travel Worth It?

Chase Travel is one of the best travel booking platforms tied to a credit card. It’s worth it if:

  • You like having all your travel tools in one place
  • You earn or plan to earn Ultimate Rewards points
  • You want travel perks and flexibility
  • You travel frequently and want to maximize points value

For occasional travelers, it’s a simple, no-fuss booking tool. For point enthusiasts, it’s a goldmine of value and flexibility.

Final Thoughts

Yes—especially if you already have a Chase card. It’s easy to navigate, integrated with your account, and packed with features. If you take the time to learn how to use your UR points wisely, you can stretch every point further—turning your daily purchases into unforgettable travel experiences.

From luxury hotel upgrades to free international flights, Chase Travel + Ultimate Rewards is one of the most rewarding combos in the credit card world today.

Similar Posts