Chase Travel Portal vs. Transfer Partners: Maximizing Your Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards are consistently ranked among the most valuable and flexible points currencies available. But once you've accumulated a stash of these coveted points, a crucial question arises: should you book travel through the Chase Travel Portal or transfer your points to one of Chase's airline and hotel partners?
The answer, as with many things in the world of points and miles, isn't always straightforward. It depends on your specific travel goals, the type of booking you're making, and the Chase credit card you hold. Mastering this decision is the key to finding the best points and miles deals, and experiencing aspirational travel without breaking the bank.
Understanding Your Cents-Per-Point (CPP) Value
Before diving into the nuances of the portal and transfer partners, it's essential to grasp the concept of "cents-per-point" (CPP) value. This metric helps you understand the real-world value you're getting for each point you redeem.
You calculate your CPP by taking the cash value of the travel, dividing it by the number of points required, and multiplying that result by 100. For example, if a flight costs $200 cash and you can book it for 20,000 points, your CPP is 1 cent per point.
A good goal for Ultimate Rewards redemptions is often to achieve a value of 1.5 CPP or higher, especially when leveraging transfer partners. To make this comparison easy, utilize my dedicated CPP Calculator to quickly compare redemption values!
For a deeper dive into this concept, read my full guide: What Are Your Points Really Worth? Understanding Cents Per Point
The Chase Travel Portal: Simplicity, But With a Catch
The Chase Travel Portal, powered by Expedia, offers a straightforward way to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities. However, the redemption mechanics have recently undergone a significant change.
The New Reality: 1 Cent Per Point (Baseline)
The standard, default redemption value for all Chase Ultimate Rewards cards in the Travel Portal is now 1 cent per point (1 CPP). This means if a flight costs $300, it will cost you 30,000 points, unless a special promotion applies. This change eliminates the old fixed-value redemptions (like 1.25x or 1.5x) that cardholders previously enjoyed across all portal bookings.
The "Points Boost" System: Dynamic Value
Chase has introduced a "Points Boost" system to selectively restore and, in some cases, exceed the previous redemption values. This system offers dynamic, elevated redemption values on select flights and hotels booked through the portal.
The maximum value you can achieve and the specific types of bookings that qualify for a boost vary depending on the Chase credit card you hold:
Chase Sapphire Reserve: This card offers the highest potential boost, with points being worth up to 2.0 cents each (2 CPP). The highest boosts are generally targeted toward bookings in The Edit℠ by Chase Travel hotel collection and premium cabin airfare (Business or First Class).
Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business: This premium business card mirrors the consumer Chase Sapphire Reserve. It offers the highest level of Points Boost, with redemptions on select flights and hotels reaching up to 2.0 cents per point (2 CPP).
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card: These cards offer an elevated boost of up to 1.75 cents each (1.75 CPP) on select flights and up to 1.5 CPP on select hotels.
Chase Freedom and Ink Cash Cards: Points earned on these cards and used independently in the portal are subject to the 1 CPP baseline and typically do not qualify for the Points Boost. The true power of these points comes from combining them with a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card.
A Crucial Note on the Boost: The Points Boost is not automatically applied to every booking. It is a dynamic feature that applies only to certain itineraries and properties at any given time. This means that if a flight or hotel does not have the Points Boost indicator, your points will redeem at the default 1 CPP.
For a more in-depth explanation of the Points Boost and how to maximize it, check out my YouTube video here: Chase Points Boost System for Travel Portal Bookings - How it Really Works
Portal Redemptions for Rental Cars and Activities
You can also book rental cars, activities, and cruises through the Chase Travel Portal. However, it is essential to understand their redemption value:
The Points Boost feature, which allows for redemptions up to 1.75 CPP or 2.0 CPP, is generally not available for rental cars, activities, or cruises.
When you redeem points for these non-flight/non-hotel categories, your points will revert to the standard 1 cent per point value, regardless of the card you hold.
The Superior Strategy: Pay Cash, Redeem for Credit (Avoid 1 CPP Portal Bookings)
It rarely, if ever, makes sense to redeem Ultimate Rewards points at the 1 cent per point baseline through the Chase Travel Portal.
Here is the superior strategy for those 1 CPP-value bookings, such as rental cars or unboosted flights/hotels.
Redeem for Cash: Instead of using your points in the portal, redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for cash back as a statement credit. Points can be redeemed at a fixed value of 1 CPP.
Pay Cash, Earn Points: Use a highly rewarding Chase credit card (like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred) to pay the cash price for the rental car or activity. Since these count as travel purchases, you will earn bonus Ultimate Rewards points on the purchase itself when booking direct.
This "Pay Cash, Redeem for Credit" strategy is superior because you achieve the same 1 CPP value on your original points while simultaneously earning more points on the new purchase.
The Best Strategy for Activities: Stacking Value
Since the portal gives you the suboptimal 1 CPP value for activities and tours, the preferred approach is to pay cash and stack your offers.
This strategy involves three key steps:
Use a Specialized Booking Platform: For travelers looking for the best selection of tours and things to do, I recommend checking out a major aggregator like Viator. They offer hundreds of thousands of bookable experiences worldwide and I have used them many times.
Pay with the Right Card & Redeem for Credit: Pay for your Viator booking with a Chase card that earns bonus points on travel purchases (like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred). Then, use your Ultimate Rewards to cover the expense via a statement credit, executing the "Pay Cash, Redeem for Credit" strategy.
Activate Card-Linked Offers: Before you purchase, always check for valuable card-linked offers that may be available on your credit cards. These offers, such as save 10% at Viator, provide direct statement credits when you use that card to make the purchase. To learn more about this powerful strategy, check out my video: Stop Wasting Money: The Hidden Credit Card Offers You’re Missing.
To ensure you never miss a credit or cash-back opportunity, I use and recommend CardPointers+. This tool helps you keep track of all your cards and automatically flags available card-linked offers across all your issuers, making sure you always use the optimal card. You can save 30% on your subscription with my link: Cardpointers.com/mileswithmary.
When Does a Portal Booking Make Sense?
Despite the variability of the Points Boost, there are still scenarios where the Chase Travel Portal is the right choice:
High Points Boost Value: If you find a premium cabin flight or a luxury hotel stay (especially with the Sapphire Reserve) offering a high Points Boost value (1.75 CPP or 2.0 CPP), this can rival or even beat the CPP of a transfer partner, while being easier to book.
No Award Availability: When a transfer partner's award calendar is empty for your dates, the portal acts like a cash booking, allowing you to use points for any available seat or room.
Earning Airline Loyalty: Unlike most transfer partner award bookings, flights booked through the Chase Portal are generally treated as cash tickets by the airline. This means you will typically earn airline miles and elite status credit, which is a major advantage for those pursuing status.
Simplicity and Convenience: The portal is incredibly easy to use. There is no need to check multiple airline or hotel websites, calculate transfer ratios, or worry about points transferring successfully.
Pros and Cons: Chase Travel Portal vs. Booking Direct
To make the best decision, you must weigh the simplicity of the portal against the high-value potential of transfer partners.
Chase Travel Portal Pros:
Flexibility: Book any flight, hotel, rental car, or activity available for cash. No award availability restrictions.
Convenience: Simple, one-stop shop with instant booking confirmation.
Points Boost Upside: Potential for redemptions up to 2.0 CPP on select flights and hotels.
Elite Earning (Flights): Flights generally earn airline miles and elite status credit.
Chase Travel Portal Cons:
Low Baseline Value: The 1 CPP floor for most bookings is a poor use of points (use the "Pay Cash, Redeem for Credit" strategy instead).
Dynamic Pricing: Point requirements are tied directly to cash prices, meaning peak travel is expensive.
Hotel Status Not Recognized: Third-party hotel bookings often mean no elite benefits (e.g., free breakfast, upgrades), no points earning, and no elite night credits.
Customer Service: Booking through a third party (Chase/Expedia) can complicate issue resolution.
Inflated Prices: Prices may be higher than booking direct: It’s important to compare cash prices when booking through the portal and also booking directly. Let’s say you are getting 2 cents per point on a redemption, but the actual price of the flight or hotel is 25% more in the portal than it is when booking directly. In this scenario, you aren’t really getting 2 cents per point.
Booking Direct (Transfer Partner) Pros:
Maximized Value: The potential for 2 CPP, 3 CPP, or even higher values, especially with premium cabin redemptions.
Elite Status Recognition: When booking via a transferred partner (Hyatt, United, etc.), your elite status benefits will typically be honored, and you'll sometimes earn points/elite credits.
Access to Sweet Spots: Utilize award charts to find disproportionately low point costs for expensive routes or stays.
Booking Direct (Transfer Partner) Cons:
Complexity: Requires research into award charts, checking award availability, and understanding transfer times.
Award Availability Issues: Seats/rooms at award rates are limited and can be tough to find.
Transfer Times: Points transfers aren't always instantaneous, which is risky for popular last-minute bookings.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners
This is where the magic truly happens for maximizing your Ultimate Rewards, allowing you to transfer your points on a 1:1 basis to a diverse group of airlines and hotels.
Chase Airline Transfer Partners: Chase partners with 10 different airline loyalty programs, which also grant you access to their respective alliances (Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld partners):
Aer Lingus AerClub
Air Canada Aeroplan
British Airways Executive Club
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
Iberia Plus
JetBlue TrueBlue
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
United Airlines MileagePlus
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Chase Hotel Transfer Partners: Chase offers a 1:1 transfer ratio to three major hotel programs:
World of Hyatt
IHG One Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy
Sweet Spots with Chase Transfer Partners
Transfer partners unlock incredible value, especially for premium travel. Here are some perennial "sweet spots" that frequently offer redemption values well above the portal's maximum:
World of Hyatt: This is consistently the most valuable hotel transfer partner. Because Hyatt still relies on a relatively fixed award chart, you can often get 2.0 CPP or more for luxury stays. For example, a night at a high-end property that costs over $500 might only require 25,000 points.
Iberia Plus: Use their off-peak award chart to book Business Class flights to Madrid from the US East Coast for a remarkably low number of points, providing some of the cheapest transatlantic premium redemptions available. Occasionally, Chase offers transfer bonuses, allowing you to receive extra miles or points when transferring to specific programs. For example, I recently took advantage of a 30% bonus when transferring Chase points to British Airways Avios. Since Avios can be freely transferred between British Airways and Iberia, I moved my points to Iberia and booked a one-way lie-flat business class seat from the east coast to Madrid for only 43,000 Ultimate Rewards points—an amazing deal for peak summer travel!
United Airlines MileagePlus: A highly useful partner for domestic and international flights on United or any of its Star Alliance partners (like Lufthansa or ANA). United generally does not pass on significant fuel surcharges, making their redemptions straightforward and affordable. I appreciate that award redemptions are freely cancelable, so I often book these awards as a placeholder, and then try to find cheaper deals as travel gets closer.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: This is the key to accessing incredible value on partners like ANA (All Nippon Airways). You can often book round-trip First Class flights from the US to Japan for a small fraction of the cash price by transferring your Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic.
Air Canada Aeroplan: A fantastic Star Alliance partner with a great distance-based award chart. It's often the best way to book business class to Europe for as low as around 70,000 points one-way on partner airlines, and it allows stopovers for a small additional points fee, turning one trip into two.
See also: Chase Transfer Partners and How to Transfer Points
The Final Decision: A Blended Approach
The most savvy traveler knows that it's not an "either/or" choice—it's about using the right tool for the job.
Use Transfer Partners for aspirational, high-value redemptions where you are confident you can exceed 2.0 CPP and where status benefits matter.
Use the Chase Travel Portal (with a Sapphire card) for bookings that offer a strong Points Boost (1.75 CPP or higher).
For all other low-value travel purchases, stick to the "Pay Cash, Redeem for Credit" strategy to maximize your points earned on the purchase itself.
By carefully comparing the cash price to both the Points Boost cost and the transfer partner cost, and using my CPP Calculator, you'll be well-equipped to ensure every Ultimate Reward point maximizes your travel goals.
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