Guide to Chase transfer partners
Updated 6:53 a.m. UTC Jan. 24, 2024
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The Chase Ultimate Rewards® program is a popular and flexible rewards program offered by Chase Bank. One of the standout features of this program is its partnership with various airlines and hotel loyalty programs, allowing members to transfer their Ultimate Rewards points almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.
This invaluable feature opens up a world of possibilities for travelers, enabling them to book award flights and free nights with top-tier programs.
Chase also has some of the best credit cards for earning rewards and valuable travel perks. If you’re looking for a versatile rewards credit card currency, then you might want to check out some of the best Chase credit cards available.
In the meantime, here’s a complete guide to Chase transfer partners and how you can get the most out of them:
Chase Ultimate Rewards airline transfer partners
Chase Ultimate Rewards currently offers 11 airline transfer partners that can enhance the value and versatility of your points. With 1:1 transfer partners, including major airline loyalty programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, United Mileage Plus and JetBlue TrueBlue, cardholders can leverage their points to book award flights to virtually anywhere in the world.
These transfer options open up a broad range of destinations, providing flexibility for both domestic and international travel.
For example, transferring points to Southwest Airlines or JetBlue can be a good choice for domestic travel. Meanwhile, options like Air France-KLM Flying Blue can open doors to international destinations.
If you already have an airline credit card, Chase points can be a great way to supplement your rewards balance.
The transfer process is generally quick and straightforward, allowing members to convert their Ultimate Rewards points into airline miles at a 1:1 ratio. These partnerships empower travelers to unlock a world of possibilities and capitalize on their hard-earned points to experience a more extensive and cost-effective travel journey.
Here’s a closer look at each Chase airline transfer partner, including some “sweet spot” award redemptions to be aware of.
Aer Lingus AerClub
Aer Lingus AerClub is an excellent program if you want to use Chase points to travel abroad. Aer Lingus offers some of the lowest award flights to Europe. You can fly between the East Coast and Dublin, Ireland starting from 13,000 Avios in economy and 50,000 in business class. Considering some airlines charge 30,000 miles one-way for economy flights to Europe, these are exceptional deals.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air Canada’s Aeroplan program was revamped a few years ago and made some positive changes in the process. The program employs a distance-based award chart, meaning the number of miles required depends on the flight distance. One of the best uses of Aeroplan points is for United flights between the West Coast and Hawaii, which cost just 25,000 miles round-trip in business class.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Air France-KLM’s joint Flying Blue program has multiple “sweet spots.” Flights between the U.S. and North Africa are a particularly excellent value, with East Coast-departing flights starting from 15,000 miles each way in economy class and 55,000 miles in business. These flights sometimes get further discounted during a Promo Rewards sale, offering discounts as high as 50%.
British Airways Executive Club
If Central America is on your bucket list, you should consider transferring your Chase points to the British Airways Executive Club. The program has one of the cheapest award flights to Costa Rica. You can book off-peak flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and San Jose (SJO) for just 13,000 Avios each way.
Emirates Skywards
Emirates is synonymous with luxury and you’re bound to have an amazing flying experience whether you’re showering in first class or flying economy. A one-way economy class ticket sounds steep at 72,500 miles one-way and up, but it can be worth it if you want to fly directly to Dubai or minimize stopovers.
Iberia Plus
Iberia Plus utilized Avios as its currency, just like British Airways and Aer Lingus. This means you can transfer your points between programs to consolidate them for an award. Iberia Plus has some attractive fares to Europe. A one-way economy class flight between New York (JFK) and Madrid (MAD) starts at just 17,000 miles in economy during off-peak season.
JetBlue TrueBlue
Due to a limited route network and partnerships, JetBlue TrueBlue isn’t the best way to redeem your points. You’ll typically get less than 1.5 cents per point, which is not ideal. This option isn’t recommended unless you’re transferring a small number of Chase points to top off your balance for a specific award.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines is not just one of the best airlines in the world; its Krisflyer program offers exceptional value on both domestic and international flights.
The program requires just 25,000 miles round-trip for a domestic United flight in economy or 40,000 in business. This may not sound like an exceptional deal, but considering United utilizes dynamic pricing, these flights can cost significantly more through the MileagePlus program.
Another great use of KrisFlyermiles is for flights to Europe, which cost 40,000 miles each way in economy class and 87,500 miles in business.
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Southwest Rapid Rewards isn’t the best option for transferring Chase points. That’s because Rapid Rewards points are worth about 1.4 cents each. You can get much more value than that by transferring to a different program.
United MileagePlus
United MileagePlus is a member of the Star Alliance and while that means you can use your miles for flights to virtually anywhere, award prices can be unpredictable. United uses dynamic pricing, so the number of miles needed for an award can vary greatly.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
If you’re a West Coast flyer eyeballing these super-low fares to Europe, you’re in luck because Virgin Atlantic has a sweet spot for everyone. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club charges just 15,000 miles each way for an economy-class ticket between the West Coast and London. Meanwhile, an East Coast departing flight comes in at just 10,000 miles each way – that’s cheaper than some airlines charge for a domestic flight.
Chase Ultimate Rewards hotel transfer partners
Chase has three hotel transfer partners that offer access to thousands of hotels worldwide. While hotel credit cards can be great for scoring elite benefits and annual free night awards, they earn points that provide less flexibility than Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Also, rather than carrying three different hotel cards, you can have a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card, which gives you access to three different hotel loyalty currencies:
IHG One Rewards
IHG One Rewards is the loyalty program for well-known hotel brands like Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo, to name a few. While IHG no longer publishes an award chart, standard award nights typically range from 10,000 to 100,000 points per night. IHG credit cardholders can get the fourth night free, making the top-tier award rates slightly more reasonable.
Marriott Bonvoy
Marriott Bonvoy no longer publishes an award chart and free nights at top-tier hotels can cost well over 100,000 points per night. However, Marriott does offer the fifth night free on award bookings. So if you want to save 20% on your next award booking, book a five-night stay.
World of Hyatt
World of Hyatt is arguably the best Ultimate Rewards hotel transfer partner. It’s the only program still publishing clearly defined award charts, with free nights starting at just 3,500 points. While Hyatt has lots of sweet spots, your best bet is to redeem points for an all-inclusive hotel. Rates start at just 12,000 points per night and include both meals and lodging.
Best Chase transfer partners
With 14 airline and hotel transfer options, there is a lot you can do with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. As you can tell, they’re not all the same and each program has its strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a look at our pick for the best Chase transfer partners:
CHASE TRANSFER PARTNER | WHY IT’S A GREAT TRANSFER PARTNER |
---|---|
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
| Flying Blue offers low rates on domestic and international flights. It routinely discounts these fares as part of its monthly Promo Rewards
|
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club charges just 10,000 miles one-way for an economy-class ticket between the East Coast and London. The program is also great for booking ANA awards to Asia and Delta One business class seats to Europe
|
Iberia Plus
| Iberia Plus is a great program for booking award flights to Spain since Iberia offers direct flights out of several major U.S. airports. One-way flights start at just 17,000 miles in economy class and 34,000 in business
|
World of Hyatt
| World of Hyatt is the only hotel loyalty program still publishing an award chart. Free nights start at just 3,500 points per night and Hyatt has an expanding portfolio ranging from budget to ultra-luxury hotels.
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
| Aeroplan is a great program for cheap domestic flights on United. Short-haul flights start at just 6,000 points each way
|
Cards that earn you Chase Ultimate Rewards
Credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards have become popular choices among savvy consumers looking for flexible rewards. These Chase credit cards provide a host of benefits, including a robust rewards program that allows cardholders to earn points on their everyday purchases. The points can be redeemed for travel bookings and cash back, though their best use is for transfers to an airline or hotel partner.
Furthermore, many Chase Ultimate Rewards cards offer valuable welcome bonuses and additional perks, such as travel insurance and airport lounge access. Before you apply for one of these cards, read up on the 5/24 rule to ensure you qualify.
If you’re looking for a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, here are the options you should consider:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
If you have a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards, you can convert your cash back from one of the following cards into points:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: 1.5% back on everything bought in the first year on up to $20,000 in spending, which is worth up to $300.
- Chase Freedom Flex® * The information for the Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. : $1,000 cash back after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: $750 cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: $350 after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
How to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards
Whether you’re redeeming points through the Chase Travel℠ portal or transferring them to partner programs, you’ll start on the same landing page. Once there, you’ll want to log into your Chase account and follow these steps:
- Scroll down to “transfer points to partners.”
2. You’ll be taken to a page that lists all Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. You can filter your options further by viewing only airlines, hotels or transfer partners that offer bonus points. Sometimes, you’ll see transfer bonuses of up to 30% for select travel partners.
3. On the next page, you’ll see details about the timing of transfers and other disclosures. Select “transfer points” at the bottom of the page.
4. Next, you’ll be asked to confirm the account you want to transfer points to.
5. On the following page, you can enter the number of points you’d like to transfer, then hit “next.”
While transfer promotions are tempting, it’s important not to transfer your points unless you have an immediate use in mind. Airlines can (and will) devalue their miles without warning. You don’t want to transfer your valuable Chase points, only for them to be worth less. Always wait until you’re ready to book your flight or hotel.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Credit cards that let you transfer points to airlines include the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Premier.
You can’t transfer Chase points to Hilton. However, you can transfer Chase points to IHG, Marriott and Hyatt.
Unfortunately, Alaska Airlines is not a Chase transfer partner.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point towards travel and more, depending on which travel partner you transfer them to.
*The information for the Chase Freedom Flex®, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Ink Business Premier® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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