Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots: From international business class to domestic travel

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the most valuable transferable currencies you can earn. Because of this — and Chase's 5/24 rule — many people start with an Ultimate Rewards points-earning card when they first get into points and miles.

If you're new to Ultimate Rewards, you can redeem your points for travel through the Chase Travel portal. However, the most valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions often involve transferring points to Chase's 14 airline and hotel transfer partners.

This guide will cover some of the best Chase sweet spots to help you maximize your next redemption.

Book luxury Hyatt hotel stays with Chase points

Chase's partnership with World of Hyatt is great news for anyone collecting Ultimate Rewards points. That's because World of Hyatt's award chart is very generous: Top-tier Category 8 properties cost between 35,000 and 45,000 points per night, depending on the dates.

With Ultimate Rewards points transferring to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, booking these properties at reasonable rates is easy, especially if you can travel outside of holidays and peak travel times.

For example, during off-peak dates, you can book some of the fanciest Park Hyatt properties in the entire portfolio, including the Park Hyatt New York and the Park Hyatt Sydney, for 35,000 points per night. TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents each per our July 2025 estimates, so 35,000 points are worth just over $700. That's a great deal for hotels that sell for close to $1,000 per night, even when demand is low.

There's also great value at the lower end of the Hyatt award chart. With Category 1 hotels ranging from just 3,500 to 6,500 points per night, it's no surprise this is one of the best ways to spend Ultimate Rewards points.

Related: Best Hyatt hotels in the world

Book Iberia flights to Madrid with Chase points

You can score a great deal on nonstop flights to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), operated by Iberia, by redeeming your Chase points through Iberia Club.

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Round-trip flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Dulles International Airport (IAD), Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) and New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to MAD only set you back 32,000 Avios in economy, 59,000 Avios in premium economy and 81,000 Avios in business class on off-peak dates. Considering that most airlines charge at least 60,000 miles for a one-way business-class award to Europe, you're essentially getting a steep discount.

This deal is so good that it might be worth paying for a positioning flight to one of these airports.

To get the lowest prices for each route, fly on off-peak dates. Look at the calendar and see if any dates work for you and have award space. Note that the dates in red are peak, and all others are off-peak.

Book flights to Hawaii via Alaska Airlines and American Airlines

Another of our favorite Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions is transferring points to British Airways Club at a 1:1 ratio and booking flights to Hawaii with Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

As long as your nonstop flight distance is under 3,000 miles each way, you can leverage British Airways' unpublished distance-based award chart to fly from several West Coast gateways to Hawaii for reasonable prices in Avios. We found American flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and Alaska flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to HNL for as low as 20,000 Avios.

Related: Airlines you can book using Avios: How to maximize your points

Book ANA flights with Virgin Atlantic points

If you're looking to fly to Japan in some of the world's best business- and first-class products, you need to know about Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, another transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Flying Club's award chart for traveling on Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways has some excellent rates, making this one of the best ways to spend your hard-earned Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

For just 145,000 points, you can fly round-trip in first class between the West Coast and Tokyo. Flights from other U.S. gateways only cost an extra 25,000 points (170,000 points round-trip).

Flights in business class are a steal, costing between 105,000 and 120,000 points round-trip, depending on your U.S. departure airport. You may also be able to fly ANA's industry-leading The Room business class, which is only available on select routes. Or, you can essentially book a lie-flat seat in economy with ANA's Couchii.

Availability is strictly limited, so you'll have the best chance at snagging one of these flights either 12 months in advance when they are first loaded or within 14 days of departure when unsold seats are converted to awards.

Book Air France and KLM flights to Europe via Flying Blue

For another luxurious Chase Ultimate Rewards redemption, you can transfer your points to Flying Blue and book flights on Air France or KLM to Europe. Both airlines have substantial North American and European route networks via their hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), respectively.

While Flying Blue prices its awards dynamically, the program offers the lowest saver-level pricing for all one-way flights between the U.S. and Europe as follows, regardless of origin or destination, meaning you can connect at no extra cost:

• 25,000 miles in economy
• 40,000 miles in premium economy
• 60,000 miles in business class

Availability this summer is excellent, considering what a popular time it is to travel to Europe.

Remember, you could spend a few days in Paris or Amsterdam using the free Flying Blue stopover program, a smart way to visit another city without paying additional miles or cash. To book Flying Blue stopovers, you'll need to call Flying Blue at 800-375-8723.

Also, look out for Flying Blue's monthly Promo Rewards, which offer discounts of up to 25% on select routes, classes and dates.

Book short-haul flights to Canada using Chase points

Though Air Canada's Aeroplan loyalty program still uses an award chart, it uses dynamic pricing for flights operated by Air Canada and select partner airlines.

However, you can still find cheap short-haul tickets from the U.S. to Canada. For example, a flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) or JFK to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) can be booked for just 6,500 Aeroplan points one-way on several dates. This is far cheaper than what United Airlines charges for the same flight, which is typically about 15,000 United miles.

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points through spending on these Chase credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees): Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 in the first six months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The information for the Ink Business Preferred has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

The myriad ways you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points make them one of the most valuable and versatile transferable points currencies. Whether you're looking to travel domestically or indulge in international luxury, a transfer partner can help you get there.

While these are some of the best Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions, they're just the tip of the iceberg. If you play your cards right (pun intended), there are many other ways to get great value out of your Ultimate Rewards points.