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Chase is migrating cardholders to new Ultimate Rewards travel booking site

Nov. 03, 2021
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4 min read
Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks - 2020
Chase is migrating cardholders to new Ultimate Rewards travel booking site
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Update 12/20/2021: The article was updated with information from Expedia regarding the migration timeline. We also added a note about how new portal bookings do not usually earn hotel points.

What's old is sometimes new, and such is the case here as Chase has begun to migrate cardholders from the current Expedia-powered Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal to one powered by cxLoyalty. Some Chase cardholders are already seeing the new booking system on the Ultimate Rewards portal.

For some background, in mid-2018, the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal dropped from its former Online Travel Agency partner, cxLoyalty, in favor of Expedia. Since then, Expedia has handled all travel bookings made through the portal, including flights and hotels.

In an interesting turn of events, Chase acquired cxLoyalty in late 2020. Since then, loyalty travel enthusiasts have been waiting for Chase to switch back to the platform — a welcome change given Expedia's booking portal has long been plagued with issues, like not being able to book low-cost air carriers.

Some Chase cardholders are seeing the new portal one their Ultimate Rewards-earning cards already, while others are still on the old Expedia portal. We would expect all card members to be migrated to the new portal in the near future. Expedia confirmed to TPG that it still has a relationship with Chase, so some cards will remain on the Expedia platform for several months.

Here's what to expect as Chase transitions back to cxLoyalty.

Using the new Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal

The new cxLoyalty-powered portal is functionally similar to the old Expedia portal. You can access it the same as before through the Ultimate Rewards site – just click the Travel button from the Earn/Use toolbar at the top.

Finding chase travel portal
(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

Once there, you'll notice that the user interface has slightly changed. It looks remarkably similar to the Citi ThankYou booking portal, which is also powered by cxLoyalty.

Searching on the new chase travel portal
(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

One major difference is that ultra-low-cost carriers now display in search results. As discussed, Expedia's portal didn't show airlines Frontier and Spirit in search results, and many reports said they weren't bookable over the phone. According to Expedia, it was a "business decision based on the requirements needed" to not include low-cost carriers. Under the new cxLoyalty portal, most of these airlines can be booked with cash or points online.

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New Chase portal search results
(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

The only major exceptions are Allegiant and Southwest, which, according to Chase, must be booked over the phone.

(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

Another interesting change is that the portal now asks for a hotel loyalty number when booking hotels. That said, we tested the new platform and found that you will most likely not earn hotel points on stays booked through the portal.

Hotel loyalty info on Chase portal
(Screenshot courtesy of chase.com)

Bottom line

We are encouraged as Chase starts the switch from Expedia back to cxLoyalty.

The new portal looks to have already fixed some of the major issues users had with the Expedia-powered portal, like the inability to book ultra-low-cost carriers. We'll continue diving deep into the portal and update you with further changes we find.

Feature photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Featured image by AARONP/BAUER-GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.