TPG reader Gail sent me a tweet to ask about VIP experiences through Chase:
“How do I find out when Chase Sapphire events become available so I don't miss out?"
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve routinely rank among my favorite travel rewards cards. Both offer lucrative benefits and transfer partners that get plenty of attention, but one of the less heralded perks is exclusive access to special events across the country and throughout the year. I've purchased packages to the Emmy Awards and Sundance, both of which offered great value and would have been tough to get otherwise. These events are in high demand, so it's important to jump on tickets right away when they're released.
Chase typically emails eligible cardholders about upcoming events, so your inbox is the first place you should look. You won't get these messages if you've previously requested not to receive email solicitations, so ask Chase to put you back on the list if that's the case. If you're still not receiving those emails, check your spam folder to make sure they aren't being diverted there. The announcements are decided internally by the marketing team and don't follow any regular schedule, so just keep an eye out.
Chase also offers fairly simple websites where you can see upcoming events -- the Sapphire Preferred page is here and the Sapphire Reserve page is here. Both lists are well-maintained, but I don't blame you for not wanting to make the applicable list part of your browsing routine just in case a new event gets added. A better solution is to use a tool that tracks changes to search on your behalf and notify you when it detects new information. If you act quickly once you get an alert, you shouldn't have trouble getting in on a deal.
You can use that same strategy to monitor the individual events (like Vegas Uncork'd); that may give you a head start if those sites are updated before the main Chase events page. Some of the packages allow for cancellations, so it's worth continuing to check even if the event you're interested in is sold out.
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
