New Chase Sapphire Perk: Access to Curated Tours and Experiences
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
There's surely no shortage of avenues to find a great tour, and as banks and credit card issuers look to further cement loyalty, we're seeing yet another emerge: Chase. By teaming up with Atlas Obscura, it has launched a new tour, activity and experiences portal. Reservations are currently being accepted for more than 20 adventures, from Colombia to the Galapagos to Mexico City and beyond. Those with an excellent memory may remember Mastercard launching a similar tactic (Priceless Events) many years ago, and we have an ongoing guide that covers credit cards that include VIP event access.
Atlas Obscura is doing the digital event hosting, with the experiences themselves "curated by Chase Sapphire." If you're a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you can gain access right away. For the rest of the world, you'll have to wait until Nov. 1, 2018, to book.
The trips seem to be fairly interwoven with Atlas Obscura's other trips – the ones not curated by Chase – and do not appear to offer notable discounts or exclusives to differentiate them. On the surface, at least, this mostly appears to be a branding play. Chase likely reckons that the audience who would apply for a CSP or CSR would appreciate the Atlas Obscura vibe, along with more off-the-beaten-path, multi-day trips.
The collaboration comes hot on the heels of an Ultimate Rewards travel booking portal revamp, which saw Chase switch to Expedia as the provider. As a reminder, that portal enables Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and Ink Business Preferred Credit Card cardholders to exchange Ultimate Rewards points for travel (flights, hotel, car rentals, etc.) at 1.25 cents per point, while Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders enjoy a heightened 1.5 cents per point exchange rate. Only time will tell if Chase decides to integrate tour and activity bookings into that engine.
For more on maximizing the Chase Sapphire range of credit cards, dig into our guides below.
- The Ultimate Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Maximize Your Wallet With the Perfect Quartet of Chase Cards
- The Chase Ink Card Showdown: Cash vs. Preferred vs. Unlimited
- 10 Tips for Using the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Center
- Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for Maximum Value
- The Best Business-Class Seats to Book Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
- Top 5 Ultimate Rewards Redemptions Achievable With One Sign-Up Bonus
- TPG Readers Reveal the Best Ways to Redeem Ultimate Rewards Points
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