The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
News
TPG reader question: When is it better to use the Chase portal instead of airline transfer partners?
Joseph Hostetler is a credit cards writer who also covers helpful miles and points tricks. He previously authored and edited for Million Mile Secrets. He most enjoys a vagabonding approach to travel and loves to share any tips he finds along the way to save both points and money. He generally gravitates toward more nature-oriented activities, like climbing the Haiku Stairs in Hawaii, hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, and swimming in Mexican cenotes. You can follow him on Instagram @johostetler.
Favorite city: Jerusalem
Where to next: Seattle
August 16, 2021 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.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.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
The article compares redeeming flexible points through a travel portal versus transferring them to airline partners for booking flights.
Booking through the travel portal allows you to bypass blackout dates and limited award seat availability, offering more flexibility for peak travel times.
Redeeming points through the portal provides a fixed value per point, while transferring to airlines can yield higher value but may require more effort and flexibility.
Booking via the portal also allows you to earn airline miles and elite status credits, unlike award bookings made with transferred points.
What to consider
If award seats are unavailable for your dates, the portal may be your only option.
Compare the total points needed through the portal versus transferring to an airline partner, as the better value depends on the specific flight and fare.
Booking through the portal lets you earn frequent-flyer miles and elite-qualifying credits, which you do not receive when booking with transferred points.
What you'll miss from the article
A step-by-step decision guide to determine when each booking method offers the best value for your travel goals.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Editor’s note: This article is part of a weekly column to answer your toughest credit card questions. If you would like to ask us a question, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.
If you're TPG fan, you probably know how ardently we promote transferring Chase points to valuable airline and hotel partners. It's the best way to get truly outsized value for your rewards. But it's not always the best option. Reader Richard wants to know how to know which method to use:
[pullquote source="Richard Aird"]Is it better to purchase tickets through Chase Ultimate Rewards or to transfer to United MileagePlus to get tickets to Italy?[/pullquote]
The Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal is essentially an online travel agency similar to Priceline or Orbitz (it's actually powered by Expedia). When you log into this platform with your Chase credentials, you can book airfare, hotels, rental cars and more, either by paying with your credit card, redeeming Chase points, or with a mix of both. You can redeem your points for travel at a rate between 1 and 1.5 cents each, depending on which specific Chase credit cards you have (more on this below).
You'll even earn bonus points when booking through the Chase Travel Portal and paying with the following cards:
Chase Sapphire Reserve -- 10 points per dollar on hotel and car rental purchases
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card -- 5 points per dollar on all travel
While this method is unquestionably less complicated than transferring points to Chase travel partners, because you can only redeem your points at fixed rates, it caps the value proposition of your Chase points (versus all the options transferring to airline partners opens, up which we estimate raises the value of Ultimate Rewards points to 2 cents apiece). That's why we rarely recommend using your points this way -- but the portal can be a life-saver in some instances.
Below are a few questions to ask yourself before transferring points to an airline or booking flights through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.
When to use the Chase Portal instead of transferring points
Question 1: Can you travel during your desired travel dates by transferring points?
One of the greatest aspects of booking through the Chase Travel Portal is its ability to vanquish blackout dates and award seat availability that many frequent-flyer programs impose.
When you transfer points to an airline, you'll (usually) be subject to "award inventory." Airlines tend to release a small pool of seats that are eligible to be booked with miles. If those seats are booked, you may not be able to use miles to reserve your flight -- even if there are still empty seats on the plane.
But when you book through the Chase Travel Portal, you're effectively using points to "pay" for a seat. Chase is taking your points, and they're reserving your flight with money. That is to say, if a seat is available for sale, you can book it with points via the Chase Travel Portal just as if you were paying for it with your credit card. It's a good option if you're vacationing around the holidays or during a peak travel season.
If Chase airline partners offer no award seats for your desired dates, book through the Chase Portal. If there are available award seats, proceed to the next question.
Question 2: Does booking via the Chase Travel Portal cost fewer points?
When you book a flight through the Chase Travel Portal, you'll receive a flat value for your points. This value depends on the credit card you hold:
Chase Sapphire Reserve -- 1.5 cents per point
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card -- 1.25 cents per point
Ink Business Preferred Credit Card -- 1.25 cents per point
No-annual-fee Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards -- 1 cent each
In other words, if the flight you want costs $300, you can book it for 20,000 points if you've got the Chase Sapphire Reserve. But you'll need 24,000 points if you've got the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Business Preferred due to those value differentials.
Compare the above Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal price to the price of an award flight using frequent-flyer miles, and choose the option that costs fewer points. It's easy to do so since Chase points transfer to its airline partners on a 1:1 basis. If the prices in Chase points and airline miles are nearly identical, proceed to the next question.
Question 3: How many miles will you earn for your flight?
You earn airline frequent-flyer miles when you purchase a flight. You do not earn airline miles when booking an award flight using frequent-flyer miles from a Chase points transfer. Therefore, you'll earn airline miles when booking through the Chase Travel Portal since it's just like purchasing tickets, but not when you transfer your points to an airline program and book an award flight.
Depending on the airline, fare and your elite status, this could certainly move the needle in favor of the Chase portal. Below is a screenshot of a random one-way flight on United Airlines between Chicago and Seattle where the number of United miles (a Chase transfer partner) and Chase points redeemed through the Ultimate Rewards portal are roughly equivalent. While you wouldn't earn any elite-qualifying activity or award miles by transferring Chase points to United and then redeeming for an award ticket, if you redeemed Chase points through the Ultimate Rewards portal instead, you would earn between 670 and 2,000 miles for the flight along with Premier-qualifying credits, depending on the fare you purchased.
(Image courtesy of United Airlines)
If you're chasing elite status, or simply want to keep earning airline miles on your flights, you'll likely be better served by the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal rather than transferring.
Bottom line
There are a few scenarios when it makes sense to book your flights through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal instead of transferring points to airline partners:
There are no available award seats for your desired travel dates
It costs fewer points to book via the Chase portal than transferring to a partner airline
A paid fare would earn you a significant number of redeemable miles
You're going for elite status and need the credit from your flights
Read our post on Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots to get a sense of just how valuable Chase points can be when transferred to airlines. When you see their potential value in comparison to the Chase Travel Portal, you'll better understand why we don't often recommend burning your points in this way. That said, use them in whatever way makes you the happiest. Free travel is all about fulfilling your personal goals.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
