TPG Lounge readers' best Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions
We recently asked our TPG Lounge members to share the best redemptions they've ever had with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. Here's a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
Related: Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline partners
Many of our well-traveled TPG Lounge members used Chase Ultimate Rewards points to make long-haul flights more comfortable, flying prestigious business- and first-class products by transferring them to an airline partner.
"Full trip to Hawaii including airfare, hotel and rental car for our 10th anniversary. Oh yeah, and my wife thought we were going to Seattle until we got to the counter. Total surprise!" — Jason F.
"A business-class lie-flat seat to Sydney for 60,000 Chase UR points. Most comfortable flight I've ever been on." — Oz N.
"Chicago to Hong Kong to Hanoi and back for 180,000 Chase UR points in EVA Air's magnificent business class. It was the trip of a lifetime and a positively elegant way to travel." — Michael P.
"Two round-trip tickets in lie-flat business class to Germany, plus hotel. Actually split the trip into two one-ways with Delta there (by sending my points to Air France and booking through them) and Lufthansa back." — Brad B.
"Using Chase UR points and Southwest with the Companion Pass: points for one person to fly and the other can fly free." — Alex L.
"ANA first class via a transfer [from Chase UR] to Virgin Atlantic. Taxes are low — about $230 — and the redemption rate is 110,000 to 120,000 points round-trip. This is definitely an award chart sweet spot." — Adam A.
Related: 5 reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred should be your first card
"Booking my wife and I round-trip tickets to Europe while also taking advantage of United's Excursionist Perk. We plan to book our hotel accommodations with points, too." — Sean S.
"Transferred points from Chase UR to Singapore Airlines and booked two Singapore Suites from Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK)." — Munjal K.
"150,000 Chase UR points transferred to Virgin Atlantic for a round-trip flight in a Delta One Suite from Los Angeles to Sydney." — Jerome P.
"On various occasions, I've saved anywhere from a few hundred or thousand points for a domestic flight in coach to tens of thousands for a lie-flat seat on a 10-hour flight by booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal instead of transferring to United!" — Shana G.
"160,000 Chase UR points for two one-way tickets from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Toronto (YYZ) to Shanghai (PVG) to Singapore (SIN) all in business class on Air Canada and Singapore Airlines." — Alex S.
"Delta One Suite from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG) for 50,000 Chase UR points, transferred to Virgin Atlantic for [what would have been a] $9,400 ticket in July. Winning!" — Parham K.
"Using Chase UR points to transfer to United and use the Excursionist Perk. It was 60,000 points plus $149 per person to go from New York to Santorini to Athens to Naples and back this past May." — Wilson Z.
Memorable hotel stays around the world
Some TPG Lounge readers said they'd cashed in their precious Chase Ultimate Rewards points for swanky hotel stays from Key West to Sydney, all possible by transferring them to Chase hotel partners Hyatt, IHG and Marriott.
"Right now I'm spending my last of two nights at the Park Hyatt Sydney, with a little cash to upgrade to a Harbour view room." — Kevin L.
"Transferring to Hyatt and getting 6.5 cents per point for hotel stays. We did it many times, spending 12,000 points for a room that was somewhere between $650 and $900 a night. We save our points for our summers at Hyatt Place Portland-Old Port in Maine and transfer to Hyatt at 1:1 to get the room through the Hyatt app, which is much better than using the Chase app!" — Paula W.
"Six nights at Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort and three at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort And Spa for 105,000 points. Also have stayed at the Fiji Marriott Resort Momi Bay for five nights for 93,000 points." — Timothy O.
"Covering our hotels while traveling to Ireland, Athens, Morocco and Belgium for two weeks with points, breakfast included!" — Mika C.
"Eight days at the Hyatt Centric Key West from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. The best place to ring in the New Year!" — Ken I.
"Ventana Big Sur, recently added by Hyatt from the Alila collection. 30,000 points for one night while the cash price was $1,518! It's an incredible property and pretty close to the famous Post Ranch Inn." — Shawn M.V.
"Flew to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks and used Chase UR points through the portal to get three days and two nights in an overwater bungalow at the InterContinental Resort Tahiti on the way home. It may not have been the best value for points, but the experience was well worth it." — Richard M.
Other inspiring ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
A small group of TPG Lounge members wrote in saying they had bigger plans for their Chase UR points, like special family trips to Orlando for the holidays, taking in championship football games or going on safari in Africa.
"Taking my daughter on a safari in Kenya. 100% on Chase UR points." — Mike C.
"Flying a family of five from San Francisco (SFO) to Orlando (MCO) for Christmas. It would have cost almost $5,000 but instead we paid for it all with Chase UR points!" — George C.
"Booking anything through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal where transfer partners aren't available for any points currency. Think remote places like Myanmar where cash prices are high." — Graham W.
"The Big Ten Football Championship Game game. We got last-minute flights on Southwest from Sacramento to Indianapolis with Chase UR points and used a Companion Pass for my hubby's fare. Spent two nights at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis with a Skywalk connection to Lucas Oil Stadium for 8,000 points per night in a room that [would have been] over $600 per night! Then, since we had a Companion pass, we threw in a quick Southwest leg to New Orleans for the Lions vs. Saints game at the Superdome with another night at the Hyatt House New Orleans/Downtown for 10,000 points, which would have been over $500, and a flight back to Sacramento. Total for the flights was 26,000 (transferred) UR points. It was an amazing trip, and we spent the money we saved on our tickets on some fantastic Creole food instead!" — Kris L.
TPG featured card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.