How to use Chase Travel to book airfare, hotels and more

Most credit card rewards programs let you redeem your points or cash back in several different ways, and this is definitely the case with points in the Chase Ultimate Rewards program. These points are some of the most dynamic and versatile among all rewards programs available today, mostly because you can redeem them for cash back, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise and travel through Chase Travel℠.

Some premium travel credit cards from Chase even let you get 25 percent to 50 percent more value for points when you redeem for travel through the issuer. The same selection of cards also allows 1:1 point transfers to Chase airline and hotel partners.

If you’re interested in booking travel directly with your rewards, you should know that this is an option for their travel credit cards as well as cash back credit cards associated with the brand. All rewards cards offered through the bank let users book travel the exact same way — through the brand’s travel portal, which is called Chase Travel. 

What is Chase Travel?

Chase Travel is the travel portal offered through the card issuer, which partners with Expedia. This means you can search Chase Travel for various travel bookings like airfare, hotels and car rentals, just like you would if you were shopping for travel using any other website. 

To use Chase Travel, you need to have a Chase credit card and an online account with Chase.com. You can also book travel through Chase using the bank’s award-winning mobile app.

Once you log in to your account, you only need to click on the side of the page where your rewards points are displayed to access the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

After that, you can see all the different ways you can redeem your points or cash back. Your options will vary depending on the Chase credit card you have, but they can include:

Who can access Chase Travel?

To access the Chase Travel portal, you need to have a credit card that earns rewards with the card issuer. This means co-branded airline and hotel credit cards offered through Chase will not work, and you’ll need a Chase credit card that earns cash back or travel rewards instead.

Credit cards that give you access to the Chase Travel portal include:

How to use the Chase Travel portal

Once you click on your rewards total to get to the Chase Ultimate Rewards section of the website or app, you’ll be asked which one of your Chase card accounts you want to access. This part is important since some Chase credit cards offer more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase.

Specifically, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offer 25 percent more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 50 percent more value.

To book travel through Chase Travel, you’ll click on the option that says “Travel.”

At this point, you’ll be shown all the different ways you can use your points directly for travel through Chase. These can include airfare, hotels, car rentals, experiences, cruises and more.

Using the Chase Ultimate Rewards program’s travel portal is a lot like booking travel through any other site, given you search for the travel you want, compare prices and options and proceed by making a booking based on whatever you decide. The difference is, you can pay for airfare, hotels and other travel with Chase points, cash or a combination of cash and points.

The fact Chase lets you book with a combination of cash and points makes it really easy to use up small amounts of points you have on your card, especially since there are no minimums to redeem this way.

How to book flights through Chase Travel 

To book airfare through Chase Travel, you’ll select the option that says “Flights” and enter information for the itinerary you want. For example, you’ll pick your home airport, your travel destination and your dates. You’ll also decide whether you want to fly Economy or First or Business class.

At this point, you’ll have the option to filter results in whatever way you see fit, including early departures, pricing or a specific airline. From there, you’ll select the itinerary you want for the cost in points, cash or a combination of the two. 

If you decide to move forward with the booking, you’ll enter information about travelers on the itinerary, including full names and dates of birth.

How to book hotel stays through Chase Travel 

Booking hotel stays through Chase Travel works similarly to booking flights. You’ll decide where you want to travel and when, as well as how many people are in your traveling party.

From there, you can select from available hotels, resorts and condominium options available through Chase Travel, as well as whether you want to pay with cash, points or some of both.

How to book car rentals through Chase Travel

Booking rental cars works the same. From the Chase Travel search page, you’ll select the pickup and dropoff location for the rental car, travel dates and the age of the driver. 

From there, you can select from various types of rental cars and rental agencies, then pay for the booking with rewards, cash or both.

Other ways to use Chase Travel 

You can also use Chase Travel to book a range of “activities,” which include things like museum tours, snorkeling adventures and various types of ground transportation (including airport pickups and dropoffs in destinations around the world).

Finally, you can use Chase Travel to browse cruise options. You can book a cruise, but you’ll need to call a cruise specialist at 1-855-234-2542 to pay for it with rewards points, cash or a combination of the two.

Benefits of booking through Chase Travel

While many experts believe you should always transfer points to airlines and hotels before booking travel with rewards, there are plenty of reasons to use the Chase Travel portal instead — at least part of the time. Here are some of the benefits you can get for doing so:

You’ll earn a ton of rewards when you book paid travel through Chase

While Chase Travel lets you redeem points or cash back for travel through Chase, you can also pay for travel through the portal and earn more rewards when you do. 

The fact is, most Chase credit cards offer a minimum of 5 percent back or 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 10X points on hotels and car rental bookings made through Chase.

You can still earn airline miles

Also note that you’ll still earn airline miles for flights you book through Chase Travel, and that’s true whether you pay with Chase points, cash or a little of both. In order to double dip and earn airline miles, you just need to add your frequent flyer number to your booking with the airline after you pay.

You can get 25% to 50% more value when redeeming your points

As we mentioned already, some Chase credit cards offer more than 1 cent per point in value when you use rewards to book travel through Chase. Where the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred offer 25 percent more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 50 percent more value.

Ultimately, this means you get a better points valuation of 1.25 cents per point for travel with the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred, and 1.5 cents per point for travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

You can book any travel you want

Booking through Chase Travel also lets you avoid dealing with complex loyalty programs and limited award availability often found with hotel and airline programs. When you book travel through Chase, you get to pick from any hotel brand, airline, car rental company or travel provider that’s available for your destination and dates.

You can combine your Chase points in one account

Chase lets you pool rewards from multiple cards into one account for premium travel redemptions. For example, you can earn cash back with a card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited, use a business card like the Ink Business Preferred for all your business spending and utilize the Chase Sapphire Preferred for all your travel, dining and online grocery purchases. 

From there, you can combine all your points into your Chase Sapphire Preferred account to get 25 percent more value when booking travel through Chase Travel, or for 1:1 point transfers to Chase airline and hotel partners.

Is Chase Travel worth using?

Chase Travel is definitely worth using in a wide range of scenarios, and that’s true if you also transfer points to airlines and hotels part of the time. However, there are times when you would be better off skipping Chase Travel in favor of other types of redemptions.

• When the travel portal is worth using
  

  While there are clear benefits to using Chase Travel, there are also times when it’s worth using no matter what. For example, Chase Travel gives you another way to book the travel you want if you cannot find award availability with an airline or hotel program, or if you want to book travel but don’t have enough points in other rewards programs. It can also be great if you need extra flexibility due to where you’re traveling or when.

  In addition to booking airfare and hotels, Chase Travel can also be worth it if you want to book other types of travel you can’t book with airline miles or hotel loyalty points. For example, you can use Chase Travel to book airport transfers in your destination or to book snorkeling tours, guided museum tours and other excursions through the portal’s “activities” tab.

  The generous bonus rewards rates for Chase Travel purchases also make using the portal worth it when you’re paying for travel with cash — at least, when the price is competitive to what you’re finding elsewhere.

  Finally, Chase Travel is worth using when a booking requires fewer points than you would need if you transferred to an airline or hotel partner first. If a flight requires 50,000 miles with an airline partner but you can find it for 30,000 Chase points through Chase Travel, for example, using the portal instead of transferring points is a no-brainer.

• When the travel portal is not worth using
  

  There are also situations where Chase Travel is not the best deal, or when you’ll be a lot better off paying cash for travel directly. If you plan to pay cash for a booking and you find a lower price somewhere other than Chase, for example, it can make sense to skip the portal and go with the cheaper option.

  If you find an award booking through a Chase partner that costs fewer points than booking through Chase Travel, this is another scenario where you’ll want to skip the portal and transfer your rewards instead. At the end of the day, the Chase Travel portal is just one tool you can use to maximize your rewards and your travel budget.

The bottom line

Now that you know how the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal works, you should spend some time getting acquainted with all the ways you can use your points. The fact is, Chase lets you book airfare, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities and more using points, cash or both, giving you a lot more flexibility when it comes to using your rewards.

Bankrate’s travel toolkit can help you learn more about Chase Ultimate Rewards points and other travel programs, so consider continuing your research there.

*The information about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.