How You Could Save Over $1,140 on Travel With This Card

I just booked flights to D.C. for my cousin's wedding in October. And dang, travel is pricey right now! Roundtrip airfare, a hotel, Ubers…it all adds up fast.

But because I'm a personal finance nerd who knows how to work the credit card game, I saved $250 on my flights, scored a free hotel night, and earned a pile of bonus points in the booking process -- just for using the right credit cards.

One of my go-to travel cards is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees). And right now it has a killer sign-up bonus that can seriously boost your first-year value.

Combined with annual credits and everyday rewards, you can realistically save over $1,140 in travel in the next year.

Here's the breakdown.

The welcome offer is worth up to $750 in Chase Travel℠ value

Let's start with the mammoth welcome offer.

Right now new cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

Thanks to a 25% points boost when redeemed in the Chase portal, those points are worth up to $750 in Chase Travel℠ value.

This isn't one of those "fine print" bonuses where you have to jump through a bunch of hoops. Simply meet the minimum spend of about $1,667 per month for three months, and you're in.

Note: While you can redeem those 60,000 bonus points for cash back or gift cards (worth $600), you'll get less value. Booking travel is where you squeeze the most juice out of Chase points.

Earn another $435 for everyday spending

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has one of the best points systems for travel rewards cards. Here's how points can be earned for spending in different categories:

• 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
• 2X points on all other travel
• 1X points on other purchases

Let's break this down, assuming you spend $24,000 throughout the year in different budget areas. Here is how many points could be realistically earned:

That's 34,800 points, which translates to $435 in travel when booked through the Chase portal.

To be honest, this might be a low estimate. My family of four spends about $30,000 to $40,000 a year on credit cards (and we earn a lot more points!).

Extra perks and credits sweeten the deal

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also throws in some underrated extras that help boost your total value:

• $50 annual hotel credit when you book through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
• Travel insurance protections, including trip cancellation/interruption and primary rental car coverage
• 1-year DashPass membership for free delivery and lower service fees on DoorDash orders
• No foreign transaction fees, which can easily save you 3% per purchase abroad

Even without assigning dollar values to all those perks, that $50 hotel credit is straight-up savings.

Don't sleep on the extras. Apply now to earn travel credits, bonus points, and premium perks with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Year one net value: $1,140

Now let's add up all the rewards (minus the $95 annual fee) and look at the total potential first-year value. Keep in mind, this is the value if we used the points for booking travel via the Chase Travel portal.

• Welcome offer: $750
• Points for spending: $435
• Hotel credit: $50
• Annual fee: -$95

Total value: $1,140

That's serious traveling money -- enough to cover a few domestic flights, a few nights at a fancy hotel, or even an international flight.

Level up your game

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has been around for years, and it's still one of my go-to picks for new travelers and points beginners. It's easy to earn rewards, easy to redeem rewards, and the year-one value is hard to beat.

If you've been thinking about upgrading your travel game without going full premium-card mode, this one's a solid middle ground. Low fee, high value.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card today and start unlocking $1,000+ in travel value.