Advantages of redeeming points through the Chase Travel portal
The two best ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel are to transfer them to one of Chase's many airline and hotel partners or book through the travel portal. Here are the benefits of going with the travel portal when you redeem your rewards:
You can use it for a larger variety of travel purchases. This includes hotel bookings with many hotel brands, airfare with most airlines, car rentals, cruises, and even activities you often can't book with credit card points.
When transferring your Chase points, your options are more limited. You can only use your points this way if you want to book airfare with one of Chase's airline partners or a stay at one of its hotel partners. Chase has quite a few travel partners, so this is often a great way to use your points. But you may not always be able to book what you want. Through the Chase Travel portal, you usually can.
The fixed rate provides a solid, consistent value. When you transfer your points, the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards points varies quite a bit based on your award booking. You could get over $0.02 per point, but there are also situations when it's difficult to get more than $0.01 per point. For example, it's almost never worth transferring your points to hotel partners other than Hyatt, because you won't get much value.
That's where the travel portal comes in handy, as you can use it when an awards booking wouldn't be of much value. At $0.0125 to $0.015 per point, depending on your Chase card, you can rest assured you're getting a good deal.
Purchases through the travel portal count as cash bookings. An important advantage of the travel portal is that even when you're paying in points, it counts as a cash purchase instead of an award booking. Here's why that's better for you:
- Cash bookings can earn points through the travel company, whereas award bookings do not.
- Your Chase card's travel protections apply on cash bookings, while they don't when you transfer your points and book that way.
Let's say you're booking a flight with United. If you transfer Chase points to United Airlines and buy an award ticket, you won't earn miles on that purchase. Should anything happen with your flight, you'll need to handle it with the airline.
If you booked the same United flight through the Chase Travel portal, you could earn miles on it with the airline. Your Chase card's travel insurance would apply, which helps if you have any issues, such as a trip delay or lost luggage.
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When should you use the Chase Travel portal?
The travel portal is the clear choice for car, activity, vacation rental, and cruise bookings. It's the only way you can book those using Chase points. Flight and hotel bookings require a bit more research to decide.
Your best bet is to look up how many points you'd pay if you transferred points to the airline or hotel compared to how many you'd pay through the travel portal. Then, you can go with the option that costs you fewer points.
In my experience, the travel portal tends to get you a better deal on the following types of travel:
- Domestic flights in economy class
- Hotel bookings (with the notable exception of Hyatt)
On the other hand, you're typically better off transferring your points if you're booking:
- International flights, particularly business-class and first-class tickets
- Domestic flights in first class
- Stays at Hyatt hotels
That's not always the case, though. The only way to know for sure is to compare both options.
Still have questions?
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Fact Checked
Ashley Maready
