48 Best Ways to Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

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You’ve gathered a good number of Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points (UR) over some time and have been saving them up for something grand. Now the big question is – what is the best way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points? There are many ways to spend them but which is the best?

Wait, what if I don’t have any Chase Ultimate Rewards points? If that’s you – check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It’s great for beginners and seasoned travelers alike, comes with 1:1 point transfer abilities, earns up to 5x points, and has a reasonable $95 annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is not only one of the best rewards credit cards, but it is also full of travel benefits. Let’s cut to the chase (no pun intended).

Transferring Ultimate Rewards Points to Hotel and Airline Partners

The best way to make the most of these points is by transferring them to one of the hotel and airline partners of Chase. You can do this with some of the best Chase credit cards available. Avoid the temptation of using your hard-earned points on Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Mall (their shopping portal) or for cash-back, as the returns may not be anywhere close to what you can get at its hotel and airline partners.

However, please keep in mind that transfer of these points to Chase’s hotel and airline partners is only possible if you’ve any of the premium Chase credit cards such as the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. In case you do, you can transfer out your points to the below-mentioned airline and hotel programs at an attractive 1-to-1 ratio:

Hotel transfer partner programs

Hyatt
Marriott Bonvoy
IHG

Transferring your Chase points to any of these partner programs means that if you have 60,000 Chase rewards points, they’ll get converted into the same number of points with that particular program. So, for example, 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Hyatt become 60,000 Hyatt points. Or, if you want to transfer 40,000 Ultimate Rewards points to United, that becomes 40,000 United miles.

Let’s now go over the 48 best ways in which you can put your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to use.

Please keep in mind that great reward redemption programs come and disappear from time to time. These were possibly the best-known redemption options for the Chase Ultimate Rewards Points at the time of writing this post. If anything, this can hopefully provide some ideas.

48 Best Ways to Use Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

1. Use KrisFlyer Miles to fly king-size in Singapore Suites, aboard an A380 aircraft!

Transferring Ultimate Rewards points to Singapore is a great value.

Are you someone who loves traveling the ultra-comfortable way? How about your suite in the sky?! A large number of Chase credit card users prefer transferring their rewards points to the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program as it allows them to experience the airline’s ultra-luxury suites known as Singapore Suites.

These suites provide flyers with a personal first-class luxury double bed in the sky and this type of product and experience is currently unavailable with any other airline in the industry. Please also keep in mind that Singapore Suites can only be availed in the airline’s A380 aircraft and the most economical way to enjoy them is by flying their New York – Frankfurt route. Buying a one-way Suites class ticket on this route would cost you only around 57,375 points, provided you book online through Singaporeairlines.com and avail the 15% mileage discount.

Routes to Consider

The next best way to experience this facility is by flying the airline’s Los Angeles – Tokyo route, which would set you back by 74,375 points. If you’re flying from Central or East US to Singapore, availing the Suites class would set you back by 110,000 miles in each direction. The same would cost you 112,500 miles if you travel from the West Coast instead.

What also makes Singapore Suites so sought-after by travelers is that they can be availed by transferring points from all major partner rewards programs like the Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and American Express Membership Rewards. So, even if you don’t have enough Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, you can fall back on other programs to book your Suites ticket.

You should also keep in mind that it’s extremely difficult to book more than 2 Singapore Suites class seats on the same flight. In case you want more than one ticket for this class on the same flight, you’d need to avail either of the following two options: book the second ticket by spending more miles or get on the wait-list for the second seat (if you don’t want to spend more).

2. Use KrisFlyer Miles for air travel between Hawaii and the continental US

You can also use your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles to avail excellent pricing for air tickets on the continental US – Hawaii route. You’d be charged 40,000 miles for booking first-class one way, 30,000 miles for business class one way and 17,500 miles for economy class one way.

This is a much better deal compared to United, where you’d be charged 50,000 miles for booking first-class one way, 40,000 miles for business-class one-way, and 22,500 miles for economy-class one way, for the very same flights.

3. Use KrisFlyer Miles to fly first or business class (within the US) with United Airlines

The transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles can also be used for flying with other airlines such as the United. You can use these miles for flying first or business class in the United Airlines flights, within the US. While United Airlines charges 35,000 MileagePlus miles one way for its first-class tickets, and 25,000 MileagePlus miles one way for its business class tickets, for flights within the US.

The same can be availed for 30,000 miles and 20,000 miles respectively if you book using your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Miles instead.

4. Use KrisFlyer miles for flights between the South Pacific islands

Provided you’re flexible enough about the availabilities and have the desired time to carry out some research, you can put your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles to excellent use by utilizing them on flight bookings between the South Pacific islands. The airlines charge 22,500 miles for first-class, 17,500 miles for business class and 12,500 miles for economy class one-way tickets within the South Pacific. Many people book round-trip tickets between these islands and can stop over at a completely different island without paying anything extra!

KrisFlyer miles provide great value on these routes as United charges 40,000 miles for first-class, 30,000 miles for business class and 12,500 miles for economy-class tickets on the same. As mentioned above, you need to be flexible enough about the availability of these deals. They hold great value and give you the maximum buck for your air miles.

What’s more, you get to see some of the remotest islands on the planet too?!

5. Use KrisFlyer Miles to travel from the US to North Africa or the Middle East

If you’re more of an adventurous and different kind of traveler, you can consider utilizing your KrisFlyer Miles to travel from the US to North Africa and/or the Middle East! These miles can be redeemed at any of the Star Alliance member airlines such as Lufthansa, Ethiopian, Turkish, Swiss, Egypt Air or United to reach these destinations.

It’d cost you 75,000 miles for first-class, 57,500 miles for business class and 37,500 miles for economy class one-way tickets.

6. Use KrisFlyer miles to travel from the US to South or Central Africa

Feeling a bit more adventurous?! Why not head further southwards to South or Central Africa by spending some more KrisFlyer miles. While United charges 80,000 miles one way for business class tickets to/from these destinations, you can get the same deal by redeeming 72,500 KrisFlyer miles on Singapore Airlines.

7. Use KrisFlyer Miles to travel economy from the US to Europe

Not only does Singapore Airlines offers excellent pricing on its flights within the United States, but it also offers very competitive pricing if you wish to travel to Europe (from the US) in economy class. You’ll require only 27,500 KrisFlyer miles for each direction. This is significantly lesser compared to other US carriers like Delta, American Airlines and United which charge 30,000 miles for the same.

8. Use KrisFlyer miles to travel first class with Lufthansa

This is another great way in which you can use your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles! You’ll need to shell out 160,000 KrisFlyer miles and an additional € 400 (in fuel surcharges) for booking a round-trip ticket in Lufthansa’s first-class. The fuel surcharges can be saved by booking the ticket with some other airline such as United, but you’ll need to cough up a lot more in terms of miles!

Find out more by taking a look at the Singapore Airlines round-trip awards chart. If you’re someone who doesn’t like settling for anything but the best, book your ticket/s on the Lufthansa’s A380!

9. Use KrisFlyer miles to travel from the US to Europe in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class

Many people think that Singapore Airline’s KrisFlyer miles can’t be used on Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class as the latter isn’t a part of the alliance that Singapore Airlines belongs to. However, this isn’t true. You can use 100,000 KrisFlyer miles for a round-trip flight from the US to Europe in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class.

The same round-trip would cost you 130,000 KrisFlyer miles if you book a round-trip business class ticket with any of the Star Alliance airlines instead. That amounts to a savings of 30,000 miles!

10. Use MileagePlus miles to fly within the Oceania region

As was mentioned earlier, you can easily transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to United Airlines MileagePlus miles at a 1-to-1 ratio. United charges pretty attractive fares for flights within the Oceania region if you pay using your air miles (and not cash). You can book a one-way economy class ticket using just 12,500 MileagePlus miles.

11. Use MileagePlus miles for domestic travel within the US

When it comes to MileagePlus miles, they can prove to be as valuable for domestic travel within the United States as they can be for international travel. Round-trip economy class flight bookings (of saver level, inside the lower 48) can be made using 25,000 MileagePlus miles. On the other hand, round-trip economy class flight bookings to Alaska cost only 35,000 MileagePlus miles.

12. Use MileagePlus miles to travel from the US to the northern part of South America

If you look at the award booking chart of United Airlines, it has split South America into two different regions: Southern South America and Northern South America. If you’re comfortable traveling economy class, you’ll need to shell out only 40,000 MileagePlus miles for booking a round-trip flight to and from Northern part of South America on United or any of United’s Star Alliance partner airlines such as Copa Airlines, etc.

Making a business class round-trip booking on the same flights would cost you 70,000 MileagePlus miles, which isn’t a lot!

13. Use MileagePlus miles to travel from the US to Oceania

Flying to Oceania region is a pretty expensive affair! However, you can put your MileagePlus miles to good use and book an economy class round-trip to the amazing Pacific islands such as Fiji, by spending no more than 70,000 miles!

14. Use MileagePlus miles to fly from the US to New Zealand or Australia

Flying from the US to New Zealand or Australia is slightly more expensive, and costs comparatively more MileagePlus miles than flights to the Oceania region, but can turn out to be an excellent deal. Booking a round-trip economy class ticket from the US to New Zealand or Australia can set you back by around 80,000 MileagePlus miles.

15. Use MileagePlus miles to explore the entire Caribbean region!

United Airlines charges 35,000 MileagePlus miles for round-trip bookings on flights operating between the United States and the Caribbean. With the MileagePlus Excursionist Perk coming into play starting October 6, 2016, you can make effective use of stopovers and easily visit two different Caribbean islands at the price of just one!

Furthermore, you can find even better MileagePlus redemption deals on flights to/from the Caribbean depending on your current location. However, if you’re keen on a stopover, MileagePlus miles can come in pretty handy!

16. Use MileagePlus miles to travel from the US to Europe

You can use 60,000 MileagePlus miles to book a round-trip from the US to Europe and back. Although it isn’t the cheapest offer available in the marketplace for flights operating between these two places, you should keep in mind that you don’t need to pay any fuel surcharges when you’re flying with United. In many cases, it’s worth spending some extra air miles to save up on the fuel surcharges.

17. Use MileagePlus miles to fly to Fiji from China

In case you’re keen on traveling to Fiji, but can’t afford to do so using your MileagePlus miles from the United States, you can fly cheap to China and use only 30,000 MileagePlus miles from there to book a round-trip China-Fiji ticket. Redeeming your MileagePlus miles this way can turn out to be an excellent deal, providing you a chance to visit different destinations!

18. Use British Airways Avios for booking short-haul flights outside of US

Despite having witnessed certain changes over the years, use of British Airways Avios continues to be one of the best ways to book short-haul flights outside of the United States. You can easily use your Avios balance to make short-haul flight bookings and some nice medium-haul flights too, with any of the OneWorld member airlines. As mentioned earlier, the Chase Ultimate Rewards Points can be transferred to the British Airways Avios at 1 to 1 ratio, which is much better compared to 1.25 to 1 ratio offered by American Express Membership Rewards.

Please also note that Chase British Airways Visa Signature® Card reduced its earning rates from 1.25x to 1x, making it more difficult to accumulate these valuable British Airways rewards points. As mentioned earlier, the best way to use your Avios balance is by booking short-haul flights outside of the United States. You’ll need to shell out no more than 4500 Avios each way for such flights (that are 650 miles or shorter).

It can prove to be a highly valuable deal in places where you must spend a lot on booking such short flights, for instance in Japan.

British Airways Visa Signature Signup Bonus

New British Airways Visa Signature® Card cardholders can earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Cardholders earn 3 Avios per $1 spent on purchases with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL. Cardholders also earn 2 Avios per $1 spent on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel. Plus, earn 1 Avios per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Plus, new British Airways Visa Signature® Card cardholders can get 10% off British Airways flights starting in the United States when they book through the website provided in the welcome materials.

This card has a $95 annual fee but doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.

19. Use British Airways Avios to travel from the US (East Coast) to Europe

Dublin Ireland hacks to travel best ways to use Ultimate Rewards points — I flew to Dublin, Ireland on Aerlingus in April 2017. Ireland looks almost tropical from a bird’s eye view. Credit: Claire Tak

Although there aren’t many medium-haul routes that offer great value when availed using Avios, there are still a few that do exist! You can make a direct economy class one way flight booking for travel from the US (East Coast) to Europe, on Air Berlin, using 20,000 Avios. What makes it a good deal is that you won’t have to shell out a lot from your pocket (even before the start of the trip) as Air Berlin doesn’t charge heavily when it comes to surcharges.

There is another route that may cost you even lesser! You can fly economy in Aer Lingus, from Boston to Dublin, by spending only 12,500 Avios (one way), and pay very less in fuel surcharges! Furthermore, you can also transfer your British Airways Avios to Iberia, where you can save a lot in fuel surcharges. However, please note that your account will need to have enough points’ activity and be at least 90 days old to qualify for such a transfer.

A couple of excellent ways in which you can redeem your Iberia points balance is by purchasing one-way business class tickets on the NYC/Boston – Madrid route for 34,000 miles or a one-way business class ticket on the Miami/LA/Chicago – Madrid route for 42,500 miles!

20. Use British Airways Avios to fly from Miami to Lima, Peru

If you’re not too keen on Europe, you can use your British Airways miles to travel to a different destination such as Lima in Peru. Flying to Lima from Miami would cost you only 12,500 British Airways Avios (for a one-way economy class ticket). That’s almost the same number of British Airways miles you’d need to shell out for a domestic United Airlines flight!

21. Use British Airways Avios to fly from the US (West Coast) to Hawaii

Making a one-way economy class booking on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines for travel from the West Coast to Hawaii will set you back by only 12,500 Avios, which makes it one of the most economical ways to reach Hawaii from the US!

22. Use British Airways Avios and save air miles by building in a stopover

British Airways prices each one of its flights individually as it runs a distance-based program. So, you can occasionally save plenty of miles by adding a stopover to your itinerary. What’s more, you can even stay at the stopover location for as long as you want and pay nothing extra!

Let’s explain it to you with a couple of examples:

A direct economy class flight ticket from Miami to Santiago costs 25,000 British Airways Avios. You can stop at Quito, Ecuador on your way and your journey would still cost you 22,500 miles! Although the savings may not seem very significant, they can be priceless if you had always wanted to visit Ecuador!
A direct economy class flight ticket from LA to Sydney costs 50,000 British Airways Avios. You’ll need to pay only 37,500 Avios for the same journey if you choose a stopover at Honolulu. As mentioned earlier, you’re allowed to stay in Honolulu for as long as you want and resume your final journey later!

So, any time you see a stopover in your British Airways journey you had booked using Avios, you’re allowed to stay at the stopover location for as long as you wish to!

23. Use British Airways Avios to fly to Easter Island from Santiago

Flying to Easter Island is a pretty expensive affair! Look up the fares for travel to this destination in January 2017 and you’ll find that the cheapest round-trip flight costs as high as $ 900! You can get some excellent value for your British Airways miles by using 12,500 Avios on a one-way economy class booking on this route!

24. Use British Airways Avios to enjoy first-class travel on shorter routes

If you are running short of miles, but are still keen on traveling first class, you can use your British Airways miles for enjoying maximum comfort on short-haul flights. For instance, flights on the Bangkok – Hong Kong route are only around two hours, so you can book a Cathay Pacific first-class ticket by spending no more than 22,500 Avios. You may not find many cheaper ways (than this) of experiencing first-class travel in a world-class airline!

25. Use British Airways Avios to avail low fees

Any time you’re faced with a situation where you need to make a last-minute flight booking, always check flight availability for Avios bookings. Unlike a large majority of airlines, British Airways doesn’t charge its customers any fee for last-minute bookings.

It has a very reasonable cancellation fee structure too:

The cancellation fee charged to you would only be to the extent of the cost of the charged taxes if they ch arged taxes on your ticket were lesser than $ 40.
The cancellation fee charged to you would be $ 40 if the charged taxes on your ticket were higher than $ 40.

In the United States, taxes on air tickets are normally $5.60 per one-way ticket. Hence, it’s always good to book using British Airways Avios if you’re unsure about any trip. Plus, $5.60 is not a lot to lose after all!

26. Travel Together first-class on British Airways, using Avios, and save more!

Although fuel surcharges can be pretty hefty if you fly first class with British Airways, using your air miles is still an excellent means of buying a ticket that’d otherwise set you back by over $5,000 for one-way travel. The deal can be further sweetened if you can pair such air miles redemption with your Travel Together Ticket won by using your British Airways Visa Signature® Card.

For instance, a London to Chicago one-way award ticket can set you back anywhere from 68,000 to 80,000 Avios, depending on whether you’re traveling during the off-peak or peak season. The taxes and fuel surcharges on such tickets can be somewhere in the vicinity of $500. Coming to that Travel Together Ticket now, you can earn it by spending at least $30,000 in a single year with your Chase British Airways Visa Signature card.

Such a ticket allows you to take a companion with you on any British Airways mainline flight that originates in and returns to the US and was booked using air miles. The companion flies in the same class as the primary ticket holder and needs to only pay the carrier charges, fees, and taxes!

27. Use British Airways Avios to travel from LA to Tokyo

In general, British Airways Avios isn’t considered the most economical currency for long-haul flights, but when it comes to travel from LA to Tokyo, it delivers plenty of value. This journey falls within the 25,000 Avios distance bracket for economy-class flights. Please always remember to cross-check the taxes charged on these tickets.

The same route can be traveled in first-class by spending 75,000 Avios and business class by shelling out 50,000 Avios. You can’t term these as the best possible premium cabin redemptions, more so if you need to take a connecting flight to another destination (as British Airways charges you separately for different flights). But it’s still a good deal if you’re keen on experiencing the Japan Airlines travel in its first or business class.

28. Use FlyingBlue miles to travel to the less explored regions!

FlyingBlue is a shared loyalty program jointly run by KLM and Air France. You can use FlyingBlue miles to bag award flights to some interesting locations just because the program classifies them as a part of certain regions. For instance, destinations like Morocco, Algeria, Libya, the Canary Islands, and Israel are considered a part of Europe!

What this means is that you can make use of FlyingBlue’s 50,000-mile economy class round trip and a 100,000-mile business class round trip to visit these locations. You can also visit these locations using the FlyingBlue promo awards for travel between North America and Europe at 25% or 50% off on redemptions. You can easily transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to FlyingBlue Miles at a 1 to 1 ratio.

FlyingBlue also has other prominent rewards programs such as American Express Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards, as its partner.

29. Use FlyingBlue to travel economy on Delta, from the continental US to Hawaii

Another great way of redeeming your FlyingBlue Miles is by traveling economy class on Delta airlines, from the continental US to Hawaii. A round-trip on this route would cost you only 30,000 miles and an additional $10 fee. This is an excellent deal because flights from the US East Coast can easily be more than $500 per round-trip.

30. Use FlyingBlue to travel to Mexico at the same price you’d pay to fly to anywhere in the US

Although many air mile programs treat Mexico as a part of the Central America / Caribbean award zone, FlyingBlue considers it in the same zone as the rest of the United States. This implies that you can travel to Mexico using the same number of air miles as you may need to travel anywhere in the US, which is only 12,500 miles for one way travel.

31. Use FlyingBlue to avail the FlyingBlue promotional awards

You can avail some amazing pricing offers on certain routes by making use of the FlyingBlue Promo Awards. These awards keep changing after every few months all through the year. Plus it can get you 25% or 50% off on your business and economy class air-mile redemptions when you fly from Europe to some pre-specified destinations throughout the world.

A large majority of US fliers actively avail these awards offered on the Europe – North America routes. If you manage to book such an award at a 50% off rate on the Europe – North America route, you’ll need to pay only 25,000 FlyingBlue miles for one-way business class tickets and 12,500 miles for one-way economy class tickets, making it an excellent deal!

Although surcharges can be on the higher side in FlyingBlue redemptions, they usually work out to be a worth-it deal overall if you see the number of miles you end up saving.

32. Use FlyingBlue to avail ultra-cheap economy class tickets to Australia and South Pacific

You need to spend only 30,000 FlyingBlue miles on one-way economy class travel between the United States and South Pacific, which covers islands such as Tahiti! The same pricing can be used for availing a cheaper award booking to Australia, which normally costs around 50,000 miles for one-way economy class travel.

You can also route your South Pacific islands journey (from the US) through Sydney and then accidentally miss the last flight! This way you’ll end up saving a whopping 20,000 miles! However, please note that this trick doesn’t deliver on the return journey to the United States.

33. Use FlyingBlue to travel to the Caribbean from the US

The redemption offers provided by FlyingBlue on the US – Caribbean route are pretty interesting too! You can avail an economy class round-trip on this route by spending only 30,000 FlyingBlue miles. It amounts to a savings of 5000 miles on every round-trip flight compared to other prominent US-based airlines.

34. Use Korean Air SKYPASS to fly from the US to Tahiti with Air France

It may be extremely rewarding to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Korean Air’s SKYPASS program if you can effectively use an open jaw and/or a stopover on a round-trip air ticket. What sets Korean Air award redemptions apart is that they give you the ability to avoid fuel surcharges.

You can book an economy class round-trip with Air France on the LA-Tahiti route by spending just 60,000 Korean Air miles. Or you can spend just 90,000 miles for the same travel in business class (in Air France or any other Korean Air SKYPASS partner).

If possible, please remember to work in an open jaw and stopover en route.

35. Use Korean Air SKYPASS to travel to anywhere in and around Europe from the US

You can also redeem your Korean Air SKYPASS miles to avail of great deals on flights to both Europe as well as anywhere in it after you reach there. You’d be charged only 50,000 SKYPASS miles for an economy class round-trip ticket on the US – Europe route and 80,000 SKYPASS miles for a business class ticket on the same route.

You’re also free to plan an open jaw and a stopover when you book such a round-trip ticket.

Furthermore, if you wish to visit any more places inside Europe, you’ll need to spend only 25,000 SKYPASS miles per economy class round-trip air ticket to every destination.

36. Use Korean Air SKYPASS to travel cheap to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, and Mexico

If you’re planning to fly from the continental US to Hawaii, you should know that Korean Air SKYPASS offers one of the best air miles redemption offers on this route. You need to pay only 25,000 air miles for an economy class round-trip. In fact, the majority of prominent US carriers charge anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 more air miles for the same journey.

Hence, this is a very easy way of saving plenty of miles.

The same 25,000 miles can be used for flying from the continental US to Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Mexico. That’s almost the same price you pay for flying to anywhere domestic in the United States!

37. Use Korean Air SKYPASS to fly from the US to the southern zone of South America

Like MileagePlus, Korean Air SKYPASS also splits South America into different zones. It enables them to offer better redemptions for people traveling to specific parts of the South American continent.

You can travel to anywhere in the southern zone of South America, from the US, by purchasing an economy class round-trip ticket using 50,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles.

You can even work in a stopover and add an extra destination to your itinerary at no added cost!

38. Use Korean Air SKYPASS to travel first class on Korean airlines

Seeking some first-class indulgence?! You can spend 80,000 Korean Air SKYPASS miles to book yourself a one-way first-class ticket on Korean Airlines. You can get the best redemption deals if you choose to fly to South Korea during the off-peak season.

39. Use Southwest points to make flight bookings that you may have to cancel

Southwest is an excellent airline to book your tickets if you’re unsure about your travel plans. It doesn’t charge any fee for ticket cancellations right up till the point of a flight is ready to depart. The points used for such bookings are returned to the flyer’s account, and he/she is provided a voucher in return for the paid taxes (which can be used for future flights).

The majority of airlines require flyers to buy more expensive tickets if they wish to cancel and normally charge a cancellation fee for award bookings unless the flyers have some status with the respective airline.

40. Use Southwest points to fly cheap anywhere around the Caribbean and US

You can make effective use of Southwest points to avail some very attractive fares between specific city pairs. The point redemptions on Southwest flights are mostly dependent on the exact cost of flights, and over the years Southwest has become increasingly less transparent in this regard. It isn’t uncommon to see a one-way Southwest airline flight selling at 6,000 points or less.

Sometimes, you can derive even more value from your points by gaining eligibility for the Southwest companion pass. This pass allows you to take a companion with you by paying only additional taxes.

41. Use Virgin Atlantic miles for attractive hotel stays

Virgin Atlantic doesn’t boast of a very impressive award redemption chart when it comes to its flights. To tell you the truth, it’s pretty awful compared to the redemptions offered by other air miles programs. However, where it scores above the others is the hotel stays you can avail with its miles.

The airline is in partnership with Hilton HHonors and provides a transfer ratio of 2 to 3 between the two programs. This implies that you can first transfer 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to 20,000 Virgin Atlantic miles and then transfer those 20,000 Virgin Atlantic miles to 30,000 Hilton points!

Having 30,000 Hilton points in your kitty can easily earn you a 6-night stay at a Category 1 Hilton property.

Such category 1 hotels are all over the world, and there are a good number of them in Egypt. You can find more details about them on the Hilton website.

42. Use Virgin Atlantic miles to fly to Europe from specific US cities

Although the Virgin Atlantic miles program doesn’t fare very well against some other popular programs in the airline industry, it does have some decent options that can be availed for certain flights. You can use 42,500 Virgin miles to book yourself an economy class round-trip to Europe from specific US cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, or Miami.

Virgin Atlantic charges comparatively higher fees, which can be avoided with the use of other kinds of air miles. Still, if you already have Virgin miles in your account and there’s the ready availability of tickets, it may not be a bad deal after all.

43. Use a Hyatt Gold passport for stays at luxury Hyatt hotels

When it comes to hotel stays, the award chart of Hyatt Gold passport is one of the best in the industry. You can spend as less as 5000 Hyatt points and get yourself a standard room night at any of the category 1 Hyatt hotels. These are basically low-category hotels and aren’t very expensive. Even though they may offer good value for your Hyatt points, you may want to save yours for some high-end luxury stay.

You can also use 30,000 Hyatt points per night stay at luxury hotels like Park Hyatt Sydney or Park Hyatt Maldives. Stay at these hotels normally costs anywhere in the range of over $800 per night. You may also book yourself a night at the Andaz 5^th Avenue, New York City by shelling out just 25,000 points per night stay.

44. Use a Hyatt Gold passport for room upgrades at Hyatt hotels

If you’re a regular at Hyatt properties and choose to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to the Hyatt Gold Passport program, you’ll find that the hotel’s upgrade chart is quite reasonable and offers great value!

You can spend 3000 points and upgrade your per night standard room stay to a Club Room stay.

Doing so will provide you instant access to the lounge and probably some complimentary drinks and snacks too. You can also use your Hyatt points for upgrading your room to a suite by spending 6000 points per night stay. This will also provide you immediate access to the hotel’s lounge (if there’s one).

45. Use a Hyatt Gold passport for booking all-inclusive stays at Hyatt hotels

Hyatt also features a good number of all-inclusive hotels in its portfolio where you can put your hard-earned Hyatt points to use. Depending on the type of hotel you’re planning to stay in, a standard room per night booking with single/double occupancy will set you back by anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 points.

On the other hand, booking a suite at any such property will cost you anywhere from 32,000 to 40,000 points per night. Additional people (maximum of 4) can be added to your stays by spending 10,000 to 12,500 extra points per night stay. All the meals and drinks come included in such hotel stays, as well as the cost of the room.

So, even though these stays cost a lot in terms of points, the entire package value they deliver is pretty high!

46. Use Hyatt points effectively

Not only does Hyatt have an excellent points award chart, but it also gives you the flexibility of redeeming points and cash for your stays. The number of points you need to pay is half of what you’d normally pay (if you were to book using full points). You can pay the other half of the difference with cash.

It makes plenty of sense to redeem one’s Hyatt points in this manner. Firstly, you get a higher value per point, and second, the nights availed this way qualify for elite status. Furthermore, you can also use elite status benefits such as Diamond Suite Upgrades during your stays. You don’t normally get such upgrades if you pay using only points.

47. Use Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Rewards for booking stays at Ritz-Carlton and/or Marriott properties

Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Rewards is basically a rewards program by these two entities. Using your points for stays at these properties is most likely to be a difficult affair for you if you’re looking to derive maximum value from your points; especially compared to other transfer partners of the Chase Ultimate Rewards.

You may find some value in their points + cash stays, and in situations where you may wish to upgrade your stays by spending 5000 points per night.

However, you’re most likely to find better upgrades at Hyatt properties.

If you plan to use your points for stays at any of the Category 1 Marriot hotels, available at the PointSavers rate, you’d be able to book a room at 6,000 points per night. In general, these rooms aren’t very expensive, so ensure that you get the right value for your points before finalizing anything.

48. Use IHG Rewards Club points for booking stays at PointsBreak hotels

Booking stays at IHG properties normally costs anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 points per night. However, you can save a lot by finding special deals at hotels featured in their PointsBreak list. You can bag a stay at the IHG properties featured in this list at an attractive rate.

If there is a particular property that falls in line with your future travel plans, it may make a lot of sense to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to IHG Rewards Club.

In general, these hotels are mostly low or mid-tier hotels. But, some high-tier properties also make an appearance occasionally.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

Also known as ‘UR,’ Chase Ultimate Rewards is a loyalty program by Chase credit cards. It rewards Chase customers for using their credit cards on a regular basis. However, please note these reward points can only be earned on Chase credit cards that haven’t been issued in collaboration with any of its partner hotel and airline brands.

Cobranded Chase credit cards, issued in collaboration with hotel and airline partners, for instance, Southwest Rapid Rewards cards or IHG Rewards credit cards will earn you loyalty points for those programs only. You won’t be able to transfer/convert those points to the Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are automatically added to your account as you start using your Chase card(s).

You can later use them on a wide variety of products and services such as internet, dining, travel, transportation, gas, hotels, mobile, food, and office supplies.

How to sign up for Chase Ultimate Rewards?

Signing up for Chase Ultimate Rewards is very easy. Chase automatically enrolls you into the program after your approval for a Chase credit card. You start earning points as soon as you sign up and begin using your card for your day-to-day purchases.

Exactly which Chase credit cards can you use to earn these points?

Following are the Chase credit cards you can use to earn Ultimate Rewards points:

Do you get the same value for Ultimate Rewards points earned through every Chase credit card?

No. Despite the fact that Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Chase Freedom Unlimited, and Chase Freedom cards also earn you Ultimate Rewards points, they can’t be transferred directly at a 1-to-1 ratio to Chase’s hotel and airline partners. You’ll need to transfer those points to the qualifying Chase credit cards first.

That is if you own any of them.

It is only the points earned through Chase Ink Plus Business Card, Chase Ink Preferred Business Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card that can be transferred at a 1-to-1 ratio to Chase’s hotel and airline partners.

Not only can you transfer the points earned through these four cards at a 1-to-1 ratio, but you can also redeem them for 1.25 cents each at the Chase Travel Portal. The points earned with Chase Sapphire Reserve Card are worth 1.5 cents each.

How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to a partner hotel or airline?

As mentioned above, it is only the Ultimate Rewards points earned through the Chase Ink Preferred, Chase Ink Plus, Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred can be directly transferred at a 1-to-1 ratio to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. You will need to transfer any points that you accumulate through Chase Ink Cash or one of the Chase Freedom cards to a qualifying Chase card first.

Once you have all your points in order on any of the Chase Ink or Sapphire credit cards, you need to follow the steps below to transfer them to a hotel or airline partner:

Log into your account at Chase.com
Locate and click the ‘Ultimate Rewards’ button situated at the top right-hand side of your screen.
Select the card whose Ultimate Rewards points you wish to transfer. Please remember this card needs to be at least one of the following: Ink Plus, Ink Preferred, Sapphire Preferred, or Sapphire Reserve.
Pull down the ‘Use Points’ drop-down menu and click on the button ‘Transfer to Travel Partners.’
Select the hotel or airline program you wish to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to.
Provide your loyalty program membership details for login purposes.
Enter the number of points you wish to transfer (in multiples of 1,000) and then click ‘Submit.’

Are Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferable?

Yes, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. But the recipient must be part of your immediate family and is an authorized user at the Ultimate Rewards website. Once added, you can make use of the ‘Combine Points’ option and transfer as many rewards points as you wish to.

Do Ultimate Rewards Points have an expiry date?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points don’t have any expiry date. They remain available for as long as your credit card account stays active. In the event that you close your Chase credit card account for any reason, the unused points in the account are forfeited. However, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to the account of any of your immediate family members.

But you have to do it before closing yours. And, as explained above, you can also easily transfer these points to any of the transfer partners of Chase.

How frequently does the Chase Ultimate Rewards points balance gets updated?

The Chase Ultimate Rewards points balance gets updated on a monthly basis after every credit card billing cycle. Any points transferred or redeemed in the previous month are reflected accordingly.