Friday, February 2, 2024
Unveiling the Chase Ultimate Rewards: Why 23,363 Points in 2023 are Worth Celebrating
Thursday, April 30, 2020
What Are Chase Ultimate Reward Points And Why You Want Them
One of my favorite rewards programs is the Chase Ultimate Rewards. These are points you earn with a number of Chase credit cards including the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Preferred, FREEDOM, Ink and FREEDOM Unlimited. There are pros and cons of each card depending on your goals. You can read my past posts to research specific cards, but here I am going to focus on the rewards program as a whole.
Ultimate Rewards are just one of a few programs that are not tied to any one airline or hotel brand which means flexibility. You can transfer reward points at 1:1 to most airlines and hotels except Marriott Bonvoy which is 1:3:
Different airlines that include:
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Jet Blue
- United
- KLM
- Southwest
- Air France
- Emirates
- Iberia,
- Singapore Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic.
Different hotels include:
- IHG
- Marriott
- Hyatt
Once you transfer to an airline or hotel, you can use these points to book on partner airlines or transfer to another program. For example, if you transfer Ultimate Reward points to Marriott Bonvoy, you can then transfer those same points to dozens of different airlines like American Airlines. Pretty awesome, right? And it gets even better because Marriott Bonvoy will give you a 5,000 mile bonus for the transfer.

What Are Chase Ultimate Reward Points And Why You Want Them
Another way to use the Ultimate Reward points are to book through the Chase travel portal. If you hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred credit card, you get better than 1:1. Sapphire Preferred credit cardholders get 1:1.25 value and Sapphire Reserve holders get 1:1.50. Let's check it out.
In the portal with the Sapphire Reserve, the Springhill Suites in Durham is listed at 13,155 points per night or $197.33. If you booked the same hotel straight from Marriott, it would cost you 20,000 points per night or $158.90 per night.
So if you pay with points, you get more bang for your buck by using the portal, but if you paid cash, you would be better off booking straight from Marriott. However, if you transferred Chase Ultimate Reward points to Marriott and then booked your room, you would really get a sweet deal.
Look at this:
Ultimate Rewards transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at 1:3 so you would only need approximately 6,750 Ultimate Rewards points to equal 20,000 Marriott points and boom, FREE night.
Flexibility is key to this program. You can earn Ultimate Reward points pretty quickly too as most purchases earn 1 point per dollar, but travel and dining earn more.
When things are uncertain in travel like right now, I like the idea that I can accumulate points in a flexible program and be ready when I can travel again.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Yet Another Reason Why I LOVE Chase Ultimate Rewards
Woohoo! That means by transferring CUR to Hyatt at 1:1 cuts the number of points needed in half and has a value of $740. Nice.
It's simple to transfer CUR points to dozens of airlines and hotel chains. When you log into your Chase.com account and click on redeem points

When I transferred to Hyatt, the points showed up immediately in my new Hyatt account and I could book the hotel in Evanston. Amazing!
Yet Another Reason Why I LOVE Chase Ultimate Rewards
Right now, the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card is offering a 100,000 CUR bonus with a $8,000 minimum spend. It's a hefty minimum spend, but usually it is set at $15,000 so you might say this minimum spend is a bargain. If you have a big expense coming up or can handle the minimum spend, this bonus can be worth thousands of dollars.
We are hearing this bonus may end September 23rd.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
Last Chance To Get The 90,000 Chase Ink Business Bonus
You can read about how I use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for almost FREE family travel here.
If you apply for any of the INK credit cards, please use my referral link so I can continue to help you travel for almost FREE.
If you want help walking through this process, register for my Travel Coaching Program or book me for a 1:1 coaching session.
Ends Jan. 18th
Thursday, November 25, 2021
How To Earn The Most Points and Miles on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- if you need to top off an account
- you have points that are expiring and you need some activity
- you are trying to earn enough points for a specific trip
cashback monitor
Chase and use the Chase Reserve Credit Card
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
How I Booked Overwater Bungalows and Flights In Tahiti for $140
they decided on Tahiti. I was a bit surprised since my first thought was that’s where you honeymoon. But I was game. And they added, we would love to stay in those over the water bungalows. Makes sense!
So how do you get a family of 5 an almost FREE trip to Tahiti? It takes a lot of planning and time. I wanted to walk you through my process so you can see the strategy in action.
And I need to mention that if you are looking for help planning your next trip, I just launched the second cohort of my Travel Coaching Program. There are still a few spots open. And right now, I am donating 15% of all the proceeds to the Israel Emergency Fund.
But I'll share my process here so if you want to do it on your own, you can. Because my goal is that everyone can travel for almost FREE and enjoy those priceless experiences.
I start with research:
- Who flies to Tahiti
- Which islands should we visit
- What is there to do there
- Do we need a car
- Where will we stay
After doing the research, I decided for this trip:
- We should fly American Airlines - 70,000-80,000 miles per round trip
- We will visit Tahiti and Moorea - we can take a short ferry between these islands.
- We will need a car on both islands
- Besides the OWB, seems to be most cost effective for our family of 5 to stay in Airbnb
Now this is the way, we travel, but you might make different choices for your family. Now the fun part, earning all the points. For this trip, we will need approximately:
- 400,000 American Airlines miles for 5 r/t tickets
- 299,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points for 2 nights in an OWB bungalow and a garden room (we need two rooms for 5 people)
- Capital One points to erase the Airbnb, rental cars and tours
It sounds like a lot, but let’s break it down:
- Barclays American Aviator bonus offer 70,000 miles for $99 annual fee and one purchase - my partner and I each opened one of these
- Chase Ink Business Preferred bonus offer 100,000 Ultimate Rewards for a $95 annual fee and $8,000 minimum spend - my partner and I each opened one of these
- Several friends opened the Chase Ink Business Preferred using my referral link - bonus 40,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points for each one
- American Airlines Online Shopping portal
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Shopping portal
- Capital One points using my partners Capital One Venture X card and my new Capital One Venture X bonus.
So what did all of this get us:
- 240,000 American Airlines miles netted 3 round trip flights
- 128,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points netted 2 round trip flights
- 299,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points netted 2 nights in the OWB and 2 nights in the garden room
- 74,000 Capital One points netted 3.5 days in the Airbnb
So right now, I estimate the amount I saved using points and miles at approximately $11,000. Pretty good. I have spent $400 on annual fees and $340 on taxes, fees.
Between now and the actual trip, I will continue to earn Capital One points so I can erase the Airbnb, tours and rental cars.
And when I’m relaxing on the beach in Tahiti, I’ll enjoy it just a bit more because I didn’t spend an arm and a leg to have this dream vacation.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
What Is A Transfer Bonus And How Can It Mean Big Savings For You

- Heathrow to LAX for just 9,000 Virgin points.
- Login to your Chase.com account
- Click on redeem points
- Hover over travel and click on transfer to travel partners
- Click on the partner you want to transfer points TO
- Enter your membership information
- Your name must match exactly!
- Enter the number of points you want to transfer (must be in increments of 1,000)
- Confirm
- The transfer should happen almost immediately
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Points Ecosystems: A 4-Person Portugal Field Test
Points Ecosystems: A 4-Person Portugal Field Test ✈️
Portugal is absolutely one of those bucket-list destinations! Sun-drenched cities, incredible food, and history around every corner. Even better? With some clever planning, it’s also an incredibly affordable one. Before we dive into what to eat and see in Lisbon and Porto, let's look at the most exciting part: free flights!
I often hear from clients who get stuck at the points-redemption stage. They have the points, they want to book, but they freeze up worrying they aren't getting the best deal or doing it "right."
I’m about to show you that there isn't one "right way." There are many different ways to get to the exact same destination using different combinations of points and miles, and all of them are wins! Hopefully, this case study takes some of the pressure off your next big booking.
The Ultimate Points Challenge
Recently, my family of four headed to Portugal for a much-needed getaway. But this wasn't a simple round-trip for four. Because of different schedules and starting points, we were traveling from four different cities on four different days to converge on Lisbon.
This logistical challenge turned into a perfect, real-life points-and-miles case study, demonstrating how powerful diverse redemptions can be. Here’s a look at the strategy for each traveler:
Traveler 1: The Multi-City Mixer
- LAX → MAD | Nonstop via Iberia Airlines | 18,000 Iberia Avios + $60 | |
- Seville (SVQ) → LIS | Positioning flight (booked via portal) | 8,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR)
- ATH → CDG → LAX | Return via Air France/KLM (Flying Blue) | 20,000 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $80
- Total Cost | | 46,000 points + $140 | The takeaway here is using Avios for low-tax redemptions and then transferring Chase points to a partner (Flying Blue) for the long-haul return.
Traveler 2: The Direct & Diversify
- LAX → LIS | Direct via TAP Portugal (booked via portal) | 22,000 Chase UR
- OPO → AMS → SAN | Return via KLM (Flying Blue) | 20,000 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $80
- Total Cost | | 42,000 points + $80 | A great reminder that sometimes the easiest redemption is through a portal (Chase) for the outbound, while a partner transfer (Flying Blue) is best for the inbound.
Traveler 3: The Flying Blue Promo Fare Hunter
- SFO → CDG → LIS | Air France Promo Fare | 18,750 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $120
- LIS → AMS → SFO | KLM Promo Fare | 18,750 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $177 | |
- Total Cost | | 37,500 points + $297 | This person shows the magic of Promo Fares. They saved the most points overall by being flexible with connections and leveraging a great monthly transfer bonus.
Traveler 4: The Avios Madrid Hub Master
- ORD → MAD | Iberia Avios Redemption | 20,750 Iberia Avios + $67
- LIS → MAD | Cheap cash positioning flight | $50
- MAD → ORD | Iberia Avios Redemption | 16,000 Iberia Avios + $36
- Total Cost | | 36,750 points + $153 | The Avios sweet spot is real! By routing through Madrid, they used significantly fewer points for a transatlantic trip and spent only a little extra cash on the positioning flight.
The Grand Total & The Earning Strategy
To move four people from four different starting points across the Atlantic, we used:
Total Points and Miles Redeemed
Chase Ultimate Rewards: Approximately 107,500 points
Iberia Avios: 45,750 Avios
Total Cash Paid (Taxes/Fees/Cash Leg): ~$670
That’s four transatlantic flights and two positioning flights for minimal cash! 🤯
How We Earned the Points
Now for the second most-asked question: How do you have so many points?
Chase Points: My large stash came primarily from my Player 2 (P2) downgrading his Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card earlier this year and immediately reapplying to snag a huge 100,000-point welcome bonus. This is a classic, powerful strategy.
Iberia Avios: I earned 100,000 Iberia Avios a few years ago when Chase offered a whopping bonus on their co-branded Iberia Visa. I canceled the card after a year, but I kept the points alive by making a small, occasional purchase through the Iberia Shopping Portal—a simple trick to prevent expiration!
That's how it's done! Once you knock the big ticket item—the flights—out of the park for practically free, then you can relax and move on to redeeming for hotels, activities, and rental cars. If you aren't using points yet, focus on earning them for your next big trip. It’s absolutely worth the effort!
Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.
*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Woohoo! Another FREE Travel Success Story!
- Capital One points are always worth one cent per dollar. You can either book through the Capital One Travel portal or use the travel eraser to get a statement credit for the purchase. If you have the Capital One Venture X, the $300 travel credit kicks in if you book through the portal too. It's great to have Capital One points for tours, flights on budget airlines, independent hotels and more. You can also transfer the points to several hotel chains and more than a dozen airlines.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be more valuable depending on which credit cards you have and how you use the points. For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, my points are worth 1.5%. When I book the flight through the Chase Travel Portal, it will only cost 56,374 points even though the price is $845.60. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, then your points are worth 1.25%.
You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Reward points to dozens of airlines and several hotel chains. You can read here about how to transfer points to Hyatt for sweet deals.
Just like the prices for flights increase and decrease depending on the day of the week and when you book, it's the same in the travel portals. So check several times before you finally book so you get the best deal. When I checked this flight the first time, it was priced at 56,374 points, but I wasn't quite ready to book. Then when I was ready to book, the price had jumped to 74,000 points so I waited a few days and it dropped again.
Sometimes the price drops on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so keep that in mind.
A benefit to booking flights through the travel portals is that taxes are included. Pretty nice! Some people are hesitant to book through travel portals because they are considered third party instead of booking directly through the airline. I have not had a problem, but it is a personal decision.
To book your flight through the Chase Travel Portal, login to your Chase.com account and click redeem points, click travel and then follow the prompts just like you would book through expedia or other third party platforms. When you get to the check out, click use points. You can even pay with a combination of points and cash.
If you want to start earning Capital One points, you can either apply for the Capital One Venture card with a 75,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $95 annual fee or the Capital One Venture X card with a 75,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $395 annual fee (this includes $300 travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit and Priority Pass Lounge membership).
If you want to start earning Chase Ultimate Reward points, we recommend you start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card with a 60,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and $95 annual fee or the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card with a 60,000 bonus, $4,000 minimum spend and a $550 annual fee (this includes a $300 travel credit, $100 Global Entry credit and Priority Pass Lounge membership plus 1.5% point value in the portal).
If you decide to apply for any of those credit cards, please consider using my referral links.
Friday, August 25, 2023
Cracking the Code to Redeem 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Like a Pro!
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| Near Santiago, Chile |
- transfer them to dozens of different airline loyalty programs
- transfer them to several hotel chains (Marriott, IHG, Hyatt)
- use them to buy hotels, flights, activities and car rentals in the Chase Travel Portal
- pay yourself back for groceries, gas and the annual fee
- get a statement credit





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