The Ultimate Guide To Using Chase’s Travel Portal To Book Better Travel

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are among the most versatile and valuable currencies in the world of travel rewards. Whether you want to book flights, hotels, rental cars, or even cruises, Chase’s travel portal provides flexible options to turn your points into memorable experiences.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use Chase points, which cards earn them, and how to get the best value every time you redeem.

The Chase travel portal is your one-stop-shop for using Ultimate Rewards® points. Once you log in to your account and access the portal, you can:

• Book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and activities.

• Redeem points for merchandise or gift cards (not recommended).

• Transfer points to Chase’s travel partners.

While you can use points for non-travel items, travel redemptions offer the most value—especially with the right credit card.

With some cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your rewards are superior in many ways to other point currencies because you earn more than one penny in value per point with these two cards.

• When redeeming through Chase's travel portal, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will net you 1.5 cents in value per point.

• When redeeming through Chase's travel portal, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will net you 1.25 cents in value per point.

• You can otherwise opt to transfer them to a loyalty program partner, where you can sometimes get better value.

With the travel portal, you can redeem points to pay for an entire trip or you can use a mix of points and cash to cover a travel booking. You can also pay all in cash, earning 5 to 10 points per $1 spent, depending on the card you have. Using points for travel is the most valuable way to extract value from Chase Ultimate Rewards® for most people.

Chase cards vary in earning and redemption benefits so pay attention to which one you use, especially if you have more than one card. The most valuable cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points, but some Chase cards, like the The New United℠ Explorer Card, earn miles or points in that co-branded program (in this example, United MileagePlus miles).

If you have multiple cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can move points between Chase Ultimate Rewards® accounts to redeem them from an account that delivers more cents per point in value.

These cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® and provide access to Chase's travel portal:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

• Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

• Chase Freedom Flex®.

• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card.

• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.

• Chase Freedom Rise Credit Card.

If you hold more than one Ultimate Rewards® card, you can combine points between accounts to redeem them at the best possible rate. For example, transfer points from a Chase Freedom Unlimited® to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card account to boost the value of your rewards.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Log in to your account, then navigate to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® tab on the right of the screen. If you have more than one card that earns this currency, you can see each balance and select the account from which you want to redeem points.

Once you select the card, you’ll be taken to a homepage that shows the points you have earned and how you can redeem them. We recommend sticking to travel redemptions rather than using points for merchandise as the value diminishes significantly with the latter.

Select the "Travel" tab at the top of the screen. From here, you can decide whether to transfer points to a partner or redeem them as cash for a trip.

One of the best perks of using this travel portal to make a points redemption is that you still earn frequent flyer miles on most airline tickets since these are booked as a revenue ticket (not as an award redemption like when using airline miles to book a flight).

This is one of the more popular features of using points, but keep in mind it doesn't feature all airlines, which can be frustrating. Even if you find a flight on an airline's website or third-party booking site, it doesn't mean it will be available at Chase.

Enter the relevant details in the search bar to find a flight. Results can be filtered by stops, airline or price. Another benefit of this portal is that you aren't subject to award seat availability in the same way you might be when redeeming miles through an airline's program.

If there is a seat that could be bought with cash, you can usually redeem points for it. Plain and simple.

If it would cost fewer points to book directly with the airline, you’ll want to use miles instead. For example, Delta co-branded American Express cardholders can often redeem their miles like cash on Delta’s website (at 1 cent per mile’s value). That’s just average, but if it is cheaper than what Chase is charging, consider that the better option. But don’t forget that airlines will add on taxes and fees when redeeming miles. Airfare booked with Chase Ultimate Rewards® points don't have additional costs tacked on — these are already bundled into the fare.

Another important note is that some low-cost airlines like Allegiant don't appear in search results. If you want to travel on a budget airline, then you'll need to visit those websites to compare fares.

You can pay in cash, points or a combination. Chase will display particular details about your fare, like whether assigned seats or checked bags are included. This may not take into account any elite status perks you hold.

You can also redeem points for hotel stays using Ultimate Rewards® points. This is great news, especially when staying at hotels where you may not have elite status or don't care about elite perks or points earned.

Keep in mind that when making a reservation outside a hotel’s official reservation channels, you won’t earn points in its program or be able to take advantage of elite status benefits. So if you have status with a hotel chain, this isn't the best value unless you are willing to forgo those benefits.

Making a reservation is straightforward. Enter the city and travel dates to see a list of hotels available for redemption. Then, you can redeem points or pay in cash for your trip.

Like with flights, compare the cost of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points with the number of points a hotel’s program is charging. A particular favorite is World of Hyatt, which still uses an award chart and, as a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards®, can often deliver more favorable deals when using Hyatt’s points rather than Chase points.

For example, it would cost about 9,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to redeem a night at Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport. But, if you transfer points to World of Hyatt, you would need 5,000 points for the same night’s stay.

This is a great place to reserve rental cars using points, and Chase rental car insurance benefits apply when using the card and paying with points. But, for that to be the case, you will want to pay for part of the rental in cash so the insurance benefits are activated. To do that, pay with a combination of cash and points, and decline the rental company's insurance first.

Activities available for booking through Chase's travel portal include tours and experiences at home or when traveling and airport transfers. Price comparison plays a role here, too, since many hotel brands have their own platforms like Marriott Bonvoy Moments or FIND Experiences from World of Hyatt. These allow you to redeem points for experiences.

Check which program is cheaper before redeeming Chase points if you find similar options in either program.

Chase just made a quiet but meaningful update to its travel portal, and it’s a big win for cruise lovers — especially those sitting on a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

As of April 22, 2025, you can now browse cruises online directly through Chase's travel portal. That’s a major upgrade from the old system, which required calling a dedicated agent just to see available options. While you’ll still need to pick up the phone to complete your cruise booking, the ability to now compare itineraries, prices and cruise lines online makes planning far more convenient.

Cruises can be found under a new section called Voyages by Chase Travel, where eligible cardholders can browse sailings from major brands like Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and even luxury lines like Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Some sailings may include special perks like onboard credit, unlimited Starbucks packages or fine dining upgrades — depending on the cruise.

To finish the booking, you’ll still need to call 855-234-2542, but being able to search online is a huge time-saver.

Let’s say you have a premium card like Chase Sapphire Reserve®. It earns 5x points per $1 when booking flights through the portal. The sweet spot is when using this card for hotel stays and rental cars booked via the portal for 10x points per dollar spent. Consider what’s in your wallet, and decide which card will net the most points.

Another benefit is that you will earn miles from flights booked through the portal, even when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points since these are viewed as a revenue ticket.

Remember, you will want to compare if it is cheaper to redeem airline miles directly through a carrier’s redemption program or if you can use fewer points by redeeming Chase points via the portal.

Sometimes it might make more sense to transfer points from Chase to an airline partner when redeeming a flight (or a hotel program when making a hotel stay). Be as vigilant with price comparison when redeeming miles and points as you would when using cash.

Does Chase's travel portal price match?

No. You cannot submit a lower fare elsewhere for a price guarantee here since this isn't a publicly available site. It is only available to those who have a Chase card.

What else you need to know

When booking through this reservation site, keep in mind that most airlines and hotels cannot assist directly with a reservation. They see this as a third-party booking through Expedia and will direct you to Chase's agents.

Many travelers report the experience can be frustrating when travel disruptions or cancellations occur. Agents are friendly but can sometimes be limited in their abilities, often reading prompts on their screens in international call centers.

It can be a hazard booking a reservation with a third party, but the trade-off in redeeming points is worth it for some travelers.

If you do need to contact a Chase portal agent for support on a reservation made through the site — whether for a flight, hotel booking, car rental or activity — you've got one option: a good, old-fashioned telephone call.

Dial 866-331-0773 for assistance regarding changes or cancellations to your bookings.

You might have better luck dialing the support line for your specific Chase card. You might opt to give one of these a try:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 855-234-2542.

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 866-331-0773.

• All other cards: 866-951-6592.

If you compare prices and consider the opportunity cost of using the portal instead of booking elsewhere, you can almost always come out ahead.

You can save money, earn bonus points and travel better with transferable loyalty points like Chase Ultimate Rewards®. They have the flexibility and versatility necessary to deliver excellent value on travel (rather than being locked into one airline or hotel loyalty program). With the right card (or suite of cards), you’ll be able to accumulate points and benefits.