Picture yourself flying in a lie-flat seat across the ocean. Suddenly, a 10+ hour flight doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Especially when you can enjoy gourmet meals, free drinks, and get a decent night of sleep on the way. If you have 250k Chase Ultimate Rewards points saved up, you’ll be able to book these flights without paying an arm and a leg.
Here are 7 of the best ways to spend 250,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points on flights. You won’t find these deals by simply booking through the Chase travel portal — even with the 50% bonus for Sapphire Reserve cardholders — so read on to find out how to book the trip of a lifetime with your points.
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Business Class to Japan 90k Points Round-Trip, per person
Take your traveling partner to Japan in style with Business Class tickets starting at just 90k Chase points round-trip, per person. Fly on top-rated All Nippon Airlines for 90k from Western US cities or for just 95k points per person from Eastern US cities. Total for the two of you to sleep side-by-side across the Pacific falls just under 200k Chase points.
You’ll need to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to take advantage of this amazing deal. It’s an even better deal for First Class tickets at 110-120k round-trip, per person, but you’ll rarely find more than one seat available in First, and it must be booked well in advance. Business Class seats are more widely available. You’ll need to book these flights with Virgin over the phone so we recommend searching for availability using United’s search engine, noting down the flight numbers, and then calling Virgin to hold the flights before transferring miles.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to Japan
Recommended transfer partner: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Points needed for Business Class: 90,000 – 95,000 (180-190k for 2)
Business Class to South America 115k Points Round-Trip, per person
Flying to the depths of South America is within reach using your Chase points. Surprisingly, the best way to redeem Chase points for flights further south, like to Buenos Aires, Rio, or Santiago, Chile, is by transferring your points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program. You can fly Star Alliance carriers such as United, Copa, and Avianca and it will cost fewer miles through Singapore’s program than it does if you were to transfer to United.
However, if you’re looking to fly to countries in the northern part of South America, such as Colombia, Ecuador, or Peru, it will be better to transfer to another program such as United. For only 230k points, two passengers can fly in Business Class throughout the extensive network in southern Latin America. Choose United flights for the best experience on the long-haul, but you’ll find more cities available by connecting on either Avianca or Copa along the way.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to South America
Recommended transfer partner: Singapore KrisFlyer
Points needed for Business Class: 115,000 per person (230k for 2)
Emirates boasts some of the best cabins in the sky. Enjoy the life of luxury with nonstop First-Class flights to Dubai starting at just 217,500 points round-trip. This is the lowest price point from cities along the East Coast like Boston or New York. Flying from the West Coast? It still falls under the 250k threshold at 247,500 points from San Fran or LA.
It’s best to book First Class seats well in advance as saver award seats can be hard to come by. And when you do see them available, act quickly to make sure they don’t disappear. You’ll want to call Emirates to hold the flights before you transfer your Chase points and we’re always around to assist you with this process. Simply start up a chat any time and see how easy it can be to secure a dream trip in the sky to Dubai.
Business Class to North Africa 106k Points Round-Trip, per person
Air France/KLM devalued its Flying Blue frequent flyer program in recent years by eliminating its award chart for regional-based award redemptions. Instead, it now operates on a variable pricing method similar to how cash tickets work. There are still some ways to find decent value with this program, however, and Business Class flights to North Africa can sometimes be found for just 106k points round-trip, per person.
This price point will be easier to find from Eastern U.S. cities, but it can sometimes be available from the West Coast as well. It’s a fantastic way to check out the ancient history of North Africa and fly in comfort along the way. Look for this deal to places like Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. And keep your eye out for Flying Blue’s frequent Promo Rewards, which offer up to a 50% discount on reward tickets for certain routes. New promos are released each month.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to North Africa
Recommended transfer partner: Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Points needed for Business Class: Varies, as low as 106,000 per person (212k for 2)
Business Class to the Caribbean 44k Points Round-Trip, per person
Looking to travel with the whole family? If you live near an American Airlines hub in the Central or Eastern U.S., you can fly up to 5 passengers to the Caribbean in Business Class for less than 250k Chase points. To get this incredible deal, you’ll need to fly on nonstop American Airlines flights, which are readily available from cities like Chicago, Dallas, New York, Charlotte, and Miami.
It’s possible to get these same flights for slightly fewer points using AAdvantage miles, but if you don’t have any (or enough), you can simply transfer Chase points to British Airways Executive Club miles and fly nonstop American Airlines flights for only 22k miles each way. As long as the flight is under 2,000 miles in distance flown and there are award seats available, this is an excellent way to fly a group of people using your Chase points. If you’re flying from Miami, it’ll require even fewer miles since it’s a shorter flight. As always, compare the price of cash tickets, which may be a better deal depending on your situation.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to the Caribbean
Recommended transfer partner: British Airways Executive Club
Points needed for Business Class: 44,000 per person (220k for 5)
Business Class to Europe with Excursion 120k Points Round-Trip, per person
Visiting multiple cities in Europe is a great way to take advantage of United MileagePlus’ unique “excursionist” perk. There are ways to fly to Europe for fewer points (such as 68k points round-trip to Spain), but if you want to avoid high fuel surcharges and visit a few cities on the same trip, transferring Chase points to United MileagePlus miles is a great idea.
At the saver level, it can be as low as 60k miles each way, when flying on United flights, or usually 77k miles each way when flying on Star Alliance partners such as Lufthansa, Swiss, and Turkish. The excursionist perk also lets you add on a free flight within Europe for no extra miles. For instance, you could fly nonstop to London, make your own way to Paris via the Chunnel train, fly from Paris to Rome, then fly back to the U.S. from Rome for as little as 120k points total for all flights in Business Class. Take a friend and explore Europe for only 240k points.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to Europe
Recommended transfer partner: United Mileage Plus
Points needed for Business Class: 120,000 – 156,000, per person (240k for 2)
Operating airline: Several Star Alliance carriers (United, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish, TAP Air Portugal, etc.)
Business Class to Hawaii 69k Points Round-Trip, per person
Last but not least, the island escape that doesn’t even require a passport. Sure, there’s an even cheaper way to get to Hawaii if you have a Citibank ThankYou points, but if this doesn’t apply and you’re looking to spend your Chase Ultimate Rewards points on flights to Hawaii, have a look at transferring your points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles. By doing this, you’ll be able to book United flights in Business Class for only 34,500 miles each way. This is a steal compared to the 40-50k United charges for saver awards using its own MileagePlus program. And with 250k Chase points, you’ll have enough points to fly a family of 3 in Business Class for only 207k points round-trip.
United has several flights to Hawaii from West Coast hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver, and flights are continually being added from other hubs such as Chicago, Houston, and Newark. Saver award seats can be hard to come by and you won’t see all options when searching on Singapore’s site, so it’s best to search on United and then call Singapore to check on availability. I usually find the best availability to be for travel within 3 months of searching so it may be difficult to secure these seats far in advance, but don’t let that keep you from trying.
How to Redeem Chase Points for Flights to Hawaii
Recommended transfer partner: Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Points needed for Business Class: 69,000 per person (207k for 3)
If you ask Chase, they’ll tell you to just head to the Chase travel portal and book flights there. However, you’ll essentially be booking cash-priced tickets, only with your points, and you’ll miss out on truly maximizing your points. Chase even gives a 25 – 50% bonus when booking travel through its portal for certain cardholders, but if you can navigate the world of transferring your Ultimate Rewards points to airline miles, finding actual award seat availability, and booking those same flights through the airline, you can save up to 8x the number of points.
Of course, this does take time and a bit of experience to know you’re getting the best deal. If you’re looking for some help to explore how to get the best value for your Chase points, feel free to start up a chat with us at any time. At Chatflights, we do this all day, every day, and would be glad to assist you in booking that journey you’ve been saving points for, whether it’s an ultra-luxurious First-Class experience or simply a comfortable ride in Business Class across the ocean.
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