Chase Sapphire Preferred Flights: A Guide to Card Benefits and Use

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a popular choice for travelers, offering a range of benefits that can enhance your flight experience.

One of the most notable benefits is the 60,000 bonus points you'll receive after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, which can be redeemed for flights or other travel expenses.

With a 25% points bonus when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can get even more value out of your points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a great option for travelers, and it's worth understanding the basics of how it works. You can earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months.

These points can be redeemed through Chase Travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, making the bonus worth a minimum of $750 towards travel. This is a significant amount of value, especially considering the card's relatively low annual fee of just $95 each year.

One of the card's standout features is its rental car coverage, which is unparalleled among credit cards. If you plan on renting a car while traveling, this coverage can provide peace of mind.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a transferable points card, meaning you can send your points to Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners for even more value. This flexibility is a big advantage over co-branded credit cards that are tied to specific airlines.

To get the most out of your Chase points, consider using the Chase Travel portal, which allows you to book airfare on just about any airline. By doing so, your points will be worth more than if you were to use them for a specific airline's rewards program.

Here's a quick rundown of the benefits you can expect from the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card:

Booking flights with Chase Sapphire Preferred is a straightforward process that's hard to beat in terms of simplicity. Just find a cheap flight and book it with your points – the cheaper the fare, the fewer points you'll need to make it free.

You'll also earn airline miles and elite status credits when you take your flight, which isn't the case for standard airline award redemptions. This makes your flight completely free, covering any taxes and fees you'd otherwise have to pay using miles.

One of the best parts is that you can use any combination of points and cash you like, making it easy to book flights even if you don't have enough points to cover the entire cost.

Booking flights through Chase Travel is a game-changer for simplicity. You can find a cheap flight and book it with your points in just a few clicks.

The biggest advantage is that you don't need to dive into the convoluted world of airline transfer partners or calculate and pay additional taxes and fees.

You'll earn airline miles and elite status credits when you take your flight, which isn't the case with standard airline award redemptions.

This means your flight is completely free, covering any taxes and fees you'd otherwise have to pay using miles.

You can use any combination of points and cash you like, selecting the number of points you want to use and billing the remaining balance to your credit card.

The ease of booking flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points makes these two cards stand out as the best for booking flight deals with points.

Booking directly with the airline is usually a better option, especially when it comes to changing or canceling flights.

Major airlines have made the process of changing or canceling flights easier and free, but if you book with Chase or an online travel agency, you'll need to work with them to cancel your flight, not the airline directly.

Booking with Chase or an OTA means you'll have to deal with longer wait times and more hassle when trying to make changes to your flight.

You can get more value out of your Chase points by transferring them to partner airlines, especially if you're looking to fly in luxury.

Booking Flights with Chase Sapphire Preferred can be a breeze with the right strategy. You can earn 2X points on travel and dining purchases, including flights.

First, make sure to use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to book your flights directly with the airline or through their website. This will ensure you earn the maximum 2X points on your purchase.

Additionally, consider booking flights during off-peak seasons or on less popular travel days, like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to potentially save money and earn more points.

You can book domestic flights using Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase travel booking portal. This portal allows you to book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more with your points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gives you an extra boost, making each point worth 1.25 cents when booking travel through the portal. This means the 60,000-point bonus is worth $750 when redeemed through the portal.

Booking flights through Chase Travel℠ is simple and often matches prices you'd find on Google Flights. You can book flights on most airlines, so you don't need to worry about deals popping up on one specific airline if you hold the Sapphire Preferred Card.

Nonstop, roundtrip Delta flights from Minneapolis- St. Paul (MSP) to Denver (DEN) can be booked for $116.95 or 9,356 Ultimate Rewards points. This is a great example of how using your Chase points to book can save you money.

Booking domestic flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points is a straightforward process. Just head to the Chase travel portal, sign in to your Chase account, and enter your search parameters.

The number of points you'll need to book a flight depends on the cash cost of the flight. If you're booking within the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, you can use the cash cost to determine how many points you'll need.

Booking international flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points is the same process as booking domestic flights. However, be aware that the Chase travel portal is treated as a third-party agency, which can lead to complications if you need to change or cancel your travel plans.

You'll have to speak directly with Chase, not the airline, if you need to make changes to your booking. This can be a huge headache, so it's something to keep in mind before relying on the Chase travel portal.

Booking domestic flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points is a great way to save money and earn rewards. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, each point is worth 1.25 cents when booking travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal.

You can book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and more with your Chase points. The Chase Travel℠ portal allows you to search for flights and book them directly with your points.

The prices you find for airfare through Chase will match what you will find on Google Flights, so you can be sure you're getting a good deal. This means you don't need to worry about deals popping up on one specific airline if you hold the Sapphire Preferred Card.

You can book nonstop, roundtrip flights to destinations like Denver and Miami for a fraction of the cost using your Chase points. For example, a nonstop, roundtrip Delta flight to Denver from Minneapolis- St. Paul costs just $116.95 or 9,356 Ultimate Rewards points.

Using Chase Travel℠ can get you a great deal on flights, and you'll still earn airline miles when you book through the portal. In this case, you'll earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

You can use the Chase travel portal to book your travel with points, but it's essential to know the value of your points will vary depending on the Chase credit card you hold.

The value of your points will range from 1 cent to 1.5 cents each, depending on your credit card.

Here's a breakdown of the value of points for different Chase credit cards:

The cheaper your flight in cash, the fewer points you'll be using, which is a key consideration when deciding whether to book through the portal or transfer your points.

Chase Sapphire Preferred has airline partners that include members of all three major airline alliances: Oneworld, SkyTeam, and Star Alliance.

You can transfer your Chase points to one of these airline partners, but once you do, you can't move them back.

To transfer points, log into your Chase account and visit the Ultimate Rewards portal, then select the option to "Transfer points to partners."

You can only transfer points in increments of 1,000, and you'll need to review your transfer details carefully before submitting it.

Transferring points can give you a minimum of 2 cents' value per point, though it can range higher, especially with business- and first-class flights.

Some airline partners, like British Airways, offer the ability to book flights with other airlines, such as American Airlines.

You can also use airline alliances to book flights with non-partner airlines, like Delta.

Here's a list of some of Chase's airline partners:

Transfers are usually instant, but can take up to 48 hours in some cases.

Transferring your Chase Sapphire Preferred points to book flights can be a bit tricky, but don't worry, I've got the lowdown.

You can transfer your points to one of Chase's airline partners at a 1:1 ratio, meaning one Chase point becomes one airline point. This can be a great way to get the best value from your points.

Before you start the transfer process, make sure you know exactly how many points you want to transfer, as it's a one-way process - you can't move them back once you've transferred them.

To transfer your points, log into your Chase account and visit the Ultimate Rewards portal. From there, select the option to "Transfer points to partners" and follow the prompts.

You can transfer points in increments of 1,000, so be sure to type in the correct number to avoid any errors. And remember, you can only transfer points to one airline program at a time, so choose wisely.

Here are some of Chase's airline partners you can transfer points to:

By transferring your points to one of these airline partners, you can get a minimum of 2 cents' value per point, although it can range higher, especially with business- and first-class flights.

If you're not sold on the Chase Sapphire Preferred for your flight rewards, there are some great alternative cards to consider.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is another top-notch option for travelers who want to use their credit card points to book flights.

For those who don't want to spend a lot on annual fees, the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards are solid choices.

The Chase Freedom Flex offers 5% cash back on rotating quarterly categories you activate, as well as 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card gives you 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, and 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants.

However, if you're looking for a card with higher earning potential, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth considering, with 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠.

Here's a quick comparison of these alternative cards:

To get the most value out of your Chase Sapphire Preferred flights, you'll want to redeem your points strategically.

Transferring your points to the right travel partner can make a huge difference.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a great option, as it allows you to fly ANA's business class to Tokyo for just 45,000 points.

World of Hyatt is another highly valuable option overall.

You'll want to avoid transferring to Marriott and IHG, as they tend to charge a lot for stays using hotel points.

Booking flights through the Chase travel portal is a great way to earn miles and credit towards elite status. Flights booked through this portal will indeed earn you miles and credit towards elite status.

You can earn status benefits by booking flights through the Chase travel portal.

To book a flight with Chase points, you'll need to consider the cash cost of the flight if you're using the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, or the airline's loyalty program if you're transferring points.

Most transfer times are instant, but some can take up to 48 hours.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a top pick for domestic travel. It's versatile and flexible, allowing you to book flights on just about every U.S. airline.

One way to use the points is to book a flight, but you can also use them for other travel-related expenses, such as hotels and car rentals.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points offer a lot of value and can be redeemed for flights on almost every U.S. airline.