About Chase Travel Portal

We previously introduced the AMEX Travel Portal, which has quite a few highlights. Today, let’s take another look at what makes Chase’s travel portal unique. Similarly, Chase Portal can also be used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities, and many Chase credit cards offer elevated rewards and statement credits for bookings made through it.

Chase Travel previously used Expedia as its search backend, so the results and prices were the same as Expedia’s. Later it switched to something else, but in my own searches, prices have generally been similar to other third-party platforms. It’s still safest to compare before booking.

One thing to note is that you can only use the Chase travel portal if you have a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning credit card. Common options include:

Redeeming Points

One major feature of Chase Travel is that you can use Chase’s own Ultimate Rewards points to offset the cash price. Flights, hotels, and rental cars all redeem at the same rate, so we’ll discuss them together. However, the value depends on which credit card you have. Keep in mind that Chase UR points can already be redeemed for cash at 1c/p, so aside from the cards that give you more than 1c/p, it generally doesn’t make sense to redeem this way. You could just cash out the points and then pay cash for the booking and still earn rewards. Specifically:

I currently hold the Sapphire Reserve, so for me Chase values points at 1.5c/p. The screenshot shows an example with 6,260 Ultimate Rewards points.

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Another important point: only UR points held under a Sapphire card can be redeemed at above 1c/p. So if you want to redeem points this way, it’s best to move your points to the card with the highest redemption value. You can transfer points between your own Chase cards within your Chase account, and there’s no issue moving as many as you want between your own cards.

I recommend switching to the card with your highest redemption rate in the upper-right corner of Chase Travel so you don’t accidentally redeem at the wrong rate.

Flights

No matter how you book airfare, you can still earn airline miles on the ticket, so you generally don’t need to worry too much about booking through a third party like Chase Travel.

As for pricing, I still recommend checking Google Flights and other third-party platforms for comparison. I searched SFO-NYC airfare:

Then I checked Google Flights, and the pricing was basically the same.

Still, since many Chase cards earn extra points through Chase Travel, it can be a good place to book. In addition, if you value 1x UR at 1.6 cents, then earning 5x is roughly equivalent to an 8% return.

Hotels

Hotel bookings need a bit more attention, because this counts as a third-party booking, so with major hotel chains you may not receive elite night credits, points, or elite benefits. You’ll need to weigh that tradeoff.

Pricing is the usual story: compare against other third-party sites and the hotel’s own website before deciding whether to use Chase Travel. When doing the math, make sure to include taxes, fees, and credit card rewards. Sometimes search results show a sale that appears to be a Chase-exclusive discount, but you should still compare the final out-the-door price.

Hotel earning rates also vary by card. For Chase, that can work out to roughly a 16% return, which is quite solid.

In addition to regular hotels, if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also enjoy benefits at properties in The Hotel Collection. In the search results, some hotels will display special labeling.

Cardholders can receive Chase benefits on these bookings, somewhat similar to FHR, such as free breakfast for 2, a $100 property credit (for dining, spa, snacks, etc.), room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout. Exact benefits may vary by hotel, so refer to the booking page for the final details.

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In addition, Chase Sapphire Preferred has a hotel credit available once per cardmember year, and you need to book a hotel through Chase travel to receive that discount. It’s clearly meant to encourage people to use the portal, so remember to switch to your Sapphire Preferred card when using it.

Other Services

Besides hotels and flights, you can also book cruises, rental cars, and various activities.

Rental Cars

There isn’t much special to say about rental cars, but CSR earning 10x is pretty strong. The earning rates are as follows:

Cruises

Cruises cannot be booked online and require calling in.
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Cruise bookings sometimes come with extra promotions and credit, so it may be worth a look if you’re interested.

Summary

Compared with AMEX, Chase Travel Portal is a bit simpler in functionality, but it is especially generous when it comes to credit card earning rates, and point redemptions are also much better than AMEX’s. As always, just remember to compare prices before booking.