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Miles and points are my favorite currency

How To Book Delta Flights With Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

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If you have ever looked at the Chase Ultimate Rewards airline transfer partners, you may have noticed that Delta Skymiles is not a direct transfer partner. You may or may not be surprised to learn that you do not need Delta Skymiles to book a flight operated by Delta. If you have transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points, there are 3 other ways to book Delta flights.

Transferable bank points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards points are my favorite type of credit card rewards. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are easy to earn and easy to redeem.  There are several redemption options thanks to Chase’s airline and hotel transfer partners.

When you use an airline co-branded card, you only earn miles for that airline program. For example, if you only have a Delta co-branded card, you only earn Delta Skymiles. Airline miles generally to not transfer to other airlines; you cannot transfer Delta Skymiles to other airlines. Airline co-branded cards are great for welcome bonuses and for benefits such as free checked bags. For everyday spending, it usually makes more sense to accumulate transferable points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership rewards points.

The most common argument is “but I fly [insert airline] so I need [insert airline] miles”. This seems like a reasonable argument, but most people overlook the fact that transferable points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards have airline partners.

American Express Membership Rewards points transfer to Delta Skymiles. So it’s pretty easy to argue that Amex Membership Rewards are better than Delta Skymiles because I can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to 17 different airlines including Delta.

Delta Skymiles is not one of the 11 airline transfer partners of Chase Ultimate Rewards, so I can’t really make that argument.

You cannot transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta, but I’ll explain why you don’t need Delta Skymiles to book Delta flights. There are 3 ways to book Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points. No Skymiles necessary.

You do not need Delta Skymiles to book Delta award flights

There are three ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Delta flights

• Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Delta flights by booking via the Ultimate Rewards redemption portal.
• You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic to book Delta flights.
• You can also transfer to KLM/France to book Delta flights

With Chase Ultimate Rewards partner, you can book some Delta flights for significantly less than the amount of Delta Skymiles required

The way Delta Skymiles prices award tickets often makes Skymiles have a pretty low value. The amount of miles required for some tickets gets pretty insane. There are some great deals occasionally, but without Delta publishing any type of award pricing information, it’s hard to predict. As you’ll see in an example below of a roundtrip Delta flight from the US to Paris, you would not want to use Delta Skymiles even if that is an option. This particular flight would be 98,000 Delta Skymiles. But Chase has 2 partners that can book the exact same Delta flight for 60,000 miles or less.

How to earn transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points

These 3 cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to Chase’s airline partner programs:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ®
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Ink Business Preferred®

Tip: If you have one of those 3 cards, you can also earn bonus points by making purchases online in the Ultimate Rewards shopping portal.

Earn your first 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points

No matter what your travel goals are, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the first card I suggest for almost anyone. The welcome bonus of 60,000 is worth at least $750.  But you can potentially get even more value out of those points by using transfer partners as I’ll discuss in this post.

Bonus categories and benefits have recently been added and/or improved!

• Earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased via Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Earn 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases
• Instead of the old earn rate of 2, you can now earn 3 points per dollar on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout)
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (this excludes Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services
• Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Also, receive credit of up to $50 annually on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards. New cardmembers will receive this credit immediately and existing cardmembers will start earning after the next anniversary.

Each anniversary, you’ll receive bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year. This excludes any sign up bonus points, so it’s only on points earned from spending.

The annual fee is $95, but the welcome offer alone is worth a lot more than that.

Transfer partners are generally the most valuable way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points. But first, I’ll explain the Ultimate Rewards booking portal option.

Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Delta flights using the Ultimate Rewards redemption portal

You can use your Ultimate Rewards points to ‘pay’ for all or part of your airfare by booking through the Ultimate Rewards  redemption portal . Note that you can also use Ultimate Rewards to book hotels and cars through the redemption portal. This portal is powered by Expedia, so they should have the same options for flights, hotels, rental cars, and tours as what  Expedia.com  offers.

The advantage to this (as opposed to transferring to airline partners) is that you have lots of options in terms of airlines and routing. You do not have to worry about award seat availability since the ticket is issued as a paid ticket, not an award ticket. This also means that you will actually earn miles for the flight the same way you would on a paid ticket.

The disadvantage is that you will be redeeming the points at a fixed rate. Sure, there are no blackout dates to worry about. You also don’t have to worry about award seat availability. The problem is, a more expensive plane ticket is going to require more miles/points. This can be a problem if you’re trying to book travel on peak dates such as holidays.

How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth if I redeem via the redemption portal?

Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents per point or 1.50 cents per point, depending on which card you hold:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred: 1.25
• Chase Ink Business Preferred: 1.25
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: 1.50

Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel via the Ultimate Rewards redemption portal is a good option when paid fares are low, but tickets with higher fares may require more Ultimate Rewards than you care to redeem.

Tip: There are other Chase cards, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited, that earn Ultimate Rewards points but those points cannot be transferred. The no annual fee Chase Freedom Unlimited is basically a cash-back card on its own, but pairing it with a CSP, CSR, or CIBP is a great way to boost your earning potential.  

If you also have one of the three Chase cards that earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points (CSP, CSR, or CIBP), then any points earned from the Chase Freedom Unlimited can be redeemed the exact same way you would redeem your transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Pairing one of the transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards earning cards with the CFU gives you the potential to earn a higher return on your spending when you redeem through the redemption portal than what the Chase Sapphire cards alone would give you. Click here for more information .

How to book via the redemption portal

I’m using a nonstop Delta itinerary between the US and Europe for this and other examples throughout the post. You will be able to see that each of the three ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for Delta flights will result in a different redemption price. The best way to book depends on routing, paid fares, and availability.

Log in to Ultimaterewards.com using your Chase username and password. On the main menu, select travel.

Type in your dates and destination. All available flights will populate. You can filter by airline, nonstop, etc. The cheapest nonstop route is $1285.

A nonstop Delta flight from Atlanta to Paris is just over $1,285 on these dates. That would require 85,238 points if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve (points are worth 1.5 cents each). If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Ink Business Preferred, the price would be 102,789 points as pictured above (points are worth 1.25 cents each).

Depending on which Chase Sapphire credit card you have, this itinerary is 102,789 points or 85,238 points

Using points to book in the redemption portal is a good option when fares are low. Even if you feel like the fare and thus the redemption price is low, it’s always a good idea to check transfer partners for award ticket availability as well. This is how you can get more than 1.25 or 1.50 cents value out of your Ultimate Rewards points. To put it another way, this is how you can potentially book the same flights for significantly less points.

This exact ATL-Paris Delta itinerary that requires 85,238 points or 102,789 in the Chase redemption portal can be booked for just 58,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points if you use one of Chase’s airline transfer partners to book.

Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline partners

The second way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for flights is to transfer them to airline partners. Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to airline partners is how you can potentially get more value out of your points. Once transferred, your Ultimate Rewards become miles for the program to which you transfer. You can redeem the miles according to the policies of the airline program.

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to these 11 programs at a 1:1 ratio.

Chase Ultimate Rewards has 11 airline partners, but Delta Skymiles is not one

Delta Skymiles is not a transfer partner of Chase. You cannot convert Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Delta Skymiles. But you can still book a flight operated by Delta.

This is possible because Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue are transfer partners of Ultimate Rewards. Both of these airline programs have a partnership with Delta. As a result, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue. Then you can use miles of either program to book a flight operated by Delta.

The best part is, using these programs sometimes results in a better redemption price than if you were to use Delta Skymiles.

Can I transfer Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue miles to Delta?

No.  But you can use the loyalty program of either to book award flights operated by Delta (subject to availability).

Award ticket pricing when booking Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

When you use a partner program to book a Delta flight, your redemption price is determined by that partner program, not Delta Skymiles:

• If you use AirFrance/KLM miles to book a flight operated by Delta, AirFrance KLM Blue determines your award ticket price, not Delta Skymiles.
• If you use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles to book a flight operated by Delta, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club determines your award ticket price, not Delta Skymiles.

Each airline program has its own way of pricing award tickets

You can read more about the different types of award ticket pricing here.

Most frequent flyer/airline loyalty programs I discuss on this blog fall into one of these categories:

• Region/Zone based 
• Distance-based
• Dynamic pricing
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club uses a zone-based award ticket pricing model for US-Europe routes operated by Delta. Other Delta routes booked with Virgin Atlantic miles have a distance based pricing model. You can find Virgin Atlantic’s redemption pricing for flights operated by Delta here .
• AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue is distance based for partner flights such as Delta

Depending on your route, one type of pricing may be better than another.

Each of these programs will likely have a different redemption price for the exact same Delta flight. Sometimes zone-based results in a lower redemption price, but other times distance-based may be lower.

The great thing about transferable points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards points is that you can choose the partner that results in the lowest redemption cost. If you only have miles with one airline, you don’t have a choice because you can only redeem the miles with that airline.

Comparing award pricing of AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

I’ll give 3 different examples to show the differences in pricing.

1. Delta nonstop flights from the US to Europe

I’ll use the roundtrip nonstop flight in economy from Atlanta to Paris from the redemption portal example. Remember, this would have been $1285 or 85,238 or 102,789 Ultimate Rewards points (depending on which card you hold).

I can use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles or AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue miles to book the Delta flight. This itinerary happens to be available, but keep in mind that not all Delta flights are going to be available for partner bookings. I’ll discuss that more in a moment.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (zone-based) is 60,000 miles roundtrip

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award ticket pricing

This is Virgin Atlantic Flying Club’s award chart for Delta operated flights between the US and Europe, excluding the UK. These are the one-way prices for nonstop US-Europe routes operated by Delta. Virgin Atlantic allows you to connect on a Delta flight (subject to availability) but more miles will be required when the itinerary involves a connection.

AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue (distance based for partner flights such as Delta) is 58,000 roundtrip

AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue award ticket pricing

Flying Blue has moved to a dynamic pricing model for flights operated by KLM and AirFrance. This means that it’s pretty tough to predict the amount of miles required for any given route.

See also: Dynamic pricing

But for partner flights, their website states “You can also use Miles to book flights for yourself or the person of your choice in Economy and Business with SkyTeam partners and other partner airlines. On all partner flights, the price in Miles is based on the booking class and flight distance.” So, for partner airlines, it’s distance based pricing. There may be slight variations in pricing (similar to peak and off peak pricing). There is no award chart like Virgin Atlantic has for Delta flights, but at least Flying Blue’s prices seem a little more stable than Delta Skymiles pricing.

It’s unclear how distance is calculated and the impact a connecting flight may have. You’ll see in the next section (itineraries with a connecting flight) that Flying Blue did not require more miles for a connecting flight for the route and dates I searched. In an older version of this article, about 5,000 miles extra for the roundtrip were required when the itinerary to Paris had a connecting flight. So adding a connection may or may not have an impact on the redemption total when you’re redeeming Flying Blue miles for Delta flights.

Delta Skymiles award tickets have dynamic pricing. For this particular itinerary, you would need 98,000 Skymiles.

This wouldn’t even be an option since Chase points do not transfer to Delta Skymiles, but I wanted to show why even if Delta was a partner, this flight is better with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles or AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue miles.

Your options for this itinerary with Chase Ultimate Rewards are:

• Redemption portal: 85,238 or 102,789 Ultimate Rewards points (depending on which card you hold).
• Virgin Atlantic-60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• AirFrance/KLM-58,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue

2. Delta flight from US to Europe (with a connection)

This is a roundtrip flight in economy from New Orleans to Paris. There is one stop each way. The entire itinerary is operated by Delta. The lowest paid fare on the dates I searched for a decent itinerary (meaning 1 connection and/or reasonable layover times) between New Orleans and Paris across all available airlines is $1170.

To book this ticket in the redemption portal, you would need either 78,000 Ultimate Rewards points or 93,600 Ultimate Rewards points, depending on which card you have.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club redemption price is 75,000 miles roundtrip

Nonstop flights are definitely the best value with Virgin Atlantic miles because if the flight requires a connection, the additional amount of points for that particular segment is required.

For example, Atlanta to Paris is 60,000 miles. But a flight from MSY that connects in Detroit, Atlanta, or anywhere in the US would require additional points/miles for the MSY-ATL segment which is 15,000 roundtrip. Virgin Atlantic has a distance based chart for Delta segments within the US, and for segments less than 500 in distance, the price is 7,500 Flying Club miles each way. MSY to ATL is just under 500 miles, but if the connecting segment is more than that, you’ll need even more miles.

So the total for the roundtrip would be 75,000 instead of 60,000.

AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue is 58,000 roundtrip

This is the same as the nonstop ATL-CDG.

So your options with Chase Ultimate Rewards for this itinerary are:

• Redemption portal- 78,000 or 93,600 points, depending on which card you have
• Virgin Atlantic- 75,000
• AirFrance/KLM- 58,000

3. One more example- US-Hawaii (and US domestic flights)

Of course, you should also check paid fares. For example, at the time of publishing (June 2021) the LAX-KOA roundtrip flights below are less than $400 on the dates I searched. For that price, you could book in the portal with ~32,000 or ~26,700 points, depending on which card you have. The lowest I could find for DFW-KOA was more like $700 which would be ~56,000 or ~46,700 points in the Ultimate Rewards portal, depending on which card you have.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club pricing for US-Hawaii on Delta is as low as 30,000 miles roundtrip

Whether or not Virgin Atlantic is the best way to book a Delta domestic flight depends on two different things: Nonstop vs. connecting itinerary and distances.

Virgin Atlantic has switched to a distance based pricing model for domestic Delta flights. The distance is calculated by adding each sector’s redemption price. For example, LAX to Kona, Hawaii on a nonstop Delta flight falls in the 2,000-3,000 distance band, so each way is 15,000 miles (see chart in previous section).

But if there is a connection, more Virgin Atlantic miles are required. For example, DFW to Kona via LAX would be priced as:

• DFW-LAX (distance falls in 1,001-1,500 range which requires 11,500 miles each way) plus
• LAX- Honolulu (requires 15,000 miles each way)
• Your total would be 26,500 each way (15,000 plus 11,500
• Roundtrip is 53,000 Virgin Atlantic miles.

AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue is going to be the better option in this scenario.

AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue is 35,000 miles roundtrip for either of these US-Hawaii itineraries

For LAX-KOA, you would be better off either redeeming Virgin Atlantic miles since the price is 30,000, or redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the redemption portal if fares are low. But for DFW-KOA with a connection at LAX, AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue would be the best way to book the ticket.

Air France does pass on some sort of airport tax for these flights (see below), but 35,000 miles for the DFW-KOA route is much better than what Virgin Atlantic would require (53,000 miles)

So your options with Chase Ultimate Rewards for these itineraries are:

LAX-KOA nonstop

• Redemption portal- if the ticket is $400, you would need 32,000 or 26,700 points, depending on which card you have
• Virgin Atlantic- 30,000
• AirFrance/KLM- 35,000

DFW-KOA (connection at LAX)

• Redemption portal- if the ticket is $700, you would need 56,000 or 46,700 points, depending on which card you have
• Virgin Atlantic- 53,000

Ready to book Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards partners?

If you are planning to transfer your Ultimate Rewards to a partner program such as Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue, do not transfer yet.

Do not transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to any airline until you have confirmed price and availability

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to airlines are permanent. You need to make sure your dates are available and you will want to confirm the exact amount of miles needed before transferring. Transfers are usually immediate, so there is no reason to transfer before you find availability.

Once you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to partner airlines or hotels, you cannot get them back

When you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to a partner airline or hotel, your points become the currency of the airline or hotel program.  For example, if you transfer 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you now have Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles.  Those miles are now subject to the rules and policies of Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

You CANNOT transfer those points back to Chase Ultimate Rewards.  If you transfer and then the Delta (or other partner) flights that you want are not available, you are stuck with 20,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles.  If you wait to transfer, you can check other Chase Ultimate Rewards partners for other options if a Delta flight is not available.

Award ticket availability

Award seats are not always going to be available on any given flight , especially when the flight you’re trying to book is a partner flight.

If you’re using a partner program, such as Virgin Atlantic, to book a Delta flight, Delta only makes a certain amount of seats available. In other words, just because a seat is available to book with Delta miles, it doesn’t mean a partner Virgin Atlantic will have that seat available to book with Virgin Atlantic miles. The same applies to other partner programs with which you can book Delta flights.

If you’re trying to book a Delta flight, you most likely will always be able to book it with Delta Skymiles since that program has dynamic pricing. However, you may end up having to redeem a lot more miles than what a “saver” ticket would require. Once the lower level, or saver, seats are gone, Delta will still let you redeem miles for a ticket, but the redemption cost is usually going to be too high to consider. Anyway, that doesnt even matter since Delta Skymiles isn’t a partner of Chase.

The best way to check price and availability is to search online with each partner program you’re considering. You can search for and book Delta flights online with Virgin Atlantic and AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue. You should not have to call to book.

Tip: In general, if a flight is available with one partner, it will be available to other partners. For example, if a Delta flight is available to book with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, it should also be available to book with AirFrance/KLM Flying Blue.

Final thoughts

You do not need Delta miles to book Delta award flights. If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can still book flights operated by Delta. The great thing about having flexible points such as Chase Ultimate Rewards is that you have options. If you only have a Delta-cobranded card, you only earn Delta Skymiles. You cannot transfer Skymiles to any airlines. Your redemption options are limited to the Skymiles program.

There are three ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Delta flights:

Redeeming Ultimate Rewards points for travel via the Ultimate Rewards redemption portal is a good option if paid fares are low (option 1). But you may be able to redeem less points by using transfer partners (options 2 and 3). Transferring to airline partners is how we’re able to get max value out of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Earn your first 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you open a Chase Sapphire Preferred

Current offer:   bonus_miles_full  

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How to Book Delta Flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards: A Quick Guide

As a frequent traveler, I’ve discovered the value in using credit card rewards points to book flights, and one of the best options I’ve found is using Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book Delta flights. You may be wondering how it’s possible, since Chase and Delta don’t have a direct partnership. However, there are a few ways to do it, and I’m here to guide you through the process.

Typically, booking a flight using credit card points requires transferring those points to an airline loyalty program, but in the case of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Delta, this isn’t a direct option. Don’t worry, though, because with a little creativity, you can still use your valuable points to book that Delta flight you’ve been eyeing.

Knowledge is power, and in this case, it’s the key to turning your hard-earned Chase Ultimate Rewards points into a seat on your next Delta flight. So, let’s dive into the different methods you can use to book a Delta flight using Chase Ultimate Rewards points, ensuring you get the most value for your points and enjoy a seamless travel experience.

Understanding Chase Ultimate Rewards

As a Chase credit card holder, I’ve learned that the Chase Ultimate Rewards Program is a versatile and valuable way to earn and redeem points for various travel needs, including booking Delta flights. Let me share my knowledge and experience to help you understand more about this rewards program.

Earning Points

I earn points through my everyday spending on eligible Chase credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Chase Ink Business. Each card offers different earning rates and bonus categories, which can greatly help in accumulating points over time.

For example, my Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns 2 points per dollar on travel and dining, while my Chase Ink Business card earns 3 points per dollar in select business categories. By maximizing my spending in these bonus categories, I’m able to build up my Chase Ultimate Rewards points balance faster.

Another way to earn points is through the Chase Ultimate Rewards shopping portal. When I shop at participating online retailers through the portal, I earn bonus points on top of the regular points earned for credit card spending.

Redeeming Points

Redeeming points for Delta flights has been an excellent way for me to make the most out of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points. There are a few options when it comes to redeeming points for Delta flights:

• Transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club  to book Delta flights, often requiring significantly fewer points than booking directly with Delta’s own SkyMiles program.
• Transfer points to Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue program  to book SkyTeam flights, which includes Delta.
• Book Delta flights directly through the  Chase Travel Portal  using points at a fixed value, depending on the specific credit card I hold.

Each redemption method has its pros and cons, so I carefully consider the specific travel goals and current points balance to determine the best option for booking Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Booking Delta Flights

As someone who loves to travel, I’m always looking for the best ways to use my Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Recently, I discovered how to book Delta flights using these points and found it to be quite efficient. In this section, I’ll share a few methods to book Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards and shed light on some of the partner airlines you can take advantage of.

Methods to Book

I found three main ways to use my Chase Ultimate Rewards points for booking Delta flights. The first method is by booking  via the Ultimate Rewards redemption portal . This is perhaps the most straightforward approach, as you can search for flights directly through the portal and use your points for your desired Delta flight.

The second method I discovered was transferring my Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic to book Delta flights. Similarly, the third method involves  transferring points to KLM/France  instead. Both of these options allow for booking Delta flights, but with the added benefits of using partner airline loyalty programs.

Partner Airlines

Booking Delta flights through partner airlines can sometimes offer better value and more availability. Two key partner airlines I found useful for this purpose are  Virgin Atlantic  and  KLM/France .

Transferring my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic allowed me to book Delta flights with the added advantage of using Virgin Atlantic’s award pricing, potentially saving me points in comparison to booking directly through the Chase portal. Similarly, transferring points to KLM/France opened up opportunities to book Delta flights using their Flying Blue program, which might also offer better award pricing and availability.

In conclusion, I found that there are several ways to book Delta flights using Chase Ultimate Rewards points. By exploring different methods and partner airlines, I was able to discover the options that provided the best value and availability for my travel needs.

Maximizing Point Value

In this section, I will share some tips and strategies to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points when booking Delta flights.

Transfer Partners

One way to get the most value from your Ultimate Rewards points is by transferring them to airline partners. For Delta flights, you can transfer your points to one of Chase’s airline transfer partners, like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. With this strategy, I found that you may be able to book a Delta flight for fewer points compared to booking directly through the Chase Travel Portal. For example, an Atlanta-Paris itinerary that requires 85,238 points in the Chase Portal could be booked for just 58,000 points through one of Chase’s airline transfer partners ( The Miles Genie ).

When you transfer your points to an airline partner, you’re taking advantage of their unique award charts and redemption options. This can help you save points and achieve a higher value for each point redeemed.

Flight Deals

Another strategy to maximize the value of your Chase points is to keep an eye on Delta’s flash sales. These sales allow you to book flights for a lower number of SkyMiles, which means you may be able to save points when booking Delta flights using your transferred Chase points. Delta’s flash sales tend to rotate weekly or monthly, so it’s essential to stay updated on these deals ( The Points Guy ).

Knowing when a specific flight deal is worth taking advantage of will help you save points and get the most value for your Chase Ultimate Rewards. When you come across a good flight deal during Delta’s flash sales, try to transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to a relevant transfer partner and book your flight as soon as possible to secure the best value.

Things to Consider

When booking Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards, there are several factors I need to consider to make the most of my points and find the best options for my trip.

Availability

One of the first things I need to check is the availability of award flights with partner airlines. This is because Delta flights can be booked by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to partners such as  Virgin Atlantic or KLM/France . Checking availability on these airlines’ websites can help me plan my trip and find the best flight options before transferring my points.

Fees and Restrictions

It is also essential for me to take into account any fees or restrictions when booking Delta flights with points. For instance, booking through the  Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal  can sometimes result in lower point requirements compared to transferring points to travel partners. However, this could also mean that the flights might be subject to additional fees or less favorable cancellation policies. It is crucial for me to be aware of these factors to determine the best course of action.

Point Expiration

Before booking a Delta flight with my Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I should be aware of any expiration policies on my points. While Chase Ultimate Rewards points generally do not expire as long as my account remains open, it is worth noting that once I transfer points to a partner airline such as  Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue , the points will be subject to that airline’s expiration policies. This means that I must use the transferred points within a certain time frame or risk losing them.

Considering these factors can help me make informed decisions and maximize the value of my Chase Ultimate Rewards points when booking Delta flights.

Frequently Asked Questions

As I’ve explored booking Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards, many questions arise. Here, I’ll address some frequently asked questions:

Can I book Delta flights directly through the Chase Travel Portal using Ultimate Rewards points? Yes, you can use your Ultimate Rewards points to book Delta flights directly through the  Chase Travel Portal . This can be a good option when there is a cheap fare, as it may require fewer points compared to transferring to a travel partner.

What is the value of Chase Ultimate Rewards when using them for Delta flights? The value of your points will depend on which Chase credit card you have. For example,  with the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, the points are worth 1.25 cents, and with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, the points are worth 1.5 cents each .

Which airline partner should I transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to for booking Delta flights? One option is to transfer your points to a SkyTeam member like Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue program.  The Miles Genie  shows an example where 58,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points were used to book a Delta flight through the Flying Blue program, saving points compared to booking directly through Chase.

Can I book domestic Delta flights using Chase Ultimate Rewards points? Yes,  Chase Ultimate Rewards points can also be used for domestic flights  by transferring them to airline partners like United Airlines, Southwest, or JetBlue. Though Delta and American Airlines are not direct partners, you may still find domestic flight options with them through other transfer partners.

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About the author.

Ryan Kangail

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Best Ways to Book Delta Flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards

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You might have noticed that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® get recommended a lot in the points and miles community. There’s a good reason for that.

Rewards earned with these cards can be transferred to a number of airline and hotel loyalty programs, making it possible to book all kinds of travel for free (or almost free).

If you’re a Delta Air Lines flyer, you might think the cards offer little value to you because Chase doesn’t partner with Delta SkyMiles. However, don’t dismiss the Sapphire-branded cards so quickly. There are multiple ways to book Delta flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Chase partners with a couple of SkyTeam member airlines and one non-alliance Delta partner whose loyalty programs can help you fly on Delta-operated flights. Here’s a rundown on what those programs are and how you can book a Delta flight with Ultimate Rewards points.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

European airlines Air France and KLM run a joint frequent-flyer program called Flying Blue. The airlines are SkyTeam members, which makes it easy to book Delta flights using their miles.

Flying Blue implements dynamic pricing to its awards, but the redemption rates on partner airlines more or less stay the same. It’s worth noting that you’ll find higher redemption rates for longer routes, but again, mileage costs aren’t always consistent and this might not be true in all cases.

The best way to find out how many miles your award will require is by consulting with the Miles Price Estimator . Simply enter your city pair and click on “Estimate” to locate the lowest redemption rate. This is the rate you should be aiming for when searching for award availability.

With Flying Blue, you can book round-trip awards and one-way flights at half the rate. You have to be logged in to search for availability.

In the screenshot above, we see that a one-way flight between Salt Lake City (SLC) and Seattle (SEA) requires (or at least should require) 11,500 Flying Blue miles. We plug in the cities and find it at the exact same redemption rate below.

As long as Delta makes award seats on a flight available to partners, you should be able to book them using Flying Blue miles.

Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Flying Blue at a ratio of 1:1.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic isn’t a SkyTeam member, but it’s a non-alliance partner of Delta. In fact, Delta owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic’s shares, which means the partnership is strong and you can redeem Flying Club miles for travel on Delta.

To most travelers’ dismay, Virgin Atlantic recently updated its award chart for Delta flights. The new rates are distance-based, which means that shorter flights cost fewer miles and longer flights cost more miles.

The chart below is for one-way, nonstop Delta flights booked using Virgin Atlantic miles. The rates apply to routes that aren’t between Europe and the United States—there’s a separate chart for those.

Let’s use the same Salt Lake City-Seattle flight as an example to keep it consistent and compare apples to apples.

Salt Lake City and Seattle are about 700 miles apart. Because Flying Club’s rates are based on how far you fly, you end up in a better position redeeming 8,500 miles for this one-way flight—the same flight Flying Blue wants you to redeem 11,500 miles. Use this knowledge to your advantage and book an identical itinerary for fewer miles.

This strategy might not work on longer flights or flights with connections, so always compare your options before transferring the points to one program or another.

You don’t have to be logged in to search for award flights, but you have to have an account to book them. One-way and round-trip redemptions are possible. Keep in mind that Delta flights with multiple segments require more Flying Club miles.

Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at a ratio of 1:1.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal

Another no-shame way to book Delta flights with Ultimate Rewards points is via the Chase Travel Portal.

Depending on the card you have, your points are worth a flat 1.25 to 1.5 cents apiece: 1.25 cents when using the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and 1.5 cents when using the Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

If the flight is cheap enough, you might want to spend cash. And if you have a lot of credit-card rewards, you might opt for redeeming some Ultimate Rewards points at the rates above, as long as you’re not saving up the points for an aspirational booking in business or first class.

Again, let’s search for the exact same route for consistency’s sake. At just 6,560 Ultimate Rewards points in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card, this option is actually the best one.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the same flight will cost you 7,872 points, which is still better than either option the transfer partners presented. Plus, you earn redeemable Delta SkyMiles with this option (or wherever you choose to credit your Delta flights).

Which Method of Booking Delta Flights Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Should You Use?

As you can see in the three examples above, the answer depends on your itinerary and travel dates.

If the flight is cheaper via the Chase Travel Portal than it is with either partner program, skip the points transfer altogether. Whether you use Ultimate Rewards to book via the portal or cash to book directly with an airline, that’s up to you, but don’t transfer more rewards to a loyalty program if you can do better elsewhere.

If the flight is expensive when paid with cash, use one of the programs that provides the best value. It’s that simple.

The main point is, make sure to check all your redemption options before settling on the program to use. Clearly, region-based and distance-based programs have their advantages and disadvantages, so go with what works best on your particular route.

Final Thoughts

Before you decide to open a Delta SkyMiles co-branded card because you “live in a Delta hub” or “prefer to fly Delta for business,” consider opening a Chase Sapphire-branded credit card. 

Although Chase Ultimate Rewards don’t transfer to Delta SkyMiles directly, there are still plenty of options for booking Delta flights for all you SkyMiles enthusiasts.

It’s important to read up on how airline partnerships work, how their award charts are set up and how to use them to your advantage. You might be surprised how easy it is to book Delta award flights without using Delta SkyMiles.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.

With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!

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The Complete Guide To Using the Chase Travel Portal — Maximize Your Options

Katie Seemann

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You can earn frequent flyer miles, cards that earn chase ultimate rewards points, transfer your points between credit cards for maximum value, earning chase points by booking travel, how to access the chase travel portal, how to book a flight through chase travel, the luxury hotel and resort collection, how to book a rental car through the chase travel portal, how to book activities through chase travel, how to book a cruise through the portal, car rentals, earn bonus ultimate rewards points, pay with points, apple purchases, experiences, pay yourself back, transfer to travel partners, final thoughts.

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Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the major transferrable points programs and a favorite among many travelers. Points are easy to earn and can be transferred to many different hotel and airline partners. But you can also book travel directly through Chase’s travel portal using Ultimate Rewards points.

Booking travel through the Chase Travel portal is simple and can be a great way to use your points.

We’ll show you everything you need to know about how to redeem your points, including the benefits, how to know what your points are worth, and how to book airlines, hotels, and more through the Chase Travel portal.

Why Book Travel Through the Chase Travel Portal?

Generally, you can get maximum value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points by transferring them to the Chase airline and hotel partners , so why are we talking about using points through a travel portal? While it’s true that the only way to get the highest value redemptions is by transferring, there is still a lot of value to be had by booking directly through the Chase Travel portal.

Flexibility is not often available with points bookings. Unlike an award booking, booking through Chase Travel is like using any other online travel agency (OTA) . There are no blackout dates or limited inventory award seats. If a flight or hotel is available, you can book it with points through the Chase travel portal.

One of the major bummers of booking flights with frequent flyer miles is that you don’t earn miles on award bookings. You can end up doing a lot of travel without earning miles. However, any booking you make with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase Travel portal will earn frequent flyer miles and accrue status points. Unfortunately, hotel and car rental bookings still won’t earn points.

We have talked to so many people over the years that love the idea of collecting points and miles but don’t want to deal with the hassle. While many don’t mind putting a little work into getting an awesome redemption, others are just looking for a simple way to book travel and hopefully save some money in the process.

That’s where the Chase Travel portal comes in. With this method of redeeming points, there is no transferring, comparing points values, blackout dates, limited award availability, or multiple travel accounts. You only have to deal with 1 type of point and 1 travel portal but can still retain many of the benefits of collecting points and miles in the first place.

Bottom Line: You can book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and cruises through the Chase Travel portal.

If you like the idea of using the Chase Travel portal, you’ll need a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance . With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel SM .
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel SM , 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel SM . For example, 75,000 points are worth $937.50 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
• Member FDIC
• APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None
• Credit Card Reviews
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• Travel Rewards Credit Cards
• Best Sign Up Bonuses

Chase Ultimate Rewards

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel SM .
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel SM  immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel SM . For example, 75,000 points are worth $1125 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass TM  Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
• APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

The Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases , especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance , rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

• 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
• Cell phone protection
• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
• Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
• Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
• With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
• Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
• Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
• APR: 21.24%-26.24% Variable
• Best Business Credit Cards

There are also some great cash-back cards from Chase that can be used to book travel through Chase Travel. The points earned on these cards can be converted into cash-back or alternatively, they can be used in the Chase travel portal.

• Chase Freedom Flex℠
• Chase Freedom Unlimited ®
• Chase Freedom ® card (no longer open to new applicants)
• Ink Business Cash ® Credit Card
• Ink Business Plus ® Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants)
• Ink Business Unlimited ® Credit Card
• Ink Business Premier ® Credit Card

What Are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Worth?

It’s easy to earn lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points , but do you know how much they are worth ? If you’re transferring your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to a travel partner, their value will go up or down depending on the type of redemption.

However, when you are booking your travel directly through Chase’s travel portal, each Chase Ultimate Rewards point has a set value that won’t change . The credit card you have will determine the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

If you have multiple Chase credit cards, it makes sense to transfer your points to the card with the most valuable redemption rate. The only exception to this is the Ink Business Premier card because points earned on this card can’t be transferred to any other card.

1. To transfer your points between 2 cards, log on to the Chase dashboard and select Combine Points .

2. Then you will be able to select the card you want to transfer points from and the card you want to receive the points. After you choose, click Next.

3. You can transfer all of your points or just what you need. Click Review to continue.

4. Double-check the details and click on the Submit button to complete the transfer.

Bottom Line: Your credit card will determine the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Your points are worth between 1 to 1.5 cents each depending on which credit card you’re redeeming points through. 

What if you’d prefer to pay for your travel with a Chase credit card to earn Ultimate Rewards points? The number of points you’ll earn through the Chase travel portal is dependent on which credit card you have and what type of travel you’re purchasing.

You can log into your account in 2 ways.

First, you can go directly to the Ultimate Rewards website to log in or you can log in through your Chase account .

If you’re in your Chase account, click on one of your Ultimate Rewards credit cards and then click on Redeem next to the card’s Ultimate Rewards balance.

Then choose the card you want to use.

From here you can access Chase Travel by clicking on Travel  in the top search box or you can switch to another card’s account by clicking on the 3-line icon in the upper left-hand corner.

1. In the Travel section of your Ultimate Rewards account, click on Flights to start your search for a flight. As with any other OTA, you begin your search by inputting basic information such as departure and arrival city, travel dates, and the number of passengers.

2. Next, you will be able to narrow your search results . At the left-hand side of the page, you can filter your results by things like airline or flight times. Then you can sort your results by price, trip duration, or times using the drop-down box at the top of the search results.

3. For each flight option, you’ll be able to see the price in dollars and in points on the right-hand side of the results box.

4. Once you’ve found the flight you want, click the blue Select button. Next, you can choose your return flight using the same process as you did for selecting the outbound flight. Click the blue Select button once you have made your choice.

5. From here you can confirm your flight details and select a fare upgrade if you wish. Then, you’ll be able to choose how to pay for your flight . You can pay for the entire purchase with points or a Chase credit card, or you can split your payment between points and a Chase credit card.

6. Finally, input your passenger information next. Don’t forget to add a frequent flyer number, a Known Traveler Number, or a Redress number if you have them.

Hot Tip: When purchasing travel through the Chase travel portal, you can split your payment between Chase Ultimate Rewards points and a Chase credit card.

How To Book a Hotel Through Chase Travel

1. To book a hotel through the Chase Travel portal , you’ll need to start by clicking on the Hotels tab in the main search box. Then, input your destination, check-in and check-out dates, and the number of travelers. Next, click on the blue Search button.

2. Your search results will look like other sites that you may be familiar with. You’ll see filtering options to the left and sorting options above your search results.

3. Each search result will show the price in both dollars and Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These prices include taxes and fees with the exception of resort fees.

4. Once you select your hotel, click on Add to Itinerary . You can choose to pay for all or part of your hotel cost using Ultimate Rewards points. Click Begin Checkout to input your reservation details and finalize your booking.

Hot Tip: When booking a hotel through the Chase Travel portal, you won’t be eligible to earn points in the hotel’s loyalty program or take advantage of any elite status you may have.

The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection (LHRC) is exclusively for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders. From the Ultimate Rewards travel home page, just click on The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection tab.

Once you are on the LHRC homepage, type in your destination and click Search to view available properties. Each listing will display the property’s unique cardmember benefits. Click on the listing for more information and to continue the booking process.

When booked through the Chase Travel portal, these properties offer the following benefits:

• Daily breakfast for 2
• Special amenity (varies by property)
• Room upgrades (based on availability)
• Early check-in and late checkout (based on availability)

The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection properties are reservation-only bookings. You’ll make your reservations online and payment doesn’t happen until you check out from the hotel. These bookings will not take Chase Ultimate Rewards points as payment.

Bottom Line: Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection properties are only available to Chase Sapphire Reserve cardmembers. These properties can’t be booked with points.

1. To rent a car through the Chase Travel portal, start by clicking on the Cars tab in the main search box. Then, input your pick-up location, drop-off location, dates, times, and age of the driver. Click on the blue Search box to continue.

2. You can then narrow your search with the filtering options on the left-hand side of the page.

3. For each car option, you will be able to see the car details, rental company, and price in both dollars and Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Once you have selected the car you want to rent, click on Add to Itinerary .

4. You can pay for the entire purchase with points or a Chase credit card or split your payment in any amount. Double-check all of the details before completing your purchase.

Did you know you can also book activities through Chase Travel?

1. Click the Activities tab on the Ultimate Rewards travel homepage to get started. Then, input your destination and travel dates and click the Search button to continue.

2. You can narrow your search by selecting 1 or more categories at the left-hand side of the page. Categories can include things like:

• Classes & workshops
• Cruises & sailing
• Food & drink
• Outdoor activities
• Seasonal & special occasions
• Tickets & passes
• Tours & sightseeing
• Transfers & ground transport
• Unique experiences

3. Each activity will show the price in both dollars and points to the right side of the screen. Click on Show Details and Pricing for more information and to book the activity.

6. Double-check all of the details on the final page before completing your purchase. Click the box confirming you understand the travel disclosures, then click Complete Checkout to finish your purchase.

Bottom Line: You can book lots of activities through the Chase Travel portal, including airport transfers!

If you’re a fan of cruises, you’ll be pleased to know you can book them through your Chase Travel portal. To get started, click on the Cruises tab on the Ultimate Rewards travel homepage.

This will bring up a list of available cruises, but there’s also a search box at the top of the screen, so you can input a specific destination or cruise line.

Each listing will display the cruise line, ship, ports of call, sailing dates, and baseline pricing for an interior or oceanview cabin. Unfortunately, if you want any more specific information or if you want to book, you will need to call 855-234-2542 .

You’ll notice that only cash prices are listed for cruises, however, they can be booked using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, too.

Hot Tip: You can book a cruise through Chase Travel but you’ll have to call to make your reservation as they can’t be booked online.

How Do the Prices Compare to Other Sites?

Are you getting a good deal by booking through Chase? Let’s look at how the prices available through the Chase Travel portal stack up to other OTAs and search engines including Hotwire , Kayak , and Expedia .

We did some flight searches and found there’s no clear-cut pattern on prices between the Chase portal to other websites.

Example #1: Round-trip flight between Philadelphia (PHL) and San Francisco (SFO) for 1 person in economy.

We searched this route in the Chase travel portal and the cheapest option was a flight that was split between Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines for $526.20. This worked out to be the cheapest price we found, and Priceline had the same low price. Expedia and Hotwire both charge booking fees, making the price a little higher. Each airline’s own website couldn’t split the itinerary between different airlines, so those ended up being much more expensive.

If you are in doubt or would like to check prices yourself, Kayak is a great place to start. Kayak will show you prices for a flight on all of the OTAs as well as the airline’s website. It’s a great one-stop shop to compare flight prices.

Example #2: Round-trip flight between New York City (JFK) and Paris, France (CDG) for 1 person in economy.

We searched this route in the Chase travel portal and the cheapest option was a flight that was split between American Airlines and British Airways for $689.78. This wasn’t the overall best price we found, though. That award goes to Expedia and Priceline.

Hot Tip: You will earn frequent flyer miles when you book your flight through the Chase Travel portal.

Example #1: Here’s how prices looked for a week-long stay at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa in Mexico for 2 people including all taxes and fees. The $291.55 resort fee can’t be paid with points.

In this example, the best cash rate by far was through Marriott. However, if you wanted to pay with points, booking with Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the travel portal would be your best bet.

Keep in mind that Marriott doesn’t have an award chart, so different time periods can have different point costs. A 7-night stay at this hotel can dip down to 240,000 points for a 7-night stay. If you’re going to pay for your hotel stay in points, it’s always smart to calculate how many points it would cost to book through Chase versus transferring points . This information can help you make the best and least expensive choice.

Hot Tip: You won’t earn hotel loyalty points when booking a hotel through Chase and any elite status you have may not be recognized.

Example #2: Let’s look at an example of a hotel that doesn’t have a loyalty program. We priced out a 2-night stay at Almond Tree Inn Hotel in Key West, FL for 2 people. The highest prices were direct via the hotel with all other websites surveyed being cheaper.

Here’s how the prices stacked up:

Chase’s low price matched the other online travel websites and was actually lower than the hotel’s own website, so it would be a great option in this case. It also affords the opportunity to use points for a hotel that doesn’t have its own loyalty program.

In many cases, car rental prices found through the Chase Travel portal were similar to prices found on the rental agency’s own website.

The main difference in booking through Chase vs. directly through a car rental agency is that the car rental agency often has the ability to book the car without paying up front. With the Chase portal, you will be paying at the time of booking and there may be change or cancellation fees if you need to modify your reservation.

In both of these examples, Chase Travel didn’t offer the lowest price, however, that won’t always necessarily be the case. Of course, the advantage of booking through Chase is the ability to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. It’s always a good idea to price out your car rental on a few different websites before booking to ensure you’re getting the best price.

Chase actually offered the lowest prices on activities for both examples:

Other Ways To Use the Chase Travel Portal

The Chase Travel portal also helps you earn bonus points.  With the Shop through Chase feature, you can earn extra Ultimate Rewards points through your online shopping.

Just click Earn Bonus Points in the top search bar to access the shopping portal. Click on a featured store or search for a specific one. Then simply click through the portal to your website of choice to make your purchase. Your bonus points will be added to your Chase Ultimate Rewards points total within 3 to 5 days in most cases.

Did you know you can use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to make purchases at Amazon and PayPal? Click on Pay with Points in the top search bar, then select either Amazon or PayPal to enroll and shop.

Unfortunately, the redemption value you get when shopping through Amazon or PayPal is pretty bad — only 0.8 cents per point. While it’s great to have this as an option, we don’t recommend using points to shop at Amazon or PayPal as your main use of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Bottom Line: The value of using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to shop through Amazon or PayPal isn’t great: you will only get 0.8 cents per point!

By clicking on Apple in the main search box in your Ultimate Rewards account, you can use your Chase points to make purchases. Normally, you’ll get 1 cent per point in value when using your points for Apple purchases, but there are occasional bonuses offered to get a better redemption rate.

You can also redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for cash-back. To do this, simply select Cash-back from the main search bar at the top of the screen. You will then be able to see choose how many points you’d like to redeem for cash-back at a value of 1 cent per point .

You can choose to have your cash direct deposited into a checking or savings account or as a statement credit. The deposit or statement credit will be posted within 3 days.

Bottom Line: Your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed as cash-back. We do not recommend this as a primary redemption option because you can get more value via the Chase Travel portal, and a lot more when transferring to airline and hotel partners.

This is a really cool section of the Chase Travel portal. When you click on Experiences in the main search bar, you’ll see a list of exclusive events, preferred seating, and other offers for select Chase cardmembers.

Experiences can be purchased with a credit card or with points. You will get 1 cent per point in value when redeeming points for experiences. Some experiences are only available to cardholders of specific cards so be sure to check all of your cards if you have more than 1 to make sure you don’t miss anything.

If you prefer gift cards, you can purchase them through the Chase Travel portal using points. Just click Gift Cards in the main search bar to get started. From here, you will be able to scroll through all of the available gift cards. You’ll get 1 cent per point in value, with occasional sales offering better redemption rates.

Hot Tip: Points redeemed for gift cards have a 1-cent per point value. However, you might notice some cards offer discounts, so there is the opportunity to get a bit more value!

Another way to use your Ultimate Rewards points is through the Pay Yourself Back feature. This allows you to redeem your points for a statement credit for purchases in select categories. The current categories include groceries, dining, select charities, credit card annual fee, internet, cable, phone, and shipping and the redemption value varies by card.

Transferring points to travel partners is the best way to get the most value out of your points . By transferring, you can potentially get 2, 3, or more cents per point value.

Chase Airline Transfer Partners

Chase Hotel Transfer Partners

To transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to any of the above airline and hotel partners, log on to your account and click on Transfer To Travel Partners in the top search box. Choose your airline or hotel and then select Transfer Points . You’ll need to fill out your frequent flyer information or hotel loyalty membership number to complete the transfer.

Bottom Line: You can currently transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to 14 different hotel and airline partners.

There are many ways to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. While transferring points to one of Chase’s airline and hotel travel partners can get you maximum value, there are a lot of benefits for booking travel directly through the Chase Travel portal .

In addition to hotels and flights, you can book car rentals, activities, and cruises. Or, you can use your points for cash back, shopping, gift cards, or Chase exclusive experiences. With so many ways to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, your next trip is only a few clicks away!

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Freedom ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Ink Business Plus ® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Do chase ultimate rewards points expire.

No. As long as you keep your Chase credit card open, your points will not expire.

Can I transfer my Chase points to someone else?

Yes. You can transfer your points to another member of your household who also has a Chase Ultimate Rewards account.

What are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

When redeeming points through the Chase travel portal, the credit card you hold will determine your points’ value.

When redeeming for travel, your points have the following value:

• 1 cent : Freedom card, Freedom Flex card, Freedom Unlimited card, Ink Business Cash card, Ink Business Premier card, Ink Business Unlimited card
• 1.25 cents : Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Ink Business Preferred card
• 1.5 cents : Chase Sapphire Reserve card

When using your points to shop through Amazon or Chase Pay, they are worth 0.8 cents per point.

When redeeming your points for cash back, gift cards, or experiences they are worth 1 cent per point.

What airline partners can I transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards points to?

Chase airline partners include Air Canada, Air France-KLM, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Emirates, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.

What hotel partners can I transfer my Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to?

You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the following hotels at a 1:1 ratio: IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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How to Transfer Chase Points to Delta

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If you’re anything like me, you love being on the go! But as most of us know, traveling gets a little expensive. Sure, sometimes you can find great flight deals, but it gets intimidating when you’re staring at a hefty fare price. For me, using reward points is one of the ways that I save on travel! Seriously, I’ve taken many free and discounted trips using credit card reward points, especially after I learned how to transfer Chase points to Delta.

One of my favorite airlines is Delta. They’re fantastic, but their prices aren’t always affordable, depending on when and where you fly. Well, if you’re a Chase credit card owner, you may be wondering if you can use Chase points to fly Delta. Let’s just say there are multiple answers to that question. Keep reading to discover my tips and tricks for using Chase rewards to buy Delta flights.

Bottom Line Up Front

The truth is that you can’t actually transfer your Chase reward points to Delta. Chase and Delta are not partners. But luckily for you, I’ve figured out a way to use Chase points for Delta flights anyway. The process is fairly easy, and I’ll detail it below.

How to Earn Chase Reward Points

I’ll start by explaining how to earn Chase points. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are earned through credit card spending. You can earn points by using your Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card to make everyday purchases or by shopping through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. 

I use  my credit card  for everything! That’s the best way to rack up points easily! You don’t have to be afraid of using your Chase credit card often because you get more bang for your buck. I make sure to pay my credit off on time so I don’t fall behind!

Additionally, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to various airline and hotel loyalty programs. Once you have accumulated enough Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can redeem them for travel expenses like airfare and hotels. Or you can redeem your points for cash back, gift cards, or merchandise.

In my opinion, Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card holders are so lucky. Chase offers some of the most valuable reward points out there!

Using Chase Points for Delta Flights: My Helpful Hack

As I mentioned above, you can’t directly transfer Chase reward points to Delta. Before I go into more detail, here’s a list of Chase’s travel partners:

• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• IHG Rewards Club
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United MileagePlus
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

Of course, Delta is not on the list. However,  Virgin Atlantic Flying Club , as well as Air France/KLM Flying Blue, are listed. All of those travel organizations are partnered with Delta. Because of that, you can transfer your Chase points to either of them and once you’ve done that, you can use your Chase points to book a flight with Delta!

It’s quite easy. But remember that your award ticket price is determined by your travel partner, not Delta sky Miles. Every airline is different, and they distribute awards differently. I like to get familiar with how each one does things before deciding between Air France, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, etc.

Using Chase Rewards for Delta Flights: Navigating the Redemption Portal 

Chase Ultimate Rewards also has a redemption portal. Chase encourages its cardholders to use the portal to book travel for flights, hotels, and rental cars. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of transferring points, you can simply book a Delta flight through the portal—since Expedia powers it. The good thing about this option is that going through the portal to book airfare gives you  several options  for flight routes that don’t include Delta. That way, you can see which airlines have the best prices. 

Furthermore, this booking option allows you to book your flight as a paid ticket, not an award ticket. Therefore, you’re not subject to award seat availability or blackout dates. Plus, since your ticket is registered as paid airfare, you can collect Sky Miles directly from Delta.

On the downside, the price of the ticket is likely going to be higher. That means you have to use more of your points to pay for the price of the ticket. This presents a problem during the holiday season or traveling to certain exotic destinations.

Using the Portal vs. Transferring Points

I choose between the portal and transferring to travel partners based on a few factors. If I’m flexible and don’t care about blackout dates, I’ll usually transfer my points. Also, if I’m taking an inexpensive domestic flight, I typically book it through the portal—especially if the ticket is under $400. With cheap flights, I usually don’t worry about trying to use points, and I prefer a paid ticket because I can collect Sky Miles. 

Sometimes I’ll book a flight through the portal one way and use points the other way. For a big, expensive trip, I play around with the calendar to check the blackout dates to see if I can work my way around them. For instance, it’s usually expensive to fly out on a Monday. Therefore, I’ll use my points to cover the price of a one-way ticket to my destination. 

Then, I’ll use the portal to book my flight back home and try to come back on a day of the week that’s the least expensive.  But of course, the methods I choose always differ depending on my situation, how much I’m willing to pay, and the number of points I have.

How to Transfer Chase Points to a Travel Partner

Since you need to transfer your chase points to a travel partner to use them in full with Delta, here is how you can do that:

Find a Transfer Partner

To transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to an airline or hotel partner, log in to your account on the Chase website and go to the “Use Points” page. From there, you will see a list of Chase’s transfer partners. Select the partner you want to transfer your points to and enter the number of points you want to transfer.

Remember that the value of your Ultimate Rewards points will vary depending on which airline or hotel you transfer them to. For example, if you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus, each point is worth 1.5 cents. However, if you transfer those same points to World of Hyatt, each point is only worth 1 cent.

Steps to Transfer Points

Before transferring your points, check the transfer ratio and the current redemption values to get the most value out of your points. Okay, so now that you understand point value, here’s a breakdown of how to transfer your points to a travel partner:

•  Log in to your Chase credit card account.
•  Next, hit the Chase Ultimate Rewards link in the dashboard.
•  Choose the travel card you want to draw points from.
•  Scroll down and select the transfer to travel partners link.
•  Next, select the airline or hotel to which you want to transfer your points.
•  Enter the number of points you want to transfer.
•  Hit submit!

And that’s it! Your points will typically post to your account within 1-2 business days. However, most transfers are instant. I rarely book flights on the same day I’m shopping around. I usually start scanning prices to understand which airline has the best prices. That’s how I determine which travel partner I want to choose.

If you select a route without paying for the airfare, some airlines will hold it for you for a few days. So, I’ll do that and go transfer my points in the meantime. That way, if my points don’t transfer instantly, my flight is “locked in” as I wait.

Just remember, the value of your points will vary depending on which travel partner you transfer them to, so be sure to do your research before transferring.

How to Get Cheap Delta Flights

Below are a few ways to get a flight through Delta cheaper than the average flight:

Sign Up for the E-mail List

If you’re looking for cheap Delta flights, you can do a few things to get the best deal. First, sign up for their e-mail list to get alerts when prices drop. The e-mail list is so helpful! Sometimes, Delta isn’t the first airline that I think of when I want to fly, especially if other airlines are cheaper. However, I always compare the pros and cons.

For instance, if I see low-priced airfare for Spirit Airlines, I’ll lean toward buying a ticket with them. But if Delta sends an e-mail saying they have the same route, I might opt for Delta. When I factor in the additional baggage cost  for Spirit, the price might be about the same. In that situation, I’ll book my flight with Delta. And if I can use points for it, even better!

Delta’s Flight Deals

You can also check out Delta’s flight deals and destinations page to see your city’s cheapest fares. Visiting this page before you book a flight is a great way to find a fantastic deal potentially. You’ll see a tab on the deals and destinations webpage that says “current flight deals”. If you click on it, it’ll show you a destination that you can fly to from your city for a cheap price. It’ll also provide the travel timeframe for that particular flight. Furthermore, a section under Delta’s flight deals offers low-cost airfare to the Caribbean and Latin America.

Another way to get low-cost flights with Delta is to use their flight calendar. If you have flexibility, select the “my dates are flexible” box before hitting the search button. That’ll take you to a calendar showing the cheapest days to fly within your selected timeframe. Once you’re on that page, if you’d like to see more options, there is a price calendar link at the top. When you click that link, it provides three monthly calendars that show which dates have the cheapest airfare prices.

Oh, and just an FYI, Delta has additional tips on its website to help passengers get cheaper airfare.

Fly Basic Economy

Delta offers Basic Economy fares that are low-priced. They’re more restrictive, but sometimes the savings are worth it. These bare minimum flights are “just the basics”, according to Delta. They’re the cheapest airfare that you can find, but they don’t include additional perks. With a Basic Economy ticket, you can’t pre-assign your seat. Your seat is assigned after check-in. No changes are allowed, and you’ll be last to board the plane. Not only that, but you cannot collect Sky Miles with a Basic Economy ticket. 

On the upside, you’ll still get seated within the main cabin. Plus, you can enjoy the other perks of flying Delta, such as getting complimentary snacks, connecting to Wi-Fi, and enjoying in-flight entertainment.

When I’m taking a short, last-minute trip, I often choose Basic Economy as my fare choice. This is my other low-cost option when I don’t want to use points for my flight.

Common FAQs Regarding Chase Reward Points

I’ve covered quite a bit so far, but I’m sure you have a few questions. Check out these FAQs to discover some of the commonly asked questions regarding Chase points:

Answer: Some of the most popular Chase credit cards that offer reward points include the Chase, Chase Sapphire Card, and the Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card. Collecting points with these cards is a great way to save money on travel, shopping, and more.

Answer: Chase Ultimate Rewards points are calculated based on several factors, including the type of credit card you use, your spending habits, and the type of rewards you redeem. You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with any Chase credit card that offers them as a rewards option. Chase reward points are different between each card. But, for example, points are valued between 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents per point. When you transfer points, you must do so at a minimum of 1,000 points and in 1,000-point increments.

Answer: Yes, if you have more than one Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can combine the points into a single account. This can be done by logging into your account online and transferring the points to your desired credit card.

Answer: No, as long as you have at least one active Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, your points will not expire.

Answer: You can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for various rewards, including travel, gift cards, cash back, and more. To redeem your points, log into your account online and choose the option that best fits your needs.

Answer: Absolutely. One of the most popular ways to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points is for cash back. You can either receive a statement credit or have the cash deposited into your bank account. If you want to turn your points into cash, check out the  Chase Pay Yourself Back  program.

Using Chase Reward Points for Delta: My Final Thoughts

I was so relieved when I discovered that I could use Chase reward points for Delta. Seriously, transferring points to a Delta partner is so simple and voilà ! But remember that transferring your points isn’t always necessary.

Check the portal and compare options to ensure that you’re making the right decision. Trust me; there were a couple of times that I wished I had taken my time to compare options before rushing to buy a flight. Don’t make the same mistakes as me! I hope this guide helps you out. Happy traveling!

Recommended Reads:

• Delta Comfort Plus vs Premium Select – What is Delta Comfort Plus?
• KLM vs Delta: Is KLM a Good Airline?
• Delta Basic Economy vs Main Cabin: What’s the Difference?
• Delta vs United Air
• Delta One vs First Class – Is Delta One First Class?

Can you use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to fly on Delta Airlines?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points CANNOT be transferred directly to Delta!

Bummer, right!?

While Chase Ultimate Rewards are a “flexible reward currency”, they are not infinitely flexible!

Flexible award currencies are valuable because they are… well, flexible. And they provide an array of redemption options, including transferability to other travel rewards programs.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are some of my favorite points to use, and while there are so many things you CAN do with them, there are some things you cannot – including transferring directly to Delta Skymiles…

If you have a nice pile of Delta Skymiles (perhaps from those recent increased sign-up bonus offers that just ended), you will not be able to add to it (and pool all your miles into one account) using a Chase Ultimate Reward transfer.

Don’t fret though! All is not lost! While you are not able transfer your points to Skymiles, I did a bit of research on the list of Chase’s Airline Travel Partners and have determined a few options for how you CAN use Chase Ultimate Rewards to fly on Delta!

We just need to get creative…

Here is our sample flight:

I chose this flight because Delta is the only airline that offers a non-stop flight between Tampa and Los Angeles and would provide a reason as to why you would prefer the Delta flight and wouldn’t want to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to another partner like United Airlines (who does not fly this route non-stop)!

And for comparison purposes, here is how much this flight would cost if we used Delta Skymiles outright. Remember though, Chase Ultimate Rewards points do not transfer to Delta directly!

Now follow me for how to make it happen using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points!

Option 1: Use the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal

Log-on to Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal :

Input your flight dates:

Pick your flights and view the cost in points:

I know that I said we had to get creative and this is the most basic Chase Ultimate Rewards point redemption that one can make. While many times the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal cost more points than a transfer to Chase Partners, you should ALWAYS give the portal a look as a starting point!

So, can you use Chase Ultimate Rewards to fly on Delta Airlines?

Yes –  In this case, it will cost you a total of 34,096 Chase Ultimate Rewards. An OK redemption to start, but we can do better…

NOTE: The Example above assumes Chase Sapphire Preferred redemption rate of 1.25 cents per UR point. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s superior Travel Portal redemption rate of 1.5 cents per UR point, Reserve cardholders can redeem just 28,414 Chase Ultimate Rewards for this Delta flight.

Option 2: Transfer Chase Points to Korean at a 1:1 Ratio

Korean Air is a Chase Transfer partner … and Korean Air just happens to be a member of the SkyTeam Alliance – which includes Delta Airlines! That means that you are able to book a Korean Air award flight (using Korean SkyPass Miles) flying on a Delta Airlines flight!

How many points will it cost you? Take a look at the Korean Air Partner Award Chart below:

Also note the Korean Air award “peak season” dates :

In our case our sample flight is North America (Tampa) to North America (Los Angeles) in October (not peak season) meaning it will cost 25,000 SkyPass Miles for a round-trip flight in Economy (45,000 SkyPass miles for Business Class)

How will you know if the flight is available?

Search for the Award availability directly on the Delta website . Additionally, you can utilize SkyTeam partner Air France’s website or Alaska Airlines website to find award availability for the Korean Award flying on a Delta itinerary.

Found the award availability and ready to book?

Well, unfortunately you won’t be able to book Korean Airlines Partner awards online, so you must call SkyPass at (800) 438-5000 and request to book a SkyTeam award ticket. Before transferring your miles to Korean, go ahead and place the itinerary on hold with the SkyPass agent. This is a strategic move since you will need to complete the SkyPass   bonus redemption   form (and   family registration form if traveling with others) and email them to the SkyPass email address [email protected] . Following their confirmation you can transfer the points and book the reward!

Yes – While it might not be the most straight-forward booking process, you can fly on this Delta flight and it will cost you just 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (transferred 1:1 to Korean Air SkyPass). That represents a valuable 9,000 point savings compared to the 34,096 CURs it cost to go through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal in Option 1!

Awards will vary in point cost so make sure to reference the award chart and search the award availability for your desired flight prior to any point transfer!

Remember – Chase Ultimate Reward point transfers are one-way and cannot be undone!

Option 3: Transfer Chase Points to Air France Flying Blue at a 1:1 Ratio

A few months back, Chase added Air France Flying Blue as a transfer partner – meaning you can now transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards directly to your Flying Blue Frequent Flyer account at a 1:1 ratio. The more transfer partners the better, but especially in our specific case where we are attempting to fly on Delta Airlines, since Air France is a SkyTeam member that partners directly with Delta Airlines!

How many points will it cost you? Well, Air France doesn’t publish a chart, but they do have a neat tool that will allow you to calculate the number of miles need for a specific award redemption using Flying Blue miles:

Air France Miles Calculator  

Using our TPA – LAX sample flight above, it seems that the round-trip flight for our dates will cost us 25,000 Flying Blue miles… meaning we will have to transfer  25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards to Flying Blue in order to book the flight.

Now that you determined the mile/point cost, how will you know if the flight is available?

First, you must create a Flying Blue Frequent Flyer Account! You must have one in order to search for specific award flight dates and to actually book an award. Once you have your account set up, you can login and then search your flight itinerary and designate “Use Your Miles”:

You will then be able to utilize the Air France award availability in calendar view:

Set your dates, then select your specific flights and then continue to fill in the passenger details!

Note: You must have the requisite number of miles in your Flying Blue Frequent Flyer account in order to continue on to populating the passenger details and actually booking and paying for the flight. If you have not yet transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air France Flying Blue, the transfer is instant and the miles will appear in your Flying Blue account in a matter of minutes!

Yes – You can book an Air France Flying Blue award to fly on this Delta flight and it will cost you just 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (transferred 1:1 to Air France Flying Blue). This is the same amount of miles needed for Option 2, but requires much less work when it comes to booking since the Air France award booking can be done online without any phone calls or forms!

Again, this 25,000 point option represents a huge point savings compared to the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal in Option 1!

Awards will vary in point cost so make sure to reference the Air France Miles Calculator and the search award availability for your desired flight prior to any point transfer!

Other BAD Redemption Options:

I wanted to include a few additional options just to show that there actually are methods to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta Skymiles, but the ratios are very much unfavorable and I really would not advise it in most (if not all cases)!

Option 4: Transfer Chase Points to Hyatt, then Hyatt Points to Delta

Hyatt is a Chase Hotel Transfer Partner and Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Hyatt. From there, Hyatt points can then be transferred directly to various airline programs, including Delta Skymiles at a 2.5:1 ratio.

To book our sample award you will need 25,000 Skymiles. Based on the transfer ratios above, you will need to redeem 50,000 Chase Ultmate Rewards points (transferred to Hyatt, then transferred from Hyatt to Delta) in order to book our Delta flight…

At that rate it would be a better points redemption to book directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (Option 1)!

FUN FACT: If this is overwhelming/confusing and a direct transfer to Delta Skymiles is your goal, then know that there is a flexible point currency that CAN transfer directly to Delta Airlines Skymiles  – that currency is American Express Membership Rewards points! If you are a Delta flyer and are mostly interested in pooling all points/miles with point direct transfers to Delta than I would suggest picking up a Membership Rewards earning card – the Premier Rewards Gold, the Platinum, the Everyday or the Everyday Preferred. With these cards you can focus your attention on earning Membership Rewards, rather than accumulating Chase Ultimate Rewards through the various Chase cards.

That said, diversifying your point/mile strategy is my preferred way to approach the points game!

Final Thought

What have we learned?

• You CANNOT directly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta Skymiles
• Through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• An award with Korean SkyPass miles(transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards)
• An award with Air France Flying Blue miles(transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards)
• You CAN (but shouldn’t) transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt Gold Passport, then onto Delta Skymiles

My pick? While I have not utilized either, I would go with Option 2 or Option 3 as these require the least number of Chase Ultimate Rewards points! By redeeming 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards you can book the $426 flight, providing you with a 1.7 cent value per point ($426/25,000 points) – not the highest value I have seen for Chase Ultimate Reward points, but it means that you can spend that $426 on In-N-Out Burgers rather than airfare!

Another tip – diversify your point earning strategy and try to make sure you are earning in accordance with your ultimate travel redemptions in mind! That would allow you to avoid some of these more whacky award redemptions!

I know, easier said than done…

Was this helpful? Did I miss a specific redemption that you have been able to utilize in the past?

Send all questions, comments, concerns, award booking help/assistance requests to [email protected] and I will make sure you are taken care of!

Happy Travels!

11 Comments

Great info, thanks!

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Great post — I already bookmarked it for later. Thought you’d want to know there is a typo in your value calculation under “Final Thoughts” #3. You note, “By redeeming 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards you can book the $426 flight, providing you with a 1.7 cent value per point ($226/25,000 points)” — it should be $426/25,000 for 1.7 cents per point. Thanks again and keep these interesting posts coming!

Thanks for the find – Updated accordingly!

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Too bad you can’t do OPTION 2 anymore since Korean Air isn’t a partner anymore

Can you transfer points between sky team members? Example transfer them to Air France and/or Klm, then transfer to delta ?

I really appreciated this article. I’m new to the points game and this is valuable information! Thank you so much. Happy travels!

You are not taking into account the taxes you have to pay using Delta or other airline points, but not chase points. The chase point using their portal includes all taxes….

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How to use the chase travel portal, you can use chase points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

With the right amount of planning, it's possible to book your entire vacation, including flights , hotels , cruises , car rentals , tours and other activities, entirely on points through the Chase Travel SM portal.

But are you getting the best deal by doing this instead of transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners and booking directly? It turns out there's a lot more to consider — everything from travel date flexibility and brand variety to the credit card you're using — if you want to get more value for your points by booking through Chase Travel SM .

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book flights, hotels, cruises, tours and vacation activities through the Chase Travel SM portal with Ultimate Rewards® points.

How to use the Chase Travel SM Portal

• How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points
• How to get started with the Chase Travel portal
• How to book flights through the Chase Travel portal

How to book rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities

What to know about chase's airport lounges, bottom line, how to earn and redeem chase ultimate rewards® points.

To access Chase Travel SM , you'll need to have a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card , Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

The easiest way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by taking advantage of the lucrative welcome bonuses offered by certain rewards cards: 

• You'll earn 75,000 points by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account. That's worth over $900 when redeemed through Chase Travel SM
• With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card 's welcome bonus, you'll earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel SM.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve 's welcome bonus gives you 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's worth $1,125 when redeemed through Chase Travel SM .

The card you're using to redeem UR points will also affect your point redemption value . For instance, if you're using the Chase Sapphire Preferred to book through the Chase Travel SM portal, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point). But if you're booking through Chase Travel SM with the Chase Sapphire Reserve , points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents per point) — the other $0 annual fee Chase cards each carry a redemption rate of 1 cent per point.

That means the bonus points you'd earn from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus is worth over $900 towards travel and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's is worth $1,125 towards travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

How to get started with the Chase TravelSM portal

To reach the Chase Travel SM portal, log into your Chase account, then click the area near the right side of the screen where it says the amount of your Chase UR points. Depending on how many Chase credit cards you have, you may be asked to choose which one you want to proceed with.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing how many UR points you currently have, as well as any deals or bonus opportunities. On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options.

While not the best redemption in terms of overall value, you could choose to use your Chase points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cash them in for gift cards and experiences, or reimburse yourself for certain recent charges through Chase's Pay Yourself Back tool . This is also where you can transfer points directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners if you have a specific flight or hotel in mind. Otherwise, click "book travel" to enter the Chase Travel SM portal.

From here, you'll be able to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and cruises. Simply choose your category, plug in your desired dates and details, and book with points, cash or some combination of the two.

Chase's travel partner programs

Currently, you can transfer your points to the following airline and hotel programs:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Emirates Skywards
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
• United Airlines MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• World of Hyatt

How to book flights through the Chase TravelSM portal

There are a few pros and cons to consider when booking flights through the Chase Travel SM portal. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, which makes it great if you're not flexible with dates and flight times. Just make sure you compare the number of points needed through the Chase Travel SM portal with how many points the airline would require if you were using its own miles, especially if you're hunting for a good deal on economy seats.

The catch with using the Chase Travel SM portal is you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air — you can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United. You'll also be able to book flights on most international carriers.

Remember that you can still earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase Travel SM portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight since you're "paying" for them with points instead of cash. Consider the taxes and fees you might have to pay if you were to transfer the points straight to one of Chase's travel partners versus booking directly through the portal, and to calculate and compare how many points and miles you'd earn by booking with either method.

You'll be able to search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For this example, below, consider a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card (redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point):

Results included 107 results with an economy mix-and-match United and Delta fare for $370 or about 29,600 points being the most affordable option. For comparison's sake, the points price is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines, but Delta isn't a transfer partner of Chase. You also won't earn miles if you were to book these awards through the airlines, whereas you will earn miles when booking through Chase.

To finish booking your flight through the travel portal, select your route(s), review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

Remember that if you're booking with money rather than points, you can earn extra rewards on your booking. In our example, if you paid $370 for a flight, you'd earn 1,850 Ultimate Rewards points with your Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card. Either card earns 5X points on flights purchases through Chase Travel SM .

Booking travel with Southwest

In 2023, Chase also added the ability to use Ultimate Rewards points to book Southwest flights directly through the issuer's travel portal. To do so, simply search for the flight using the process described above. Your search results will only show Wanna Get Away and Wanna Get Away Plus fares. However, when you proceed with the booking, you'll also have the option to select an Anytime or Business Select fare.

How to book hotels through the Chase TravelSM portal

While the best redemption rates are usually realized when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partner World of Hyatt, if you're not a huge fan of chain hotels or prefer boutiques or brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, or Wyndham, it can be a good idea to book them through the travel portal. 

As with flights, you won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award night availability. However, keep in mind that hotels treat the Chase Travel SM portal as a third-party booking agency, so you won't be able to earn hotel points on stays as you might by booking your stay directly with the hotel.

Hyatt hotels usually offer better deals when you book directly, and since it's one of Chase's hotel partners, you can transfer UR points instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott and IHG are usually more varied, so you may score a better deal by booking via the Chase Travel SM portal instead of transferring points over. For this reason, it's a good idea to ring up how much your hotel stay would cost in points through the portal as well as the hotel's website.

Start by searching by destination so you can see a list of all the available hotels. For this example, let's try looking for hotels in downtown Austin. Once the results appear, you'll be able to narrow down your search with filters based on price, star ratings, guest ratings, amenities and neighborhood.

Let's go over a couple of options within the Chase Travel SM portal, each booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. One option is the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, which is listed for $556 or about 44,500 points per night through Chase. If you book through Four Seasons, directly, you'll pay $561 per night. The hotel chain also doesn't have a rewards program but going through Chase provides a way to pay with points.

Another example is the Hyatt Place Austin Downtown for $288 or about 23,000 points per night through Chase. If you were to book this directly through Hyatt, you'd pay $279 per night as a member of its loyalty program or just 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you booked with points. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, in this case, transferring would make more sense.

As you can see, it's worth comparing points required by the travel portal and each hotel's website, as the time of year, location, and other factors may play a part in pricing. To book your stay through the travel portal, select your room type, review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you also get access to The Edit by Chase Travel SM — a premium travel booking platform offering complimentary benefits at featured properties. These perks include a room upgrade (if available), $100 property credit and daily breakfast for two, to name just a few.

It's a pretty similar process if you want to book rental cars, tours and other travel activities through the Chase Travel SM portal. Cruises can also be booked as well, but you'll need to call.

As far as car rentals, make sure you're booking through the travel portal with points that are connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of extra perks like primary rental car insurance — you'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when you book to activate this. You'll want to charge at least a few dollars to the card and not use points to cover the entire booking which ensures that you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card, which means you'll be entitled to the card's rental car insurance.

Beyond that, simply plug in your itinerary and search. Here's an example for a rental in Austin booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

You'll be able to filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options (like air conditioning and automatic transmission). For a seven-day rental, it would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option. As with other travel portal purchases, you'll be able to enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price. It works the same way for booking tours and other travel activities, so you could potentially enjoy a free — or nearly free — vacation solely on Chase points if you were to plan it all out properly.

When it comes to Chase, your travel benefits don't end with booking. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you also enroll and get access to two airport lounge networks: Priority Pass and Chase's Sapphire Lounge by The Club.

The Sapphire Lounge network officially consists of four lounges:

• Boston (BOS)
• Hong Kong (HKG)
• New York City (LGA)
• New York City (JFK)

Chase also manages and operates a lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on behalf of Etihad Airways. This lounge isn't branded as a full-fledged Sapphire Lounge, but it features a similar design and follows similar access rules.

Chase is planning to open four more Sapphire lounges in the future: in Las Vegas, Philadephia, Phoenix and San Diego.

Separately, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders also receive access to Sapphire Terrace at the Austin-Bergstrom airport in Austin, Texas.

Priority Pass, on the other hand, is a vast network with over 1,500 airport lounges around the world.

Booking through the Chase Travel SM portal can be a great use of your Ultimate Rewards® points, but make sure to compare the rates against booking directly with an airline or hotel itself. Finally, consider transferring your points to one of Chase's travel partners, especially if you're looking to book a luxury hotel or flight in business class.

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Plus, celebrate the Boeing 747’s iconic design with the new Delta SkyMiles ® Reserve Card Design.* Limited edition design available through June 5, 2024. Terms Apply.

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*The limited edition Boeing 747 design is made with 33% metal from a Delta Boeing 747 aircraft.

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Use your points to fuel your passions.

Not earning rewards? Apply for a Chase credit card with Ultimate Rewards today.

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Earn bonus points on select purchases and redeem for travel, gift cards, cash back and more.

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Use your points to pay for all or part of your eligible Amazon.com orders or when you check out with PayPal.

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Use your points to pay for all or part of your Apple purchases.

Shop over 175 of your favorite gift card brands.

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Choose to receive a statement credit on one or more of your eligible purchases.

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Redeem your points for takeout, reservations or exclusive culinary experiences.

Plan your next getaway, and use your points to help pay for it.

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Earn 1-15 bonus points per $1 spent at 450+ stores with Shop through Chase ® .

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Use your card and points to attend exclusive events curated around your passions with select cards.

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Transfer your points to any of our airline and hotel partners at full 1:1 value with select cards.

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Here are just some of the perks you could get with Chase Ultimate Rewards.

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Chase's Sapphire Reserve and Preferred, 2 of the best travel credit cards of all time, are offering intro bonuses worth up to $1,125

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• The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve are two of the best travel rewards credit cards ever.
• Right now, new applicants can earn 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points — up to 50% more than usual.
• 75,000 points are worth up to $1,125 in Chase travel or significantly more through travel partners.

It's time to plan your summer travels — and a new credit card sign-up bonus could earn you more than $1,100 in travel rewards. 

For a limited time, new applicants of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. These points are worth $900 or $1,125 toward travel purchased through Chase, depending on which card you get.

Chase's Sapphire credit cards are specifically designed with travelers and foodies in mind. These sleek metal credit cards come in two flavors: the everyday favorite Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and premium-tier Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve: the main differences

Both cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards and come with generous travel insurance benefits, no foreign transaction fees, bonus points on dining and travel expenses, and travel credits each year. You can redeem Ultimate Rewards points through Chase Travel℠ , or transfer them to more than a dozen airline and hotel chains for even better deals. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is Business Insider's top choice for the  best travel rewards credit card for value, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns an honorable mention. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.8 cents apiece according to Business Insider's valuations, and can be worth significantly more if transferred to Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners . 

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® costs $550 each year but comes with many benefits including a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access, monthly DoorDash and Instacart credits, and the best credit card travel insurance you'll find.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.5 cents apiece through Chase's travel booking portal, so the 75,000-point welcome offer is worth $1,125.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a much lower annual fee of $95, with lesser benefits to match. Cardholders get a $50 annual credit toward hotels booked through Chase Travel℠, quarterly DoorDash and Instacart credits, and generous travel insurance benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.25 cents apiece through Chase's travel booking portal, so the 75,000-point welcome offer is worth $900.

Which Reserve card is better for you?

At the end of the day, you can't go wrong with either card. You'll get the most return for your investment by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, especially during this limited-time promotion, because the sign-up bonus is worth more than 9x what you'll pay in annual fees. But the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers top-tier travel benefits that can be worth thousands of dollars per year for frequent travelers. 

You can't sign up for both cards for double the bonus, however, since cardholders can only have one Chase Sapphire card at a time. You also can't earn the welcome bonus if you've earned a bonus from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® within the last 48 months.

Not sure which product is best for you? Read our comparison of the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve , or read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review and Chase Sapphire Reserve review to learn more about each card. And if you aren't eligible for another Chase Sapphire credit card, read our guide to the best Chase credit cards to find your next best option. 

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Chase airline transfer partners

Chase hotel transfer partners, which chase sapphire transfer partners are the best, chase points calculator, how to earn chase ultimate rewards® points, chase travel cards with transfer partners, how do you transfer chase points, using chase transfer partners: is it worth it.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® are some of the most valuable transferable points available. Called Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, they can be redeemed for travel through Chase's travel portal for 1 cent each on certain cards. However, they can be redeemed at a higher value of 1.25 cents each if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or an even more impressive 1.5 cents each if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® . That type of exchange on its own makes for an excellent way to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards® points .

However, that's not necessarily the best way to redeem Chase points because three specific Chase cards available in 2024 offer what might be potentially far more value.

The cards at play here are the:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

» Jump to learn more about these card options .

With those cards, you have the additional option to send those points to one of Chase's transfer partners , which are generally hotel chains and airlines. And assuming you hold (or someone in your household owns), one of those three Chase cards, you'll very likely unlock even greater value out of your spending rewards when you use one of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners. That's because converting Chase points to hotel points or airline frequent flyer miles can often maximize their value.

Here's a summary of each Chase transfer partner and how you can get the most from your Chase points.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Of the 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners, 11 are airline mileage programs, which are:

Aer Lingus AerClub

Aer Lingus AerClub became one of the Chase travel partners in 2017. While not officially part of the Oneworld alliance, Aer Lingus partners with several Oneworld airlines — most notably British Airways, Iberia and Qatar .

Air Canada Aeroplan

There are plenty of reasons not to overlook Aeroplan — the newest of the Chase Sapphire airline partners. Air Canada is a Star Alliance member, so you can use Aeroplan points to book award flights on any Star Alliance airline, including United.

Seek out those Aeroplan sweet spots to help boost the value of Aeroplan points to 1.4 cents for award tickets.

» Learn more: A guide to Air Canada’s Aeroplan rewards loyalty program

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, Kenya Airways and a few smaller airlines. Because many Flying Blue airlines are members of the SkyTeam alliance , you can transfer points from Chase to Flying Blue to book award flights on other SkyTeam member airlines, such as Delta Air Lines.

The Flying Blue program offers a monthly Promo Rewards promotion that discounts certain routes by up to 50% — which can make Flying Blue sweet spots even a better deal.

» Learn more: A points collector’s guide to Air France-KLM Flying Blue

British Airways Executive Club

Most travelers might think of flights to London when thinking about British Airways. However, that's not where the value of British Airways Avios lies. In fact, most British Airways Avios sweet spots don't involve flying British Airways.

Instead, use this Chase transfer partner to book inexpensive awards on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and other Oneworld partners — including flying to the Caribbean .

» Learn more: The complete guide to the British Airways Avios program

Emirates Skywards

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is best known for its glitzy business- and first-class products. And while premium cabins command huge cash prices, paying with miles through the Emirates Skywards loyalty program is possible and considered the best use of miles (as opposed to using miles to book in the Emirates economy class ). A NerdWallet analysis found that you only get about 0.6 cent per mile in value for Emirates economy, but the value of Emirates miles jumps up if you redeem an award in Emirates business class.

Unfortunately, the Emirates Skywards sweet spots are limited — particularly on partner airlines. That said, the Skywards program is one of only a few ways to book Emirates first class with points since the airline restricts award availability through partner airlines.

» Learn more: The guide to Emirates Skywards

Iberia Plus

Just like British Airways, Iberia is a member of the Oneworld alliance and uses the Avios program. And after Iberia's recent overhaul to its award chart , award rates to book American Airlines flights match the British Airways Executive Club’s rates on partner airlines. However, other Iberia sweet spots include some incredible gems. Iberia often offers among the cheapest business class awards to Europe .

» Learn more: What to know about Iberia Airlines Plus loyalty program

JetBlue TrueBlue

JetBlue uses a revenue-based TrueBlue points program in which the required number of points for an award roughly equates to the cash price of the flight. That means you can't get outsized value from redeeming TrueBlue points.

However, just because the program doesn't have an upside doesn't mean JetBlue isn't a good Chase transfer partner. TrueBlue points are worth 1.5 cents per point — making it a valuable currency for economy flights among U.S. airlines.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines is another Star Alliance Chase travel partner that can provide excellent premium cabin redemptions. Singapore KrisFlyer sweet spots include flights to Europe and Hawaii, and flights within the continental U.S. Luxury travelers also flock to KrisFlyer, as it's typically the only way to book the award-winning Singapore first class product with points.

» Learn more: The guide to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer frequent flyer program

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Like JetBlue, Southwest uses a revenue-based redemption program, where points prices correlate with cash prices. This means you don't have to seek out sweet spots to get good value from your Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Instead, the value of Southwest Rapid Rewards is a predictable 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for Southwest flights. Steer clear of other Rapid Rewards redemptions for hotels, rental cars or merchandise though, as the redemption value can drop to 0.6 cents per point.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards

United MileagePlus

United joins JetBlue and Southwest as the three U.S.-based Chase Sapphire airline partners. MileagePlus miles are worth around 1.2 cents per mile when redeemed for United economy flights .

In addition to redeeming miles on United, you can redeem United MileagePlus miles for award flights on other Star Alliance partners. Just keep in mind that United can charge more miles for partner awards.

» Learn more: The complete guide to United MileagePlus program

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

London-based Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and it uses a different redemption chart for each partner, meaning the Flying Club sweet spots are just as diverse as its partners.

» Learn more: The guide to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Chase has just three hotel loyalty program parters, which are:

IHG One Rewards

The IHG loyalty program is good, but it's generally a weak Chase transfer partner.

NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.8 cent each. But since Chase points transfer to IHG One Rewards at the same 1:1 transfer ratio as all other partners, that makes for a pretty bad transfer that can actually devalue your points. Unless you find a killer IHG redemption, only transfer points from Chase to IHG to top off your account if you're a few points shy of booking a hotel you want with the rest of your IHG points. Otherwise, you’re generally better off booking IHG hotels via Chase's portal.

» Learn more: What you need to know about IHG One Rewards

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs around. You can redeem Bonvoy points for free nights and room upgrades at over 7,000 properties across more than 30 brands.

However, bigger isn't always better. When NerdWallet analyzed the value of Marriott Bonvoy points , we found that points were worth around 0.8 cent each. That puts Marriott in the same category as IHG, where points often lose their value when you transfer them from Chase to Marriott Bonvoy.

Considering Chase points can be redeemed for 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents each (depending on which Sapphire card you have), make sure that you're getting at least this much value before transferring Chase points to Marriott Bonvoy — which is unlikely. With that, save Bonvoy transfers only for situations where you find an outstanding hotel deal, or if you need just a few more points to book using your existing Bonvoys.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the Marriott Bonvoy program

World Of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is undoubtedly Chase's most valuable hotel transfer partner — and perhaps its most valuable travel partner overall, too. In NerdWallet's analysis, World of Hyatt points are worth 2.3 cents each when used for award stays.

Hyatt is one of a few hotel loyalty programs that still publishes an award chart . That means predictability in planning how many points an award stay may cost. Award nights start at 3,500 points, meaning you can really stretch out your Chase points at Hyatt hotels.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the World of Hyatt loyalty program

So that's a list of all the transfer partners — but which ones are the best? After all, some Chase travel partners are far better than others.

Before we dig into the best Chase Sapphire transfer partners, here's a complete overview of their estimated value, sorted in alphabetical order:

Using that estimated value stated above, here's the ultimate NerdWallet power ranking of the six best Chase transfer partners (with No. 1 being the best) are:

World of Hyatt.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

JetBlue TrueBlue.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards.

Air Canada Aeroplan.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

Best airline partner for Chase points

As far as Chase's airline transfer partners go, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is Chase' best airline transfer partner. Even still, you can easily get more than 1 cent per point in value from Chase points when you transfer points from Chase to fixed-value programs like Southwest Rapid Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue.

Other airline transfer partners can be hit-and-miss, such as Emirates, which is generally a miss when points are transferred to book Emirates economy class . But, it's usually a massive hit if you can transfer Chase points to be used for booking the incredibly-swanky Emirates business class on points.

Best Chase hotel transfer partner

Meanwhile, World of Hyatt comes out on top as the best Chase hotel partner. And not only is it the best hotel partner, but it's the best travel partner period given that eye-popping value over 2 cents.

NerdWallet's estimated value is exactly that — an estimate. You might find individually great redemptions while using other Chase transfer partners for specific trips.

Is it worth transferring Chase points to united?

While you might book hotels and airfares with cash or through Chase’s travel portal , it’s clearly often a better deal to put in the extra effort and transfer your points to one of Chase’s transfer partners — especially those named above. That said, folks seeking to maximize value should always calculate the value of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points relative to the price to pay for airfare or hotel rooms in cash.

Use NerdWallet’s Chase points calculator below to determine the value of your points, based on both the baseline and NerdWallet estimated values:

With a little bit of research, you can get even more value through other Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners versus using them to book travel directly through Chase's travel portal.

The most common way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points is through spending on a Chase credit card that participates in Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You might earn points through taking advantage of introductory offers — where you can get a windfall of points upon meeting a certain threshold within a window of time upon card approval — and via ongoing spending.

Just note that not all Chase credit cards earn transferable Ultimate Rewards® points. That said, Chase cards that do earn transferable Ultimate Rewards® points include:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Some of these cards offer bonus points in certain categories, so someone seeking to maximize their points earning might have multiple cards in their wallet to use depending on the transaction. To maximize points, you might use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to pay at restaurants (it earns 3 points per $1 spent on dining), the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to pay at drugstores (it earns 3% back at drugstores) and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to pay the monthly internet bill (it earns 5% back on internet, cable and phone services, up to a combined $25,000 in annual spending).

Even though the latter two cards don't let you transfer your rewards directly to any of the above airline or hotel partners, you can transfer them to another card that you hold (or that someone in your household holds), as long as that card is one of the cards that allows for transfers to partner airline and hotel brands.

The three Chase travel cards with transfer partners are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

on Chase's website

Annual fee: $95 .

Earning rates:

• 5 points per $1 on travel booked through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

• 2 points per $1 on other travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

Bonus offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Annual fee: $550 .

• 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase.

• 5 points per $1 on air travel purchased through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Bonus offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Bonus offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

Use this guide to learn how to transfer Chase points between two credit cards you own.

Here's how to to transfer Chase points to family member or spouse .

Once you've got all the points you need in one account, you're ready to then send them to the actual airline or hotel loyalty program you want to convert your Chase points into. Learn how to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners here.

Chase may lag other transferable bank point currencies like American Express, Capital One and Citi when it comes to the raw number of transfer partners. But some say that size matters not (at least in terms of number of transfer partners).

It's more about their value — and some Chase travel partners are particularly valuable. Just look at Hyatt as an example. Using this Chase hotel partner can morph a point that might be worth a measly 1 cent each when exchanged for Chase to something worth more than 2 cents when used for a Hyatt hotel room. That offer becomes even more tantalizing when you consider that NerdWallet ranks World of Hyatt among the most valuable hotel rewards programs out there.

With that, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points rank among the most valuable transferable points available.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

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Amex Gold vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Two of the best travel cards for everyday rewards

They might be two of the most lucrative travel credit cards available today, but there’s a clear divide between the American Express® Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

If you’re looking for great rewards on both travel and your regular spending — along with a ton of redemption value — these cards are probably already at the top of your list. Before you apply, here’s everything you need to know about both the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred, and how to decide which one is best for your travel goals .

American Express Gold Card overview

Annual fee : $250 ( see rates and fees )

Welcome offer : Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $6,000 within the first six months

4x points at restaurants worldwide

4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 spent per year, then 1x)

3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com

1x points on all other purchases

Why we like it : We like the Amex Gold for both frequent and occasional travelers who want to maximize everyday spending to save on future travel . With the highest rewards on dining and at supermarkets, you can easily rack up rewards at home — then cash them in for your next flight or vacation.

We also like the annual savings you’ll get to offset the annual fee. These include up to $120 in annual Uber Cash ($10 per month) when you connect your card to your Uber account, and up to $120 in annual dining statement credits ($10 per month, with enrollment) for spending at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Though Amex Gold does have a high $250 annual fee, these credits alone can get you a potential $240 each year.

American Express Gold Card pros

Annual credits : With up to $240 back in Uber Cash and annual dining statement credits each year, you can nearly outpace the Amex Gold card ’s annual fee before even accounting for rewards. Of course, these credits only add value if they give you money back on things you would have bought anyway. If you don’t typically use Uber for ridesharing or purchase from any of the eligible dining options, you may not get the full annual potential.

Transfer partners : One of the best ways to use your Amex points is by transferring them to a transfer partner loyalty program. Amex has more than 20 travel partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors.

American Express Gold Card cons

High annual fee : Though it offers a lot in return, there’s no getting around the fact that Amex Gold has a steep annual fee. At $250 per year ( see rates and fees ), you’ll absolutely want to do the math on your spending and travel before you apply to make sure you’re getting enough out of your rewards and benefits to justify the cost.

Getting the most from your redemptions : Unlike some other rewards programs, different Membership Rewards redemption options carry different values. If you want to make the most of your Amex Gold points, you’ll generally want to use them to book flights through Amex Travel or transfer to partners. While there are other ways to get the full 1 cent per point value, many other travel redemptions (including hotels, rental cars, and vacation packages through Amex Travel) typically redeem at a lower rate .

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card overview

Annual fee : $95

Welcome offer : Earn 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months

5x points on travel through Chase Travel (not including hotel spending that counts toward your annual hotel credit)

3x points on dining

3x points on online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart, or wholesale clubs)

3x points on select streaming services

2x points on all other travel

Why we like it : While Chase Sapphire Preferred offers solid rewards in a number of categories, we like its redemptions even more. If you choose to redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel, you can get a 25% boost on the value, making each point effectively worth 1.25 cents. If you have 100,000 points to redeem, for example, you can get up to $1,250 toward your next Chase Travel booking.

You’ll also get up to $50 in statement credits annually for hotels you book through Chase Travel and an annual points bonus on your account anniversary, totaling 10% of your total purchase value over the prior year — and it all comes at a $95 annual fee.

Chase Sapphire Preferred pros

High-value redemptions : The Chase Sapphire Preferred ’s 25% redemption boost when you use points to book travel through Chase Travel is one of the card’s biggest benefits — and makes the rewards points among the most valuable you’ll find. If you don’t mind booking travel through the issuer’s portal, this can be a great way to get the most out of every point you earn.

Transfer partners : Like Amex, Chase has a long list of travel transfer partners you can redeem your points with. They include British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue Air France KLM, JetBlue TrueBlue, United MileagePlus, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and more.

Chase Sapphire Preferred cons

Lack of annual credits/benefits : While you will get up to $50 back in statement credits when you book hotel stays through Chase Travel, it’s tough to match Amex Gold’s high-value credits. Compare your own spending before you apply to make sure you’ll get enough rewards value to offset the annual fee.

Not the highest rewards rates : This card can help you earn big rewards if your spending falls in line with rewards categories. But it does lag a bit behind the 4x rates offered by Amex Gold, as well as the wider-reaching rewards categories you’ll find on some other travel cards . Still, there’s plenty of opportunities to earn great rewards with the Sapphire Preferred.

Should you get the Amex Gold?

The Amex Gold everyday rewards categories and high-value annual credits make it one of the most rewarding travel credit cards available today — even with a higher annual fee.

To start, the 4x rewards rate on both dining at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (up to the annual limit) is one of the highest you’ll find among any rewards card . On top of that, the Uber Cash and dining statement credits can help you earn back nearly the entire annual fee each year. Even when you’re not traveling, these can be useful for maintaining your card’s annual value.

But when you also factor in travel rewards and credits, you can potentially far exceed the cost. This includes 3x points on airfare spending through Amex Travel or the airline, and up to $100 in experience credits for eligible Hotel Collection stays you book through Amex Travel.

One thing you should think about before getting the American Express Gold Card is how you’ll redeem your rewards. You’ll get the best Membership Rewards program redemptions when you use them to book flights through Amex Travel. There are some other high-value redemptions, but hotel and rental car redemptions, for example, generally get 0.7 cents per point value compared to a full 1 cent per point for flights.

Should you get the Chase Sapphire Preferred?

We think nearly anyone who wants major travel value for a relatively low annual fee could benefit from Chase Sapphire Preferred .

The 25% boost on redemptions may just be the best reason to choose this card, as long as you don’t mind booking your travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Take the welcome bonus as an example. You can redeem those 75,000 bonus points for more than $900 in travel expenses.

And at just $95 per year, it’s not difficult to earn back the annual fee amount in rewards value even if you only travel a few times per year.

Depending on how much you spend, you can also get a significant boost with the 10% bonus on every account anniversary. For example, say you charge an average of $1,200 per month to your card, or $14,400 per year. That would make your 10% bonus worth 1,440 additional Ultimate Rewards points — on top of what you’ve already earned for the year. While that’s not a huge amount of points in itself, the amount adds up year after year.

Should you get both cards?

For most cardholders, there’s little reason to open both the American Express Gold Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card . They have relatively similar reward structures, and neither offers extra benefits like lounge access, elite status, or other huge annual discounts that could justify the extra cost of owning both.

Instead, consider which of these cards makes the most sense for how you spend. Take groceries, for example — for many Americans, it’s one of the most consistently high monthly expenses. If you don’t already have a grocery rewards card but you do spend a lot of money at your local supermarket, the Amex Gold offers one of the highest rates among any rewards credit card today. But maybe you already have a card for grocery rewards, or you prefer your groceries through an online service. Then, you’ll probably get much more value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

How you travel can also be a big deciding factor between these cards — including which travel brands you prefer. If you always fly with Delta and you’re a Hilton Honors member, you’ll probably benefit more from Amex’s travel partners. But if, instead, you live near a United Airlines hub and World of Hyatt is your choice loyalty program, you’ll want access to the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

With either of these cards — or any other travel rewards credit card — it’s most important to keep track of your spending and make sure you don’t overspend only to earn rewards or take advantage of benefits. These cards carry very high APRs that can lead to lasting debt balances if you can’t pay in full.

Other cards to consider

Depending on what exactly you’re looking for in a new travel card , here are a few more we like:

If you want to simplify travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Why we like it : Capital One Venture is another travel credit card with great rewards potential. It has a $99 annual fee, and you can earn a 75,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 within the first three months. Ongoing rewards are simple: Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars you book through Capital One Travel and 2x miles on all other purchases.

Capital One Venture card redemptions are easy, too. You can use your miles to book future travel through Capital One Travel or put them toward any travel purchases charged to your card. Capital One also has a list of 18 airline and hotel partners you can transfer your miles to, often at a 1:1 ratio.

If you want premium travel perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Why we like it : If the above cards lack the added benefits you want for a premium experience every time you travel, the Platinum Card from Amex may be more your speed. After you’re approved, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. Rewards include 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 spent per year), 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel, and 1x points on all other purchases.

The Platinum Card does carry a whopping $695 annual fee ( see rates and fees ), though frequent travelers may earn that back with the long list of benefits and credits. Here are just a few: up to $200 back in annual statement credits for eligible prepaid Amex Travel hotel bookings, up to $200 in statement credits for airline fee charges each calendar year with your chosen airline, up to $200 Uber Cash annually ($15 each month plus a bonus $20 in December), up to $189 in statement credits for CLEAR Plus membership, and many more.

If you want to combine cash back and travel: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Why we like it : Chase Freedom Unlimited is a cash-back credit card , but it earns rewards that you can redeem for travel through Chase Travel (in addition to cash back). There’s no annual fee with this card, and it has an introductory 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers.

These are all the Chase Freedom Unlimited rewards categories: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on dining, 3% cash back at drugstores, and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. But for the first year, you’ll get even more. This card’s welcome offer increases your rewards earned by 1.5% across all categories, up to $20,000 spent in the first year. Instead of 3% on dining, for example, you can get 4.5% back during this period. If you’re able to max out the $20,000 cap, that’s up to $300 in extra rewards.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers.

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Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue card worth it? 

Delta skymiles blue card rewards, delta skymiles blue card benefits, delta blue card fees, rates & limit, how the delta blue card compares, is the delta skymiles blue card right for me, how do i apply for the delta blue card, faq: delta skymiles blue card.

Delta SkyMiles Blue Credit Card: Good for Occasional Delta Flyers

• The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card is a simple travel rewards credit card that earns miles for every qualifying purchase.
• What we think: The Delta SkyMiles Blue card is not nearly as perk-heavy as other Delta cards, but if paying an annual fee for an airline credit card isn’t something you want to do, this is a decent option. However, if you fly frequently, you’ll certainly find more value in a higher-tier card.
• If you spend $1,000 in six months after opening the account, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 SkyMiles. 
• The Delta SkyMiles Blue card has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees ( see rates and fees ).
• Restaurant orders, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., earn 2 miles per dollar.

If you’re not a regular traveler, it can be hard to get enough value from a premium travel credit card to justify the annual fee. That’s where the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card comes in — this card gives you the opportunity to earn SkyMiles without paying an annual fee.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to understand about this Delta card from American Express , including:

• How to earn and redeem Delta SkyMiles rewards
• Cardholder benefits
• Fees and interest rates
• No annual fee
• 20% in-flight savings
• Easy-to-earn welcome bonus
• Low earning rate
• No free checked bags
• No priority boarding

If you’re loyal to Delta but don’t travel frequently, the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card could be a good option. 

It offers an easy way to earn SkyMiles on your everyday purchases, so you can save money on flights in the future — and you don’t need to pay an annual fee. Plus, you’ll get a few perks that come in handy on vacation and in real life, including car rental insurance and purchase protection.

Pros and cons of the Delta SkyMiles Blue card

• Solid welcome offer
• Straightforward SkyMiles earnings tiers
• Discount on Delta in-flight purchases
• No intro APR offer

Learn more about Delta SkyMiles Blue card

Terms apply / Rates & fees

The Delta SkyMiles Blue card from American Express is a co-branded card; instead of points, it earns Delta SkyMiles. That’s a great perk, especially if you tend to fly Delta more than other airlines.

Welcome bonus

If you spend up to $1,000 in the first six months of having the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, you’ll earn a welcome bonus of 10,000 miles. Only purchases of goods and services count toward this spending threshold; fees and interest charges, prepaid card purchases and gift cards do not.

Keep in mind that American Express may decide you’re not eligible for this welcome offer if you’ve ever had one of the following cards:

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Earn Delta SkyMiles Blue rewards

The most exciting aspect of this SkyMiles credit card is, of course, the rewards. There are three easy-to-understand earnings tiers. You’ll earn 2 Delta SkyMiles per dollar for every purchase you make at restaurants and directly with the airline. For all other eligible purchases, you’ll earn 1 mile for every dollar you spend. If you’re a Delta flyer, it’s relatively easy to accrue miles — a $500 flight earns 1,000 SkyMiles.

Redeem Delta Blue rewards

Delta and American Express offer a variety of ways to redeem the SkyMiles you earn with your Amex Delta Blue card. One of the most popular is the Pay with Miles option. When you book a flight on Delta, you can redeem miles to pay for part or all of the flight. Every 5,000 miles gives you up to $50 off the cost, which is a maximum value of 1 cent per mile.

However, it’s important to note that you can only redeem blocks of 5,000 miles. If your flight isn’t an exact multiple of $50, you’ll lose a bit of value. To pay for a $175 flight entirely with rewards, you’ll need to redeem 20,000 miles.

Can’t fly with Delta? You can also use SkyMiles to book SkyTeam Alliance flights. Member airlines include KLM, AirFrance, AeroMexico, Virgin Atlantic and Korean Air.

Other ways to redeem your Amex Delta SkyMiles rewards include:

Once you book a flight on Delta, use your SkyMiles to purchase an upgrade or select a preferred seat.

Checked bags:

Use miles to cover the fees for standard checked bags. This option is only available at a few airports in the United States.

Hotel stays:

With Delta Stays, you can use SkyMiles to pay for hotels.

Charity donations:

Don’t need your miles? Donate them to charity through Delta, and they’ll go to organizations that help children, veterans and natural disaster victims, among others.

Delta Vacations:

Make a booking through Delta Vacations, and you can use miles to pay for some or all of the cost.

Magazine subscription:

Choose from a wide variety of magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens and InStyle.

Premium drinks in Delta Sky Club lounges:

There’s no need to shell out for an expensive gin fizz the next time you’re in a Sky Club; just use your miles to cover the cost.

Delta Sky Club lounge memberships:

If you’re a SkyMiles Medallion Member, you can use your SkyMiles to buy lounge memberships. An individual annual membership is 69,500 miles, which is a value of $659.

Delta SkyMiles Experiences:

Get access to one-of-a-kind experiences, ranging from special chef dinners to VIP seating at sporting events — then pay for them with miles.

SkyMiles aren’t the only perk you get with a Delta Blue card from American Express. Your card also entitles you to a variety of benefits you can use while traveling or going about your life.

Travel benefits

Taking a trip? Make sure you’re taking advantage of these Delta SkyMiles card benefits:

• Car rental insurance:  With the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, you don’t need to worry if your rental car is damaged or stolen. As long as you book and pay for it with your card — not with miles — you’ll be covered for up to $50,000.
• In-flight savings:  Pay for food and drinks with your Blue card on a Delta flight, and you’ll automatically get a statement credit that equals a 20% discount.
• Global Assist Hotline: In trouble on the road? The Global Assist Hotline can help you access a range of services, including referrals for medical or legal assistance. It can even wire you cash if you can’t access it otherwise.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/​benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Shopping and entertainment benefits

If you love to shop and seek out entertainment experiences, these Delta SkyMiles Blue card benefits may save you money:

• ShopRunner membership:  Your Delta SkyMiles Blue card entitles you to free two-day shipping if you enroll in a ShopRunner subscription.
• Amex Offers:  Use your Delta Blue card to enroll in Amex Offers, and you can earn extra SkyMiles on certain deals.
• American Express Experiences: Get access to exclusive tickets for events, including concerts and sporting events; these deals are available only to American Express cardholders.
• Send & Split: This special feature allows you to split payments with friends who use PayPal or Venmo — without ever logging into either platform. You can manage the split right in the American Express app.

Protections and assistance

If you love to shop, these Delta SkyMiles Blue card benefits can help you save:

• Purchase protection:  When you make a purchase with your Delta Blue card, American Express will reimburse you if it’s damaged or stolen in the first 90 days of ownership. That means if your brand-new laptop is stolen, you can get your money back — coverage includes up to $10,000 per item.
• Extended warranty: Get an extra year of warranty protection on eligible purchases with manufacturer’s warranties of up to five years. If you need to make a claim against the extended warranty, you can get up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per card per year.

Before you make a final decision on the Delta Blue Amex card, make sure to consider the fees and interest rates ( see rates and fees ).

Delta SkyMiles Blue fees

When it comes to fees, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card offers a good deal — you won’t pay an annual fee or foreign transaction fees.

Here are the card’s standard fees:

• Annual fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fee: $0
• Balance transfer fee: N/A
• Cash advance fee: The greater of $10 or 5% of the transfer
• Late or returned payment fee: Up to $40

Delta SkyMiles Blue card interest rates

Your Delta Blue card from American Express includes a variable annual percentage rate (APR) of 20.99% to 29.99%. American Express will determine your APR based on your application and credit profile.

Here’s a look at variable APRs available at Delta SkyMiles Blue card:

If you make a late payment or if your bank returns a payment, American Express is within its rights to switch you to a penalty APR of 29.99%. It may not, depending on your creditworthiness and account history. After you’re hit with the penalty, this APR will stay for a minimum of six months.

Delta SkyMiles Blue credit limit

If American Express approves you for the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, your credit limit will be assigned based on a range of factors. This might include your income, credit history, credit score, debt and other factors the issuer decides are relevant. Most cardholders have a limit of at least $1,000; yours may be considerably higher.

Compared to other Delta airlines cards , the Delta Amex Blue card is a pared-down option.

Although it earns miles and offers a few perks, it doesn’t include benefits that are standard on other cards — namely, free checked bags. If you travel frequently, you’re probably better off getting a different card; the lack of bag fees alone will likely make up for the annual fee. If not, this card is a solid option; it’s a basic airline credit card with no annual fee.

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

American Express issues both the Delta SkyMiles Blue and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , but they sit at opposite ends of the travel card spectrum. While the Delta Blue is a no annual fee card , the Reserve will run you a whopping $650 per year ( see rates and fees ). 

The Reserve is geared toward frequent travelers — it comes with $2,500 Delta Medallion Qualification Dollars per year, free access to Delta Sky Clubs, a free round-trip companion certificate each year, and more. The Blue card, on the other hand, is intended for occasional travelers who are Delta-loyal.

Read our full Delta SkyMiles Reserve card review

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card falls somewhere between the Blue and the Reserve cards. It has a $150 annual fee after the first year ( see rates and fees ). For that, you get a free checked bag, priority boarding, a $100 credit to Delta Stays and a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend at least $10,000 in a year. Plus, you’ll earn 2 SkyMiles for every dollar spent, compared to the 1 mile per dollar with the Blue card. 

If you’re a somewhat regular traveler but not quite ready for a luxury card, the Gold card is better than the Blue — it only takes five flights to make up for the annual fee in checked bag fees alone.

Read our full Delta SkyMiles Gold card review

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a general travel credit card; instead of SkyMiles, it earns points that you can redeem for travel. You’ll need excellent credit to be approved for this Capital One card , compared to the good credit that’s required for the Delta SkyMiles American Express card.

Both cards eliminate foreign transaction fees, but the VentureOne is accepted in more places around the world — an important consideration if you plan to travel internationally.

Read our full Capital One VentureOne card review

You might choose the Delta SkyMiles Blue Card if you’re a Delta fan and you’re searching for a basic rewards credit card .

It’s an effective way to earn SkyMiles on your everyday purchases — and with no annual fee, you don’t have to worry about getting your money’s worth in perks. As long as you can spend an average of $167 per month in the first six months, you’ll earn a 10,000-mile welcome bonus.

If you don’t travel often, one of these general rewards cards may suit you better:  

• Amex Blue Cash Preferred card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred card

You can learn more about the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card and apply online. 

To get approved for the Delta Blue card, you’ll need good to excellent credit . 

While American Express doesn’t give a credit score requirement, this usually means 690 FICO score or higher. When you apply, expect to provide your employment information and financial details.

What credit score do you need for Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card?

There are no hard and fast credit score rules for the Delta SkyMiles Blue card, but you will likely need a minimum score of 690 to get approved. The decision will take into account factors that might include your score, credit history and income.

Is the Delta SkyMiles Blue credit card good?

The Delta SkyMiles Blue credit card is good if you’re a loyal Delta flyer and you want to earn SkyMiles. It doesn’t offer many perks, but it comes with a $0 annual fee.

Do you get a free checked bag with the Delta SkyMiles Blue card?

No, you don’t get a free checked bag with the Delta SkyMiles Blue card.

What is the credit limit for the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express Card?

The credit limit for the Delta Blue card from American Express varies based on your qualifications.

What are the benefits of Delta Blue Card?

The Delta Blue Card comes with benefits that include rental car insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and access to American Express experiences and offers.

Elizabeth Smith is an experienced travel and finance writer who specializes in topics including credit cards, travel insurance, and personal finance. Travel insurance, in particular, has both professional and personal significance for Smith. She’s traveled to 73 countries, and has extensive experience choosing and using various policies — she understands how valuable the right plan can be in an emergency, and loves to help readers find the perfect fit.

Smith comes to the world of finance from a scientific and technical background. She spent more than 10 years writing about engineering, science, and technology for universities and private companies. When she’s not writing or traveling, Smith can usually be found hiking or Nordic skiing.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards: Which should beginner travelers get?

Editor's Note

If you're jumping into the travel rewards game, picking which credit card to start with can be overwhelming. There are a lot of competitive options, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

In this guide, we'll walk through two popular beginner travel credit cards — the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card . Both offer an entry point into earning travel rewards, but which is best for your wallet?

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Bank of America Travel Rewards comparison

Before we dive deeper into how these cards stack up against each other, let's run through a quick overview of each card's details.

*Point value is based on TPG calculations and is not provided or reviewed by the issuer.

Sapphire Preferred vs. BofA Travel Rewards welcome offer

The Chase Sapphire Preferred clearly has a superior bonus in terms of value. You'll receive 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, which is worth up to $1,538 according to TPG valuations .

By comparison, you'll only get 25,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening (a $250 value) from the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card .

However, something to keep in mind here is the spending requirements. While you must spend $4,000 in the first three months to earn the Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus, you'll only need to spend $1,000 in the first 90 days with the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card.

At the end of the day, the value of the bonus doesn't matter if you can't reasonably hit the spending requirements. For those with smaller budgets, the Bank of America Travel Rewards sign-up bonus might be the more attainable (and therefore more beneficial) option — though be sure to check out our guide on reaching minimum spending thresholds for tips on how to hit a higher requirement.

Winner : Sapphire Preferred. Its welcome offer provides superior value.

Sapphire Preferred vs. BofA Travel Rewards benefits

Neither of these cards is a premium travel card , which means they offer comparatively few additional benefits.

That said, the Chase Sapphire Preferred stands ahead in this category, as it does offer cardholders at least one complimentary year of DashPass service, which gives you $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash food delivery and takeout purchases (must activate by Dec. 31).

You'll also get a $50 annual hotel statement credit for reservations booked through the Chase travel portal, plus a solid lineup of credit card protections , including trip cancellation/interruption insurance, primary car rental coverage, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance services, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.

On the other hand, the Bank of America Travel Rewards card is much more limited. though — like the Sapphire Preferred — it is a Visa Signature card, so that will provide some benefits .

Winner : Sapphire Preferred also gets the edge here with its longer list of benefits.

Earning points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. BofA Travel Rewards

Once again, the Chase Sapphire Preferred comes out ahead in the earning department. You'll earn 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on travel , select streaming and online grocery purchases, plus 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025).

On the other hand, the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card earns 1.5 points per dollar across all purchases. However, preferred cardholders can boost this earning rate significantly. If you are an existing Bank of America customer with enough money stashed away with the bank to qualify for the Preferred Rewards® program , you can earn anywhere from 1.87 points per dollar to 2.62 points per dollar on all purchases.

Those who are Platinum Honors Preferred Rewards members (meaning you'll earn 2.62 points per dollar on all purchases) might end up getting more value from earning this higher flat rate across all purchases in the long term.

Winner: Sapphire Preferred. The Travel Rewards can't compete with its earning categories.

Redeeming points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. BofA Travel Rewards

Another major difference between the two cards is the redemption options.

The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card earns fixed-value points, like cash back on eligible purchases. You can redeem your Bank of America Travel Rewards points at a value of 1 cent apiece as a statement credit to cover travel and dining purchases. Otherwise, you'll get 0.6 cents value from each point by requesting a check or deposit from the bank.

With the Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem your points at a 25% bonus for travel when you book through the Chase travel portal, plus you get many more options when transferring points (see below).

Winner: Sapphire Preferred. Its redemption options are much more varied.

Transferring points on the Sapphire Preferred vs. BofA Travel Rewards

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a lot more flexibility in its redemption options. You can transfer points at a 1:1 rate to one of Chase's 14 valuable transfer partners . At a minimum, you can get a 1.25-cent value from your points through the Chase portal, but transferring to the right partner could get you even more value.

While there's something to be said about the simplicity of Bank of America's redemption process, especially for TPG writers like Ryan Wilcox , Chase takes the cake with more potential value and flexibility.

Winner : Sapphire Preferred, since it offers the option to transfer points to hotel and airline partners.

Should I get the Sapphire Preferred or BofA Travel Rewards?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with a higher sign-up bonus, a more robust earning rate and more value and flexibility in redemption options. The Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card is a simple card that's great for beginners, but for the most part, it can't compete with the upside of the Sapphire Preferred.

Bottom line

For those who hope to build a robust travel credit card strategy and learn about how to maximize transfer partners and card pairings, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great starting place.

But if the thought of navigating transferring points to a specific airline makes you break out into hives, the simplicity of the Bank of America Travel Rewards credit card makes it an excellent choice, too.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Bank of America Travel Rewards .

Apply here: Chase Sapphire Preferred

Apply here: Bank of America Travel Rewards