Chase Ultimate Rewards: How to Use Your Points for Maximum Flight Value

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® are two of the most popular travel rewards cards in the U.S., both offering huge welcome bonuses. Most cardholders redeem those points through the Chase travel portal, getting about up to 2 cents per point. That leaves 2 to 20 times more value sitting on the table.

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to 10 airline partners at 1:1 ratios, but most cardholders never use a single one. The transfer process feels complicated. Which partner do you pick? How do you know you are getting a good deal?

This guide breaks down every Chase airline transfer partner, shows you exactly how transfers work, and includes real examples of what your points can book, from economy hops starting at 4,000 miles to business class seats worth $5,000 or more. Pointhound lets you search flights specifically by Chase Ultimate Rewards, so you can see exactly what your points are worth before you transfer a single one.

What Is Chase Ultimate Rewards (and Why Should You Care About Transfers)?

Chase Ultimate Rewards is the loyalty currency earned by several Chase credit cards. The cards that can transfer points to airline and hotel partners are the Sapphire Preferred ($95/year), the Sapphire Reserve ($795/year), the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card ($95/year), and Sapphire Reserve for Business ($795/year). If you also carry a Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Freedom Flex, you can combine those points into your Sapphire account to unlock transfers.

The Chase travel portal gives you a baseline of 1 cent per point. Sapphire Preferred cardholders get a boost of up to 1.5 cents per point on select bookings. That is fine for cheap domestic flights, but transfers to airline partners can deliver 2 to 20 times that value, with 3-10x in Business Class to 5-20x in First Class being realistic on the right routes.

The good news: at time of writing all Chase airline transfers are 1:1, in increments of 1,000 points. Transfer 50,000 Chase points and you get exactly 50,000 airline miles. No conversion math. No deductions.

Why does this matter? A 75,000-point Sapphire Preferred welcome bonus is typically worth about $750 through the portal. Transferred to the right airline partner, those same points could book a business class flight worth $5,000 or more.

Every Chase Airline Transfer Partner (and When to Use Each One)

Chase has 10 airline transfer partners, all at 1:1 ratios. This table gives you the quick reference, followed by details on when to use each one.

Best for Domestic Flights

• United MileagePlus (Star Alliance): The go-to for U.S. domestic and short-haul flights. Economy flights start as low as 6,000 miles one-way on short routes. United is one of the most flexible programs because you can cancel award tickets for a full refund of your miles at any time. Transfer from Chase is instant.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards: No blackout dates and no change fees. Points value is tied to the cash price of the ticket (roughly 1.3 cents per point). The limitation: you can only fly Southwest. Best when you already fly Southwest routes regularly.
• JetBlue TrueBlue: Strong for East Coast routes. The standout is JetBlue Mint business class, where you can fly lie-flat from New York to Amsterdam for as few as 65,000 points plus $5.60 in taxes. Chase is the only major transferable currency that partners with JetBlue at 1:1.

Best for International Economy

• Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance): One of the strongest programs for North America to Europe and Asia on Star Alliance carriers. Economy to Europe starts around 25,000 miles one-way. Aeroplan also offers stopovers on award tickets, so you can visit two cities for the price of one.
• British Airways Avios (Oneworld): Distance-based pricing makes short flights unusually cheap. You can book American Airlines domestic flights from about 7,500 Avios one-way. The catch: British Airways charges higher taxes and fees than most airlines, especially on their own long-haul flights. Best used for short-haul partner flights.
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Star Alliance): The only way to book Singapore Suites, one of the most luxurious first class products in the sky, where you get a separate bed in addition to your seat. Economy flights from New York to Frankfurt start at 25,000 miles. KrisFlyer also works for partner flights to Hawaii on Alaska Airlines from 13,500 miles one-way.

Best for Business and First Class

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue (SkyTeam): Flying Blue runs monthly Promo Rewards sales that can cut award costs by 25% to 50%. Business class to Europe starts at 60,000 miles one-way, but with a promotion that drops to 45,000 miles. If Chase is simultaneously running a transfer bonus (they have offered 25% in the past), you could transfer just 36,000 Chase points for a transatlantic business class seat.
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: One of the best-kept secrets in the Chase transfer ecosystem. You can book ANA (All Nippon Airways) business class from the U.S. to Tokyo starting at 52,500 points one-way, or first class from 72,500 points. Cash price for ANA first class can exceed $10,000. Virgin Atlantic's own routes are also strong: business class from the East Coast to London starts at 29,000 points. Expect higher taxes and fees on Virgin's own flights.

Other Partners Worth Knowing

• Aer Lingus AerClub (Avios): Uses the same Avios currency as British Airways. Good for transatlantic flights to Dublin and connecting onward to Europe. You can transfer Avios between AerClub, British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Privilege Club.
• Iberia Club (Avios): Business class from the East Coast to Madrid from 34,000 points one-way. Since Iberia uses the Avios currency, points are interchangeable with British Airways and AerClub.

How to Transfer Chase Points to an Airline (Step by Step)

Transferring Chase points takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. Four steps, no expertise required.

Step 1: Find a Flight Before You Transfer

This is the most important step. Always confirm that award seats are available before you transfer points. Chase point transfers are permanent and cannot be reversed.

Use Pointhound to search with Chase Ultimate Rewards selected as your points currency. You will see which airlines have availability on your route, how many points you need, and the value you are getting per point, all before committing to a transfer.

Step 2: Create a Loyalty Account with the Airline

You need a free frequent flyer account with the airline you plan to book. Go to the airline's website and sign up. It takes a couple of minutes.

Make sure the name on your airline loyalty account matches the name on your Chase account exactly. Even small differences (middle initials, hyphens) can cause a transfer to fail.

Step 3: Transfer Your Points

Log into the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Navigate to "Transfer to Travel Partners." Select your airline partner, enter your loyalty program number, and choose the amount to transfer (minimum 1,000 points).

Most transfers are instant. Some partners may take up to 7 business days, but in practice, transfers to United, Southwest, and British Airways typically arrive within minutes.

Step 4: Book Your Flight on the Airline's Website

Once your miles appear in your airline loyalty account, go to the airline's website and search for award flights. Select the flight, confirm, and pay any remaining taxes and fees.

For U.S. domestic flights, taxes are usually just $5.60 each way. International flights vary: expect $50 to $200+ depending on the airline and departure country. British Airways charges higher fees than most on their own long-haul flights.

Chase Portal vs. Transfer Partners: When to Use Which

Not every flight is better booked through a transfer. The right choice depends on the fare and what you are booking.

Use the Chase portal when:

• The cash price is low (under $200) and you just want simplicity
• You need flexibility to cancel or change without dealing with airline award rules
• Points Boost pricing is available, which can push your value up to 2 cents per point (depending on which Sapphire card you have)
• You want to earn airline miles and elite status credit on the booking

Transfer to an airline partner when:

• You are booking business or first class (this is where the value gap is enormous)
• The cash price is high relative to the points cost
• You are flexible on which airline you fly
• You want to stretch a limited points balance as far as possible

Example: A $150 domestic economy flight can costs 10,000 points through the Chase portal with a Sapphire Reserve card (1.5 cents per point with Points Boost). Decent. But a $5,000 business class flight to Europe might cost 50,000 points transferred to Virgin Atlantic. That is 10 cents per point, or nearly 7 times the portal value.

For the full breakdown across all points programs, see our guide on Credit Card Portal vs. Transferring Points.

Real Examples: What Can 100,000 Chase Points Book?

The Sapphire Reserve’s 100,000-point welcome bonus is one of the most common starting balances for new points collectors. These examples show what that balance can get you through strategic transfers.

Round-trip economy to Europe via United (75,000 points)

Transfer 75,000 points to United MileagePlus and book a round-trip economy flight from the U.S. to cities like London, Paris, or Rome. The same flights often cost $800 or more in cash. That is about 1.1 cents per point, decent for economy.

One-way ANA business class to Tokyo via Virgin Atlantic (52,500 points)

Transfer 52,500 points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and book one of the best business class products in the sky. Cash prices for ANA business class between the U.S. and Tokyo regularly exceed $5,000 one-way. That is roughly 10 cents per point, and you almost have enough points left for ANA business class on the way back (nice).

Multiple domestic round-trips via British Airways Avios (90,000 points)

Transfer to British Airways and book American Airlines domestic flights at roughly 15,000 Avios round-trip on short routes. Your 90,000 points could cover ~6 domestic round-trip flights.

Round-trip business class to Europe via Flying Blue on sale (45,000-60,000 points)

If Air France-KLM is running a Promo Rewards sale, round-trip business class to Paris or Amsterdam can drop to 90,000 to 120,000 miles. With 100,000 points, you can sometimes fully cover that trip!

These are the types of deals Pointhound surfaces through Deal Discovery emails. Premium subscribers also get Pointhound Flight Alerts when award seats open on routes they are watching, across 70,000+ routes tracked.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Chase points do you need to book a flight?

Economy flights start as low as 4,000 miles for short domestic routes (via partners like Aeroplan or Avios on American Airlines). International economy typically runs 20,000 to 40,000 miles one-way. Business class ranges from 30,000 to 90,000 miles depending on the route and program. First class starts around 50,000 miles and goes up from there.

Can you transfer Chase points to any airline?

No. Chase transfers are limited to 10 airline partners: United, Southwest, JetBlue, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, and Air Canada. All transfers are at 1:1 ratios in increments of 1,000 points. You need a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred card.

How long do Chase point transfers take?

Most transfers are instant. Chase states transfers may take up to 7 business days, but in practice, transfers to United, British Airways, and Southwest typically arrive within minutes. Always confirm the award seat is still there before booking after the transfer.

Can you reverse a Chase point transfer?

No. Transfers are permanent and one-way. Once your Chase points become airline miles, there is no way to move them back. This is why you should always find the flight and confirm availability before transferring.

Is the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve better for transfers?

Both unlock the same 10 airline transfer partners at 1:1 ratios. The Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) is the better entry point with a strong 75,000 point welcome bonus after $5,000 in spending. The Sapphire Reserve ($795/year) adds airport lounge access, higher earning rates (8x on Chase Travel, 4x on direct flights and hotels), and a $300 annual travel credit. For transfers specifically, both cards are identical.

Key Takeaways

• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to 10 airlines at 1:1 ratios, and transfers can deliver 2 to 20 times more value than redeeming through the Chase travel portal.
• Always search for award availability before transferring. Transfers are permanent and cannot be reversed.
• Best partners for beginners: United for domestic flights, Virgin Atlantic for premium international (ANA business class from 52,500 points), and British Airways Avios for cheap short-haul flights on American Airlines.
• The Sapphire Preferred's 75,000 points welcome bonus can book flights worth $3,000 or more through strategic transfers, compared to about ~$750 through the portal.
• Most transfers from Chase are instant, so you can search, transfer, and book in under 30 minutes.
• Search Pointhound with Chase Ultimate Rewards selected to see what your points can book, or sign up for Deal Discovery emails matched to your Chase balance.

Sources

• Chase. "How to Transfer Points Through Chase Ultimate Rewards." https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/how-to-transfer-chase-ultimate-rewards-points
• Chase. "How Chase Ultimate Rewards Works." https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/how-chase-ultimate-rewards-works
• Chase. "Chase Sapphire Preferred Card." https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred
• Chase. "Chase Sapphire Reserve Card." https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/reserve
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. "Credit Card Rewards Issue Spotlight." May 2024. https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_credit-card-rewards_issue-spotlight_2024-05.pdf
• Upgraded Points. "Points and Miles Valuations." April 2026. https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/points-and-miles-valuations/