Chase Ultimate Rewards points are one of the most valuable transferable currencies you can earn. Because of this — and Chase’s 5/24 rule — many people start with an Ultimate Rewards points-earning card when they first get into points and miles.
If you’re new to Ultimate Rewards, you can redeem your points for travel through the Chase Travel℠ portal. However, the most valuable redemptions often involve transferring points to Ultimate Rewards airline and hotel transfer partners.
This guide will cover some of the best Chase sweet spots to help you maximize your next redemption.
Book luxury Hyatt hotel stays with Chase points
Chase’s partnership with World of Hyatt is great news for anyone collecting Ultimate Rewards points. That’s because World of Hyatt’s award chart is very generous: Standard rooms at top-tier Category 8 properties cost between 35,000 and 75,000 points per night, depending on whether Hyatt designates the night Lowest, Low, Moderate, Upper or Top.
With some Ultimate Rewards-earning cards transferring to World of Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, booking these properties at reasonable rates is easy, especially if you can travel outside of holidays and peak travel times.
For example, on select dates, you can book some of the fanciest Park Hyatt properties in the entire portfolio, including the Park Hyatt New York and the Park Hyatt Sydney, for 35,000 points per night. Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each per our September 2026 valuations, so 35,000 points are worth $717. That’s a great deal for hotels that sell for close to $1,000 per night, even when demand is low.
There’s also great value at the lower end of the Hyatt award chart. With Hyatt Category 1 hotels ranging from 3,000 to 9,000 points per night, it’s no surprise this is one of the best ways to spend Ultimate Rewards points.
Related: Best Hyatt hotels in the world to book with points
Book Iberia flights to Madrid with Chase points
You can score a great deal on nonstop flights to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), operated by Iberia, by redeeming your Chase points through Iberia Club.
Round-trip flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS); Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.; Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to MAD only set you back 32,000 Avios in basic economy, 50,000 Avios in comfort economy, 59,000 Avios in premium economy and 81,000 Avios in business class on off-peak dates.
This deal is so good that it might be worth paying for a positioning flight to one of these airports.
To get the lowest prices for each route, fly on off-peak dates. Look at the calendar, and see if any dates work for you and have award space. Note that the dates in red are peak, and all others are off-peak.
Related: Best ways to redeem Avios through Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia
Book flights to Hawaii via Alaska Airlines and American Airlines
Another of our favorite Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions is transferring points to British Airways Club at a 1:1 ratio and booking flights to Hawaii with Oneworld partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
While domestic flights within the U.S. can be found for as little as 13,500 Avios each way, West Coast flights to Hawaii on either American or Alaska start at 22,000 Avios each way.
Related: Airlines you can book using Avios: How to maximize your points and miles
Book Air France and KLM flights to Europe via Flying Blue
Another great Ultimate Rewards sweet spot is transferring points to Flying Blue to book flights on Air France or KLM to Europe. Both airlines have substantial North American and European route networks via their hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), respectively.
While Flying Blue prices its awards dynamically, the program offers the lowest saver-level pricing for all one-way flights between the U.S. and Europe as follows, regardless of origin or destination, meaning you can connect at no extra cost:
- 25,000 miles in economy
- 40,000 miles in premium economy
- 60,000 miles in business class
However, keep in mind that Flying Blue is adding Light, Standard and Flex awards on Sept. 8, so the lowest-cost awards will soon be for Light fares.
Remember, you could spend a few days in Paris or Amsterdam using the free Flying Blue stopover program. To book Flying Blue stopovers, you’ll need to call Flying Blue at 800-375-8723.
Also, look out for Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards, which offer discounts on select routes, classes and dates.
Book short-haul flights to Canada using Chase points
Though Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program still uses an award chart, it uses dynamic pricing for flights operated by Air Canada and select partner airlines.
However, you can still find cheap short-haul tickets from the U.S. to Canada. Short Air Canada flights within North America start at 6,000 Aeroplan points.
How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
You can earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points through spending on these Chase credit cards:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates and fees): Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first six months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Bottom line
The myriad ways you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards points make them one of the most valuable and versatile transferable points currencies. Whether you’re looking to travel domestically or indulge in international luxury, a transfer partner can help you get there.
While these are some of the best Chase Ultimate Rewards redemptions, they’re just the tip of the iceberg. If you play your cards right (pun intended), there are many other ways to get great value out of your Ultimate Rewards points.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.