Officially, Chase Ultimate Rewards has 7 airline and 4 hotel transfer partners. But did you know you can access dozens of other airline and hotel options indirectly with Chase Ultimate Rewards points?
I’ll give you ideas on how you can use your points with partners for more Big Travel!
About Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Link: Why Chase Ultimate Rewards Is My Favorite Points Program
Chase Ultimate Rewards is my favorite points program because I like the flexibility of their fantastic travel partners, like British Airways and Marriott.
Here are all the travel transfer partners:
| Chase Ultimate Rewards Airline Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | British Airways | Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) |
| Iberia | JetBlue | Singapore Airlines |
| Southwest | United Airlines | Virgin Atlantic |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards Hotel Transfer Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt | IHG | Marriott |
| Ritz-Carlton |
And here are all the cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
| Personal Cards | Business Cards |
|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Chase Ink Business Preferred |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card | Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card |
| Chase Sapphire (No Longer Available to New Applicants) | |
| Note: Points earned from the Chase Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Sapphire, and Ink Business Cash cards can only be transferred to travel partners if you also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Preferred, Ink Plus, or Ink Bold card. |
- British Airways is part of Oneworld (including American Airlines, Air Berlin, and Finnair)
- Korean Air is part of SkyTeam (including Delta, Air France, and KLM)
- United Airlines is part of Star Alliance (including ANA, Lufthansa, and SWISS)
And some airlines have their own partnerships:
- British Airways partners with Alaska Airlines
- United Airlines partners with Aer Lingus
- Virgin Atlantic partners with Virgin America
Let’s look at some ways you can use Chase Ultimate Rewards for “secret” partner awards!
Note: You can NOT transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the partners directly. You must access them indirectly by transferring to one of the airline partners or Marriott first.1. Starwood Award Nights With Marriott
Thanks to the Marriott-Starwood merger, you can now transfer Marriott points to Starwood at a 3:1 ratio (3 Marriott points = 1 Starwood point). To access this feature, simply link your Marriott and Starwood accounts.
From there, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio. And then to Starwood for award nights!
This is one of the sweet spots of the merger. And considering low-tier award nights at Starwood hotels start at 2,000 Starwood points per night on the weekends, that means you can transfer 6,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott, then to Starwood for a last-minute stay!
2. American Airlines Flights With British Airways Avios Points
Link: Use American Airlines Miles & British Airways Points to Take a Family Vacation
You can save thousands of American Airlines miles by booking short-haul flights under 1,150 miles with British Airways Avios points instead. And luckily, Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer instantly to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio!
Short flights are sometimes the most expensive. That’s because they cost a lot to operate. Or don’t always have the same demand as longer, more popular routes.
For example, I found a one-way flight from Dallas to Cancun next spring for ~$420. You could book that same flight with 7,500 British Airways Avios points through the British Airways website after making an instant transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards. In this case, each point is worth ~6 cents each!
And of course, you can book a round-trip Cancun getaway for 15,000 British Airways Avios points, which is much less than the 25,000 or 30,000 American Airlines miles you’d pay, depending on the dates. So that’s a fantastic deal!
3. Alaska Airlines Flights With British Airways Avios Points
Link: How to Fly to Hawaii With British Airways Avios Points
If you want to visit Hawaii, you’re in luck! Alaska Airlines has several flights to Hawaii from many cities on the West Coast, including:
- Anchorage
- Bellingham
- Oakland
- Portland
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Jose
- Seattle
Even better, you can book these flights for only 12,500 British Airways Avios points each way in coach!
Not many folks know you can book Alaska Airlines flights with British Airways Avios points via Chase Ultimate Rewards points. But you can!
First, find the Alaska Airlines flight you want on the American Airlines website. And then call British Airways at 800-452-1201 to book your award tickets to Hawaii! If they mention a booking fee, ask them to waive it because you can NOT book these awards online.
You’ll be saying “Aloha” in no time! 🙂
4. Air Berlin Flights With British Airways Avios Points
Link: The Best International Awards Using British Airways Avios Points
If you want to visit Europe, consider Air Berlin. Because they partner with British Airways, you can book their flights after you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways.
Air Berlin’s destinations in the US are:
- Boston
- Fort Myers
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
And good deals to Germany on Air Berlin include:
- Boston to Düsseldorf – 20,000 British Airways Avios points
- New York (JFK) to Berlin or Düsseldorf – 20,000 British Airways Avios points
- Chicago to Berlin – 25,000 British Airways Avios points
- Fort Myers, FL to Düsseldorf – 25,000 British Airways Avios points
- Miami to Berlin or Düsseldorf – 25,000 British Airways Avios points
- Los Angeles to Düsseldorf – 30,000 British Airways Avios points
Berlin and Düsseldorf are both fantastic cities. You can stop over in either place and explore.
Or you can use budget airlines, Europe’s great train system, or more award flights with British Airways Avios points, to venture further! For example, Emily flew on Air Berlin on her way to Croatia for a trip with her friends to dance, eat, and shop!
5. Aer Lingus Flights With British Airways Avios Points or United Airlines Miles
Link: Sweet Spot: British Airways Avios Points to Europe Using Chase & Starwood Points!
Feeling the luck of the Irish? Aer Lingus flies to the following cities in the US:
- Boston
- Chicago
- Hartford
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Newark
- Orlando
- San Francisco
- Washington, DC
You can fly to Europe for 30,000 United Airlines miles in coach one-way from the US. Or you can use British Airways Avios points! Good deals one-way in coach include:
- Boston to Dublin – 12,500 British Airways Avios points
- Chicago to Dublin – 20,000 British Airways Avios points
- New York (JFK) to Dublin or Shannon – 20,000 British Airways Avios points
- Orlando to Dublin – 25,000 British Airways Avios points
- San Francisco to Dublin – 25,000 British Airways Avios points
So you’ll pay fewer points across the board with British Airways Avios points. But if you already have lots of United Airlines miles, you can easily top off your account with Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
To find a seat, search on United.com. If you want to use United Airlines miles, you can book on their website. But to book with British Airways Avios points, you must call British Airways at 800-452-1201. Again, ask them to waive any booking fees. Team member Harlan booked an award from Boston to Dublin and didn’t pay any fees to British Airways!
If you can find an award seat to Dublin or Shannon on Aer Lingus, this is a fantastic deal! And Dublin is a great place for budget airlines, where Ryanair is based. So it’s easy to see more of Europe when you begin your trip in Ireland!
Bottom Line
With Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you aren’t limited to their travel transfer partners. In fact, it’s only the beginning!
Thanks to partnerships and alliances, you have access to dozens of other airlines. And because of the Marriott-Starwood merger, you can now transfer Marriott points to Starwood at a 3:1 ratio. Save miles on fantastic trips to Hawaii, Europe (including Ireland), and short flights within the US or to nearby international cities with partners you might not have known about. This kind of flexibility is why Chase Ultimate Rewards is my favorite points program!What’s your favorite “secret” way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points?