How (and Why!) to Book Southwest Flights With Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

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I told you about 4 secret airlines you can book with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, including Southwest. 

Million Mile Secrets reader John asked how he could take advantage of this trick.  It’s a good one to know because Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are worth 1.5 cents each toward travel booked through Chase!

I’ll show you how to book Southwest with Chase points, step-by-step!

Why Book a Southwest Flight With Chase Ultimate Rewards Points?

You can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for flights on Southwest.  But remember, not all Chase points are created equal!

So folks with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card can book travel with their Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1.5 cents each.  That’s a good deal, because Southwest points are generally worth between ~1.25 and ~1.43 cents each.  So depending on your flight, you could actually get more value for each point by purchasing your flight through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

Plus, you’ll earn Southwest points for your flight when you book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.  If you transferred your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest for an award flight, you would NOT earn Southwest points.

Note:   You can NOT book Southwest flights online though the portal.  You must call Chase Ultimate Rewards travel at 866-951-6592 to book.

Even better, the Southwest points you earn will count toward elite status AND the Southwest Companion Pass!

So when you factor in the points you’ll earn for flying, you can easily come out ahead.

It could even be worth it if you have a card whose Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents each toward travel, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred.

As always, run the numbers to make sure you’re getting a good deal!

Note:   Points earned from the Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Sapphire (not available to new applicants), Ink Business Unlimited, and Ink Business Cash cards can only be transferred to travel partners if you also have either a Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Business Preferred, Chase Ink Plus (no longer available), or Chase Ink Bold (no longer available).

How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to the Chase Sapphire Reserve

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve increases the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you’ll want to transfer the Chase Ultimate Rewards points you’ve earned on other cards to the Chase Sapphire Reserve before you book travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.  I’ll show you how!

Step 1.   Go to the Chase Ultimate Rewards Website

Head to the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal and sign in to your account.  You should see a “Combine Points” option in the tab that shows how many points you have on your card.  Click it.

Step 2.   Select the Appropriate Cards

In the left column, select the card you want to transfer your points from.  In the right column, select the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Step 3.   Choose the Number of Points You Want to Transfer

Now tell the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal how many points you want to transfer to the Chase Sapphire Reserve (you should transfer all of them).

That’s it!  Your Chase Ultimate Rewards points will now be worth 1.5 cents each when you redeem from your Chase Sapphire Reserve through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal.

How to Book Southwest With Chase Points

If you decide you want to book Southwest flight with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, here’s what to do.

Step 1.   Find Your Flights on Southwest

Navigate to Southwest.com.

I searched for a trip from Houston to Chicago.

After you enter your destination and dates, click “Search” to show your results.

Step 2.   Choose Your Flights

On the next page, select your flights.  You do NOT have to book a round-trip flight.  But I chose departure and returning flights.

Once you find a schedule you like, click “Continue.”

Step 3.   Call Chase

Next, you’ll need to call Chase to book.  The number for the Chase travel center is 866-951-6592.

Tell the agent you want to book a Southwest flight with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.  Then, give the same dates and flight numbers you found earlier.

Ask to verify the price.  Because sometimes the fares can show up differently for travel agents as opposed to when you search directly on an airline’s website.

And if all sounds good, book it!  The points will be deducted from your Chase Ultimate Rewards account.  And Chase will email you a copy of your flight details.

You can also ask for the confirmation numbers.  Be sure to write them down so you can look up your flights later.

That’s it!  Enjoy your trip to Chicago.  Or wherever you decide to go! 🙂

Want More Chase Ultimate Rewards Points?

Apply Here:   Chase Sapphire Preferred

Apply Here:   Chase Sapphire Reserve

Apply Here:   Ink Business Preferred

You can earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points by signing-up for Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Ink Business Preferred.

For example, the Ink Business Preferred currently comes with 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.  Because points are worth 1.25 cents each when you redeem them through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal, the sign-up bonus is worth $1,000 in travel (80,000 points X 1.25 cents each)!

But if you also have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, your points will be worth 1.5 cents each after transferring them from the Ink Business Preferred to the Chase Sapphire Reserve.  Making the sign-up bonus worth $1,200 (80,000 points X 1.5 cents each).

Note:   These cards are restricted by Chase’s strict approval rules.  So if you’ve opened 5+ cards from ANY bank (except Chase business cards and certain other small business cards) in the past 24 months, you will NOT be approved for these cards.

Bottom Line

It’s easy to book Southwest flights with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Find the flights you want on Southwest.com.  Then call the Chase travel center at 866-951-6592 to book them.  Verify the dates, flight numbers, and price are the same.  If so, go ahead and book it!

You can often get a better deal booking this way, especially if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

You’ll earn Southwest points when you fly.  And, your flights will count toward elite status and the Southwest Companion Pass!