Planning a Caribbean Vacation With the Ink Business Preferred 80,000-Point Bonus

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    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Chase Ultimate Rewards points are terrific for award flights to the Caribbean.  So the amazing Ink Business Preferred Credit Card sign-up bonus of 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points can go a long way towards award flights AND free hotel nights.

    You can transfer points to 4 airline partners to get to the Caribbean:  British Airways, Flying Blue, Southwest, and United Airlines.

    With remaining points, you can book free hotel stays at chains like Hyatt or IHG.  And if you need more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer points from other cards like the Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire Reserve.

    Book a Caribbean Getaway to Aruba & Many Other Destinations Using the 80,000 Point Ink Business Preferred Sign-Up Bonus for Award Flights and Free Hotel Nights

    I’ll explain how to use your points to get Big Travel to the Caribbean!

    4 Ways to Get to the Caribbean Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

    Link:   Chase Ink Business Preferred

    After completing the Ink Business Preferred minimum spending requirement, you’ll have at least 85,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points you can use towards a Caribbean vacation.

    Plus, you can combine points from other Ultimate Rewards cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

    I’ll show you 4 award flight choices to get to the Caribbean.

    1.   Transfer Points to United Airlines

    Link:   United Airlines Award Chart

    Link:   United Airlines Partner Award Chart

    United Airlines charges the same number of miles for flights to more than 20 destinations in the Caribbean, no matter which city you’re starting from in the continental US, Alaska, or Canada.  That’s why United Airlines is your best option if you’re traveling a long distance to get to the Caribbean.

    You’ll pay:

    You can also fly to the Caribbean on United Airlines partner airlines like:

    For example, I found a round-trip award flight from Newark to San Juan in March 2017, for 35,000 United Airlines miles and ~$11.

    Use 35,000 United Airlines Miles to Book a Round-Trip Award Flight to San Juan!

    2.   Transfer Points to British Airways

    Link:   American Airlines Caribbean Destinations 

    Link:   British Airways Award Flight Calculator   

    Link:   How to Fly to the Caribbean With British Airways Avios Points

    You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus to British Airways and fly to more than 30 Caribbean destinations on oneworld alliance partner American Airlines.

    British Airways uses a distance-based award chart.  That means the amount you’ll pay depends on the length of your flight.  So folks traveling shorter distances to the Caribbean, like from the East Coast or Southern US states, can get a great deal using British Airways Avios points.

    Award flights cost:

    I recommend using the British Airways award flight calculator or Wandering Aramean’s Avios calculator tool to check the cost of an award flight.

    Available award seats can be extremely limited.  So this might not be a great option if you’re looking to book a family vacation to the Caribbean using points.

    I found available award seats on a non-stop, round-trip American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Nassau, Bahamas for 15,000 British Airways Avios points and ~$102. 

    Use 15,000 British Airways Avios Points for a Round-Trip Award Flight From Charlotte to Nassau, Bahamas

    This same flight would cost 30,000 American Airlines miles and ~$102 if you booked directly with American Airlines.  So using British Airways Avios points saves you 15,000 miles!

    3.   Transfer Points to Flying Blue (Air France / KLM)

    Link:   Flying Blue Miles Calculator

    Transferring points from your Ink Business Preferred bonus to Flying Blue gives you the option to book award flights on SkyTeam Alliance partner airlines like Delta.

    One-way award flights from the US to Caribbean destinations cost:

    But you’ll pay even less to get to these Caribbean destinations:

    Because Flying Blue considers these destinations in North America, it will only cost 12,500 Flying Blue miles one-way in coach.  That’s an amazing deal!

    Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Flying Blue to Book Discounted Award Flights to Cozumel

    4.   Transfer Points to Southwest

    Link:   How to Fly (Almost) Free For Two Years on Southwest!

    Southwest award flights are terrific because there are no blackout dates.  As long as a flight is available to purchase, you can use Southwest points to book an award flight.

    For example, I found a round-trip award flight from Houston to Cancun in January 2017, for 17,410 Southwest points and ~$46 in taxes and fees.

    You’ll Pay 17,410 Southwest Points and ~$46 for a Round-Trip Award Flight From Houston to Cancun

    This same flight costs ~$323 if you paid cash.

    On all Southwest flights, you’ll also get:

    Southwest flies to these Caribbean destinations:

    Folks with the Southwest Companion Pass will get the best deal traveling to the Caribbean.  Because a friend or family member can fly with you for almost free on paid and award tickets for up to 2 years!

    Get Travel Protection With the Ink Business Preferred

    Link:   Ink Business Preferred Benefits Guide

    Remember when you pay for part of your trip with the Ink Business Preferred, like the taxes and fees on an award flight, you’ll also get perks like:

    It’s good to know you’re covered in the unlikely event you’ll have to use any of these coverages.

    Also remember, the Ink Business Preferred comes with $600 in cell phone insurance.  So if your phone is damaged or stolen on your Caribbean vacation, this coverage could save you a lot of money on repairs or buying a replacement.

    Hotel Stays in the Caribbean With Ultimate Rewards Points

    After your flights to the Caribbean are booked, you can transfer any remaining Chase Ultimate Rewards points to hotel partners like IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton.

    Emily and I like Hyatt hotels because we’ve had excellent experiences staying with them.  And their top-category hotels can be very expensive if you paid cash.

    Here are posts on top Caribbean hotels you could stay at by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

    You can also book hotels through the Chase travel portal.  And remember your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents each when used to book hotels this way.

    So you might be able to book a stay at a hotel that’s not part of a big chain or a unique all-inclusive.

    Bottom Line

    The 80,000-point Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus gives you terrific options for a Caribbean vacation.

    For award flights to the Caribbean, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to airline programs like British Airways, Flying Blue, Southwest, and United Airlines.

    If you have the Southwest Companion Pass, flying Southwest to the Caribbean can be an amazing deal because you’ll get almost 2 for 1 travel!

    With remaining Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can book outstanding hotels with IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton.

    Which Caribbean destination would you visit with the Ink Business Preferred bonus?

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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