Pair These 2 Chase Credit Cards for Amazing Trips Worth $3,000 – and Potentially Much More
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We love Chase credit cards for all the award trips they’ve given us over the years. The sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has held steady at 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting minimum spending requirements for a while. That’s worth $625+ toward travel on its own.
But the highest-ever offer to earn 75,000 United Airlines miles after meeting minimum spending requirements with the United℠ Explorer Business Card caught us off guard! If you’re able to open both cards, you could easily get 3 round-trip domestic award tickets in coach, plus free hotel nights – which could be worth $3,000+.
In fact, when you combine this excellent offer with flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points, your travel options are wide open. But the 75,000-mile offer with the Chase United Explorer small business card ends March 18, 2019. So apply soon if you’re interested!
Here are a few ways to get the most travel from the 2 cards’ sign-up bonuses!
Limited-Time Highest-Ever Offer on the Chase United Explorer Business Card
Apply Here: United℠ Explorer Business Card
Read our review of the Chase United Explorer Small Business Card
Through March 18, 2019, you can earn 75,000 United Airlines miles when you open the Chase United Explorer small business card and spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
All told, you’ll have at least 80,000 United Airlines miles once you complete the minimum spending requirements. That’s enough for:
- 3 round-trip coach award flights within the US or Canada (75,000 United Airlines miles)
- Round-trip coach award flight to Hawaii (45,000 United Airlines miles)
- Round-trip coach award flight to Europe (60,000 United Airlines miles)
- One-way Business Class award flight to Europe (60,000 United Airlines miles)
- Coach award flights to South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, or Australia (between 20,000 and 42,500 United Airlines miles one-way)
For example, I found 3 non-stop award flights on Air Canada (because you can use United Airlines miles to fly ~27 different airlines!) from Dallas to Montreal this May for 75,000 United Airlines miles and ~$174 in taxes.
Compare that to paying $1,590 out of pocket for the exact same flights! In this case, your miles are worth ~$1,416 ($1,590 – $174), or ~ 2 cents each.
Of course, you can also use your miles for a fancy Business Class seat to Europe, which can easily cost several thousand dollars. Or you can pay 10,000 United Airlines miles for short flights under 700 miles – these can be some of the most expensive!
So this sign-up offer could get you to Europe in style, or 8 short one-way flights in coach. Either option could save you a LOT of money.
Remember, cardholders have access to more available award seats – one of my favorite perks of the card and why I keep it in my wallet year after year!
Just note, while this card won’t count toward your Chase 5/24 status, it IS subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. That means you won’t be approved for it if you’ve opened 5 or more cards from any bank in the past 24 months (except for certain small business cards).
So if you want 2 Chase cards, definitely get this one first. Here’s our review of the Chase United Explorer small business card.
And here’s how to apply for a Chase small business card.
Complete Your Award Trip With the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Apply Here: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Read our review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred
The sign-up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your card.
You can transfer the points you earn 1:1 to airline and hotel partners, including United Airlines and Hyatt. So if you want extra United Airlines miles for, say, another award flight to Europe or Hawaii, you can top-up your account instantly to book the award!
Or, you can transfer your points to Hyatt to get free nights at incredible hotels. For example, I’m staying 4 nights at the Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta next month, which costs 20,000 Hyatt points per night. So the Chase Sapphire Preferred‘s sign-up bonus could get you 2 free nights there, with points left over.
With an average room rate of ~$500 per night, that could easily be worth another $1,000. And you’d still have 10,000 points to use however you want!
Other creative ways to use your points include:
- Adding another stop along the way on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines with British Airways Avios points
- Flying Southwest to a bigger city and spending a night or 2 before heading somewhere else
- Using Singapore Airlines miles for additional award flights to Hawaii, if you bring someone else along
- Topping up your IHG or Marriott account for a free award stay, if you already have points in your account
- Booking $625 worth of hotels, car rentals, or activities (because your points are worth 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase)
Be sure to read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred for more ideas, and how valuable these points can be.
Keep in Mind Chase Credit Card Rules
Both cards are affected by Chase’s 5/24 rule. That means you won’t be approved if you’ve opened 5+ cards in the last 24 months, with the exception of certain small business cards.
So while you can’t open the Chase United Explorer small business card if you’re over 5/24, it won’t count toward the limit because it’s a known exception.
However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is affected by, and will count toward, your 5/24 status.
In this case with these 2 cards, the order you open them can absolutely have an effect on your approval odds. That’s why, in general, it’s best to open any Chase small business cards you want first – and then open Chase personal cards.
Bottom Line
There’s a best-ever offer to earn 75,000 United Airlines miles after meeting minimum spending requirements with the Chase United Explorer small business card through March 18, 2019. That had us thinking how you can pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Because you can earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after meeting minimum spending requirements, which transfer 1:1 to United Airlines – and more travel partners.
So you could get more United Airlines award tickets. Or take advantage of other partners for award flights, or to stay in fantastic hotels. Either way, it’s easy to round-out a vacation and get $3,000+ in travel value by pairing these 2 cards.
Just remember to apply for Chase small business cards first, and then any Chase personal cards you want. Because if you qualify, you can get more than one sign-up bonus – and much more award travel!
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