Chase's in-house booking platform, Chase Travel, lets cardholders book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and tours using cash, Ultimate Rewards points, or a mix of both. It works a lot like Expedia, but with the option to pay in points — and, on select bookings, a feature called Points Boost that can meaningfully raise the value of each point.
The headline numbers: Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem at up to 2 cents per point through Points Boost, while Sapphire Preferred and Ink Business Preferred holders get up to 1.75 cents. As a benchmark, The Points Guy currently values Chase points at about 2.05 cents each, so a redemption above that is strong; anything below roughly 1.5 cents is usually a sign you should transfer your points to an airline or hotel partner instead.
Flights are where the portal quietly shines. Tickets booked there are treated as paid fares, so you still earn airline miles and status credits — handy when award seats are gone or cash fares are cheap. The catch: TPG's analysis found portal flight prices average about 6% higher than booking directly with the airline, so a quick comparison is always worth the two minutes.
Hotels are more of a mixed bag. Booking chains through the portal usually counts as a third-party reservation, meaning no hotel points, no elite night credits and no status perks at check-in. The exception is The Edit by Chase Travel, a collection of luxury properties where you get upgrades, property credits and late checkout — and can earn both Chase points and hotel loyalty points on the same stay (minimum stays of two or four nights apply; Small Luxury Hotels properties, now tied to Hilton, are excluded).
Car rentals, cruises and activities can also be booked through the portal, and Sapphire cardholders keep primary rental car coverage when paying with the card. These bookings tend to deliver lower cents-per-point value, so treat them as a way to use up leftover points rather than a value play.
Two practical warnings: prices through the portal swing both ways, sometimes higher and sometimes lower than booking direct, and any changes or cancellations have to go through Chase Travel rather than the airline or hotel — which can slow things down if plans change.
The smart playbook is simple: check the Points Boost rate on your specific booking, compare it against the cash price and against transfer partner options (premium cabin flights and Hyatt stays are the classic examples), then book wherever the maths works best. Used carelessly, the portal shortchanges your points. Used strategically, it can unlock trips that would otherwise be out of reach.
