The Getaway
Getaway Guide
Are you trying to scratch that itch to travel while also looking to stretch your dollars further? Have you ever thought about using credit card rewards to help supplement your travel expenses? Chase provides two fantastic options for frequent travelers to spend with their credit cards and reap the benefits of points, which can either be converted into cash or, better yet, purchase more luxurious travel than you could otherwise afford without the points. If you don't have one of their Sapphire cards, read up and apply for the card that better fits your needs. Which one is that? We'll help you decide. Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Chase Sapphire Reserve have similar names. They also come with distinct costs and benefits. We'll start with the details of both cards

01 What Chase Sapphire Card should you apply for?

Both Chase Sapphire cards work best for people who spend time in restaurants and travel versus other things. For example, if you’re a young professional who wants to explore the world or an empty nester with a desire to travel, these cards can help you with your journey.

The ability to trade your points for those with other programs is key for maximizing the benefits of both cards. Chase has 1:1 deals with airlines such as Star Alliance, Oneworld, and Skyteam, which means you CAN use your points to travel on airlines where 1:1 transfers are not available. However, due to the greater value of points within the Chase Travel portal, it may make sense to spend points that way. The worst value you can get for your points is 1 cent per point, which isn’t terrible. You’ll likely get your best value by trading your points in for luxury travel that would cost far more if you paid cash.

Additional perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are the major differentiators here. The Priority Pass Select Membership is a $500 value that could be great for people who either like to arrive early at airports or who frequently have lengthy layovers. The Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit could be great for people taking short, frequent international trips and do not have a travel health insurance policy.

There are also fantastic bonuses for Reserve cardholders if they use the Chase Travel portal to both purchase and redeem travel rewards. This will be an ever-changing wildcard. The benefits to using this card are most likely greater for people living in New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, LA and other larger cities who enjoy fine dining.

Unless optimizing points is a major hobby of yours, it’s likely that you’ll redeem the points for cash. Comparing these two cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is likely better for anybody who spends less than $20,000 per year on travel. But people who spend over $20,000 annually on travel will get more value out of the Reserve Card.

a view of the wing of an airplane in the sky

02 Chase Sapphire Preferred: Fees, Bonus Points for Enrollment, and Point Value

  • Annual Fee: $95 - offset by a $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
  • New Cardmember bonus: 60,000 bonus points
  • Caveat: You must spend $4000 on the card in your first three months to earn this bonus. Also, only those who have not received a new member bonus for any Sapphire Card in the past 48 months qualify.
  • Value of bonus: $750 if redeemed via Chase Travel - $600 if applied to your bill as Cash Back.
  • Value of 1,000 points: $12.50 if applied to travel purchased through Chase's portal, $10 if applied to other items.

Points also transfer at a 1:1 ratio to the following Airline Frequent Flyer programs:

  • Aer Lingus, AerClub
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • British Airways
  • Emirates Skywards®
  • Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
  • Iberia Plus
  • JetBlue TrueBlue
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
  • United MileagePlus®
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Points also transfer at 1:1 to the following Hotel Loyalty Programs

  • IHG® Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy®
  • World of Hyatt®
Full length back view portrait of young man and his charming girlfriend walking and carrying their trolley bags

03 Chase Sapphire Preferred: How You Earn Points

  • 3X Points on Each Dollar spent on Dining
  • 2X Points on Travel
  • 3X Points on Online Grocery Purchases, excluding Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club, BJs or other wholesale warehouses.
  • 3X Points on Streaming Services
  • 5X on Travel Purchased via Chase Travel
  • 1 point for every dollar spent on other purchases.

  • There is no need to pay for a loss damage waiver on a car rental; Chase provides primary rental car coverage and reimbursement for up to $75,000 in theft and collision damage.
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance - Reimbursement for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses if your trip is cut short by sickness, weather, or other covered situations.
Senior man chilling in swimming pool

04 Chase Sapphire Reserved: Fees, Bonus Points for enrollment, Point Value

  • Annual Fee: $550 - which can be offset by a $300 travel credit.
  • New Cardmember bonus: 60,000 bonus points
  • Caveat: You must spend $4000 on the card in your first three months to earn this bonus. Also, only those who have not received a new member bonus for any Sapphire Card in the past 48 months qualify.
  • Value of bonus: $900 if redeemed via Chase Travel - $600 if applied to your bill as Cash Back.
  • Value of 1,000 points: $15.00 if applied to Chase travel, $10 for other items.

Points also transfer at a 1:1 ratio to the following Airline Frequent Flyer programs:

  • Aer Lingus, AerClub
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • British Airways
  • Emirates Skywards®
  • Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
  • Iberia Plus
  • JetBlue TrueBlue
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards®
  • United MileagePlus®
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Points also transfer at 1:1 to the following Hotel Loyalty Programs

  • IHG® Rewards Club
  • Marriott Bonvoy®
  • World of Hyatt®
a large waterfall with a boat in front of it

05 Chase Sapphire Reserved: How you earn points

  • Once you've spent $300 on travel, you can earn:
  • 3x points on all travel purchases
  • You earn 10X points on Car Rentals and Hotels and 5x Points on Flights purchased via Chase Travel
  • 3x points on all restaurant purchases
  • 10x points on Ultimate Rewards Chase Dining purchases - these must be prepaid through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal
  • 10X on Lyft Rides through March 2025
  • 1x on Everything Else
the sun is shining through the windshield of a vehicle

06 Chase Sapphire Reserve: Travel Insurance, Airport Lounge Access, and Other Perks

Travel Protection - The Key Benefits

  • No need to pay for a loss damage waiver on a car rental; Chase provides primary rental car coverage and includes reimbursement for up to $75,000 in theft and collision damage
  • Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance - Reimbursement for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses if your trip is cut short by sickness, weather, or other covered situations.
  • Emergency Medical and Dental Benefit - Up to $2500 for medical expenses

Purchase Coverage

  • New purchases will be covered for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year
  • Return protection - you can be reimbursed for items stores will not take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1000 per year
  • Extended Warranty protection. An additional year of warranty on items with warranties of three years or less

Other unique perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

  • 2 years of Lyft Pink All Access Membership when activated before December 31, 2024
  • Complimentary DashPass for a minimum of one year
  • Priority Pass Select Membership - This provides complimentary access to the cardholder and up to 2 guests to exclusive airport lounges worldwide.
A rear view of mature businessman with suitcase walking on a street in Prague city.

07 The Verdict

If you spend over $20,000 per year on travel or you can benefit from free entry to airport lounges, then go for the Reserve. But if you’re not a jet-setting executive or a super-big travel spender, you’ll likely be better off with the Preferred. In either case, have fun with your points.

Doors is open. Turboprop aircraft parked on the runway at daytime.
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