Editor’s note: This is a periodic article, regularly updated with new information.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a great choice for travelers who often spend a lot on travel and dining. It earns 3 points per dollar on all travel and dining purchases, and that multiplier increases to 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals. when you book through Chase the tourist portal. Plus, it comes with a host of other benefits, including lounge access with Priority card.
Better yet, the card is offering a higher sign-up bonus to new subscribers. Currently, you can earn 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. This is the best offer we’ve seen on Sapphire Reserve since the card launched in 2016.
This is 20,000 points higher than the regular offer and is based on TPG values Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, which brings in an impressive $1,600 bonus. So if you’re looking for a new travel credit card — and under Chase’s 5/24 limit — you may consider signing up while this bonus is still active.
But before you sign up, let’s take a look at the four easiest ways to redeem these 80,000 bonus points. These aren’t the most premium redemptions, but ways to get great value out of your Ultimate Rewards with minimal effort.
A whole wide world of Hyatt
In general, flights offer much better value for money than hotels (at least on paper). Hyatt, ratio 1:1 Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, is a notable exception. Whether you’re looking at the top or bottom of Hyatt’s awards rankings, this is a great option to redeem your Chase Sapphire sign-up bonus.
Tier 1 hotels start at just 3,500 points on off-peak nights, meaning your 80,000 points bonus could get you up to 22 free nights.
Of course, you can get much better value by looking at the top category on the prize leaderboard. Your 80,000 points is enough for two standard nights at a Tier 8 hotel like Park Hyatt Paris or Hyatt New York Hotel. Rooms at these hotels can easily start at $1,000 a night during peak travel times.
You can also choose a package vacation, where food and drink are included. Hyatt has its own package properties under the Ziva and Zilara brands. In addition, it recently acquired Apple Leisure Group and integrating many AMR package resorts into your investment portfolio. This includes brands like Secrets, Dreams, and Breathless.
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Related: World of Hyatt announces new all-inclusive awards rankings
Additionally, Hyatt’s all-inclusive Miraval resorts offer a more upscale experience and are slightly more expensive at 45,000 points per night.
Related: TPG’s guide to the best all-inclusive resorts
Fly round-trip to Europe on United
Chase has a particularly close relationship with United Airlines, issuing its own branded credit cards and offering 1:1 to United MileagePlus. Eighty thousand points is more than enough for a round trip ticket to Europe in economy class.
Also, you can take advantage of United’s Excursionist Perk to see another European city without losing extra points. For example, this journey from New York to Prague with a three-day stop in Frankfurt costs just 60,000 miles and $168.98 in taxes and fees. You can then use the remaining 20,000 points from your welcome bonus to offset hotel costs.
Related: 6 things you need to know about United Airlines MileagePlus
Double your value with the Southwest Companion Pass
Pursuit points move 1:1 to Southwest, and while that’s usually not the best value you can squeeze out of them, Companion card instantly double your profits.
TPG Southwest point value at 1.5 cents per pointand you don’t need to do any extra work to get that value as the Rapid Rewards redemptions are based on revenue. This generates 80,000 points worth $1,200 without a Companion Card, and a whopping $2,400 if you have a Companion Pass and book a ride for you and your designated Southwest companion.
Southwest flights to Hawaii is a great way to get maximum value from Sapphire Reserve and Companion Card signup rewards. For example, you can often find round-trip flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) arrive Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) for less than 30,000 points per person. If you have a Companion Card, you and your travel companion can take two trips to Hawaii using points earned from the Chase Sapphire Reserve and still have points to spare.
You will be eligible for the Southwest Companion Pass by earning 125,000 Southwest points in a given calendar year, although this requirement will increase to 135,000 points by 2023. Unfortunately, Chase transfers do not count towards this requirement, but you might consider opening one Southwest branded credit card to speed up the process.
Related: How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Book $1,200 worth of flights and hotels through the Chase portal
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders receive an extra 50% value from their points when redeeming points directly via The ultimate reward portal. This is a useful base because you know you can always get at least 1.5 cents per point. That said, it also means there’s no room for you to make a better redemption with careful research and planning.
However, there are many times when this can be useful. If you find good fares, you may pay less points than if you passed on to a partner with a fixed prize leaderboard. For example, this $509 round trip ticket from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) in Lisbon, Portugal, will cost just 33,933 Ultimate Rewards points instead of over 60,000 if you transfer your points to United.
Related: 6 reasons the Chase Sapphire Preferred should be your next credit card
Tickets booked this way are also coded as revenue tickets, meaning you’ll still earn miles and miles/dollars/elite-eligible segments. Be careful not to accidentally order a basic economy fareas the Ultimate Rewards portal doesn’t always show that information explicitly.
Also, note that you generally won’t earn elite points, credits, or elite benefits if you book hotels through third-party online travel agency like the Chase gate. However, it can be a great way to stay at boutique hotels for less points by taking advantage of cheap cash rates.
Related: Better Together: The Power of Chase Trifecta
bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most iconic travel rewards cards on the market. If you’re eligible to sign up and haven’t, now is a great time to sign up while the 80,000 point welcome offer is still in effect. This advanced signup bonus and all the great ways to redeem it definitely make it worth it.
Additional reporting by Andrew Kunesh and Benji Stawski.
