Airline points - any point to saving?

[AmyAnne]

I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa to accumulate points that I can use to pay for travel through the Chase site. Chase lets you pay partly by points and partly by cash. I need to book a flight and have enough points to pay for about half of the cost. Is there any reason I should save those points, maybe until I have enough to pay for a whole flight? I don't think that would be any overall savings, but maybe I am missing something.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa to accumulate points that I can use to pay for travel through the Chase site. Chase lets you pay partly by points and partly by cash. I need to book a flight and have enough points to pay for about half of the cost. Is there any reason I should save those points, maybe until I have enough to pay for a whole flight? I don't think that would be any overall savings, but maybe I am missing something.

As with most things relating to airline miles, it depends.

While I have the same credit card, I have never used to to pay for travel. I think the redemption is about 1%, which means $4500 gets a $45 discount.

What is great about Ultimate Rewards is the other options available, such as transferring to Southwest or British Airways.

If you transfer to Southwest, 4500 points will buy a $89 Wanna Get Away ticket. If you transfer to your British Airways frequent flyer account, those points will allow you to book coach Milesaver award on a nonstop American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Orlando.

Best of luck. -- Suzanne

 

[Autumnslight]

I use the same card, but have found that transferring the points to Southwest makes the points worth about twice as much as they would be by booking a different airline through Chase. That might not be the case for everyone, but it's worth taking a look into!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I use the same card, but have found that transferring the points to Southwest makes the points worth about twice as much as they would be by booking a different airline through Chase. That might not be the case for everyone, but it's worth taking a look into!

Wow, really? I may have to start thinking about using those Ultimate Rewards points a little more carefully!

 

[maciec]

Another vote for transferring to your preferred airline. Mine just happens to be SW. I have the same card

 

[Autumnslight]

Wow, really? I may have to start thinking about using those Ultimate Rewards points a little more carefully!

Yep! For example, I bought flights on Southwest to Orlando that were $218 round trip, or 10,940 Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

If I had 10,940 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I could do the following with those points:

- Redeem them for a statement credit of $109.40

- Use them to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards with a 25% bonus, giving me 13,675 points, worth $136.75

- Transfer them to Southwest, and use them to purchase a flight that would cost $218

This example gives the points a value of $.02 each by transferring them to Southwest, whereas redeeming them for cash is only worth $.01 each, and using them to book travel through Chase makes them worth $.0125 each.

 

[AmyAnne]

Yep! For example, I bought flights on Southwest to Orlando that were $218 round trip, or 10,940 Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

If I had 10,940 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, I could do the following with those points:

- Redeem them for a statement credit of $109.40

- Use them to book travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards with a 25% bonus, giving me 13,675 points, worth $136.75

- Transfer them to Southwest, and use them to purchase a flight that would cost $218

This example gives the points a value of $.02 each by transferring them to Southwest, whereas redeeming them for cash is only worth $.01 each, and using them to book travel through Chase makes them worth $.0125 each.

This is a great explanation of how to maximize Ultimate Rewards points by transferring to Southwest. Unfortunately Southwest does not work for this particular trip. The only other airline that I use consistently is Delta, and Delta doesn't work for this trip either (plus I have a ton of Delta points and always have trouble using them).

I probably will end up flying United or American. And I do have about 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which I guess I will use to book through Chase for the 25% bonus (and 2% back on the difference in cost, that I pay in cash).

 

[Autumnslight]

This is a great explanation of how to maximize Ultimate Rewards points by transferring to Southwest. Unfortunately Southwest does not work for this particular trip. The only other airline that I use consistently is Delta, and Delta doesn't work for this trip either (plus I have a ton of Delta points and always have trouble using them).

I probably will end up flying United or American. And I do have about 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which I guess I will use to book through Chase for the 25% bonus (and 2% back on the difference in cost, that I pay in cash).

That's too bad. In that case, I would agree that there's no real advantage in waiting to save up the rest of the points vs. paying in cash for the rest of the flight. You'd get a 25% bonus on the points if you waited to earn them, but you'll earn 2% by paying cash, which you can use with a 25% bonus on your next trip, so it's sort of a wash.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

This is a great explanation of how to maximize Ultimate Rewards points by transferring to Southwest. Unfortunately Southwest does not work for this particular trip. The only other airline that I use consistently is Delta, and Delta doesn't work for this trip either (plus I have a ton of Delta points and always have trouble using them).

I probably will end up flying United or American. And I do have about 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which I guess I will use to book through Chase for the 25% bonus (and 2% back on the difference in cost, that I pay in cash).

Have you looked into using British Air miles when booking on American Airlines? Depending on the flight distance, this may be another option. -- Suzanne

 

[MAH4546]

Using them to partial pay for flights is a terrible value. 50,000 Chase points, for example, transfer 1:1 to British Airways Avios. That's a round-trip coach ticket between New York and Madrid, or a one-way business class seat between Los Angeles and Tokyo, each far more valuable than $625.

10,000 points can transfer to British Avios, and depending on the length of the flight, that's a round-trip American Airlines domestic flight or even a one-way to Hawai'i.

 

[AmyAnne]

Using them to partial pay for flights is a terrible value. 50,000 Chase points, for example, transfer 1:1 to British Airways Avios. That's a round-trip coach ticket between New York and Madrid, or a one-way business class seat between Los Angeles and Tokyo, each far more valuable than $625.

10,000 points can transfer to British Avios, and depending on the length of the flight, that's a round-trip American Airlines domestic flight or even a one-way to Hawai'i.

I appreciate this. I wish I could get more value for my Ultimate Rewards points. But I do not live anywhere near either coast (think "fly-over country"). I did just for the heck of it look at the British Airways site and so far as I can tell I could not been anything out of any airport that is within driving distance.

Also, sadly, places like Tokyo and Madrid are not in my foreseeable travel plans.

So, thinking domestic flights originating not in New York or LA, what should I do?

 

[maciec]

Do you have an Airtran that flies out of an airport by you? You can transfer your UR's to SW and then to Airtran. I do that a lot

 

[MAH4546]

So, thinking domestic flights originating not in New York or LA, what should I do?

You don't need to live in either. British Airways miles can be used from any airport American Airlines or US Airways flies to - that's basically every large and medium sized airport in the U.S., and almost every small one. It's the world's largest airline. You can use them to fly between Dallas and Las Vegas, or Charleston, West Virgina and Detroit or whatever.

 

[AmyAnne]

You don't need to live in either. British Airways miles can be used from any airport American Airlines or US Airways flies to - that's basically every large and medium sized airport in the U.S., and almost every small one. It's the world's largest airline. You can use them to fly between Dallas and Las Vegas, or Charleston, West Virgina and Detroit or whatever.

So how does this work? I would sign up for the British Airways frequent flier program, transfer the points to them, and then book the flight through the American Airlines site?

 

[MAH4546]

So how does this work? I would sign up for the British Airways frequent flier program, transfer the points to them, and then book the flight through the American Airlines site?

Yes, sign up for Avios, but you book on the British Airways website. But don't transfer yet. Check the website for availability of what you want. The points can't be transferred back.