Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards are one of the most valuable points currencies because they offer a variety of options to redeem for travel. Although you can book many itineraries right on the Ultimate Rewards website, Chase transfer partners offer the opportunity to unlock huge savings that simply can’t be attained with any other redemption strategy. Generally, Ultimate Rewards airline partners are a better deal than hotel partners, but each program can offer unique value if you know where to look.

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In this guide, we'll cover the 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners with examples of how to maximize your savings for any type of trip.

Page Contents

  • How to Access Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners
  • Cards that Can Transfer Ultimate Rewards to Partners
    • Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
    • Chase Sapphire Reserve®
    • Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
    • Ink Plus® Business Credit Card
    • Ink Bold Business Charge Card
  • Cards that Cannot Transfer to Chase Partners
    • Chase Freedom Unlimited®
    • Chase Freedom Flex℠
    • Chase Freedom®
    • Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
    • Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
  • Ultimate Rewards Airline Partners
    • United MileagePlus
    • Southwest Rapid Rewards
    • JetBlue TrueBlue
    • British Airways Executive Club
    • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
    • Air France/KLM Flying Blue
    • Singapore KrisFlyer
    • Emirates Skywards
    • Air Canada Aeroplan
    • Aer Lingus AerClub
    • Iberia Plus
  • Ultimate Rewards Hotel Partners
    • World of Hyatt
    • Marriott Bonvoy
    • IHG Rewards Club
  • Tips for Maximizing Chase Rewards Transfer Partners
  • Chase Transfer Partners FAQs
    • Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta Skymiles?
    • Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Alaska MileagePlan?
    • Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to American Airlines AAdvantage?
    • Can I Use Chase Points to Book Travel for Others?

How to Access Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

Before we dive into each of the Chase transfer partners, it’s important to know that not every Ultimate Rewards credit card has the ability to transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. Chase has divided the family of Ultimate Rewards earning cards into two groups: cards that offer access to transfer partners and cards that are limited to cash-back redemptions.

However, as long as you (or a member of your household) have at least one of the cards from the first group, you’ll be able to transfer the points you earn with any of the cards from the second group to all 14 Ultimate Rewards travel partners. This is possible because Chase allows you to combine your points across any of your Ultimate Rewards accounts.

Here's our step-by-step tutorial on how to transfer Ultimate Rewards to hotel and airline partners.

Cards that Can Transfer Ultimate Rewards to Partners

All five of these cards charge an annual fee, are considered premium Ultimate Rewards earning cards, and allow you to transfer UR points to airline and hotel transfer partners. Plus you can redeem points directly through the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal for a fixed-value of between 1.25¢ and 1.5¢ per point, dependant on the card you hold.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®Chase Sapphire Reserve®Annual Fee$550Welcome Bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®Chase's flagship Ultimate Rewards card. You get a $300 travel credit, airport lounge access courtesy of a Priority Pass membership and industry-leading travel insurance benefits. New cardholders earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchasesGet 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travelWith Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programsAccess to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more10X points on Lyft rides through March 202210X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase10X points on Chase Dining (including prepaid reservations and prepaid takeout purchased through Chase)5X points on airfare purchased through Chase3X points on all other travel3X points on dining at restaurants1X points on all other purchases

Ink Business Preferred® Credit CardInk Business Preferred® Credit CardAnnual Fee$95Welcome Offer Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.The most valuable Ultimate Rewards signup bonus on offer and our top pick for small business rewards cards. Business owners earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus, earn up to 450,000 points per year on a wide range of 3X bonus categories.Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchasesWith Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoringWith Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account informationRedeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is openPoints are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Ink Plus® Business Credit CardInk Plus® Business Credit CardAnnual Fee$95Welcome Bonus This card is no longer accepting applications

Ink Bold Business Charge Card Ink Bold Business Charge CardAnnual Fee$95Welcome Bonus This card is no longer accepting applications

Cards that Cannot Transfer to Chase Partners

While these cards are marketed as cashback cards, your rewards are awarded as ‘points' that you can redeem for 1¢ per point. If you also hold one of the Ultimate Rewards earning cards above that charges an annual fee, you can combine the points earned on these no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards cards with the points from premium UR earning cards, and transfer them to travel partners or redeem for a higher fixed-value of 1.25¢-1.5¢ per point through the Chase Travel Portal.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®Chase Freedom Unlimited®Annual Fee$0Welcome Bonus INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!The everyday workhorse of the Ultimate Rewards family of cards earns 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day of the week. While the Freedom Unlimited earns cash back on its own, the points earned become even more valuable when you hold an Ultimate Rewards card with the ability to transfer points to partners.INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.24% - 25.99%.No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® cardKeep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Earn 3% on dining at restaurants Earn 3% on drugstore purchases Earn 1.5% on all purchases

Chase Freedom Flex℠Chase Freedom Flex℠Annual Fee$0Welcome Bonus Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter!5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 17.24% - 25.99%. No annual fee - You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Flex℠ cardKeep tabs on your credit health - Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, real-time alerts, and more.Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activateEarn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate RewardsEarn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery servicesEarn 3% on drugstore purchasesEarn 1% on all other purchases

Chase Freedom®Chase Freedom®Annual Fee$0Welcome Bonus Earn a $150 Bonus after spending $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.This no-annual-fee card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined bonus category purchases each quarter, with the bonus categories rotating 4X per year. Plus, you can get up to $150 cash back after meeting the minimum spend.5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter.Unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Ink Business Cash® Credit CardInk Business Cash® Credit CardAnnual Fee$0Welcome Bonus Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.Features a $750 cash back signup bonus, and you earn 5% cash back on a select range of business expenses on the first $25,000 spent each year.Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account openingEarn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary yearEarn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchasesWith Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.No Annual FeeRedeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit CardInk Business Unlimited® Credit CardAnnual Fee$0Welcome Bonus Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.The best business card to earn Ultimate Rewards on non-bonus purchases, you receive a $750 cash back bonus after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn 1.5% back on all business expenses.Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account openingEarn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your businessNo Annual FeeRedeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.With Fraud Protection your card transactions will be monitored for possible signs of fraudulent activity using real-time fraud monitoring.With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchasesEarn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business

Ultimate Rewards Airline Partners

There are 11 Chase Ultimate Rewards Airline Partners.

  • United MileagePlus
  • Southwest Rapid Rewards
  • JetBlue TrueBlue
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Air France/KLM Flying Blue
  • Singapore Krisflyer
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Aer Lingus AerClub
  • Iberia Plus
  • Air Canada Aeroplan

United MileagePlus

United is perhaps the most popular and well-known loyalty program among the Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. MileagePlus distinguishes itself from the crowd with an easy-to-use booking tool, notably low taxes and fees, and a huge number of partner airlines to choose from.

When you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to United, you'll have the option to book flights operated by more than 40 different airlines, including all 27 members of the Star Alliance. When you book an award ticket with any frequent flyer program, you're still required to pay the carrier-imposed taxes and fees—which in some cases can add up to hundreds of dollars. With United miles, your out-of-pocket costs will be consistently low. 

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

United MileagePlus can work well for many types of itineraries, but there is one stand-out redemption that can't be matched by other Chase Rewards partners: On round-trip itineraries, United allows you visit more than one destination without paying extra miles. The Excursionist Perk is a free one-way segment in the middle of your round-trip ticket. So, you could fly from the US to Paris, Paris to Rome, and Rome back to the US and United would not charge you any extra miles for the flight from Paris to Rome. 

Additional reading: Sweet Spots for United MileagePlus Awards

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Of all the Ultimate Rewards partners, Southwest Rapid Rewards is by far the easiest to use. Unlike other loyalty programs that charge a fixed number of miles from one part of the world to another, the number of Rapid Rewards needed to book a ticket depends on the cash price of the flight.

While this eliminates the potential to get disproportionately high value, Southwest compensates by making the booking completely painless. With Rapid Rewards, there are no blackout dates, so you can always use your points as long as there is a seat for sale. In general, you can expect to get around 1.5 cents per point, but the exact value varies slightly.

If you have the Sapphire Reserve, you can also redeem Ultimate Rewards through Chase's travel portal at a value of 1.5 cents each—which may be a better value than transferring to Southwest. But unlike many airlines that can be booked through the Chase Travel Portal, Southwest flights must be booked by phone at (866) 951-6592.

So should you transfer Chase points to Southwest Rapid Rewards or book directly through Ultimate Rewards? Consider this one-way Southwest flight from Las Vegas to San Francisco that costs $72 for a “Wanna Get Away” fare:

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Here's how the $72 fare stacks up booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal:

  • With the Sapphire Reserve, this ticket would cost 4,800 points at 1.5 cents per point.
  • With the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred cards, this ticket would cost 5,760 points at 1.25 cents per point.
  • With any other card, you'd need 7,200 points at 1.0 cent per point.

However, if you transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest you’d pay only 3,556 Rapid Rewards points + $5.60 in taxes.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Regardless of which card you have, you’re better off transferring your Chase points in this example, but that won’t always be the case. Keep in mind that you’ll earn redeemable miles and credit towards elite status when you book a ticket directly with Ultimate Rewards—which isn’t the case when you transfer to a Chase airline partner. On the other hand, bookings made with points transferred to Southwest can be canceled without a fee up until a few hours before departure.

Fly often with a companion? Check our guide to the Southwest Companion Pass to learn how to get buy-one-get-one-free Southwest flights with your favorite travel buddy for up to two years.

JetBlue TrueBlue

Similar to Southwest’s rewards program, the cost of booking a JetBlue flight with TrueBlue points depends on the dollar cost of the flight you are booking. For the most part, travel on JetBlue is useful if you’re traveling within the United States, Central America, or to the Caribbean, though JetBlue has announced plans to start flying to London in 2021.

When you redeem TrueBlue points, you can expect to get an average value of approximately 1.3 cents per point. The actual value varies from one flight to the next, ranging from as little as 1.0 cent per point to as much as 1.5 cents per point. For this reason, it's especially important to compare with prices on the Chase Travel Portal before transferring from Ultimate Rewards to JetBlue.

If you have the Sapphire Reserve card, it’s extremely rare to find an opportunity to transfer Chase points to JetBlue that will be a better value than booking through Ultimate Rewards. Unlike Southwest, there isn’t a phone call required; JetBlue flights can be booked online at UltimateRewards.com

Here’s an example flight for $89:

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

  • With the Sapphire Reserve, this ticket would cost 5,934 points at 1.5 cents per point.
  • With the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred cards, this ticket would cost 7,120 points at 1.25 cents per point.
  • With any other card, you'd need 8,900 points at 1.0 cent per point.

For the same itinerary, JetBlue is charging 5,700 TrueBlue points + $5.60 in taxes.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

In this case, it's a better deal to transfer to JetBlue if you have the  Sapphire Preferred or Ink Preferred since you’ll pay only 5,700 instead of 7,120 points. With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll save some points booking through Ultimate Rewards at 5,934—and pick up some redeemable miles too. You'll find more details in our guide to maximizing JetBlue TrueBlue points.

British Airways Executive Club

The British Airways Executive Club program is one of the most unique Chase airline transfer partners. When you transfer Ultimate Rewards to Avios, you can book travel with great airlines like Alaska and Aer Lingus, as well as all members of the Oneworld Alliance including American Airlines.

With Executive Club, the best values will come from nonstop flights—especially in economy class. Unlike other frequent flyer programs that charge a fixed number of points from one region to another, British Airways uses a distance-based award chart. This means flights booked with Avios can be much cheaper than booking through other Ultimate Rewards airlines.

For example, you can fly from the U.S. west coast to Hawaii with Alaska or American Airlines for 12,500 points each way. If you’re thinking Europe, a nonstop flight from the U.S. east coast with Dublin-based partner Aer Lingus can run as low as 13,000 points each way. Lastly, British Airways is an excellent pick for flights outside the U.S. Hong Kong to Tokyo on Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines runs 10,000 points (20,000 in business class), and Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo with LATAM or Sydney to Melbourne on Qantas would be only 4,500 points.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Another great benefit of the Executive Club program is the cancellation policy for flights. You’ll be charged a maximum of $55 to cancel your ticket and redeposit miles, but if the taxes and fees on your award ticket are less than $55, you’ll only forfeit your taxes and fees. For example, on flights within the U.S. where taxes are $5.60, you’ll only lose $5.60 if you cancel your flight and refund the miles to your account. We also have an in-depth post on using British Airways Avios to book flights on American Airlines.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic is perhaps the most underrated of the Chase Rewards airline partners. While some bookings with Virgin will incur far higher taxes and fees than other programs, Flying Club makes up for this shortcoming by charging fewer points than many competitors. If you choose your flights carefully, it’s also possible to avoid those high out-of-pocket costs.

If you book flights operated by Virgin Atlantic, taxes will be around $150 in economy, $250 in premium economy, and $500 or more in Upper Class (Virgin's business class cabin). On the other hand, flights from the U.S. to London can cost as little as 10,000 miles in economy and 17,500 in premium economy. Compare that to that to 30,000-50,000 charged by other transfer partners for the same class of service and you come out far better, despite the higher taxes.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Virgin Atlantic is not part of an alliance, but they do partner with a number of airlines, including Delta, Alitalia, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Australia, and All Nippon Airways (ANA). If you’re looking to avoid high out-of-pocket costs, Delta offers some excellent opportunities like this nonstop from Atlanta to Sao Paulo for 45,000 miles and $5.60.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Other great Delta redemptions include economy flights from the U.S. to Hawaii for 20,000 miles each way, first-class flights within the continental U.S. for 22,500 miles ,and business class flights to Europe and Asia starting at 47,500 Flying Club miles.

An overview of Virgin redemptions wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the incredible value of bookings with ANA. You can book round-trip flights between the U.S. and Japan for 60,000-65,000 ANA miles in economy, 90,000-95,000 miles in business class, or 110,000-120,000 miles in first class. For comparison, United charges 110,000 miles for a one-way ticket in first class to Japan! The major drawback of ANA redemptions is the requirement that you book a round trip ticket. You’ll generally pay around $200 in surcharges and fees on a round-trip flight on ANA booked with Virgin Atlantic miles.

Flights with Virgin Atlantic and Delta can be booked online. To book most partner flights with Virgin Atlantic miles, you’ll have to call them at 1-800-365-9500. It’s slightly inconvenient, but the miles savings can be worth it! Fortunately, Virgin has one of the best call centers of all major loyalty programs; hold times are short, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Finally, Flying Club agents can put a flight on hold for 24-72 hours (depending on the partner)—which can be a huge advantage. You can find more destinations and ideas for maximizing these points in our post on Virgin Atlantic award sweet spots.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

At one point, Flying Blue had some of the best flight deals among the Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners. The program has faded into the crowd in recent years, but there are still some excellent values to be found. Flying Blue is the loyalty program for both Air France and KLM. Both airlines are part of the SkyTeam Alliance, so you can use their points to book travel on Delta, Alitalia, Korean Air, and other SkyTeam member airlines.

With Flying Blue, there are two main ways to get the most value out of your points. The first is with Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards; each month, award flights to/from specific cities go on sale from 25-50%. If you catch the right deal, it’s possible to book economy flights to Europe for as few as 14,500 miles each way.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

The second huge value with Flying Blue is that they offer far better prices than the competition to certain destinations. Flying Blue, like many frequent flyer programs, uses a region-based award chart. The reason their prices are better is that Flying Blue categorizes some countries differently. For example, they consider Israel, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and the Canary Islands to all be part of Europe.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

In the example above, you can book a one-way itinerary from Washington D.C. (IAD) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) for only 29,000 Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles. Most other frequent-flyer programs charge many more miles to fly to these destinations. On the same dates, the cheapest flights (while not the exact same itinerary) offered by Delta cost 52,000 miles one-way. You can find more destinations where Flying Blue beats the competition in our guide to Air France/KLM award sweet spots.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Singapore KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines is a great program to consider if you also have Citi ThankYou Points or American Express Membership Rewards, because they are a transfer partner of all three programs. That makes adding up your points a key park of the KrisFlyer program. Singapore Airlines is part of Star Alliance and is partners with United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai Airways, and other Star Alliance members.

With Singapore Airlines, there are some great options to use your miles, especially if you want to fly in Singapore’s luxury Suites Class on the A380! That’s because Singapore makes more award space available to their own members than to the members of partner programs. You can redeem 86,000 miles to fly from New York to Frankfurt in Suites Class. More affordable flight options with Singapore include flying United Airlines in economy from the U.S. to Hawaii for 17,500 Singapore miles or 27,500 miles in economy to fly any Star Alliance member from the U.S. to Europe.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, the KrisFlyer program passes fuel surcharges along to consumers, so your out-of-pocket cost can vary dramatically from $5.60 to $500 or more depending on the airline operating your flight. If the cash component of a Singapore booking is more than you're willing to pay for an award ticket, United MileagePlus may be a better option. (With United, you should be able to book the same flights for less cash and more miles.) We've rounded up a few other great deals in our post on Singapore KrisFlyer sweet spots.

Emirates Skywards

Emirates is the 10th airline transfer partner, joining the Ultimate Rewards family in August of 2019. Emirates Skywards can be useful in limited circumstances, but it's great to have the option when you need it. There is a drawback to the Emirates frequent flyer program. First, for premium cabin awards on Emirates flights, the cost in miles is significantly higher than what it was when you could previously book their first class cabins via partners. That ability has ended, though.

On a positive note, in 2020 they surprisingly cut fuel surcharges on award tickets. This makes pricing on Emirates Skywards redemptions much more palatable.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Another important reason why the Chase and Emirates transfer option is good: getting the flight you want. Like Singapore Krisflyer, Emirates makes substantially more award space available to their own frequent flyers than they offer to those booking with partner miles. To find an example of an Emirates nonstop that could be booked with Alaska, I had to search through more than two months of award availability. The Emirates award, on the other hand, was available on the exact date I searched.

You may pay more in miles than previously, but you have much greater range of availability for business and first class on Emirates flights using their program.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Aeroplan — the loyalty program of Air Canada — was completely overhauled in 2020 and became the newest of the Ultimate Rewards transfer partners in 2021.

As part of that overhaul, Aeroplan realigned award regions, made changes to the number of miles required for flights (typically quite different if you're flying on Air Canada or flying on a partner airline, with the latter often being cheaper). Air Canada is also partnering with Chase for an Air Canada co-branded credit card — which may help you boost your Aeroplan balance even further.

Along with being a Star Alliance member, you can also use Aeroplan points to book flights on Azul, Etihad, Gulf Air, GOL, Virgin Australia, and Cathay Pacific.

Aeroplan prices economy flights on United Airlines at 12,500 miles one way, as long as the flights are entirely within the U.S. Flying round-trip — especially if it's coast-to-coast — for 25,000 points is a good use of your points.

Another great use of Aeroplan points is flying in business class to southern parts of South America. Depending on dates, routing, and flight distance, you can book these awards for 50,000 to 60,000 points one way, per person.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

For 60,000 miles and roughly $37 USD in cash, you can fly business class to Buenos Aires or other points in South America. Many results may come with “mixed cabin” bookings. So, be sure to check which flights are in which cabins.

Aer Lingus AerClub

Aer Lingus is the newest member to join with Avios family with British Airways and Iberia as of late 2016. You can use your Aer Lingus Avios to book flights through Avios.com, and you also have the freedom to transfer Avios between the Iberia and British Airways Avios programs. Each program has its own best ways to use miles, so don’t think that all Avios are the same!

Unlike other Chase Ultimate Rewards partners that feature their best redemptions booking with partner airlines, AerClub Avios are often best put to work booking flights operated by Aer Lingus. If your travel dates include off-peak dates, you can fly from the U.S. east coast to Ireland for 13,000 Avios one-way in economy. Flying from the rest of the U.S. to Ireland costs 16,250 Avios one-way in economy. If you’d rather fly in business class, prices start at 50,000 Avios one-way.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Tickets booked through Aer Lingus usually (but not always) have lower taxes and fees compared to bookings made with British Airways. In some cases, you can reduce the cost of a business-class itinerary from as high as $800 to around $250 by transferring Chase points to Aer Lingus instead.

Iberia Plus

As mentioned above, Iberia also participates in the Avios program, but redemption possibilities are different than with British Airways or Aer Lingus. What is similar between Iberia and the other two programs is that the longer of a flight you take, the more miles you will have to pay. However, Iberia is unique because they determine the number of Avios required by the cumulative distance of all flights in your itinerary, (rather than charging for each flight separately like Aer Lingus and British Airways.

My favorite use of Iberia Plus Avios is off-peak flights between Chicago and Madrid in business class for only 34,000 miles each way. Most airlines charge around 30,000 miles one way in economy to fly between the US and Europe, so this Iberia flight is an absolute steal if you can find availability. Another great use of Iberia Avios is for short, round-trip flights within the U.S. For flights that are under 600 miles, you’ll pay only 11,000 Iberia Avios. The major drawback of the Iberia Plus program for this type of itinerary is that all partner flights are non-refundable.

Ultimate Rewards Hotel Partners

As a general rule, you’ll get more value out of your Ultimate Rewards points by transferring to airlines rather than hotels, but there are cases when using Chase hotel partners can make sense. Like with Chase airline partners, you want to check the cash price to make sure you’re getting a good value for your points. Remember, you can redeem points through the Chase Travel Portal at a value between 1.0 and 1.5 cents per point. That should be your absolute minimum savings for any transfer you consider.

World of Hyatt

Hyatt is by far the most valuable of the three Chase hotel transfer partners. The reason is simple: Hyatt charges significantly fewer points for a free night than other hotel programs. Although Hyatt has some great deals on it's cheaper properties, the best value is often with the most expensive, top-tier properties.

Hyatt has 8 different hotel categories, and reward nights start at just 5,000 points per night:

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Hyatt also offers the ability to book rooms with Club access and suites with points as well as Points + Cash rates to help you stretch your points even further. You can see complete details on the World of Hyatt Free Nights & Upgrades page.

Transfer southwest points to chase ultimate rewards

Before you transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt, you should always verify the cash price of your desired hotel and nights. While Hyatt generally offers good value, it won’t always be the case! You'll find more recommendations in our post on the best World of Hyatt awards.

Marriott Bonvoy

As a general rule, transferring Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott is not going to be a good use of your points. This is because Marriott’s award chart has some pretty inflated prices. Compared to Hyatt, where top-tier hotels cost 40,000 points per night, you would need a whopping 70,000-100,000 Marriott points to book a top-tier property, depending on the time of year. And Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Marriott at the same 1:1 ratio as Hyatt. That means that you could book two nights at a top-tier Hyatt for around the same cost as one night at a top-tier Marriott property.

That said, if you’re set on using your Ultimate Rewards for a Marriott hotel, just do the math to make sure you’re getting good value from your points! If a hotel costs $800 per night because of an event in town, yet you could book it for 40,000 Marriott points, it might not be a bad choice!

Although Marriott isn't an optimal partner for Chase points transfers, the Marriott Rewards program is definitely worth a deeper look. We've got a mega guide with everything you need to know about Marriot Bonvoy.

IHG Rewards Club

Similar to Marriott, transferring your Ultimate Rewards to IHG is not generally a good deal. IHG charges between 5,000 (for PointBreaks) and 70,000 points per night. Like with Marriott, it always makes sense to do the math, but you will probably find that transferring to IHG will be a poor use of your points. Even if many of the options still won't make sense for an Ultimate Rewards hotel transfer, you can find some gems in the IHG Rewards Club program if you know where to look.

Tips for Maximizing Chase Rewards Transfer Partners

  1. Always confirm flights or hotel nights are available with points before you make a transfer. Put Virgin Atlantic flights on hold before you transfer.
  2. Check the cost of booking the same flight or hotel through the Chase Travel Portal. In some cases, you’ll spend fewer points and less cash booking through Ultimate Rewards than transferring to a Chase partner program.
  3. Remember, each of the 11 airline transfer partners has its own list of partner airlines. At last count, you can book flights with nearly 100 unique airlines via Chase transfer partners.
  4. Transfers are irreversible: You can never transfer points back to Ultimate rewards. One of the most popular Google search terms is “transfer United miles to Chase Ultimate Rewards.” Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen, so plan your transfers carefully.
  5. Compare prices: several airlines can be booked with multiple Chase transfer partners. Compare the taxes and fees and points required before you decide where to transfer points.

Remember:

  • Air France and Virgin Atlantic can both book Delta Flights
  • British Airways and Iberia can both book American Flights
  • United and Singapore can both book United Flights

Chase Transfer Partners FAQs

Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta Skymiles?

No, you can’t transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Delta, but you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards to Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and use those miles to book flights on Delta, since Delta is a redemption partner of both programs.

Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Alaska MileagePlan?

No, you can’t transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Alaska, but you can transfer Ultimate Rewards to British Airways Executive Club and use Avios points to book flights on Alaska.

Can I transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to American Airlines AAdvantage?

No, you can’t transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to American Airlines, but you can transfer Ultimate Rewards to British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus and use the Avios program to book flights on American Airlines.

Can I Use Chase Points to Book Travel for Others?

All 11 Ultimate Rewards airline transfer partners and all three hotel partners will allow you to book travel for someone else using your points. However, it's generally against the terms and conditions of rewards programs to accept money or other compensation for making a reservation with your points or miles. As long as you make bookings for people you know, you shouldn't have any problems.

AwardWallet Tip of The Day

Did you know that any loyalty account can be marked as Disabled? Once disabled, AwardWallet will not attempt to update the account. If desired, you can manually mark any account as disabled. Additionally, if you provide us with an account that has invalid credentials, we will automatically mark it as disabled after we realize this account cannot be updated. We do this to help prevent your loyalty account from locking you out.
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Can you transfer Southwest points to Chase Ultimate Rewards?

Southwest is also a transfer partner of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program.

Can I transfer Southwest points back to Chase Sapphire?

While you won't be able to move the points all the way back to Chase, you can put the points back in your Rapid Rewards accounts if your travel plans don't work out.

Can Southwest points be transferred?

A Member has the ability to transfer points to another Member or a preselected charity chosen by Southwest with an active Rapid Rewards account. Costs to transfer points to another Member must be paid for with a credit card, and transfers can be made through Southwest.com.
Sign in to your Rapid Rewards Dining® account, then: Under the Account Center, click on the “Linked Cards” tab. Find the “Link more cards” section near the bottom of the page, enter the card number you'd like to add, then click “Link card.”