Chase has launched a lucrative promotion for those who have a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
Through Sept. 26, 2021, you can receive a 30% bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus and Aer Lingus AerClub. Normally, you can transfer 1,000 points and receive 1,000 Avios in return — now for every 1,000 points you transfer, you'll receive 1,300 Avios points.
It's not often we see a transfer bonus with Chase, so it's worth considering this promotion if you plan to book any upcoming travel on a Oneworld airline, including American Airlines or Alaska Airlines.
Best use of Avios points
British Airways Avios or Iberia Avios points are useful for much more than flights on the UK and Spanish flag carriers. Because British Airways and Iberia are both part of the Oneworld alliance, you can use Avios for travel on their partners like American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and more.
Point optimizers often recommend redeeming British Airways or Iberia Avios for American and Alaska Airlines flights within the U.S. to get even more bang for your buck. Here are some sweet spots:
- Flights on American or Alaska under 1,151 miles for 9,000 Avios in economy. You would only need to transfer 7,000 Chase points for this redemption with the current promotion.
- Flights on American or Alaska under 1,151 miles for 16,500 Avios in business. You would only need to transfer 13,000 Chase points for this redemption with the current promotion. Flights under 1,151 miles include New York to Miami, where American often uses an aircraft that feature lie-flat business class seats (Tip: look for flights operated by a Boeing 767, 777 or 787 for the better seats).
- Flights on American or Alaska under 3,000 miles for 13,000 Avios in economy. You would only need to transfer 10,000 Chase points for this redemption with the current promotion. Flights under 3,000 miles include New York to Los Angeles; Seattle to Miami; Chicago to San Jose, Costa Rica; Dallas to Bogota, Colombia, Charlotte to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
If you're interested in visiting Europe, there are some great deals to be had on Iberia. You can fly nonstop in a lie-flat-business-class seat from New York and Chicago to Madrid on Iberia for 34,000 Avios plus taxes and fees during off-peak dates (note that you'll have to transfer to Iberia Avios for this redemption). This means you'd need to only transfer 27,000 Chase points to Iberia for these flights.
Ironically, using Avios points for flights on British Airways itself is not recommended because of the seriously high fuel surcharges the airline passes along to customers on its own flights.
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Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points
There are three Chase cards that allow cardholders to transfer Ultimate Rewards points for Avios, and each has elevated welcome bonuses:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees): Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Bottom line
If you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points consider transferring them to British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus Avios with the current 30% transfer bonus. British Airways and Iberia have a great partner award chart, and there's plenty of value to be had when booking flights on American and Alaska Airlines.
Since you lose flexibility when transferring points out of Chase, it's best to only convert points if you have a specific redemption in mind or if you're a frequent user of Avios points.
