There’s quite a buzz surrounding the updated Chase Sapphire Reserve Card. As usual these days, the opinions are many, with some declaring it’s either the end or the start of something fantastic, depending on who you read. As a long-time cardholder, I’m genuinely interested in the latest updates.
The changes align perfectly with my spending habits, and while the card may come at a higher cost, I won’t need to adjust my behavior to reap more benefits, unlike with some other cards. I plan to use this card for the majority of my expenses. The fee credit and earning multipliers make it a keeper for me.
But how about redeeming points?
Well, if my first experience redeeming points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve is any indication, this card could revolutionize the redemption process, and it’s definitely worth noting for airlines and hotel partners. It’s already proving to be a significant advantage.
Unbelievable Value with ‘Points Boost’ Hotel Redemption
Chase Travel’s ‘The Edit’ showcases a curated list of premium hotels that offer perks akin to those from a travel agent or other luxury credit booking services. When reserving a ‘The Edit’ property, you can look forward to breakfast for two, a $100 food and beverage credit, late check-out, and an upgrade based on availability.
This leads me to the exciting part! With the revamped Sapphire Reserve Card, there’s a novel “Points Boost” feature that grants up to two cents per point (25,000 points equate to $500, and so on) for specific flight or hotel purchases.
This can provide incredible value, with flights priced at $3,000 obtainable for just 150,000 points, without taxes or fees, and you still earn frequent flyer miles and elite status points, as the airline treats it like a cash purchase.
In the past, the Sapphire Reserve card provided a consistent point redemption rate directly through Chase Travel at 1.5 cents per point (100,000 points would cover $1,500, etc.). However, with the updated version, some travel purchases may redeem for less value than before, the same, or more, thanks to this new ‘Points Boost’ at 2 cents per point. We definitely prefer more!
Hotel Perks on a Points Redemption?!
I’m in New York and wanted to enjoy a little staycation, so I logged into Chase Travel and discovered one of my go-to upper mid-scale hotels, The Thompson Central Park, featured in ‘The Edit’. My options quickly became a clear, singular choice.
Usually, I’d think about paying cash or transferring my points from Chase to Hyatt to book a stay like this. Hyatt uses “fixed” points rates, meaning the points cost is mostly independent of the cash price and only varies by season. This season, it was 25,000 points per night for The Thompson Central Park.
If I were to transfer my points, I’d score a free night (with the cash rate around $500) and achieve a solid redemption value of exactly two cents per point. I’m not particularly loyal to any hotel chain, so I wouldn’t receive breakfast or “elite” benefits, but a free night is still a free night.
However, Chase Travel provided a ‘Points Boost’ option to book the hotel directly through their platform instead of transferring points to Hyatt. Chase Travel listed this property at around 25,000 points, which would cover the $500 cash rate, but since I was redeeming for a ‘The Edit’ property on Chase Travel, I would receive…
- $100 F&B credit
- Breakfast for two
- Room Upgrade
- Late Check-out
- Ability to still earn points and nights with Hyatt
Indeed, by not transferring my points (and avoiding the complicated transfer process), I managed to add roughly $200 in extra value to my stay, thanks to breakfast and the $100 property credit, plus the perks of late check-out and a room upgrade. Furthermore, I’ll earn elite nights and Hyatt Points during the stay.
A mere 25,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points allowed me to get a “free” $500 hotel night, breakfast for two, and $100 to spend at the hotel. That’s an impressive redemption, yielding more than two cents per point of value while still enabling me to earn on the stay, contrary to point transfers to a loyalty program. I wish I could have stayed longer.
For the first time that I can recall, transferring points to Hyatt was not the better option here, and that’s noteworthy.
If Chase can maintain this Points Boost strategy, it could create significant shifts in the rewards landscape. For the first time, individuals can easily enjoy remarkable value for their points via a credit card portal while still earning elite status and points with their preferred hotel or airline.
You can check out the new 100,000 point + $500 travel credit offer for the Sapphire Reserve. The offer is 200,000 points for Sapphire Reserve Business Cards.
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