Chase Transfer Partners: Who They Are & When to Use Them
Secrets Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 2024 (Booked with Hyatt points transferred from Chase bank)
If you’ve ever looked at your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and thought,
“Okay… I have the points. Now what?” — this post is for you.
One of the biggest reasons Chase points are so valuable is because of their transfer partners. Used correctly, transferring points can unlock flights and hotels that would cost thousands of dollars in cash — sometimes for just a few dollars in taxes and fees.
What Are Chase Transfer Partners?
Chase transfer partners are airlines and hotel programs that allow you to move your Chase Ultimate Rewards points directly into their loyalty programs.
Sometimes the Chase travel portal at a fixed value isn’t the best option, though they just introduced the points boost that seems very lucrative so far. With transferring points, you can:
Transfer points to an airline or hotel. You will need to create an account with them so you obtain a specific account # to put into your Chase transfer page.
Book an award flight or hotel night through that program
Often get 2x–5x more value per point
Transfers are typically 1:1, meaning:
10,000 Chase points = 10,000 airline or hotel points
⚠️ Important: Transfers are one-way and permanent. Once you move points to an airline or hotel partner, you cannot move them back to Chase.
Screenhshot of the transfer to partners page on Chase bank site
Which Chase Cards Allow Transfers?
Not all Chase cards have transfer partner access.
You can transfer points if you have:
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Ink Business Preferred®
If you earn points on cards like:
Chase Freedom Flex®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Ink Business Cash® or Ink Business Unlimited®
You can still use transfer partners — you just need to combine those points into one of the cards above first.
Chase Airline Transfer Partners (as of the time of this blog post):
✈️ United Airlines (Star Alliance)
Best for:
Domestic flights
International flights to Europe, Asia, and Australia
No fuel surcharges
Great option if you want simple bookings or live near a United hub.
✈️ Southwest Airlines
Best for:
U.S. and Caribbean travel
Families
Companion Pass holders
Southwest points are revenue-based, meaning prices track closely with cash fares — but the real magic happens if you have the Companion Pass. You can read more about that here.
We prefer getting our Southwest points through the co-branded Southwest cards, but when we first started out and didn’t have any other points yet, we transferred from Chase to Southwest for our first big redemption.
✈️ Air Canada Aeroplan
Best for:
International flights on Star Alliance partners
Business class redemptions
Flexible routing
Aeroplan is a favorite for advanced redemptions with excellent partner access.
✈️ British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
Best for:
Short nonstop flights
American Airlines redemptions
West Coast to Hawaii flights
Distance-based pricing can mean amazing deals — or terrible ones — so route selection matters here.
✈️ Air France / KLM Flying Blue
Best for:
Flights to Europe
Monthly Promo Rewards
Good availability
Flying Blue often runs discounted award pricing that can save tens of thousands of points.
✈️ Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Best for:
Delta One business class
Flights to Europe
Sweet spot partner awards
This is one of the highest-value (but least obvious) Chase partners when used correctly.
✈️ Iberia Plus
Best for:
Off-peak flights to Spain
Business class deals to Europe
Lower taxes and fees than British Airways for similar routes.
✈️ Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Best for:
Premium cabin flights
Singapore Airlines awards (not bookable elsewhere)
Great option if you want access to Singapore’s world-class cabins.
✈️ Emirates Skywards
Best for:
Luxury flights
Unique experiences
Emirates premium cabins
High fees, but unforgettable redemptions.
Chase Hotel Transfer Partners
Chase has few hotel partners — but they’re strong ones.
🏨 World of Hyatt
Best for:
Maximum value per point
Luxury stays
Family-friendly resorts
Hyatt is widely considered the best Chase hotel partner. Award charts are still reasonable, and redemptions can be incredible.
🏨 IHG One Rewards
Best for:
Broad hotel footprint
Budget and mid-range stays
International travel
IHG points aren’t always the highest value, but they can work well if you need to top off points for a specific trip.
🏨 Marriott Bonvoy
Best for:
Global hotel availability
Large footprint
Luxury properties
Usually lower value per point, but sometimes useful when availability matters more than value.
When Should You Transfer Chase Points?
You should transfer points only when:
✅ You’ve found award availability
✅ You know the exact number of points needed
✅ You’re ready to book immediately
Never transfer points “just to have them there”, unless you are experienced and know exactly which program you will use in the future.
When You Should NOT Transfer Points
❌ If the portal price is similar - it’s better to buy directly through the hotel, airline or touring company as the portal is considered “third-party”. It’s not impossible, but if there’s a hiccup in the plans, it takes more time to go through Chase to change or cancel something.
❌ If award availability is limited — sometimes the bank’s portal is Sold Out, but you may find availability through the hotel’s website or vice versa.
❌ If you’re unsure of your plans
❌ If taxes and fees are high
These factors obviously depend on how much money and time you are willing to spend to make your specific trip happen. Sometimes the Chase portal is the better option — and that’s okay. We’ve used plenty of Ultimate Rewards points to book our rental cars through the portal because we try to make our trips as close to free as possible.
Real-Life Example
Let’s say a flight to Europe costs:
$1,200 cash
60,000 points through the Chase portal
30,000 points via a Flying Blue transfer + ~$100 in taxes
That’s the power of transfer partners.
Final Thoughts: Why Chase Transfer Partners Matter
Chase transfer partners are what turn “free travel” from a buzzword into reality.
You don’t need to use them for every trip — but when you do, they can unlock:
International flights for pennies
Luxury hotels for free
Experiences you wouldn’t otherwise pay for
If you’re just getting started, begin with Hyatt, Southwest, and United — then branch out as you get more comfortable.
And remember:
✨ Points don’t expire when you leave them with Chase — so wait until the right redemption shows up.
