Friends,

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are among the most versatile and valuable in the points and miles world. Chase also has a current, really strong sign up bonus on offer for their Sapphire Preferred card (it ends soon, fwiw), so it felt timely to write about this.

The bottom line: to get the most out of Ultimate Rewards, transferring to travel partners is often the best move. Better still, there are currently two live, compelling promotions:

• 25% Transfer Bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: Available through June 15, 2025, this bonus means that for every 1,000 Chase points transferred, you'll receive 1,250 Virgin Points. This can unlock great value, especially for short-haul Delta flights and transatlantic business class on Virgin Atlantic.

• 25% Transfer Bonus to Air France-KLM Flying Blue: Valid until May 31, 2025, this offer provides 1,250 Flying Blue miles for every 1,000 Chase points transferred. Flying Blue's dynamic pricing can yield excellent deals, particularly on U.S.-Europe routes. As an example: Montreal to Europe (and v.v.) is only 45k points in business class on certain dates this summer thanks to their current FlyingBlue promo rewards.

I have had tremendous fun transferring and redeeming Ultimate Rewards over the past few years. Here are two of my best uses of Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

• Singapore Airlines Suites: Booking the Singapore Airlines Suites for my honeymoon was downright fantastic. The experience is (in many respects) unparalleled, making it a stellar redemption.

• Alila Ventana Big Sur: Transferring points to World of Hyatt for a stay at Alila Ventana Big Sur offered incredible value. This resort in California's Big Sur region is next level, and showcases the strength of Hyatt redemptions. Today’s thumbnail picture is from one of the property’s two pools.

Beyond the current bonuses and my top picks, several Chase transfer partners consistently offer strong value:

• Air Canada Aeroplan: Ideal for Star Alliance flights, Aeroplan allows for creative itineraries and often has favorable award pricing.

• United MileagePlus: A go-to for domestic and international flights, United's program offers extensive availability without fuel surcharges. Polaris is a super solid business class product, too.

• British Airways Avios: Best used for short-haul flights, especially within regions like Europe or Asia, where their distance-based award chart can be advantageous.

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: As mentioned above—excellent for booking premium cabins on Singapore Airlines (they are amazing in my book).

Overall, Chase Ultimate Rewards points offer flexibility and value, especially when leveraged through transfer partners. I am a big fan, and hope you can get great mileage (see what I did there) out of them, too.

Fly well.

Links

100k for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still around (but not for long).

The new Frontier companion pass is a pretty great deal (if Frontier flies to places you need slash want to go).

Newark ATC went down again for over a minute earlier today.

Remember, this life you are living has meaning. Thank you for reading. I am grateful you are here and would love to hear from you. If you'd like to write me a note, simply reply to this email. Otherwise I'll see you in the next one.

P.S. If I can ever help you plan your next travel adventure (slash help make your points go farther), I’d be delighted. You can schedule time together here.