Have you been dreaming of a vacation to the Greek Islands? Or thinking how great it would be to stand at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Maybe you’re thinking about Pizza in Naples, Italy or skiing in the French Alps? Planning a trip to Europe isn’t as hard as it seems. The Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits and Ultimate Rewards points can help make a European dream trip a reality. Here’s how you can use this popular travel credit card for a trip to Europe.
Maximizing Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred Current Offer
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently has a sign-up bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points is worth $625 in travel if redeemed through the Chase travel portal. But you can get even more value by transferring your Chase rewards to a travel transfer partner.
You’ll also receive an additional 5,000 Ultimate Rewards points if you add an authorized user and they make a purchase in the same 3 month time period.
If you’ve applied for 5+ credit cards in the last 24 months you will most likely be denied for this Chase Sapphire product because of Chase’s 5/24 rule. Also, here’s an outliner on the credit score you will need for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2x points per dollar on travel (including airfare, hotels, taxis, and trains), 2x points per dollar on restaurants worldwide, and 1x points per dollar on all other purchases.
There are no foreign transaction fees and this Chase card and it comes with smart chip technology so you can use the Chase Sapphire abroad free of mind.
The annual fee on the Sapphire Preferred is waived the first year, then $95 per year.
Additional travel benefits for the Chase Sapphire Preferred include: primary car insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption service, up to $10,000 per trip, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per passenger.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred also protects your purchases. You will get “purchase protection” on new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. You will have to file a claim through a third party service for these travel and purchase benefits. You can see more details on the Chase Sapphire Preferred benefits here.
What You Get from Signing Up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred
Again, you will receive 50,000 Ultimate Reward points worth $625 on airfare or hotels booked through Chase. This 20% discount booking through Chase gives you a value of 1.25 cents. If you have 62,000 points, you can redeem them for $775.00 on travel.
You can get even more value by transferring your points to one of Chase’s Ultimate Reward travel partners. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to British Airways, Flying Blue, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic, IHG, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and Hyatt. You can combine your Ultimate Reward points with any existing mileage or point balance you already have in any of these accounts.
After meeting your minimum spend on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you will be close to or have enough points for a free economy ticket to Europe. Or if you choose, you can use your points towards your hotel accommodations, car rental or activities on your trip.
Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Make Reservations Using Chase’s Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
Making reservations for your trip to Europe can be done through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards travel portal. Similar to booking through Expedia or Booking.com, Chase’s travel portal makes bookings easy. You can search for flights, hotels, car rentals and activities together for your trip or individually. You can then pay with your Chase rewards points, your Sapphire Preferred credit card or both.
Flights to Europe with Ultimate Rewards Points
With the number of airlines flying between the US and Europe, you should be able to find a flight that works for your schedule. Traveling during peak travel season like summer vacation will cost more than taking your trip in the spring or fall. Let’s take a look at some examples (just so you know these revenue prices aren’t concrete and can change at any time):
If you’re looking for an “economy” flight from Washington, DC to Paris next April, from April 14 – April 28, the total cost of a ticket on United non-stop is $734.19. You could use 58,735 points to book your ticket or 30,000 points + $275.01. Using your award points to book a ticket through the travel portal, you will earn frequent flyer miles. That is because the ticket is treated as a revenue fare.
In comparison, transferring your points to your United Mileage Plus account and booking an award ticket to Europe would cost 60,000 miles + $84.76 in taxes and fees. You would not earn frequent flyer miles on your award ticket. By booking through Chase’s travel portal you’d be saving points and dollars in this example.
If you are looking for an airline ticket for next summer during peak travel season, the same flight June 9 – June 23, costs $1,374.26. The Ultimate Rewards travel portal requires 109,940 points for this ticket. United requires the same number of miles 60,000 + $84.76 in taxes and fees. By transferring your Ultimate Reward points to United Mileage plus in this instance, you’re saving over 40,000 points.
Personally, I prefer to redeem my Chase Ultimate Rewards points for premium cabin flights. Premium cabin flights are more expensive, so you’re maximizing the value of your Chase rewards. For example, I can book a one-way business class ticket to Europe on United for 57,500 miles or for 70,000 miles on Lufthansa.
If I bought a Lufthansa business class ticket out right it could easily cost $8,000+ or 660,000 points through the Chase portal. I think I would much rather transfer 70,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus and make the booking on their website.
By using Chase’s travel portal to search for flights and your frequent flyer award program search, you can determine which method of booking ends up costing less.
Hotels with Your Chase Rewards
Once your travel dates are set, you can start looking for the perfect accommodations for your trip. Like how you compared your airfare through Chase’s travel portal and the airlines’ frequent flier program, you can do the same for your accommodations. For example, If you are thinking of staying 2 nights in Paris at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile, the average night in June costs $321.19. You could book each night for 25,695 Ultimate Reward points through Chase’s travel center. However, if you transfer your loyalty points to World of Hyatt, an award night costs 15,000 points. Using this method, you are saving over 10,000 points and making your points go further.
Car Rental with Ultimate Rewards
Now that you have booked your flights and accommodations, you can start planning how you are going to get around. Through the UR travel portal, you can book a car rental. Let’s take a look at a car rental for pick up on April 14th for 1 week. There is a Europcar rental costing $29.83 or 2,386 points per day. The week’s car rental could be paid with 19,094 points, $238.68 or any combination of dollars and points.
Activities
You have your flights and hotels booked for your trip. You even have a car rental. Now, what will you do with the time in the cities once you are there? The Chase Sapphire Preferred travel portal has plenty of activities you can book with your points. A guided climb of the Eiffel tower costs $33.24 or 2,659 points per person. A Paris Local Products Self-Guided Tasting Tour for Foodies costs $42.79 or 3,423 points per person. A 4-Hour Electric Bike Tour in Paris costs $55.02 or 4,401 points per person. These are 3 of the 77 activities Chase’s travel portal has available for you to book or get ideas from!
Problems? Call the Travel Center
If you are having any problems with your booking, contact Chase’s travel center at 866-951-6592. They can help get your itinerary in order.
Bottom Line on Using the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s Benefits & Points in Europe
The Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card isn’t just a value at home but abroad too. With no foreign transaction fees, you won’t have to spend your vacation time looking for ATMs. By utilizing the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card sign up bonus, reward partners, and travel portal, booking a trip to Europe may be easier than you think. So if you are thinking about laying on the beach in the Greek Islands, sipping a coffee beneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or eating that pizza in Naples, Italy, there is no better time to plan your trip than now.
