I’m really into the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I’ve had it for quite a while, and honestly, it’s one of the best starter cards if you want to rack up transferable rewards. The welcome bonus is pretty generous, plus the annual fees are reasonable, and the bonus points categories are great too.
I’ve used thousands of Chase Ultimate Reward Points by transferring them to airline and hotel partners—Air Canada’s Aeroplan and the Hyatt World programs are some of my personal favorites. There’s also something nice about easily tracking points through the Chase Travel Portal, where you can redeem points at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents each.
Recently, though, with an update to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠, Chase stepped up its game. They’ve revamped the Chase Travel Redemption option to include a new feature called Points Boost.
I was pretty curious—maybe a bit nervous—about how this would work and whether it’d really enhance redemption value. After exploring the redemption options in the portal, here are some insights on maximizing your future points:
Understanding Point Boost for Sapphire Priority Cardholders
The Chase Sapphire Priority Card still lets you earn 5 Ultimate Reward Points for every dollar spent when booking travel through Chase. That part hasn’t changed.
In the past, Sapphire cardholders could redeem points through Chase Travel for nearly any airline, hotel, or rental car at a fixed value of 1.25 cents. This was super convenient—especially when traveling to smaller towns where you can’t find big-name hotels like Marriott or Hyatt. You could easily book a quaint boutique hotel through the Chase portal.
If you’re a current cardholder and apply for this card before June 23, you’ll still have the option to redeem your earned reward points for 1.25 cents each on all travel purchases made before October 26, 2025, redeemable until October 26, 2027. New cardholders after this date will have a fixed redemption value throughout Chase Travel.
Although some might view this as a devaluation, the new Points Boost feature actually allows existing Sapphire Priority Cardholders (new ones too) to redeem points for a value ranging from 1.5 to 1.75 cents per point.
Is the Points Boost Better Than Fixed Value?
For those of us holding Sapphire Priority Cards, the Points Boost option is definitely a perk for points earned by October 26, 2025, and used by October 26, 2027. I’ve noticed my opportunities to redeem points have expanded significantly—going from the previous fixed rate of 1.25 cents to potentially 1.75 cents per point.
However, remember, points earned post-October 26, 2025, will follow a different redemption structure unless you’ve chosen the Point Boost feature. Otherwise, they’ll revert to just one cent per point, which, let’s be honest, is quite a drop from the previous rate.
Finding Boosted Redemption Options
I can be a bit skeptical about “selected” offers, wondering how broad the choices will really be. So, upon seeing the Points Boost feature live, I logged into Chase Travel with both excitement and trepidation.
The great news? Boosted redemptions are clearly labeled with a small rocket icon and pop up at the top of your search results. Sapphire Preferred holders can book both budget and luxury hotels at rates of 1.5 cents per point.
Some of the options for United Airlines flights—like Economy Plus and premium economy—now also operate at that 1.5 cents rate.
That said, it’s important to note that these point boosts are limited to specific hotels and flights, and their availability may vary.
At one point, I found some boosts offering up to 1.75 cents when searching for business or first-class flights through Chase Travel.
Maximizing Point Boost Usage
Seeing that increased redemption rate for hotel bookings is nice. It’s particularly helpful when I need to stay at an independent hotel outside of major loyalty programs, or when I only need a quick overnight stay near an airport without worrying about elite benefits.
However, I’ve noticed there aren’t too many airlines with Point Boost options available just yet. Primarily, it seems limited to a few such as United and Air Canada. But since this is a recent addition, there’s hope more airlines will join the roster in time.
The lure of redeeming points at 1.5 or 1.75 cents is pretty enticing, especially for premium travel classes. Yet, for long-haul flights, it’s sometimes better to transfer points to partner programs to book those award seats directly, which could offer even better value.
According to a recent valuation, I’ve seen points rated at about 2.05 cents each based on TPG assessments. So when booking through the Chase Travel Portal, I feel like I’m losing out on some of that value.
Conclusion
I was a bit anxious about how introducing point boosts would complicate what was once a straightforward redemption process. Despite that, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the new system functions.
Going forward, it’s likely that Chase Travel will be the go-to for redeeming those Ultimate Reward Points earned after October 26, 2025. The current structure allows for at least 1.25 cents per point while also introducing beneficial point boost options—especially for those looking to stay at independent hotels outside of major chains.
