Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
The number 1 way we afford to travel is to use points and miles to book airlines, cars and hotels. My absolute favorite credit card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Check out the current Deal.
Getting a Chase credit card: especially one in the Ultimate Rewards® program, is one of the smartest moves you can make if you’re serious about travel hacking. Here’s why:
✈️ 1. Valuable Sign-Up Bonuses
Chase offers generous welcome bonuses on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® and Chase Sapphire Reserve® often worth $750–$1,200+ in travel when redeemed through their portal or transferred to partners.
🌍 2. Flexible Points
Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are extremely versatile. You can:
- Redeem for travel through the Chase portal (1.25–1.5x value)
- Transfer 1:1 to top-tier partners like:
- United, Southwest, JetBlue
- Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
- Air France/KLM, Emirates, British Airways
💰 3. Great Travel Perks
Chase travel cards come with premium perks like:
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- Primary car rental coverage
- No foreign transaction fees
- Purchase protection & extended warranties
🛍️ 4. Bonus Points on Travel & Dining
Cards like the Sapphire Preferred and Reserve offer 2x–3x points on travel and dining purchases, making it easy to rack up rewards on the things you’re already spending money on.
🚫 5. Avoid the Chase 5/24 Rule
If you’re getting into travel hacking, start with a Chase card early. Their 5/24 rule limits approvals if you’ve opened 5+ credit cards (from any issuer) in the last 24 months.
