Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners
The 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners, ranked by how often we use them and which redemptions actually beat cash back.
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to fourteen partners at a 1:1 ratio. Most of those partners are not actually useful to most readers. Three of them carry the entire program. The full list, ranked by how often a typical US-based traveler would use each:
Tier 1: where the value lives
World of Hyatt. The single best transfer partner in any major flexible-points program. Hyatt’s award chart is fixed by category. Category 1 properties are 5,000 points per night. Category 8 properties at peak are 45,000 points. A typical urban Hyatt Place going for $200 cash a night clears at 8,000 to 12,000 points off-peak, which is north of 2 cents per Ultimate Reward point in value. Premium properties like Park Hyatt Tokyo at $1,200 cash for 35,000 points clear at over 3 cents per point. If you stay at Hyatt even occasionally, transfer to Hyatt is the redemption.
United MileagePlus. Saver awards on United metal start at 12,500 miles for domestic economy. Premium cabin awards on Star Alliance partners via United average 70,000 to 80,000 miles for transatlantic business class. The Excursionist Perk allows a free stopover on certain itineraries. Strong for anyone who flies United domestically.
Southwest Rapid Rewards. Useful only if you fly Southwest or are chasing the Companion Pass. Points transfer at 1:1 but Southwest’s redemptions are revenue-based, so the value is more or less 1.4 cents per point. Not where you put points for premium value, but solid for routine domestic flights.
Tier 2: situational value
Air Canada Aeroplan. Star Alliance award chart for international premium cabins. Aeroplan has stopover and round-the-world options, and partner award space on United, Lufthansa, ANA, EVA Air, and Singapore Airlines often clears at strong rates.
British Airways Avios. Best for short-haul partner awards on American, Alaska, JetBlue, and Cathay Pacific. Distance-based award chart means the 7,500 Avios West Coast-to-Hawaii deal still exists on certain dates.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Promo Rewards offer 25% to 50% off select transatlantic awards. SkyTeam partner access via Flying Blue includes Delta on some routes.
Tier 3: niche or weak
Marriott Bonvoy. Direct transfer at 1:1. Marriott points are worth roughly 0.7 cents each, so the transfer effectively converts 1 Chase point worth ~2.1 cents into ~0.7 cents of Marriott value. Almost never the right move.
IHG One Rewards. Same dynamic as Marriott but at 0.5 cents per IHG point. Avoid.
Iberia Plus. Useful for transatlantic awards to Madrid, especially in business class.
JetBlue TrueBlue. Fixed-value at 1.3 to 1.5 cents per point. Better redemption than cash back if you fly JetBlue.
Emirates Skywards. Useful for first class redemptions on Emirates metal.
Singapore KrisFlyer. Singapore Suites is the cabin most people transfer for. Award availability is limited.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Periodic transfer bonuses make Virgin awards on Delta and ANA business class compelling.
Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Already listed in tier 2.
How to think about transfers
The decision tree is short. You compare two prices: the Chase Travel cash redemption (1.25 to 1.5 cents per point) and the transfer partner’s award price. If the partner award is cheaper than the Chase Travel cash price, transfer makes sense. If it is not cheaper, take the cash redemption.
Transfers are irreversible. Always confirm award availability with the partner before transferring. Saver award space on partner airlines can disappear in minutes. A locked-in saver award is the redemption. Transferring points speculatively without an itinerary is the most common Ultimate Rewards mistake.
Bottom-line recommendation
For most US-based travelers, Hyatt + United + Southwest + Aeroplan handles 80% of useful redemptions. The other ten partners are situational. Build a Chase strategy around the first four and treat the rest as occasional opportunities.
