40 Ways to Use Ultimate Rewards

by Drew Macomber

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer in increments of 1,000, but in this list of 40
ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points I wanted to give precise info.

Transfers are in 1,000 point increments and prices below are listed per person.

1. 60,000 points → United miles for a roundtrip to two European cities using
stopovers

2. 30,000 points → Hyatt points for one of the nicest Hyatts in the world (like the Park
Hyatt Sydney and Park Hyatt Maldives, both $1,000+ a night hotels).

3. 5,000 points → IHG points to stay 1 night at an IHG hotel on their PointBreaks list.

4. 4,500 points → British Airways Avios which can get you flights from Miami to
Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cancun, Bamahas or many more options. See Avios
Sweet Spots.

5. 15,000 points → Amtrak points in order to get a “Roomete” from Denver to Seattle
for 2 people! Beds and food included. See Best Use of Amtrak.

6. 25,000 points → Amtrak points to make that Denver to Seattle trip in a full
“Bedroom” for 3 people. Bigger bed (plus a top bunk) and full meals for 3.

7. 1,500 points → Amtrak points for a seat on specialty routes like Seattle to Portland.
See Best Use of Amtrak.

8. 40,000 points → United miles for a roundtrip flight to Peru and Mexico using
stopovers. Actually could be anywhere in Northern South America and a stop with
anywhere on the way. See Complete Guide to United Miles.

9. 70,000 points → United miles for that roundtrip to Peru to be in Business Class.
10. 25,000 points → Korean Miles for a roundtrip to Hawaii on Delta.

11. 12,500 points → British Airways Avios for a flight on Aer Lingus from Boston to
Dublin oneway. See Breaking British Airways with Stopovers.

12. 3,000 points → Hyatt points to turn a paid Hyatt stay into a night with Hyatt Club
Lounge room (upgrade). See Best Use of Hyatt Points.

13. 6,000 points → Hyatt points to turn a paid Hyatt stay into a night in a Hyatt Suite
(upgrade), usually with lounge access. See Best Use of Hyatt Points.

14. 20,000 points → Singapore miles to fly oneway from New York to Frankfurt, or
Houston to Moscow, on Sinagpore Airlines flights. See Best Use of Singapore
Miles.

15. 70,000 points → United miles to fly to Africa and Japan using United Stopovers.
See United Stopovers Secrets.

16. 6,000 points → Southwest points for a $100 domestic flight on Southwest Airlines

17. 10,000 points → British Airways Avios for a oneway flight from Miami to Lima,
Peru.

18. 15,000 points → IHG points for 1 night at an IHG Category 2 hotel, like: Holiday Inn
Krakow, Holiday Inn Dubai, Holiday Inn Suva Fiji and more. See Best IHG Category 1
& 2 hotels.

19. 60,000 points → Korean Miles for a roundtrip from LA to Tahiti on Air France.

20. 35,000 points → United miles to fly to two Caribbean islands using stopovers. I
called it the Caribbean Hopper.

21. 25,000 points → Hyatt points for one of the new Hyatt All-Inclusive properties like
the one in Jamaica (which, trust me, has awesome food). See All-Inclusive Hotels
on Points.

22. 4,500 points → British Airways Avios for a oneway like: NYC to Toronto, DC to
Chicago, or Charlotte to Fort Lauderdale.
23. 6,000 points → Southwest points; enough for the current promotion rate for many
one way flights to Cancun.

24. 110,000 points → Singapore miles for a oneway flight from NYC to Singapore (via
Frankfurt) in Singapore Airline’s famous Suites Class. A double bed on an A380. See
Best Use of Singapore Miles.

25. 70,000 points → United miles for a roundtrip to Australia and Fiji using stopovers.

26. 8,000 points → Hyatt points for 1 night at a category 2 Hyatt like the Grand Hyatt
Santiago, or Grand Hyatt Amman

27. 12,000 points → Hyatt points to make that category 2 reservation a points
reservation for a Club Room instead. (Trust me the Club Lounge in Santiago is
worth it for the Sushi they bring up from the Japanese restaurant).

28. 12,500 points → British Airways Avios for a oneway to Hawaii from LA, Seattle, San
Fran, Portland and more.

29. 50,000 points → Korean miles for a roundtrip to Europe (including as far east as
Georgia) on Delta, KLM, Air France or any SkyTeam member.

30. 80,000 points → Korean miles for a roundtrip to Europe in Business class.

31. 10,000 points → Virgin Atlantic points, to then convert to 15,000 Hilton points.
Enough for 3 nights at a Category 1 Hilton, like the many in Egypt.

32. 17,500 points → Singapore miles for a oneway to Hawaii on United (econ/biz/first is
17.5k/30k/40k). See Best Use of Singapore Airlines Miles.

33. 30,000 points → United miles for a crazy roundtrip flight from China to Fiji with a
stopover in New Zealand. See 4 Variations of the Pacific Hopper.

34. 15,000 points → Hyatt points for a stay at one of the many incredible Category 4
Hyatts like the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, Park Hyatt Toronto, or the Park Hyatt
Saigon. See Best Category 4 Hyatt Hotels.
35. 80,000 points → United miles for a roundtrip flight to India, with a stopover in either
Asia or Europe on the way as well. See Complete Guide to United Routing Rules.

36. 20,000 points → Singapore miles for a oneway US domestic ticket in business
class.

37. 20,000 points → British Airways Avios for a oneway to Europe, at least from the
east coast. Fly on Air Berlin to avoid fuel surcharges.

38. 5,000 points → Amtrak points for a seat on any route within one region. There are
three zones that divide the US. A slow way to travel, but some people love the
train.

39. 5,000 points → Hyatt points for many Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels,
particularly useful at airports, like the one we stayed at in DC.

40. 12,500 points → United miles for a one-way trip within the US.

Conclusion
I use my Chase points mostly for United flights, because I love stopovers. But I’ve also
used them to top off other accounts, and will always consider it for a great redemption
opportunity.

The only “wrong way” to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points is when you transfer to
redeem points on something that would be cheaper than 1 cent per point… or even
close to one cent per point. You can and should do better.

Drew Macomber is a full-time traveler who lives in four-star hotels year-

round, paying an average of $20-30 per night. You can read many other
guides like this one at his site, TravelIsFree.com.