The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is my FAVORITE credit card, because it’s extremely flexible in allowing you to transfer its points to airlines and hotel chains for free travel.
It currently allows you to earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, it comes with a very reasonable $95 annual fee.
Oh, Chase Sapphire Preferred, because I love thee so, I’ve put together this list of 7 ways this travel credit card can get you free travel!
You can read my full review of this card here.
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7 Ways the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Can Get You FREE Travel
1. Transfer Points to Airlines
You can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to a variety of airlines, including our favorite, Southwest Airlines. Most transfers happen INSTANTLY!
I love this feature, because I can leave a bank of points in my Chase Ultimate Rewards® account until we need them and transfer them over instantly when I need.
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to…
- Aer Lingus
- British Airways
- Air Canada
- Air France/Flying Blue
- Korean Air Skypass
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines
- United
- Virgin Atlantic
We have used our Ultimate Rewards Points to book flights in Europe on Aer Lingus and Delta, within the US on United and American, and for COUNTLESS Southwest flights!
[4 Ways to Use Chase Sapphire Preferred to Earn Southwest Points]
2. Transfer Points to Hotels
You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to transfer to hotel programs including…
- IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)
- Hyatt (100,000 points can get you 4 nights at an all-inclusive Hyatt resort in Mexico for 2 people — all food and drink included! I show you how inside my private Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club.)
- Marriott
3. Bonus Points
On the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can currently earn 75,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
After you meet the minimum spend, where you will net AT LEAST 1 point per dollar, you’ll have the bonus points + the minimum 1 point per dollar you earned to meet the minimum spend.
This is a SOLID bonus which has enabled my family of 4, along with a Southwest Companion Pass, to travel to at least SIX destinations every year.
Just exactly how far can these points take you on Southwest? As examples, my family of 4 flew to New York City from Indianapolis for ~22,000 points, from Chicago to Maui for 30,000 points and from Chicago to Las Vegas for 15,000 points.
In all cases, one of us flew on the Companion Pass, eliminating the points price for that person. But it is VERY common to find flights on Southwest for ~10,000-5,000 points per way. I’ve even booked a flight as cheap as 1,800 points per way (in 2025) from Indy to Chicago!
You just have to be willing to utilize the industry insider tricks I show you inside my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, sometimes fly on Tuesdays/Wednesdays and consider cities that have cheap prices from your home airport (or an airport nearby you might be willing to drive to).
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4. 3X Points on Dining and 2X Points on Travel
Chase Sapphire Preferred also allows you to earn MORE points when you use it to pay for dining and travel expenses than say the Southwest credit cards, which only earn 1 point per $1.
Though keep in mind, by using the Southwest credit cards, you earn points TOWARD the 135,000 you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass that lets one person fly free with you.
Points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards TO Southwest Rapid Rewards DO NOT qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.
I use this card as my everyday spending card, ESPECIALLY for restaurants and travel expenses to make sure I’m earning as many points a possible toward future Southwest and Europe flights!
5. Up to 75,000 Referral Points Per Year
There is even MORE potential to earn additional points besides through spending and the initial bonus.
For every person you refer to Chase Sapphire Preferred, up to 5 people each calendar year, you can earn 15,000 referral points, up to a maximum of 100,000! To get your referral link, check out the Chase Refer a Friend feature.
Sure, you can ask friends and family, but don’t forget the value of social media and email and simply sharing with others how you travel free. I have no doubt they’ll want to know how :).
6. Double Value Paired With the Southwest Companion Pass
When you pair Chase Ultimate Rewards points with a Southwest Companion Pass, you get DOUBLE the value out of them.
For every Ultimate Reward point you transfer to Southwest, that’s a point that can be used for TWO people to travel free, because you can bring someone with you whenever you book a flight on points (or paid for that matter!).
7. No Foreign Transaction Fees
There are also NO foreign transaction fees when you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred card outside of the U.S., so it makes a great card for international travel.
Don’t forget to use it for ALL dining and travel expenses, so you can earn DOUBLE or TRIPLE points.
Additional Travel Benefits You Get with Chase Sapphire Preferred
Additional travel benefits, include…
- 3x points on online grocery and streaming service purchases
- 5x points when purchasing Lyft rides with your card
- 10% points anniversary bonus based on your spending
- Complimentary DashPass from DoorDash, which grants you one year of free delivery and lower service fees on eligible orders for a minimum of one year when you activate by Dec 31, 2027
Read More:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Hidden Benefits
- How I Use Chase Sapphire Preferred Points for Free Hyatt Stays
- Reader Question: Which Card Should I Use for Purchases: Southwest or Chase Sapphire Preferred?
- How I Use Chase Sapphire Preferred to Book Travel in the Chase Portal
