Soaring through the clouds, a glass of champagne in hand, on your way to an exotic destination. Sounds luxurious, right? But what if you could unlock this dream vacation using points you earn on everyday purchases? With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card and a United Airlines MileagePlus® account, you can turn that dream into reality! This blog post delves into the world of Chase Sapphire – United miles, specifically focusing on how to seamlessly transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to unlock award travel on United Airlines and its vast network.
The Power of Points: Chase Sapphire Preferred® and United MileagePlus®
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card is a popular choice for travel hackers due to its generous welcome bonus and ongoing points-earning potential. Every swipe of the card, from groceries to gas, translates into valuable points that can be redeemed for travel experiences. But the magic doesn’t stop there. Chase Sapphire – United miles come into play when you consider the transferability of your points.
United Airlines MileagePlus®: This loyalty program allows you to accumulate miles by flying with United or its Star Alliance partners, credit card spending, and everyday purchases. However, the real advantage lies in redeeming those miles for award flights on a vast network of airlines, including United itself. Here’s the key: you can transfer your hard-earned Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to MileagePlus®, significantly boosting your miles balance and opening doors to exciting travel possibilities on United and its partners.
Opening Accounts for Seamless Transfer: United and Chase
The first step in your Chase Sapphire United miles journey is ensuring you have accounts with both programs. Let’s break it down:
Open a United Airlines MileagePlus® Account
Creating a MileagePlus® account is completely free. Head over to United’s website and navigate to the signup page. Within minutes, you’ll have your own account ready to accumulate miles and book award flights.
Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card
Applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card is a simple process. Be prepared with your social security number. You can apply here.
While the card carries an annual fee of $95, the generous welcome bonus and ongoing points-earning potential can quickly outweigh that cost. Plus, the card offers valuable travel insurance and other benefits, making it a worthwhile investment for frequent travelers.
Read this before you transfer your points
Chase transfer partners offer incredible value, yet it’s crucial to remember a few key points before you hit the “Submit” button for the final time:
- Transferring your Chase points to an airline or hotel account is irreversible — once the points have been moved, there’s no way to transfer them back.
- The only transfers allowed are to an airline or hotel account that’s either yours or belongs to another person in your household who is also an authorized user on your card account.
- Additionally, you have the option to pool Chase Ultimate Rewards points between your own account and the account of one household member. For those holding small business cards, points can be combined with either a household member or a business co-owner’s account.
Transferring Your Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points to United Miles
Once you have both accounts set up, transferring your points is a breeze. Here’s a simple guide:
1. Log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
2. Navigate to the “Transfer points” section.
3. Select “Travel partners” and choose “United MileagePlus®” from the list.
4. Enter the number of points you want to transfer (transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 points).
5. Review the transfer details and confirm the transaction.
From my experience, the transfer is almost instantaneous. Although, I’ve heard it may take a few hours sometimes.
Using Your Chase Sapphire United Miles: The World Awaits!
With your Chase Ultimate Rewards® points successfully converted into United miles, it’s time to start planning your dream getaway. Here’s how you can leverage your United miles:
- Book Award Flights on United Airlines: This is the most straightforward option. Use your miles to book award flights on any United route, from exploring the vibrant streets of New York City to relaxing on the pristine beaches of Hawaii.
- Explore Star Alliance Partners: The beauty of MileagePlus® lies in its network of Star Alliance partners. Airlines like Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Air Canada are all part of this alliance, allowing you to redeem your miles for flights on a wider network. Imagine sipping wine on a luxurious flight to Paris with your Chase Sapphire United miles!
A Demo of How to Use Miles
Log in to United.com and put in your trip information in the search area. Make sure you click on the option that says “Book with miles” before you enter where you’re flying from and to. If you can travel on different days, click on “Flexible dates” to see when you can fly within the month you picked.
Now, you’ll be able to see which seats are available in the cabin type you chose earlier. Since I picked “Economy” before, all the fares shown now are for economy class seats.
Remember, if you have a United Chase credit card or United Premier status, you’ll probably see more options for booking with miles because you get access to the XN fare class, which offers additional award space.
You can arrange the search results by the type of seat, number of stops, miles needed, when the flight leaves or arrives, and how much it costs. Clicking “Details” on any flight shows you more about it, like what kind of plane it is, if there’s a stop and where, and how long the flight takes.
After you pick a date, you’ll notice separate columns for each available cabin class. For this example, there are choices in economy, premium economy, and business.
You have three choices for booking your flight using miles. For 30,000 miles, you can travel in economy class the whole way. For 100,000 miles, you can fly economy on the first part and premium economy class on the second part. And for 155,000 miles, you can go first class for both parts of your trip.
When you decide which flight and seat type you want, pick the option you like best. If you haven’t logged in yet, you’ll need to do that next. Then, fill in your details to confirm your flight booked with miles. Concurrently, if you have a United credit card that lets you check a bag for free, use that card to pay any taxes and fees on your ticket. Finally, if you don’t have this card, think about using another good credit card that’s great for buying plane tickets.
Unlocking the Skies with Chase Sapphire points to United Miles
The world awaits, and with the power of Chase Sapphire points to United miles, you have the key to unlock it! Start here:
- Sign up for a Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card: This card offers a generous welcome bonus of 60,000 with a $4,000 spend in the first three months and ongoing points-earning potential, giving your journey a powerful head start. Remember, the annual fee of $95 is easily outweighed by the benefits, including travel insurance and the potential to save significantly on award flights.
- Create a free United Airlines MileagePlus® account: This is your gateway to redeeming your points for exciting travel experiences on United and its vast network of Star Alliance partners.
With a little planning and strategic use of both programs, you can transform your everyday purchases into unforgettable travel memories. So, what are you waiting for? Start earning points today and get ready to experience the world in comfort and style with Chase Sapphire United miles! Remember, the adventure begins with a single swipe (of your Chase Sapphire Preferred® card) and a free account signup with United Airlines MileagePlus®.
Bonus Tip: Maximize Your Chase Sapphire points to United Miles
Here are some additional tips to maximize your miles:
- Take advantage of bonus points offers: Chase frequently offers bonus points categories for specific spending categories. Focus your spending on these categories to accelerate your points accumulation. Imagine earning double points on online shopping during the holiday season, significantly boosting your Chase Sapphire United miles balance.
- Consider other travel hacking strategies: Explore options like referring friends to programs to further accelerate your points accumulation.
- Be flexible with your travel dates: Award availability, especially for premium cabins, can be limited. Consider traveling during the shoulder seasons or off-peak times to find better award availability and potentially lower prices on non-accommodation expenses.
In Conclusion
All in all, using United miles is simple, and getting them is easy too because you can move points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to United with a 1:1 match. By following these tips and strategically using your Chase Sapphire United miles, you can unlock a world of luxurious travel possibilities without breaking the bank. So, pack your bags, dream big, and get ready to soar to new heights with the power of points!