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How to Get Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Back for Award Bookings

By Eric Rosen

The spread of the coronavirus and subsequent travel restrictions have caused unprecedented disruptions .

If your travel plans have been affected , you might be having a difficult time getting a refund. But those who made reservations using points are probably dealing with more issues than most. Not only is it confusing to navigate the cancellation or change rules for popular rewards programs, but in some cases, these are basically third-party bookings (as opposed to those made directly with airlines or hotels), which adds another layer of complexity. But Chase is making it easier for customers who booked trips using Chase Ultimate Rewards points to get refunds for canceled travel.

Using Chase points for travel

Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the most popular travel rewards points available, thanks in part to how easy they are to earn through cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Ultimate Rewards can be extremely useful since they transfer to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners including Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, among others. Beyond that, cardholders can redeem Ultimate Rewards at fixed rates for travel reservations made directly through the Chase travel portal , which is powered by Expedia. These include flights, hotels, vacation rentals, car rentals, activities, and cruises. Depending on the card you have , your Ultimate Rewards points are worth between one and 1.5 cents apiece this way.

Because the Chase portal is a third-party site, reservations are subject to the change and cancellation policies of the travel partners you booked with, such as an airline, hotel, or cruise line. So before you try to get your points or money back, first check the rules for the specific carrier or property you booked. Most airlines, hotels, and cruise lines are waiving any cancellation or reservation change penalties and either offering refunds or future travel vouchers.

Canceling Ultimate Rewards points reservations

Once you determine that you are eligible for a refund, you can log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account and visit this online form that the bank recently rolled out. This page is only for cancellations of travel eight days or more in the future. If your trip is sooner than that, or you simply want to push your plans to a later date, you will need to call the Chase travel desk at 1-888-511-5326 for service.

Once logged in, you can enter the itinerary number from the email confirmation you would have received at time of booking, your associated email address, and your phone number. Chase says it attempts to resolve every request within seven business days. However, given the volume of emails that have poured in, that might not always be possible. The team tends to process cancellation requests by date of travel, so if your plans are far in the future, it might take Chase a bit longer to get back to you. Also note that by filling out the form, you are giving Chase permission to cancel your reservation, so only do so if you are absolutely certain that you want to scrap your plans altogether.

A representative from Chase confirmed that “if a traveler qualifies for a refund per the travel provider policy, that refund will be in the form of the original payment, whether that is points or cash.” So cardholders who redeemed Ultimate Rewards points directly through Chase for travel arrangements should receive those points back to their account. If you booked using cash, you’ll get a statement credit to the card you used for payment. There have been incidents of people being refunded in cash rather than points, but a call to customer service should be able to resolve that.

What happens if you transferred points to another program

If you transferred your Ultimate Rewards points to one of the program’s travel partners, like JetBlue True Blue or IHG Rewards Club, things get more complicated. As in normal circumstances, once you convert your Chase points into points or miles with one of the Ultimate Rewards program’s transfer partners, you cannot get them back in the form of Chase points. They are simply stuck in your account with the travel transfer partner program.

But airlines and hotels have relaxed rules regarding changes and cancellations to award reservations, too–waiving mileage redeposit fees for canceled flights or those booked within an eligible time period, for example–so if you made an award booking directly with them, you should at least be able to get your points or miles back quickly.

While millions of people have had to cancel trips, the travel industry is helping out and being flexible with changes. Chase has also stepped up by streamlining the cancellation process for bookings made through its own travel portal, which means you should receive a refund relatively easily, whether you booked using cash or points.

We're reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. Find all of our coronavirus coverage and travel resources here.

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The Guide to Chase’s Travel Portal

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Table of Contents

Who can use the portal?

Benefits of booking travel in the portal, is chase's travel portal worth using, does chase's travel portal price match, how to use chase's travel portal, what else you need to know, chase travel portal tips, recapped.

Chase's travel portal is one of the best features of having a Chase credit card. Earning Ultimate Rewards® with credit cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® can deliver big value if you know how to navigate Chase's travel portal.

Much like third-party booking sites like Orbitz or Expedia , you can use Chase's travel portal to book flights, hotels and cruises, among other things. You can redeem points to offset the cost of the trip or pay in cash. You won’t have to worry about blackout dates or award inventory caps like you may find when using airline miles or hotel points for the same trip since you are essentially buying travel with cash.

Within the portal, you can also redeem points for merchandise or transfer them to other travel loyalty programs if you are short on miles and points there. In short, having a flexible points currency like Chase Ultimate Rewards® is one of the smartest routes you can take in the miles and points game. Booking travel through Chase's travel portal is simple. Here’s what you need to know about the portal.

» Learn more: Chase Ultimate Rewards®: How to earn and use them

Not all Chase cards have the same benefits. Only some cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points; others may earn loyalty miles and points with an affiliated partner. For example, the United℠ Explorer Card earns United MileagePlus miles.

These are examples of cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® and give access to Chase's travel portal:

Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

Chase Freedom Unlimited® .

Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card .

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card .

on Chase's website

• 5 points per $1 on travel booked through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

• 2 points per $1 on other travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

Point value in the travel portal: 1.25 cents apiece.

• 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase.

• 5 points per $1 on air travel purchased through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Point value in the travel portal: 1.5 cents apiece.

• In the first year, 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 4.5% cash back on drugstores and restaurants, and 3% on all other purchases on up to $20,000 in spending.

• After that, 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% cash back at drugstores and restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Point value in the travel portal: 1 cent apiece.

Point value in Chase travel portal: 1 cent apiece.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Earn points on paid reservations

The primary reason you may want to book travel via Chase's travel portal is that you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® on paid reservations. You can earn 5x points on airfare booked within the portal and 10x points on hotels and car rentals.

That can really add up, but beware that when booking hotels with Chase Ultimate Rewards®, you are not eligible to earn points with the hotel loyalty program or reap elite status benefits since it is using a third-party service. The tradeoff can vary by property, but using Chase's travel portal is especially helpful when booking unaffiliated hotels or hotel brands where you usually do not collect points or have elite status. In those instances, you are less likely to be passing up the perks of points earning and elite status.

Earn points on airfare even for redemptions

When booking airfare through Chase, you do earn miles no matter if you pay with cash or points. This makes using points for airfare via the travel portal more beneficial than redeeming for a hotel.

Earn bonus points for restaurant bookings

You can even earn bonus points when making restaurant bookings through the portal. This can be a great way to enhance your trips with great dining in advance rather than chatting with your hotel concierge.

Shop for the best value redemption

Since the value per Chase Ultimate Rewards® points is relatively constant, using the travel portal may not always be the best option. You may be able to spend fewer points if you book the same trip with the specific airline or hotel's points instead of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points. This is more common with itineraries with high cash prices, like a hotel night that's particularly expensive. Always compare the cost of using traditional miles and points over using Chase points to see which offers better value. In some cases, you may want to transfer Chase points to partner programs to squeeze more value from them.

One example where that could be exceptional value is for expensive business class tickets that also have award availability. Let’s say you’re looking for a United business class ticket between Newark and London. If the cash cost of a one-way ticket is $2,505, that will cost you 250,500 Ultimate Rewards® points when redeeming at a value of one penny per point. In this example, it may be worth redeeming MileagePlus miles instead.

For this flight, the one-way mileage cost is 91,700 miles. Even if you don’t have enough United miles, you could transfer that amount from Chase Ultimate Rewards® (since they are partners), and save yourself a nice chunk of Chase points in the process. It is always best to compare the cash cost with the redemption cost using both Chase and the airline or hotel’s own loyalty program.

» Learn more: The best Chase transfer partners — and the ones to avoid

Chase's travel portal can be worth using in specific scenarios.

Redemptions: You hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and want to make a redemption. The first two cards get an elevated point value of 1.5 cents apiece when redeeming points and booking travel in the portal; the latter gets 1.25 cents apiece.

Bookings. You hold the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and want to earn bonus points. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Freedom Unlimited® typically earn 5x points per $1 spent on all travel purchased through Chase's travel portal, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 5-10 points per $1 spent on Chase Dining, hotel stays, rental cars and air travel purchased through Chase's travel portal.

Otherwise, you might be wise to book travel directly with the airline, hotel or rental car company, which can simplify cancellations or changes to your bookings. You can do this with cash, card or by transferring points to one of Chase's transfer partners.

» Learn more: The guide to Chase transfer partners

Despite being powered by Expedia — an online travel agency that includes a Price Match Promise — Chase's travel portal does not offer customers a price matching benefit.

Capital One Travel has price drop protection that will advise you when to buy and refund you if the price of your flight drops by a certain amount after purchase.

Once logged into your Chase account, you’ll find a sidebar on the right of the page with your Chase Ultimate Rewards® balance. Once you click on it, it brings up a variety of options for how to spend your points. Choose “travel” to take you to the standard booking page where you can enter your plans for flights, cruises, rental cars, hotels or other activities.

Depending on the card you have, your points are worth between 1-1.5 cents per point. The best value card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , which offers 1.5 cents in value per point to redeem through the portal, while the Chase Freedom Unlimited® only values points at a penny per point. This means that Chase determines the number of points you’ll need to redeem for an award based on the cash cost of the travel you are trying to book.

It’s easy to search for the travel you want. Chase has partnered with Expedia to run the search engine, but this has limited the search function a bit with some low-cost airlines no longer appearing. Be mindful of this when making a reservation (perhaps check to see if the airfare is similar to the basic economy or main cabin price on the airline’s website first).

The advanced options button lets you sort by airline and class of service.

Much like other online booking engines, once you find the travel plans you like, you enter your personal details. The best part of using the travel portal is that you can pay in full with points, cash or use a mix of points and cash. You can adjust the amount of points you want to spend for your trip and the website will display how much remaining cash you owe. If you need more points, you can transfer them from other Chase Ultimate Rewards® earning accounts you may have to boost your balance.

The process for booking hotels or car rentals is similar to reserving a flight, giving you the option to use a mix of cash or points.

To book a cruise with points, however, you’ll have to call Chase directly.

Another exception is when making a reservation at Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection properties, you can only make a cash reservation (you pay upon checkout) and cannot redeem Ultimate Rewards® points. You may still want to reserve through the portal, though, since it means you are eligible for additional perks like daily breakfast for two and a special amenity that varies by the hotel.

You can also reserve activities at home or your destination and pay for them in cash or with points. These include tours, museum visits and other local experiences.

Chase may charge a service fee on certain reservations. You will want to weigh whether this small charge is worth the benefit in Chase Ultimate Rewards® points you may use.

Many hotel companies offer member-only rates to entice you to book directly with them rather than through a third party. You’ll want to weigh whether earning Chase Ultimate Rewards® points is more valuable than the difference in the lowest rate booked directly with the hotel company.

When making any reservation through Chase's travel portal, you will be at the mercy of its own policies when it comes to changing or canceling a ticket. You will have to contact Chase directly to adjust your plans since you made it independently of the airline or hotel company. This can make it especially difficult with last-minute travel plan changes.

» Learn more: Advanced tips for redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards

With a little comparison shopping for your travel plans, you can squeeze exceptional value from points via the Chasee's travel portal. They can be redeemed like cash for travel, but always be sure to compare a reservation using Chase points to the cost of using hotel or airline points.

Sometimes, it may be less advantageous to use Chase points since you will lose out on travel-related perks. Other times, you’ll come out ahead since you can save cash using points, which is helpful when there is no award availability for your preferred travel plans.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

Chase paid for my $1,100-per-night hotel room thanks to built-in trip delay coverage

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

It all started so well. It was the winter holidays, we were skiing, the snow was falling and then ... we were stuck in Colorado. It doesn't take much for flights out of the Aspen-Pitkin Airport (ASE) to screech to a halt during the winter and that's exactly what happened to us. Well, there were a few more things that happened as we were ultimately stranded on the side of the road and then at the Vail police station .

But today's story is about what happened when we were stuck an extra night in pricey ski territory during the peak holiday season because of flight cancellations. Luckily, I had charged our round-trip airfare into Aspen to my Chase Sapphire Reserve, so we had some automatic built-in travel protections. If our flights were canceled or delayed by six hours or more (or overnight), the card would theoretically reimburse reasonable expenses related to the delay of up to $500 per ticket.

In our case, we charged four tickets for our family to the card, so we had up to $2,000 in coverage to work with during the delay. The airline wasn't going to cover our expenses since it was a weather-related situation.

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But it was also New Year's Day and we were in the Aspen/Vail area of Colorado when the planes stopped flying. That's extreme peak season in ski towns. Hardly any lodging was available and nothing available last-minute was remotely affordable. We made it as far as Vail when we couldn't get any farther and booked one of the last rooms for four in the area at the Vail Marriott Mountain Resort . We just needed a place to stay, but it wasn't going to come cheap.

The basic room for the night was an astonishing $1,100 with taxes and fees.

On top of that massive, unplanned expense (we had been staying on Marriott points at the Westin Snowmass, which had no additional availability), we had a couple of relatively modest meals during the delay and a $200 car transfer to the Vail-Eagle (EGE) airport. In total, we submitted $1,401.74 for our overnight delay expenses for four people. I'd never spent $1,000 for one night in a hotel in my life, so I was just praying that the card's benefit services team would deem those expenses not only covered but also "reasonable."

Related: Best credit cards for booking airfare

How to make a Chase trip delay claim

First things first -- if you experience a delay of six hours or more, start saving receipts of your expenses immediately. You'll also want to take screenshots of your flight delay or cancellation because you're going to need proof of everything. You can ask the airline for a statement, but I didn't go that far. For me, screenshots of the cancellation status screen from the airline's site worked just fine.

The Sapphire Reserve covers: "Reasonable additional expenses incurred for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication and other personal use items due to the covered delay." It does not cover a whole new ticket home, so keep that mind when deciding how to manage your own airline delay . Also know that you don't have to charge your additional expenses to the Chase card you used to book the trip for them to be reimbursed.

What matters for coverage, in this case, is simply what card you used to book the airline tickets. To make the actual Chase trip delay claim, head to the Card Benefit Services website. You'll enter your name and your credit card number to get started with a new claim.

As part of the claim, you'll type out what happened and upload documents to support the claim. For example, you'll provide proof of the delay, proof you charged the original tickets to this credit card (screenshot an electronic copy of that statement) and upload receipts for expenses.

It didn't take more than 20 minutes to complete the claim online, including necessary uploads. After that, I waited and hoped that a $1,000-per-night hotel was considered "reasonable."

Related: What to do when your flight is delayed or canceled

Getting paid out by a Chase trip claim

A few days later, I was called by a representative of the company that processes these claims. She needed a different version of one receipt and left her direct work email address for me to use. I sent over the full receipt the next day and heard nothing further until I received an email a few days later.

Exactly 26 days after I made my initial claim, and less than a week after I provided the last piece of requested information, the Chase trip delay claim was approved for the full amount of $1,401.74!

Other than providing an additional view of the car service receipt, there were no questions asked and no problems with reimbursing the sky-high rates we paid to stay in the area an extra night after all of the flights were canceled.

Bottom line

Does paying $550 per year to keep my Chase Sapphire Reserve sting a bit? Yes. But the card just paid for itself several times over with a hassle-free successful claim from what was otherwise a very stressful and expensive experience. There's no way that card is leaving my wallet anytime soon .

The delay was long enough that even the trip delay protections on the $95-per-year Chase Sapphire Preferred Card would've likely been sufficient since the only material difference is that it takes 12 hours of delays for the Preferred's version of coverage to kick in, versus six hours for the Reserve.

Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred

I'm very grateful things worked out the way they did and for those curious ... yes, I kept both the Marriott Bonvoy points and credit card points earned on that $1,100 one-night Marriott stay.

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Everything to know when canceling or changing flights purchased with Chase Ultimate Rewards

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Update:   One or more card offers in this post are no longer available.  Check our  Hot Deals  for the latest offers.

While change fees are (thankfully) becoming a thing of the past, most airlines will still make you pay to cancel your ticket. But what happens when you cancel a flight that was paid for with bank points? If you booked your flight using Chase Ultimate Rewards points , earned with one of the top cards for travel like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, will you get your points back if you cancel your ticket?

When you modify a flight that has been paid for with Ultimate Rewards points , the cancellation and change policies and fees will vary depending on which airline you booked. That’s because your ticket is subject to the policies of the individual airline.

What happens when you change or cancel a ticket you paid for with Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

What happens to your flexible rewards if you cancel your ticket depends first on whether you transferred your Ultimate Rewards points to a travel partner or paid for the flight with points through Chase’s travel portal. 

Once you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to a travel partner, for example, you cannot reverse the transfer. But if you pay with bank points using the Chase travel portal, you’ve got options when it comes to changes and cancellations.

Most U.S. carriers (American, Delta, United and Alaska) have permanently eliminated change fees . So if you need to change a flight booked with Ultimate Rewards points on any of these carriers, you won’t face any extra fees. 

For ticket changes, first, check on the carrier’s website. If you’re unable to process a change there, you can request a cancellation using Chase’s online cancellation form or by chatting with a Chase representative via the Chase Travel Portal. 

Then, call Chase Travel to rebook your travel. Just note that you will have to pay any fare differences that result from the change.

If you wish to cancel your flight booked with Ultimate Rewards, you have 24 hours to cancel and receive a full refund of your points. If you wait longer than that to cancel, you will not get your points back. And any refund or cancellation fees will depend on which airline you booked with and the type of fare you booked (refundable or non-refundable).

Every airline has different rules and fees. For example, American Airlines charges $200 for cancellations. And because flights bought with points are treated as a cash purchase, you will pay the fees associated with purchased tickets, not the fees charged for award flights. 

For example, if you paid the 22,688 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for the ~$283 ticket shown above, you would only get ~$83 back if you canceled. That’s because American Airlines charges a $200 cancellation fee.

Here’s our in-depth guide to the cancellation policies of major U.S. airlines .

Bottom line

Many people love using Chase Ultimate Rewards , earned with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, to pay for flights because you still earn frequent flyer miles and elite status on your free flight.

But when you cancel a flight paid with transferable points , you must cancel within 24 hours of booking, or you will not get your points back. After that, your refund will be subject to the rules of the airline with which you booked.

Meghan Hunter

Contributor

Meghan Hunter is an editor for Million Mile Secrets. She covers points, miles, credit cards, airlines, hotels and general travel. Her work has also appeared in The Points Guy.

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• The Chase Travel℠ portal works just like an online travel agency.
• You can use points, cash, or a combination of both to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. 
• Several Chase cards offer better redemption values or bonus points when you book through the portal.

The Chase Travel Portal℠ is an online booking platform for flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, activities, and vacation rentals, similar to an Online Travel Agency (OTA). If you're a Chase Ultimate Rewards® cardholder, you can use points to book travel through the portal — or pay with your card or a combination of points and cash.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the most flexible and lucrative credit card rewards programs, and its benefits can be even greater depending on the Chase cards you have. With a no-annual-fee card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ or Chase Freedom Unlimited® , your points are worth 1 cent each toward travel booked through the portal.

But if you have a Chase travel credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , you'll get 25% to 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel, plus the ability to transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners . 

Some Chase cards also offer bonus points for paid bookings you make through the portal. Chase added lucrative new bonus categories to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, including certain types of travel booked through the portal.

Here's everything you need to know about booking airfare, hotels, and more through the Chase travel portal — and how to make the most of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

What Is the Chase Travel Portal?

The Chase Travel portal works like any other Online Travel Agency (such as Travelocity or Priceline), and the searches you do for hotels, airfare, and more will produce similar results to what you see on that OTA. 

You must be a Chase credit card customer to use Chase travel to book with cash or with points. In fact, you'll only access the Chase Travel portal when you log into your account management page with Chase.

Chase travel lets you book travel directly with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, use your credit card to pay, or combine the two. This is one of the main benefits of using Chase travel — you can spend the rewards points you earn directly on the travel you want without having to worry about dealing with specific hotel or airline loyalty programs. 

There are a few other key benefits to know:

• You'll still earn airline miles and work toward elite airline status: You won't earn points or elite night credits when you book a hotel stay with Chase travel because it's considered a third-party booking. However, you can earn airline and elite-qualifying miles on flights you book as long as your frequent flyer number is attached to the reservation. 
• Your points are worth more with certain Chase credit cards: Also be aware that some Chase credit cards give you more than the standard rate of 1 cent per point when you redeem your rewards for travel through Chase. We'll go into more detail on the cards that offer this perk below.
• The Chase Travel portal is easy to use: If you don't want to deal with a bunch of hotel and airline award charts, booking through Chase travel can help keep your rewards game simple. You'll always be able to use your points for any booking you want without having to worry about blackout dates or capacity controls you would normally encounter with loyalty programs.

To be eligible to use the Chase Travel portal, you'll need a Chase credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points . 

No-annual-fee Chase cards open to new applicants (points are worth 1 cent each through the Chase Travel portal):

• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (read our Chase Freedom Unlimited review )
• Chase Freedom Flex℠ (read our Chase Freedom Flex review )
• Chase Freedom® Student credit card (read our Chase Freedom Student review )
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Unlimited review )
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Cash review )

Chase travel rewards cards open to new applicants (points are worth more with Chase travel, plus these cards allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners):

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (read our Chase Sapphire Reserve review )
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (read our Chase Sapphire Preferred review )
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (read our Chase Ink Business Preferred review )

If you have more than one Chase card, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points between accounts. It makes the most sense to pool your points in the account that gives you the best redemption value — for example, if you pair the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, moving all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards to your Sapphire Reserve account will increase the value of your points when you redeem through the Chase Travel portal.

To pool your points onto one card, log into your Chase online account, navigate to the "Redeem" section for your Chase Ultimate Rewards card, then select the option to combine points in the "Earn/Use" tab:

From there, you can move your Chase points between accounts in any increments you want. 

Points Value in the Chase Travel Portal

Some Chase credit cards give you a bonus when you redeem points through the Chase Travel portal. Here's a summary of how much your points are worth with each Chase card:

It's important to note that Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth, on average, 1.8 cents apiece based on Personal Finance Insider's points and miles valuations . That's because it's possible to get outsized value when you transfer points to partners for award travel.

How to Use the Chase Travel Portal

Using the Chase Travel portal is a breeze, but it all starts with logging into your online account management page. From there, you'll click on the right side of your screen where it shows your Chase Ultimate Rewards account balance. 

Once you click on the account balance, you'll have the option to select the card you want to access. And remember, this step can be important because some cards give you more value from your points when you redeem them for travel.

How to book a flight through Chase travel

Once you are logged into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, you'll see different travel options to search for at the top of the page.

To search for a flight, make sure the prompt is on "Flights" and begin searching for the flight you want. Enter your departure airport, destination, travel dates, and the number of passengers.

Once your flight options pop up on the screen, you can filter your results by the number of stops, the airlines you want to fly, and arrival times.

Note that each of your flight options will include a payment amount in points as well as a cash price. 

You can also click on "Details and baggage fees" in order to find out the cost of carry-on luggage or checked baggage, as well as whether your flight charges any change fees.

When you click to "Select" a flight option, you'll get a rundown of what is and isn't included in the fare you selected. You may also get a note that you can upgrade before you check out.

Once you settle on a flight you want, you'll be taken to the "Trip Details" page that shows the final cost of your flight in points or in cash, as well as a summary of the added costs you may be charged for baggage or change fees.

After you agree to the terms, you'll be taken to a final payment page where you can decide how you want to pay. You have the option to cover your flight entirely in points if you want, but you can also choose to pay with your Chase credit card or with a combination of points and your credit card.

During the booking process, make sure to add your frequent flyer number to your reservation. That way, you can earn miles on your booking and your flight will count toward elite status requirements. You'll also want to add your Known Traveler Number or Redress number if either applies to you.

If you forget to do it during your booking, however, you can add your frequent flyer information to your flight later on using the airline's website.

How to book a hotel through Chase travel

Booking a hotel through Chase is similarly easy, and you'll find a lot of different types of lodging options available. For example, you'll find properties from major hotel brands, but you'll also find rental condo options and boutique hotels.

To search for a hotel,  enter the destination, dates, and the number of people you want to have in your room. Once you're presented with your options, you can filter hotels based on the hotel name you're looking for, the area or neighborhood, price point, guest rating, property type, and more. 

Once again, you'll see a price listed in points as well as a cash price per night.

These prices do not include taxes and fees, however, so your price in points or cash will be higher by the time you get to the final booking page. Also be aware that the price listed is the lowest you can get for the property, but that better or upgraded rooms and suites will cost more in points.

The major downside to booking a hotel through the Chase portal is that you won't earn hotel points or elite night credits for your stay, because it's considered a third-party booking. There's also a risk that the property won't recognize your hotel elite status or give you the perks you'd normally be entitled to, like late checkout or free breakfast . This shouldn't be an issue if you're booking an independent or boutique hotel, but if you're looking for hotel points or status, it's something to be aware of.

You'll have the option to select a hotel you want as well as a room type at the property you're considering. You can also pay with your booking with points, your Chase credit card, or a combination of the two. 

How to book a rental car through Chase travel

You can also book a rental car through Chase travel using the same set of steps. Once you log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, click on "Cars" and then select the destination and dates.

Once you are presented with your search results, you can select the types of cars you prefer, like an economy car or an SUV. You can also filter results based on a price range, the number of passengers you have, the rental car company, and the type of transmission you prefer (manual or automatic), as well as the total area you want to search in. 

Note that, once again, taxes and fees are not included on the initial search page. Instead, they are added to your total cost when you select a rental car. You can also pay for a rental car through Chase with points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book activities with the Chase Travel portal

Chase also lets you book a variety of activities through the portal, which they refer to as "Things to Do." Chase activities can include excursions like snorkeling or scuba diving, as well as tours of museums and historic sites. But you can also book more practical options through their activities tab, including airport pickups and other types of transportation.

To search for activities, enter the destination and dates for your trip. You'll be shown a price in points and in cash that does include taxes and fees. You can also filter options based on the type of activity, your interests, and more. Once again, you have the option to pay for activities with your points, your credit card, or a combination of the two.

How to book a cruise through Chase travel

If you're a cruise enthusiast, you should know you can also book cruises through Chase travel. When you select "Cruises" at the top of the Chase Ultimate Rewards search page, you'll be presented with a list of featured cruises and cruise specials.

You can also search for cruises based on the destination or the name of the cruise line. Note, however, that only cash prices are listed for each cruise on the portal, and that you'll have to call Chase to make a booking.

Either way, you can absolutely use your Chase points to pay for all or part of your cruise. Just have your credit card number handy and call their customer service line at 855-234-2542.

How to book a vacation rental through Chase

Chase also offers a selection of vacation rentals, which can include vacation condos, luxury villas, and more. To search, click on "Vacation Rentals" at the top of the main page, then enter your destination, dates, and the number of people in your party.

Once you start your search, you'll have the option to filter results based on the local neighborhood you want, star ratings, price range, guest rating, property type, and more. Like hotels through Chase, the price you are shown excludes taxes and fees, but they will be added to your total once you make a selection.

Also be aware that the price shown in your search results is for the lowest-tier option for each property, and that a larger rental or upgraded rental may cost more in points.

When you book vacation rentals through Chase, you can pay with points, your Chase card, or a combination of the two. 

Use the Chase Travel portal to book Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection properties

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can book properties within the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. This list of more than 1,000 properties can be reserved ahead of time, and you'll get extra benefits with each stay such as:

• Daily breakfast for two
• A special benefit worth up to $100
• Complimentary internet access
• Room upgrades when available
• Early check-in and late checkout

One detail to note with this program is the fact that you cannot pay with points. Instead, your online booking will reserve your room, and you'll be charged for the stay when you check out from the hotel. 

Should you transfer Chase points instead?

While you can book travel through the Chase Travel portal directly, many people prefer to transfer points to Chase airline and hotel partners instead. Doing so could let you get more value for each point you redeem , but you'll have to run the numbers to find out for sure.

Here's a good example of how transferring points to a Chase airline or hotel partner can be a better deal, as well as the math you'll need to do to figure this out on your own. Take this one-way flight on Air France from Chicago to Paris, for example, and assume you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, so you're getting 50% more value when you redeem points through the Chase Travel portal.

If you were to book this flight through Chase Travel, you would owe 39,607 points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, compared with the cash price of $594.10.

However, you could book an award ticket on the exact same flight through Flying Blue (Air France's loyalty program) directly if you transferred your Chase points there first. In this case, the identical flight would set you back 22,000 miles plus $109.44. This means you would transfer 22,000 miles from Chase to your Flying Blue account, and pay the taxes and fees in cash, or by redeeming points for a statement credit to your account.

When you compare, you'll find that booking with miles directly is a better deal. After you subtract the taxes and fees from the cost of booking through Flying Blue, you wind up with a value of around 2.2 cents per mile.

With the Chase Travel portal, on the other hand, you're forking over 39,607 points for the same flight, and you're getting a value of 1.5 cents for each point if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. 

Accessing Chase Travel is simple. If you're a Chase credit cardholder with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can log in to your Chase online account. Once logged in, navigate to the 'Travel" or "Rewards" section, where you'll find the Chase Travel portal. From there, you can search and book flights, hotels, and other travel services using your earned points or card benefits. It's a convenient way to plan and manage your travel adventures.

Chase Travel refers to the travel booking and rewards platform offered by Chase Bank. It's part of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, allowing cardholders to use their earned points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related expenses. Chase Travel provides a convenient way to plan and book your trips while taking advantage of the rewards and benefits associated with Chase credit cards.

To earn 5% on Chase Travel, consider using a Chase credit card that offers bonus rewards on travel purchases. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve often offer 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal. Additionally, taking advantage of limited-time promotions and special offers can also help you maximize your rewards when booking travel with Chase.

Bottom Line

Keep in mind that, no matter which Chase credit card you have, there are other ways you can use your rewards points. You can redeem Chase points for statement credits or cash back, or cash them in for gift cards or merchandise. And if you have a premier Chase travel credit card, you can transfer your points to Chase airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio.

However, booking travel through Chase can make your life considerably easier — especially if you don't like dealing with complicated hotel and airline programs. You may not get as much value from your points as you would if you booked a premium flight with airline miles, but the Chase Travel portal does offer the flexibility to book the flight you want without any blackout dates or hoops to jump through.

The Chase Travel portal offers yet another way to maximize rewards earned with a Chase credit card. Just make sure to consider all your options and the value you're getting for your points before you pull the trigger.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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How to use the chase travel portal, you can use chase points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more through its travel portal..

With the right amount of planning, it's possible to book your entire vacation, including flights , hotels , cruises , car rentals , tours and other activities, entirely on points through the Chase travel portal.

But are you getting the best deal by doing this instead of transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners and booking directly? It turns out there's a lot more to consider — everything from travel date flexibility and brand variety to the credit card you're using — if you want to get more value for your points by booking through Chase Travel SM .

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the best ways to book flights, hotels, cruises, tours and vacation activities through the Chase travel portal with Ultimate Rewards® points.

How to use the Chase travel portal

• How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points

How to get started with the Chase travel portal

How to book flights through the chase travel portal, how to book rental cars, cruises, and other travel activities, bottom line, how to earn and redeem chase ultimate rewards® points.

To access Chase Travel SM , you'll need to have a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , Chase Sapphire Reserve® , Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card , Ink Business Cash® Credit Card , Chase Freedom Unlimited® or Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

The easiest way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points quickly is by taking advantage of the lucrative welcome bonuses offered by certain rewards cards: 

• You'll earn 60,000 points by signing up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and spending $4,000 within the first three months of opening your account.
• With the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card 's welcome bonus, you'll earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel SM.
• The Chase Sapphire Reserve 's welcome bonus gives you 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The card you're using to redeem UR points will also affect your point redemption value . For instance, if you're using the Chase Sapphire Preferred to book through the Chase Travel SM portal, points are worth 25% more (1.25 cents per point). But if you're booking through Chase Travel℠ with the Chase Sapphire Reserve , points are worth 50% more (1.5 cents per point) — the other $0 annual fee Chase cards each carry a redemption rate of 1 cent per point.

That means the bonus points you'd earn from either the Chase Sapphire Preferred's welcome bonus is worth $750 towards travel and the Chase Sapphire Reserve's is worth $900 towards travel.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

To reach the Chase travel portal, log into your Chase account, then click the area near the right side of the screen where it says the amount of your Chase UR points. Depending on how many Chase credit cards you have, you may be asked to choose which one you want to proceed with.

The next screen is your credit card's main dashboard, showing how many UR points you currently have, as well as any deals or bonus opportunities. On the top of the page, you'll see several menus with redemption options.

While not the best redemption in terms of overall value, you could choose to use your Chase points for Apple and Amazon purchases, cash them in for gift cards and experiences, or reimburse yourself for certain recent charges through Chase's Pay Yourself Back tool . This is also where you can transfer points directly to one of Chase's 14 travel partners if you have a specific flight or hotel in mind. Otherwise, click "book travel" to enter the Chase travel portal.

From here, you'll be able to search for flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and cruises. Simply choose your category, plug in your desired dates and details, and book with points, cash or some combination of the two.

There are a few pros and cons to consider when booking flights through the Chase travel portal. You won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award availability, which makes it great if you're not flexible with dates and flight times. Just make sure you compare the number of points needed through the Chase travel portal with how many points the airline would require if you were using its own miles, especially if you're hunting for a good deal on economy seats.

The catch with using the Chase travel portal is you won't be able to shop for tickets on low-cost carriers like Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, or Allegiant Air — you can search for flights on Alaska, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American, and United. You'll also be able to book flights on most international carriers.

Remember that you can still earn miles and elite credits on flights, as tickets booked through the Chase travel portal are categorized as "paid" rather than as an award flight since you're "paying" for them with points instead of cash. Consider the taxes and fees you might have to pay if you were to transfer the points straight to one of Chase's travel partners versus booking directly through the portal, and to calculate and compare how many points and miles you'd earn by booking with either method.

You'll be able to search, filter, and sort by price, airline, booking class, departure time, arrival time, and departure airport. For this example, below, consider a round-trip flight from Seattle to Austin with sample dates of Feb. 1–7, 2024, booked through the travel portal with a Chase Sapphire Preferred card (redemptions are worth 1.25 cents per point):

Results included 107 results with an economy mix-and-match United and Delta fare for $370 or about 29,600 points being the most affordable option. For comparison's sake, the points price is about the same as what United and Delta are currently charging if you were to book the awards directly through the airlines, but Delta isn't a transfer partner of Chase. You also won't earn miles if you were to book these awards through the airlines, whereas you will earn miles when booking through Chase.

To finish booking your flight through the travel portal, select your route(s), review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

How to book hotels through the Chase travel portal

While the best redemption rates are usually realized when you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partner World of Hyatt, if you're not a huge fan of chain hotels or prefer boutiques or brands like Hilton, Choice Hotels, or Wyndham, it can be a good idea to book them through the travel portal. 

As with flights, you won't have to worry about blackout dates or limited award night availability. However, keep in mind that hotels treat the Chase travel portal as a third-party booking agency, so you won't be able to earn hotel points on stays as you might by booking your stay directly with the hotel.

Hyatt hotels usually offer better deals when you book directly, and since it's one of Chase's hotel partners, you can transfer UR points instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Marriott and IHG are usually more varied, so you may score a better deal by booking via the Chase travel portal instead of transferring points over. For this reason, it's a good idea to ring up how much your hotel stay would cost in points through the portal as well as the hotel's website.

Start by searching by destination so you can see a list of all the available hotels. For this example, let's try looking for hotels in Downtown Austin from Feb. 1–7, 2024. Once the results appear, you'll be able to narrow down your search with filters based on price, star ratings, guest ratings, amenities and neighborhood.

Let's go over a couple of options within the Chase travel portal, each booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. One option is the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, which is listed for $556 or about 44,500 points per night through Chase. If you book through Four Seasons, directly, you'll pay $561 per night. The hotel chain also doesn't have a rewards program but going through Chase provides a way to pay with points.

Another example is the Hyatt Place Austin Downtown for $288 or about 23,000 points per night through Chase. If you were to book this directly through Hyatt, you'd pay $279 per night as a member of its loyalty program or just 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night if you booked with points. Since you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, in this case, transferring would make more sense.

As you can see, it's worth comparing points required by the travel portal and each hotel's website, as the time of year, location, and other factors may play a part in pricing. To book your stay through the travel portal, select your room type, review the details, choose how many points you'd like to use and complete your purchase.

It's a pretty similar process if you want to book rental cars, tours and other travel activities through the Chase travel portal. Cruises can also be booked as well, but you'll need to call.

As far as car rentals, make sure you're booking through the travel portal with points that are connected to Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to take advantage of extra perks like primary rental car insurance — you'll also need to decline the rental car company's auto collision damage waiver when you book to activate this. You'll want to charge at least a few dollars to the card and not use points to cover the entire booking which ensures that you're still "paying" for the car rental with your Sapphire card, which means you'll be entitled to the card's rental car insurance.

Beyond that, simply plug in your itinerary and search. Here's an example for a rental in Austin from February 1–7, 2024, booked with a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card:

You'll be able to filter your search by capacity, car type, price per day, company, and car options (like air conditioning and automatic transmission). For a seven-day rental, it would cost around 24,800 points or $310 for the cheapest option. As with other travel portal purchases, you'll be able to enter how many Chase Ultimate Rewards points you wish to put toward the final price. It works the same way for booking tours and other travel activities, so you could potentially enjoy a free — or nearly free — vacation solely on Chase points if you were to plan it all out properly.

Booking through the Chase travel portal can be a great use of your Ultimate Rewards® points, but make sure to compare the rates against booking directly with an airline or hotel itself. Finally, consider transferring your points to one of Chase's travel partners, especially if you're looking to book a luxury hotel or flight in business class.

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card guide is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products . While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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Information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

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Want to bail on your eclipse trip? Here's what to know about your refund prospects.

If you planned a trip to see the eclipse next week and are realizing the weather forecast might not be in your favor, you may be considering canceling your excursion and saving that money for some other adventure down the road.

Unfortunately, depending on when and how you booked, you may not be eligible for a refund.

Airlines, hotels and other travel companies sometimes have restrictive cancellation policies that limit the refunds you’re entitled to. Here’s what you need to know before pulling the plug:

'Guaranteed to see the eclipse': A plane might be the best place to see the phenomenon

Events across the US: A list of solar eclipse events across the nation from Texas to Maine

What happens if I have to cancel my flight to see the eclipse?

◾ American Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights. New travel must begin no more than one year from the original trip date. You may be charged a change fee, cancellation fee, or fare difference for future travel depending on the terms of your original ticket. Visit the airline's website to see the full terms . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online or app-based chat feature or email form, or by calling 800-433-7300.

◾ Delta Air Lines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, which is valid for one year from the date of issue. You may be charged a change fee, cancellation fee, or fare difference for future travel depending on the terms of your original ticket. Visit the airline's website to see the full terms on the airline’s website. Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online or app-based chat feature or email form, or by calling 800-221-1212.

◾ United Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, which is valid for one year from the date of issue. You may be charged a change fee, cancellation fee, or fare difference for future travel depending on the terms of your original ticket. Visit the airline's website to see the full terms . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online or app-based chat feature or email form, or by calling 800-864-8331.

◾ Southwest Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights. Flight credits on Southwest don’t expire, and the airline doesn’t charge change or cancellation fees. See the full terms on Southwest’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or contact customer service at 800-435-9792.

◾ JetBlue: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights. New travel must be booked more than one year from the original trip date. You may be charged a change fee, cancellation fee, or fare difference for future travel depending on the terms of your original ticket, or if you make changes over the phone rather than online. See the full terms on the airline’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service via online chat, iMessage, Google Business, or Whatsapp, or by calling 800-538-2583. JetBlue charges $50 per ticket per person when an agent handles itinerary changes, rather than passengers using self-service options.

◾ Alaska Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking for nonrefundable tickets. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights for main cabin or first class fares. The credit will be valid for 12 months from the original issue date of the ticket. Saver fares are only eligible for 50% credit of the original ticket value. See the full terms on the airline’s website. Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online chat feature, or by calling 800-252-7522.

◾ Spirit Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, less a cancellation fee that ranges from $0 to $119 per person, depending on how far out your flight is. New travel must be booked no more than 90 days from the date of the credit being issued. See the full terms on the airline’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online chat feature, by texting 48763, messaging 855-728-3555 on WhatsApp, or calling that number on the phone. Spirit may charge a fee for customer service assistance.

◾ Frontier Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking unless you purchased a refundability add-on. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, less a cancellation fee that ranges from $0 to $99 per passenger per segment, depending on how far out your flight is. New travel must be booked no more than 90 days from the date of the credit being issued. See the full terms on the airline’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online chat feature, by messaging the carrier on WhatsApp at 720-902-3969, or by sending an email through the online customer service form. Frontier may charge a fee for customer service assistance.

◾ Allegiant Airlines: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking unless you purchased a refundability add-on. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, less a cancellation fee of $25 per person per segment and any other related carrier charges and booking fees. New travel must be completed within one year of the date of the initial reservation. See the full terms on the airline’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by contacting customer service through the online chat feature, by texting the carrier at 866-432-6165, or by sending an email through the online customer service form. Allegiant may charge a fee for customer service assistance.

◾ Sun Country: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking unless you purchased a refundability add-on. If you choose not to travel, you can convert the value of your ticket into credit for future flights, less a cancellation fee that ranges from $0 to $99 per person per segment, depending on how far out your flight is. New travel must be booked no more than 90 days from the date of the credit being issued. See the full terms on the airline’s website . Travelers can generally make changes to their reservation on the airline’s website, or by calling customer service at 651-905-2737.

How do I cancel my hotel booking for my eclipse trip?

◾ Expedia: Cancellation policies are set by the hotel, not Expedia. Thankfully, most hotels refund your entire payment if you cancel before their cancellation deadline, but some hotel rooms are nonrefundable. You can find cancellation and refund policy information on your itinerary in the app, according to Expedia Group. If you used points to pay for your booking and you’re charged a cancellation fee , that will come out of your points balance. Travelers can contact an Expedia agent at any time through its online chat feature on the website’s Help Center .

◾ KAYAK: If you booked your hotel reservations through KAYAK, you can go to your bookings page for more information on 24/7 support. Since KAYAK is a search engine and not a seller, travelers need to get in touch with their hotel directly . Travelers can contact KAYAK via the chat feature on the website’s Help Center . 

◾ Hotels.com: Refunds are not available more than 24 hours after booking. However, some bookings are completely nonrefundable. When you cancel, you won’t get any money back. Other hotels or vacation rentals may charge a cancellation fee . Travelers can chat with a Hotels.com agent using the virtual chat feature on the website’s Help Center . 

• ◾ Booking.com: Cancellation policies are property-specific, meaning you might not qualify for a complete refund or face a cancellation fee. Check your confirmation email for details on the cancellation policy associated with your booking. If your booking is nonrefundable, you won't be able to cancel or modify i t. Travelers can contact Booking.com’s customer service 24/7 by calling 1-888-850-3958 or logging into Booking.com and sending a message.

See the eclipse from the parks: You can see the total solar eclipse from national parks, but their skies offer much more

Can I cancel my Airbnb, Vrbo on my eclipse trip?

◾ Vrbo: Cancellation policies are set by the host, and refunds are issued according to the cancellation policy, according to Expedia Group, which owns Vrbo. If you would like to cancel or make changes to your booking outside of the cancellation policy, you should contact the host directly. Travelers can contact Vrbo’s customer service by calling 1-877-202-9331. 

◾ Airbnb: Cancellation policies are set by the host and based on the local time zone of the listing. You can see your confirmed reservation’s cancellation policy under reservation details. Airbnb announced an update to its Major Disruptive Events Policy , which includes natural disasters and declared public health emergencies, but not a cloudy eclipse day. If you’ve purchased insurance for your reservation, you can get your full payment reimbursed if you cancel within 10 days of booking (unless you’ve already started your trip.) Travelers can contact Airbnb’s customer service by calling 1-844-234-2500 or messaging Airbnb support via its website . 

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Frugal Traveler

Credit Card Swipe Fees Are Going Down. Are Points Going With Them?

A new agreement by Visa and Mastercard to reduce fees charged to merchants may drain the lucrative rewards that grant free travel to many credit card users.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

On Tuesday, the largest credit card companies in the United States reached an agreement with merchants to reduce the so-called swipe fees retailers pay for accepting credit card payments, potentially saving the retailers $30 billion.

These fees also help fund the credit card rewards programs that many travelers redeem for things like free flights and hotel stays, leading points hawks to wonder: Are loyalty programs at risk?

Here’s what we know so far about the changes.

What are the terms of the deal?

Last year, credit card payments generated an estimated $72 billion in fees paid by merchants, which are generally passed along to customers in the form of higher prices. For nearly 20 years, merchants have been seeking reductions in the fees they pay Visa and Mastercard for handling transactions where the cards are used.

The proposed settlement , awaiting approval in a federal court, reduces and caps those fees for five years. It would also allow merchants to potentially charge consumers more based on the card they pay with. For example, a person paying with a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which costs $550 a year, could be charged more than someone paying with the more basic Chase Sapphire Preferred card, with an annual fee of $95.

Why does it matter?

The majority of the fees collected go back to the banks that issue the credit cards. Those banks have used the funds to push premium credit cards that offer loyalty points, which can be redeemed for free travel and other perks. The cards with the biggest benefits tend to be those that charge higher swipe fees.

While the reduction in the fees collected sounds small — averaging at least .07 percent — they represent an estimated $30 billion over the five-year term of the deal, which banks could try to make up by reducing points perks.

“It’s reasonable to think that,” said Brian Kelly, the founder of the Points Guy , a news site devoted to maximizing credit card points.

While he speculated that banks will be able to “find other ways to make up the difference,” he acknowledged that a points squeeze could emerge.

“Opportunities to earn probably aren’t going to flourish,” he said.

The idea that merchants could charge more to the holders of premium, perks-rich cards, which are expensive, might also deter consumers from using them. Some experts question the viability of the practice given the potential for consumer backlash.

Is the new agreement related to the Credit Card Competition Act?

The legal actions that led to the new credit card agreement date back to 2005. But the newer Credit Card Competition Act , proposed in 2023, aims to introduce more competition in the credit card payment system. By creating a cheaper alternative pipeline for processing payments, the proposed legislation is seen as a greater threat to rewards programs.

Responding to the just-announced agreement between the credit card companies and retailers, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and the lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, released a statement urging the act’s passage.

“I fear that this deal only provides temporary concessions negotiated by a few lawyers behind closed doors,” he said in the statement.

Other experts said the agreement may ease the pressure on Congress to pass the act.

“I think it’s a way for Visa and Mastercard to show that they are making a good-faith effort to help out merchants by lowering the fees they’ve been complaining about for 20 years, and hopefully enough to let senators know they’re doing their part,” said Chris Hassan, the social media and brand manager for Upgraded Points , a website that tracks credit card benefits.

Separately, the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover, which is pending federal approval, could introduce more competition among credit cards and potentially improve rewards for holders of those cards.

What should I do now?

The points and payments systems won’t change until the agreement is approved, which is expected in late 2024 or early 2025, according to a news release from Mastercard.

But the topic should remind travelers of the reality of playing with points: The rules always change. Values tend to fall as redemption levels rise, which companies issuing these currencies are free to adjust at will.

If you have points, spend them, say experts like Sara Rathner, a travel and credit card specialist at the financial website NerdWallet . “They’re not a trophy to dust and admire.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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