The pandemic is finally disappearing. To put it mildly, people are slowly popping out of their basements. Travel is picking up.  

But, if you’re thinking of traveling, why not think of luxury travel?  The Chase Sapphire Reserve may be your answer for an ultimate luxury travel experience.

In this post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know in order to maximize the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. If you’re already paying the $550 annual fee, at least make sure you maximize the benefits. 

If you’re not already a cardmember then sign up now and get 60,000 points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months.

Bonus reward categorys

If you’re a frequent traveler then you will earn a ton of extra points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. You earn 3 points on travel and dining, 10 points on Lyft Rides, and 1 point everywhere else.

$300 travel credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes along with a $300 travel credit. You will get a new $300 travel credit each account anniversary. 

How do I get it?

The credit will automatically post to your account to offset any purchase you make on many types of travel purchases, including;

• Hotels and timeshares
• Airlines
• Car Rentals
• Taxi or rideshare services (Uber, LYFT, etc)
• Travel booking websites
• Travel agencies
• Toll and EZ Pass
• Parking garages
• Cruise lines
• Trains
• Buses
• And more

During the pandemic, Chase expanded the category to also include purchases at groceries and gas until the end of 2021.

$60 Doordash credit

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you get a $60 Doordash credit which is valid for the entire calendar year (we don’t know for sure if the benefit will be extended next year as well).

You also get a free DashPass membership which entitles you to free delivery on DoorDash orders of $12 or more.

How do I use it?

In order to activate the DashPass membership all you need to do is add your Chase Sapphire Reserve as the preferred payment method in your DoorDash account. The $60 credit will be credited to your Chase Sapphire Reserve account every time you make a DoorDash purchase until you max out the full $60.

$120 credit for Peloton Digital membership

As a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you will receive a $120 statement credit to offset the membership fee for Pelton Digital and All Access Membership, through December 31, 2021. The membership gives you access to 1000’s of classes on running, biking, Bootcamp, and more.

How do I use it?

Add your Chase Sapphire Reserve card as the default payment method for your Peloton membership. The statement credits will show up to offset membership fees charged to your account up to $120.

Redeeming your points for a better value

As a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder you have many options to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points for a bonus value. 

You can transfer your Ultimate Reward points from your other credit cards or from your spouse’s credit cards and redeem them for these bonus values as well. 

• Points are worth 50% more on Travel

Use your Ultimate rewards to pay for travel purchases through the Chase travel portal at a rate of 1.50 cents per point. That’s a 50% higher value than usual. For many people, this benefit alone is all they need to make it worth it for them to pay the $550 (which is really $250  because $300 you get back for travel).

How do I get it?

Go to the Chase Travel portal and book with your points any travel including airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, and more. The Chase Travel portal is powered by Expedia so whatever you can book on Expedia you usually can book on the Chase portal for the same rates, plus you get a 50% boost in your rewards value! 

• Pay yourself back

Chase introduced a feature called Pay Yourself Back where you can use your Ultimate Rewards at a rate of 1.25 cents per point to refund any gas, wholesale clubs, and pet supply purchases, or your card annual fee. 

How do I use it?

Click here to redeem the points for eligible purchases.

• Transfer to partners

Chase has a comprehensive list of many airline and hotel partners where you can transfer your rewards at a 1 to 1 ratio. 

Here is the list of the current Chase partners

Airline partners 

• Aer Lingus – AerClub

• Air Canada -Aeroplan

• British Airways – Avios

• Emirates – SkyRewards

• Air France, KLM- Flying Blue

• Iberia – Iberia Plus

• JetBlue – TrueBlue

• Singapore Airlines – KrisFlyer

• Southwest – Rapid Rewards

• United Airlines – MilagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic – FlyingClub

These 10 airlines open up the door for you to book flights with many additional airline partners. You can book flights on airlines that are part of the three biggest airline alliances including Oneworld (British Airways and Iberia), SkyTeam airlines (Flying Blue), and Star Alliance airlines (Singapore Airlines and United Airlines).

Hotel partners

• Hyatt – World Of Hyatt
• IHG – IHG Rewards
• Marriott –  Bonvoy

• Cash, gift cards, shop at Amazon, etc

You can also redeem points at 1 cent each as cashback, a statement credit, buy gift cards at many retailers, shop with rewards on Amazon, and more. 

This is obviously not the best way to use your points as you’re only getting a 1 cent value per point 

Airport lounge access

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get complimentary free Priority Pass Select membership which gives you access to over 1,200 airport lounges for you and up to two guests. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders are also eligible to enjoy Priority Pass restaurant access.

Authorized users on the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($75 fee) also get their own Priority Pass Select membership.  

How do I get it?

You can enroll in Priority Pass here (you need to be logged in to Chase). Once you enroll, you will receive your Priority Pass Membership card in the mail within 14 days, or for immediate access, you can call Chase and get your Priority Pass account number. You can then use the Priority Pass app for entry to Priority Pass lounges.

TSA Precheck and Global Entry

As a Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, you can receive up to $100 credit on your statement for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck. 

How do I get it? 

Your account will be credited once you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card to pay the fee of either Global Entry or TSA Precheck once every 4 years (the membership lasts for 4 years).

Car rental benefits

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you get to travel like an elite by getting some complimentary elite status or discounts from the following car rental agencies.

• National 

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders get complimentary Emerald Club Executive status and will enjoy the benefit of choosing any car within the Executive section plus you get guaranteed upgrades if you book a midsize car or above (in the U. S. or Canada). You can also get a up to a 25% discount on National rentals by using code “5030849”. 

How do I get it? 

You can activate the benefit here  (you need to be logged in to Chase).

• Avis 

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a Visa Infinite card you get up to 30% off on qualifying rentals. Plus, some qualifying rentals will  also be eligible for a complimentary two-day weekend rental.

What do I get? 

Use Discount code AWD “S107100” when booking the rental.

• Silvercar by Audi

Because the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a Visa Infinite card you get up to 20% off on qualifying rentals. 

How do I get it?

Use discount code VISAINF20 when booking the rental.

Complimentary Lyft Pink Membership

Last year, Chase introduced a new benefit of free Lyft Pink Membership for one year (valid through March 31, 2022). With Lyft Pink you get 5% off Lyft rides, priority airport pickup (less waiting time), no cancellation fees (if you rebook within 15 minutes), free bike and scooter rides (three 30 minute rides per month), and free Grubhub+ and Seamless+ memberships.

How do I get it?

Add your Chase Sapphire Reserve card as a payment method in your Lyft account and then just follow the prompts to activate the membership.

Protection when traveling

With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you gain some awesome travel protections, so make sure to always use your Chase Sapphire Reserve card when you purchase airfare, rent a car, etc.

• No foreign transaction fees

Shop abroad with no foreign transaction fees.

• Trip Cancellation Insurance

Coverage for canceled or interrupted travel due to an unforeseen medical emergency etc. Max $10,000 per trip for non-refundable travel expenses including flight tickets, hotels, and more.

• Auto Rental Collision Insurance

Worldwide primary coverage on rentals. Coverage is for rentals up to 31 days, Max $75,000 per rental.

• Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Get up to $3,000 per person for lost or damaged luggage.

• Baggage Delay Insurance

If your baggage is delayed for 6+ hours, you can claim up to $100 per day to cover expenses like toiletries & clothing, for up to 5 days.

• Trip Delay Reimbursement

If your flight is delayed for 6+ hours, you can claim up to $500 per trip to cover expenses like meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal use items.

• Travel Medical Insurance

Get covered $2,500 with a $50 deductible for any medical expense while traveling 100+ miles from your home (trip must include travel on a common carrier).

• Travel Accident Insurence 

Get coverage if you, G-d forbid, die in an accident while traveling or lose a limb, sight, speech, or hearing (on common carriers). Receive up to $1,000,000 in compensation.

• Roadside Assistance

Get 4 free roadside service calls valued at up to $50 each per year.

Protections when shopping

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card provides superior benefits when it comes to protecting your purchases from unfortunate mess-ups and more. Here are the details, but don’t forget that in order to get these protections, the items need to be bought using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

• Return Protection

Not happy with a purchase? Get a refund on purchases that have passed the store return policy for up to 90 days. (Max $500 per claim, $1,000 per year)

• Extended Warranty Protection

Get your original manufacturer’s warranty time-matched (up to a year). (Will only cover if the original warranty is for 3 years or less). Max $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account.

• Purchase Protection

Get refunded if your purchase is damaged or stolen, up to 120 days from the date of purchase. Max $10,000 per claim, $50,000 per account.

More hotel benefits at some luxury brands

As Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a Visa Infinite card you will receive special benefits at the following hotels. 

• The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection

Enjoy special benefits at over 1000 luxury hotel properties worldwide (full list here). 

Benefits include

• Free room upgrade
• Free breakfast (up to two guests)
• Free WiFi
• Early check-in and late check-out
• Special benefits unique to each property (up to $100 value)

How do I get it?

Book your stay on the Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection portal using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

• Relais & Châteaux Hotels

Enjoy some special benefits at one of the 580 unique Relais & Châteaux Hotel properties worldwide. The benefits include;

• VIP welcome gift
• Free breakfast 

How do I get it?

Book your stay using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card through the VIsa Infinateconcerhersh team at 1-800-735-2478.

• sbe Hotels

Get special benefits at sbe hotels, including: 

• Complimentary one-level room upgrade
•  $30 dining credit
• Enjoy free breakfast (two people per room)
• Get a 4th night free when booking at least four consecutive nights
• Late check-out 
• Free Wifi

How do I get it?

Book your stay here using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.