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What is the best way to use Chase points to travel from New York City to South Africa?
This question has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Janet wants to fly to Cape Town, South Africa, and fly back from Johannesburg, South Africa. She'd like to know whether it's better to book her trip through Chase Travel℠ or transfer the points to an airline.
To be able to take advantage of Chase's transfer partners, she needs at least one of these cards:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections, flexible rewards and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- Annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes at top brands, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation, and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $180.
- Complimentary DashPass membership, a $120 value for 12 months. Enjoy $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders, plus exclusive Chase savings on grocery, everyday essentials, and more. Activate by 12/31/29.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is an excellent business card with useful benefits, valuable rewards and a generous welcome bonus.
- Earns flexible travel rewards you can transfer to airline and hotel loyalty programs such as World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Valuable welcome bonus worth $1,125 in travel when redeemed through Chase Travel
- Strong travel and shopping protections
- No intro APR offer
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
- Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
- Go further when you book with Chase TravelSM. Enjoy competitive rates, seamless booking and premium benefits.
- Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Receive complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Best ways to use Chase points to fly to South Africa
When to use Chase Travel℠
There are several advantages of using Chase Travel℠ to redeem points for flights to South Africa (or any other type of travel). It's incredibly simple; just search for the flights you want, and at checkout you'll have the option to redeem points at 1 cent apiece to pay for the booking. If you don't have enough points to cover the entire reservation, you can pay the rest with a card.
You also won't have to deal with award availability when you book through Chase Travel. If a flight is available to book with cash, you can use your points to pay for it. This can be extremely helpful if your plans are flexible or you're traveling during peak season, as award flights may not be available with airline partners during those times.
One thing to be aware of is that Janet wants to book what is known as an open-jaw flight, where you arrive and depart from different airports. You can't book this type of flight online as a single itinerary through Chase Travel, so you'll have to call and book over the phone or book two separate one-way flights. The phone agent can look up flights for you, or you could find the flights you want using a site like Google Flights (select multi-city from the dropdown menu) and provide them to the Chase representative.
Depending on which Chase credit card you have, you may be able to take advantage of a Points Boost booking. A Points Boost eligible flight (or hotel) gets you up to 2 cents per point with the Sapphire Reserve or Sapphire Reserve for Business cards and up to 1.5 cents per point with the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred cards. If you have multiple Chase cards, be sure you're booking with the card that offers the best redemption value.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with luxury perks including, hotel credits, complimentary hotel elite status, travel credits, dining credits, rideshare and delivery benefits and much more.
- Access Priority Pass lounges, including unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club locations.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
- Complicated list of benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases.
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, a statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Get up to $150 in statement credits from January through June and again from July through December for a maximum of $300 annually when you dine at restaurants part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $324 annually.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business brings over $3,000 in value to business owners who value travel and premium experiences
- $400 in annual statement credits on purchases made directly with ZipRecruiter.
- $300 annual travel credit each anniversary year
- $120 Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus fee credit every four years
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with your complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, including Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations with two complimentary guests
- Can transfer rewards to all of Chase’s 14 travel partners
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through 12/31/27
- Comprehensive suite of travel and purchase protections
- High annual fee
- Significant value tied to statement credits
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening.
- $7,000+ in value your first year. 200K points, valued at $4,000 for select flights and hotels through Chase TravelSM, plus $3,000+ in annual value through travel and business benefits.
- Earn 8x points on Chase TravelSM for airline tickets, hotels, including The EditSM, car rentals, cruises, activities and tours.
- Earn 5x total points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27.
- Earn 4x points on flights & hotels booked direct.
- Earn 3x points on social media & search engine advertising on up to $1 million in spend each anniversary year, starting 11/15/26.
- Get the most flexible travel credit compared to any other card, with up to $300 in statement credits each anniversary year on travel purchases.
- Enjoy complimentary access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club network and Priority PassTM Select membership. Two guests may accompany the Primary Cardmember to the lounges free of charge.
- Member FDIC
Best Chase airline partner for South Africa (from New York)
United Airlines is a Chase transfer partner and has direct flights from New York City (from Newark, NJ) to Cape Town and Johannesburg. At the time of writing, I was able to find economy flights on these routes starting at 45,000 United miles each way and business-class awards from 88,000 miles. However, it has dynamic prices for award flights, so what you pay can differ wildly.
United Airlines doesn't add fuel surcharges to award flights, so the taxes and fees are reasonable. The direct flights I found only included $63 in taxes and fees, and there is no cancelation fee for award flights canceled before departure.
If you're open to one-stop flights, you'll have lots of options. United Airlines is still a strong choice because it's part of the Star Alliance airline network. Its partner airlines include Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir and South African Airways, which gives you plenty of one-stop connections in Africa or the U.S. on your way from New York to/from Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Delta is an option with a connection through Atlanta. You can't transfer Chase points directly to Delta, but you can book Delta flights through Virgin Atlantic and Flying Blue, and both partner with Chase. It may cost a similar number of points, but the fees you pay are usually significantly higher at $600+ on a few flights I looked up.
Plus, it can be difficult to find Delta award flights that are available for partner bookings such as these. So if you want to use Virgin Points or Flying Blue Miles, you'll likely need to route through Europe. That's not a bad option, but United also has plenty of airline partners that connect to South Africa through Europe.
Protect your trip with travel insurance
How a United Credit Card can unlock this trip
There's one last big reason why I think United Airlines is the best option for Janet's trip: A United credit card can be extra valuable when paired with a stash of transferable Chase points.
First, most United cards feature a 10% discount on award flights, which increases to 15% off if you have United elite status. That drops down a 90,000-mile round-trip economy flight to 81,000 miles (76,500 miles if you have United elite status), which can quickly add up if you're booking for a group. You'll also have access to a greater number of the cheapest saver-level awards, which could prove more valuable than the discount given United's dynamic award prices.
These award flight perks are available with United cards that have an annual fee, like the United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) and United Quest℠ Card. If you have the no-annual-fee United Gateway℠ Card, you need to spend $10,000 in a year to unlock award discounts and expanded award availability.
Right now, many United cards have increased limited-time welcome bonuses, making it a great time to apply because you can earn a bigger bonus than usual. If you plan to fly United, a United card is a great option to pair with a Chase card that enables points transfers because it can improve the value of your United Airlines flight redemptions.
The United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club℠ passes per year when the primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases.
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, Group 2 priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
What about flying in a premium cabin?
Janet also wants to know if it's better to use points for the flights or to pay for the flights and upgrade with points. Personally, I've never used points or miles to upgrade a flight. I always book my flights with miles or points, regardless of whether the flights are business or economy class.
Accessing business class or premium economy seats is straightforward if you directly book those awards. You'll need more points for these awards, but you'll generally get far better value compared to upgrading with points or miles.
To upgrade a United flight with miles, you'll first have to purchase a more expensive fare; only certain fare classes are eligible for upgrades. If you upgrade a less expensive, upgrade-eligible fare class, it can cost more miles and have a larger fee.
This is where it gets complicated: Airfares are broken up into buckets with different letter designations. You could be sitting next to someone in the same cabin (economy, premium economy, etc.) and have a different fare class.
You can also only upgrade a maximum of four people on the same itinerary. Finding affordable business-class awards on the same flight for more than four people can also be a challenge and typically requires booking well in advance.
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