Chase Ultimate Rewards is the transferable-points currency most new points enthusiasts encounter first. Fourteen transfer partners, 1:1 transfers across all of them, and reliably honored value. Here's the framework for using UR well — plus the five partners worth remembering first, and the ones you can usually ignore.
The full transfer partner list
| Partner | Ratio | Alliance / category | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 | Hotel loyalty | Tier 1 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Star Alliance | Tier 1 |
| British Airways Avios | 1:1 | OneWorld | Tier 1 |
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | Star Alliance | Tier 1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | SkyTeam-adjacent | Tier 1 |
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | OneWorld (Avios) | Tier 2 |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | OneWorld (Avios) | Tier 2 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | US carrier | Tier 2 |
| Air France / KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | SkyTeam | Tier 2 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | Star Alliance | Tier 2 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Partner | Tier 3 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | Hotel | Tier 3 |
| IHG One Rewards | 1:1 | Hotel | Tier 3 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | US carrier | Tier 3 |
The five partners worth remembering first
World of Hyatt — the crown jewel
Hyatt's published award chart combined with UR's 1:1 transfer creates the single best transfer in the US points ecosystem. Category 4 standard at 15,000 points gets you into a Hyatt Centric, Andaz, or Thompson. Category 7 standard at 30,000 points covers Park Hyatt Tokyo, Paris, Milan. At roughly 1.5-2.5¢/point of practical value, Hyatt justifies keeping a Sapphire Preferred or Reserve in your wallet on its own.
Aeroplan — the best Star Alliance currency
Air Canada's Aeroplan was relaunched in November 2020 with a published distance-based award chart, transparent surcharge policies, and stopover-for-5,000-miles rules. For Star Alliance partner awards (Lufthansa, Swiss, United, Turkish, ANA, Singapore, Thai), Aeroplan is generally the cleanest booking program.
British Airways Avios — short-haul sweet spot
BA's distance-based award chart makes short-haul OneWorld awards extraordinarily cheap. 8,000 Avios for most sub-650-mile hops. 11,000 for sub-1,150-mile. For North American domestic short-hauls on American (which honor Avios bookings), this is often the cheapest way to fly.
United MileagePlus — flexible Star access
Not the cheapest Star currency, but the most flexible for US-based flyers. Excursionist Perk (free in-region segment on a round-trip award) is genuinely useful for stitching complex trips. United's partner award search is the best free Star Alliance award space tool.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club — the Delta escape hatch
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the way to book Delta One premium cabins using transferable points rather than punitive Delta SkyMiles pricing. Plus ANA First Class redemptions at 110k round-trip (with surcharges). Frequent transfer bonuses from Amex (30-50%) make this partner even more valuable at times.
Partners you can usually ignore
Marriott Bonvoy at 1:1 looks fine until you realize UR is worth roughly 2¢/point of flexible value and Marriott points are worth roughly 0.7¢. You're effectively transferring 2¢ value into 0.7¢ value — a bad trade.
IHG One Rewards at 1:1 has the same problem. Transfer to IHG only for a specific near-term booking where the redemption value beats your flexible UR value.
Emirates Skywards 1:1 is available, but Emirates' fuel surcharges on award tickets make most redemptions unattractive. If you're specifically targeting an Emirates First Class redemption, be prepared for $1,000+ in surcharges.
The cardinal rules
- Never transfer proactively. Transfers are one-way and irreversible. Only transfer when you have a specific booking you can complete immediately.
- Check award availability first. Before transferring, confirm the award seat or hotel night is actually bookable. Once UR points become Aeroplan miles, you can't convert them back.
- Watch for transfer bonuses. Chase runs occasional 25-50% bonuses to specific partners. Emirates and Virgin bonuses are common. Stack with your target redemption for outsized value.
- Keep emergency balance. Don't drain all your UR points into a single transfer — keep 20-30k in reserve for the next opportunity.
Which Chase card earns UR points?
Three categories of Chase cards earn UR:
- Premium (earn + transfer): Sapphire Reserve ($550), Sapphire Preferred ($95), Ink Business Preferred ($95).
- No-fee (earn only, need transfer partner): Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited.
- Specific-category boosters: Freedom Flex (rotating 5x categories), Ink Business Cash (5% office supplies / phones).
The typical enthusiast setup: one Sapphire (Preferred or Reserve) for transfer capability + multiple no-fee Freedoms to earn at bonus categories. All earned points pool automatically across cards held under the same login.
FAQ
How long do UR transfers take?
Most Tier 1 partners (Hyatt, United, BA, Aeroplan) transfer instantly. Virgin and Singapore typically 1-4 hours. Emirates can take 24 hours. Plan bookings with this in mind — don't initiate a transfer 10 minutes before an award seat disappears.
Can I transfer to another Chase cardholder?
Yes, but only to a household member (same billing address). Useful for pooling points between spouses with different Chase cards. Also useful for transferring to a partner whose points balance is easier to work with for a specific redemption.
Do UR points expire?
Not while you hold at least one active Chase card that earns UR. If you close all UR-earning cards, your points will eventually expire — typically after 30 days of no activity. Keep a no-fee Freedom card open permanently to avoid this.
Is it worth keeping multiple transfer-capable Sapphires?
Generally no — one is enough for transfer access. The value of a second Sapphire lies in its sign-up bonus. Product-change an existing Sapphire to a no-fee Freedom once you've captured the SUB, rather than closing it (keeps the account open for UR earning).
What about Chase's travel portal?
Booking through Chase's travel portal gives you roughly 1.25-1.5¢/point of value (depending on card). That's lower than most decent partner transfer redemptions but higher than transferring to a Tier 3 partner. Use the portal when your target redemption doesn't have a better transfer path — e.g., last-minute domestic flights on airlines without good partner award pricing.
Last verified April 2026. Transfer ratios and partner list subject to change.