Chase Points Boost Explained: Rates, Timeline, and How to Use It

Chase Points Boost is a feature inside Chase Travel that lets eligible Ultimate Rewards cardholders redeem points at an elevated cents-per-point value on select flights and hotels, instead of the standard flat rate. It rolled out in October 2025 and has expanded since, with rates varying by which card you hold. Here’s how it works across the whole Ultimate Rewards lineup.

Which Cards Get Points Boost, and at What Rate

The 2.5-cent tier is the newest and highest Points Boost has offered. It’s exclusive to Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Reserve for Business, applies only to a short, rotating list of luxury hotels, and the qualifying property list changes roughly monthly. See our dedicated guide to the 2.5-cent tier for the current hotel list and worked examples.

How It Works

Points Boost replaces Chase’s old fixed portal redemption rates with dynamic, higher-value pricing on select travel bookings, all through Chase Travel. Boosted rates show up with a rocket icon next to eligible results in portal search — it isn’t a separate program you opt into, it’s simply flagged automatically when a result qualifies. Airlines like United, Emirates, Air Canada, Qantas, and Singapore regularly appear with boosted fare classes, and boosted hotel rates skew toward higher-end properties.

Outside of a flagged Points Boost deal, Chase Travel redemptions price at 1 cent per point for bookings made with points earned after October 26, 2025. Economy and budget-class bookings usually land at or near that base 1-cent rate, which is why Points Boost mainly pays off on premium cabins and higher-end hotels rather than everyday economy fares.

The Redemption Rate Phase-Out Timeline

When Points Boost launched, Chase also began phasing out its older flat 1.25x portal redemption rate:

• Since October 26, 2025: points earned after this date redeem at a flat 1:1 rate (1 cent/point) through Chase Travel unless a Points Boost offer applies.
• Through October 26, 2027: points earned before October 26, 2025 keep their legacy 1.25x value on Chase Travel bookings during this grandfathering window.
• After October 26, 2027: the 1.25x flat rate disappears entirely for all points, regardless of when they were earned. Points Boost-eligible bookings become the only way to beat the base 1-cent rate.

Points Boost vs. Transferring to Partners

Points Boost is convenient — no transfer, no waiting on partner award availability — but it isn’t automatically the best value. Transferring Ultimate Rewards to airline and hotel partners (Hyatt and Aeroplan are common standouts) can beat even a 2-cent Points Boost redemption, sometimes landing at 3-4 cents per point or more on the right award. Before booking a Points Boost rate, it’s worth a quick comparison: search the same dates with a transfer partner, especially for premium cabin international flights, where transfer-partner awards most reliably beat the portal.

How to Find Points Boost Deals

• Search as usual in Chase Travel through your Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred account — eligible results are marked with a rocket icon, so there’s no separate Points Boost search tool.
• Favor premium cabins and higher-end hotels; Points Boost rarely shows up on basic economy or budget properties.
• If you hold a Sapphire Reserve or Reserve for Business, check the current 2.5-cent hotel list first — it’s the single highest redemption value Chase currently offers through the portal.
• Compare against partner transfers before booking, especially for business and first class international flights.

Frequently Asked Questions