The Chase Travel Portal Is Now Powered by Expedia
Anya Kartashova August 14, 2018
If you’ve used Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal in the past, you know it functions like an online travel agency. Currently, Chase uses Connexions Loyalty to power the travel portal, but some cardholders experienced a switch to Expedia on Sunday.
At the moment, only Chase Freedom Credit Card users have access to the new Expedia-powered portal. The switch has not taken place for the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Sapphire Reserve card members yet, but Chase will implement the new portal for all members in the next few months.
As a reminder, Ultimate Rewards points earned with the no-fee Chase Freedom can be redeemed at a rate of 1 cent apiece. However, UR points earned with the Sapphire Preferred and the Sapphire Reserve cards are worth more when redeemed for travel through the portal—1.25 and 1.5 cents each respectively. If you hold the Freedom and one of the Sapphire cards, you might want to wait to use the new portal until it is released to all cardholders to take advantage of the higher redemption rates.
Still, changing the portal providers is great news for those looking for more options when redeeming their points. Expedia has access to a much larger inventory of travel providers—about 250 airlines and 272,000 hotels, which nearly doubles the selection that was available through the Connexions-run search engine.
If you’re worried about whether the new travel portal would be more expensive, don’t. Expedia typically shows the same cost for most airlines and hotels, and even offers deep discounts on travel packages, which hopefully will be available to cardholders with points.
You will be able to earn miles on flights booked through the portal, as usual, but hotel rooms reserved via online travel agencies do not qualify for point earning or elite status.
Will the new Expedia-powered travel portal affect the way you book travel?
