Mar 30, 2018, 8:02 am
Last edit by: 747FC
This thread covers how to use Ultimate Reward points for booking all types of travel via the Ultimate Rewards portal.
In 2018 Chase changed the outsourced booking portal operator from Connexions to Expedia. Posts from January to mid-October 2018 have been archived to a separate thread. Those posts discussed the portal as operated by Connexions, -and- the transition process to Expedia.
There is another thread to discuss booking by transferring to airline of hotel programs: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...tc-2017-a.html
Pay special attention to booking via Chase UR/Expedia with regard to rewards and benefits. Chase UR + Expedia is considered OTA (Online Travel Agency). Travelers purchase or pre-pay travel with the OTA and is subject to the T&C from the OTA. In general, travelers receive miles rewards on flights, but do not receive night credit on hotel stays. Also, in general, travelers lose the airline or hotel status and do not receive the associated benefits (free breakfast, room upgrade etc).
1) How do I book a ticket? Choose my airfare class?
Login to ultimaterewards.com
Click: Use points > Explore and Book Travel
Click the button that defaults to [1 Traveler, All]
Change "Class" (the first entry in the pull-down) from All to Business
Click: Close
2) How far in advance can I book?
In mid-November 2017 it was reported that airline reservations are available only 270 days in advance. Read HERE.
3) How do I book hotels?
Follow the steps above to log on. There are standard looking search engines offered for airfare, hotel, etc at that point.
3.5) How to book cruises?
Chase outsources this to a travel agency specializing in cruises. (I believe they are available solely by telephone.) Agents there can book cruises for you using your URs for payments from initial deposit to final payment. It's also possible to transfer an existing cruise booking to that travel agency. That agency can then make payments (full or partial). However, to transfer a booking, there are some constraints to be aware of. A) The booking and deposit has to be made directly with the cruise line. If you use another agency, you're out of luck. B) The cruise lines limit the window when you can transfer a booking from their control to an agency's. It closes as early as 30 days after initial deposit up to final deposit due date (typically 75-120 prior to sail date) depending on the particular cruise line's rules (which are subject to change).
4) How do I get the better redemption rate offered on some Chase cards?
The upper left corner of the UR page will show you which card you are logged in with. If you hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve or JPMR card, you will be shown a better price on points bookings, as a 1.5 redemption rate is offered as one of the benefits of this card. If you log in to the UR portal from a different UR card, such as the Ink, you will not be offered this rate.
4.5) How do Refunds Work?
When cancelling a booking (and a refund is due), points will be added back to your UR balance and dollars will be refunded to the credit card account used.
5) Where else can I find information?
This thread is a consolidated resource which covers topics including:
Fare buckets, here
Price differences between open market air fares and UR bookings, here
Selecting seat classes
Using cash and points to pay for tickets
and more.
The previous discussion, through 2017, can be found here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...14-2017-a.html
In 2018 Chase changed the outsourced booking portal operator from Connexions to Expedia. Posts from January to mid-October 2018 have been archived to a separate thread. Those posts discussed the portal as operated by Connexions, -and- the transition process to Expedia.
There is another thread to discuss booking by transferring to airline of hotel programs: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...tc-2017-a.html
Pay special attention to booking via Chase UR/Expedia with regard to rewards and benefits. Chase UR + Expedia is considered OTA (Online Travel Agency). Travelers purchase or pre-pay travel with the OTA and is subject to the T&C from the OTA. In general, travelers receive miles rewards on flights, but do not receive night credit on hotel stays. Also, in general, travelers lose the airline or hotel status and do not receive the associated benefits (free breakfast, room upgrade etc).
1) How do I book a ticket? Choose my airfare class?
Login to ultimaterewards.com
Click: Use points > Explore and Book Travel
Click the button that defaults to [1 Traveler, All]
Change "Class" (the first entry in the pull-down) from All to Business
Click: Close
2) How far in advance can I book?
In mid-November 2017 it was reported that airline reservations are available only 270 days in advance. Read HERE.
3) How do I book hotels?
Follow the steps above to log on. There are standard looking search engines offered for airfare, hotel, etc at that point.
3.5) How to book cruises?
Chase outsources this to a travel agency specializing in cruises. (I believe they are available solely by telephone.) Agents there can book cruises for you using your URs for payments from initial deposit to final payment. It's also possible to transfer an existing cruise booking to that travel agency. That agency can then make payments (full or partial). However, to transfer a booking, there are some constraints to be aware of. A) The booking and deposit has to be made directly with the cruise line. If you use another agency, you're out of luck. B) The cruise lines limit the window when you can transfer a booking from their control to an agency's. It closes as early as 30 days after initial deposit up to final deposit due date (typically 75-120 prior to sail date) depending on the particular cruise line's rules (which are subject to change).
4) How do I get the better redemption rate offered on some Chase cards?
The upper left corner of the UR page will show you which card you are logged in with. If you hold a Chase Sapphire Reserve or JPMR card, you will be shown a better price on points bookings, as a 1.5 redemption rate is offered as one of the benefits of this card. If you log in to the UR portal from a different UR card, such as the Ink, you will not be offered this rate.
4.5) How do Refunds Work?
When cancelling a booking (and a refund is due), points will be added back to your UR balance and dollars will be refunded to the credit card account used.
5) Where else can I find information?
This thread is a consolidated resource which covers topics including:
Fare buckets, here
Price differences between open market air fares and UR bookings, here
Selecting seat classes
Using cash and points to pay for tickets
and more.
The previous discussion, through 2017, can be found here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/chas...14-2017-a.html
Booking Flights, Rooms, Cars, Cruises, Activities through Chase/Expedia portal.
Jun 30, 2019, 11:04 am
#421
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
The poster is thinking to adjust a FLIGHT.
For hotel stay it is a bit easier as it is much less complicated but it also depends on the property's attitude. I had a booking at an upscale B&B at South Africa that the owner refused to answer any email to verify the "confirmed" booking made thru UR portal - when the property showed sold out on other OTA sites. She also changed the cancellation policy several days after the booking made thru UR - from fully cancellable to 50% penalty!
At the time the UR portal was handled by Connexions I was able to talk to the actual reps at Connexions that handled travel bookings (not the front line phone reps) and they were able to verify with their supplier that the property was indeed sold out at the time it still showed as bookable on UR. Moreover they were able to press the property owner to refund the full amount she took... It took A Lot of Effort to get this resolved. My primary concern on using UR to book hotels is, you need to be able to verify your booking OUTSIDE UR channel, in order to make sure you do have a room when you arrive, especially it is at a foreign country with big time difference to US! These days I only use UR to book hotels that either they can be reached relatively easy by phone, or better yet, by email so I can verify the bookings - as the current Customer Service / Support of UR site is very dismal.
Oh, slightly off topic - cruise booking does NOT show up under My Trip despite what the UR reps told you it would. It does not. Though one can readily verify booking with cruise lines directly and once the booking is in place, you are dealing directly with the cruise lines unless you need to change or cancel - that is another story altogether ...
Cannot emphasize enough that UR booking is full of peril, very much buyer beware, and in almost all international bookings, the prices are inflated anywhere from 10 to 15%, whether they are flights or hotels. For flights, you need to be very aware on the fares to avoid being booked into the "basic economy" type and then pay much more extra to check bag versus you could have buy a slightly higher price fare that includes check bag. Those who fly a lot intra-Europe would understand what I mean.
Jul 6, 2019, 4:51 pm
#422
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 43
using Chase UR for hotels
Planning a trip to Europe and looking to book hotels. Going to the Chase site I see just a couple of hotels, but other sites, including the regular Expedia site show more. Of course, Chase shows only very expensive hotels, and not the more affordable options. These are all smaller independent hotels, vacation rentals, or B&Bs. Is there any way to locate someone who can make these bookings using points, or getting a credit of points to offset the cash booking? Calling, at least to the front line reps, was useless.
Jul 6, 2019, 7:47 pm
#423
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Planning a trip to Europe and looking to book hotels. Going to the Chase site I see just a couple of hotels, but other sites, including the regular Expedia site show more. Of course, Chase shows only very expensive hotels, and not the more affordable options. These are all smaller independent hotels, vacation rentals, or B&Bs. Is there any way to locate someone who can make these bookings using points, or getting a credit of points to offset the cash booking? Calling, at least to the front line reps, was useless.
If you read back just a couple pages you would realize that there is absolutely NO manual bookings possible - what the system shows is what the reps can book, just like what you see on UR site.
Even on Expedia site what you see is NOT what UR portal has - they have different inventories I am told. Different availability, higher pricing is what you would encounter.
As for credit of points to offset cash booking - only happens when someone could not book available flights for some unknown reasons and had to book outside UR because the UR site kept denying his access - there were a few cases documented upthread. You can read the DPs and see what takes for that could happen. (for fundamentally different reasons than what you are hoping.)
Jul 6, 2019, 8:37 pm
#424
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 43
Well, that stinks! I did tweet to Chase, so I will see what they say, but I fear you are right. it is frustrating since a large part of the reason I keep thsi card is the better redemption rate.
Jul 7, 2019, 6:55 pm
#425
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve
Posts: 619
I just did an experiment, looking at Barcelona for tonight (Barcelona is on my mind since we booked a trip there for later this year)... when making sure the filters are adjusted the same way, Expedia shows about 2500 hotels and the UR portal only about 2000. The cheapest hotel on the UR portal is around $65 --- the cheapest on Expedia is $38, though honestly that one has terrible reviews. The cheapest non-terrible hotel looks to be around $53. Clearly it has less availability, though in a spot check most of the hotels that do show up in both places are showing the same prices.
Jul 7, 2019, 7:48 pm
#426
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 43
I spent a while this morning dealing with the twitter team, a general Chase supervisor, and finally a travel supervisor. I was looking at Verbier, and there are very few properties at all. At least the travel supervisor saw the issue. He couldn't fix it, but created a case, and said I will get som sort of accomadation. I am afriad it will not be much.
Jul 7, 2019, 8:56 pm
#427
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: American Express Platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve
Posts: 619
Wow. For Verbier it is stark. It’s not just that they’ve excluded the lower priced hotels; they’re excluding the vast majority of every type of hotel. Whatever their algorithm, it’s eliminating a huge number of hotels in Verbier.
Jul 7, 2019, 9:01 pm
#428
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
It is not algorithm. It is the contract term Chase signed with Expedia when it comes to inventory - how it is available to Expedia versus UR.
If you are interested - check out the towns on the Italian Adriatic Coast, such as Locorotondo and Alberobello and Ostuni...
I ended up returning to Booking.com for our needs. It is just too much hassle trying to save a few bucks when at Booking.com the options are much better than Expedia, which is in turn much better than UR.
Easier to use the UR for booking a cruise, though it still depends how UR prices versus other venues, such as our cruise agent or Vacation to Go etc.
If you are interested - check out the towns on the Italian Adriatic Coast, such as Locorotondo and Alberobello and Ostuni...
I ended up returning to Booking.com for our needs. It is just too much hassle trying to save a few bucks when at Booking.com the options are much better than Expedia, which is in turn much better than UR.
Easier to use the UR for booking a cruise, though it still depends how UR prices versus other venues, such as our cruise agent or Vacation to Go etc.
Jul 7, 2019, 9:07 pm
#429
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
I spent a while this morning dealing with the twitter team, a general Chase supervisor, and finally a travel supervisor. I was looking at Verbier, and there are very few properties at all. At least the travel supervisor saw the issue. He couldn't fix it, but created a case, and said I will get som sort of accomadation. I am afriad it will not be much.
The phone reps opened cases / filed complaints on the over-prices / non availability on hotels in major cities in Japan when I encountered such issues back in March. Never hear back nor see any improvement. Chase does not care.
Jul 8, 2019, 8:45 am
#430
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 248
Thanks both for your helpful feedback! I'll reach out to Delta first to see what they'll offer.
Jul 11, 2019, 11:13 am
#431
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 182
Throwing in another datapoint: I booked a flight earlier this week, and the savings of using the portal and UR was about $10 per person round trip on a short 1h20min flight (175 through google flights and the airlines vs 164 equivalent on the UR portal), when the flight was already cheap compared to its normal price. Conversely I've seen some flights that are more expensive price out to maybe $5 or $10 more expensive, but usually the prices are the same.
Jul 13, 2019, 9:18 am
#432
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Just a DP or Non DP as we have already learned about such...
Trying to find properties along the Italian Adriatic Coast - Booking.com has at least 5 times more properties than Expedia, not counting those already sold out. Expedia for as few properties on its site, still has 3 times more than what Chase UR shows.
One property is on both Expedia and Booking, with more than 1 room and type available - it is sold out on UR.
Another property is on all 3 sites, but UR has the worst cancellation deadline, Sept 9 versus Sep 15 on Booking site. I have to do a double take on the conditions. Price is at USD79, while Booking is 73 or 65 euro - both incl 10% VAT but not incl 1 euro city tax per person per night, pay at the property.
It is such a futile exercise trying to use UR for hotels outside major cities / popular destinations - because Expedia itself does not have good coverage comparing to Booking, with UR only getting a fraction of what Expedia has, not to mention the price hike.
At the end I have found a MUCH nicer property at Booking.com that has a 23% Genius discount, making it just slightly higher than the UR pts cost, but I am getting a full top floor apartment, at the desirable town with a sweeping view of the old town and the ocean, instead of halfway in between towns at a rural location.
My strategy now is to search Booking and save the properties into a list. Then go to Expedia to see if it has the same properties using the search by property name function. If it does, then to UR to see what UR might show. This eliminates the time wasted on Ex[edia and UR.
Trying to find properties along the Italian Adriatic Coast - Booking.com has at least 5 times more properties than Expedia, not counting those already sold out. Expedia for as few properties on its site, still has 3 times more than what Chase UR shows.
One property is on both Expedia and Booking, with more than 1 room and type available - it is sold out on UR.
Another property is on all 3 sites, but UR has the worst cancellation deadline, Sept 9 versus Sep 15 on Booking site. I have to do a double take on the conditions. Price is at USD79, while Booking is 73 or 65 euro - both incl 10% VAT but not incl 1 euro city tax per person per night, pay at the property.
It is such a futile exercise trying to use UR for hotels outside major cities / popular destinations - because Expedia itself does not have good coverage comparing to Booking, with UR only getting a fraction of what Expedia has, not to mention the price hike.
At the end I have found a MUCH nicer property at Booking.com that has a 23% Genius discount, making it just slightly higher than the UR pts cost, but I am getting a full top floor apartment, at the desirable town with a sweeping view of the old town and the ocean, instead of halfway in between towns at a rural location.
My strategy now is to search Booking and save the properties into a list. Then go to Expedia to see if it has the same properties using the search by property name function. If it does, then to UR to see what UR might show. This eliminates the time wasted on Ex[edia and UR.
Jul 18, 2019, 11:02 am
#433
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,135
Chase travel center is awful
hey guys - has anybody seen a downward spiral with chase tools - online site, phone banking, chase travel center etc over the last 6 months? I feel it's just a hot mess
I can't book anything on travel center - it keeps saying at the very last stage my flights are booked out even though I know they aren't - the flight I'm trying to book is 10 months out with not a single seat taken. When I call over the phone, they quote me a much higher fare in ultimate rewards and aren't able to see the 50% bonus
Anybody else running into horrible experiences with chase?
I can't book anything on travel center - it keeps saying at the very last stage my flights are booked out even though I know they aren't - the flight I'm trying to book is 10 months out with not a single seat taken. When I call over the phone, they quote me a much higher fare in ultimate rewards and aren't able to see the 50% bonus
Anybody else running into horrible experiences with chase?
Jul 18, 2019, 11:10 am
#434
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Moderator action
I have moved your post into the established thread discussing Chase's travel booking portal which is operated by Expedia. If you scroll back you will find a curious mixture of experiences in which some people are very satisfied, while others find limited inventory and uncompetitive pricing.
Are you trying to book more than one seat?
Which Chase card account are you logged in to when trying to book? The value of points varies by card, and if the agent doesn't know which conversion rate to use that might account for inaccurate telephone quotes.
Are you trying to book more than one seat?
Which Chase card account are you logged in to when trying to book? The value of points varies by card, and if the agent doesn't know which conversion rate to use that might account for inaccurate telephone quotes.
Jul 18, 2019, 12:00 pm
#435
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,135
Yes 4 business class seats international. I'm logged into chase.com and the online portal does show my reserve card which has all the UR points. So far, the first agent in the US priced it out just the way I see online but said he got same error I got online which is - Your flight just sold out. Then he conferenced in another agent from Manila (still seem to be a chase agent) and she gave fares about twice higher in dollar terms. She said that fares you see online or the fares the prior agent gave are no relevant since they cannot book those with delta airilnes. Any way out of this mess and have chase actuallly honor fares the publish online which are the same google flights shows too - thanks
Also this is for May 2020 which is more than 270 days from today but the website and the agent were able to pull all fares, just incorrect fares for those dates
if someone wants to help me and try my exact itinerary at their end, PM me and I can send it to you - thanks!
Also this is for May 2020 which is more than 270 days from today but the website and the agent were able to pull all fares, just incorrect fares for those dates
if someone wants to help me and try my exact itinerary at their end, PM me and I can send it to you - thanks!
Last edited by sam007; Jul 18, 2019 at 12:26 pm