Chase Experiences Guide [2021]

A lot of credit card holders miss out on some golden opportunities to experience special events and unique occasions, mostly because they aren’t even aware of their options.

Chase cardmembers (both credit and debit) are given multiple avenues for seeking out these special occasions through Chase Experiences.

In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Chase Experiences.

What are Chase Experiences?

Chase Experiences offer Chase cardholders special benefits to a wide variety of experiences ranging from sports, concerts, dining, and other forms of entertainment.

The benefits come in a lot of different forms as well. In some cases, you might be able to gain access to an exclusive lounge for free while in other cases, you may have to pay a hefty price (in cash or points) for an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience.

Also, some experiences are limited to certain types of Chase cards such as the Chase Sapphirre Preferred or the United Airlines credit card.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Types of Chase experiences

Many of the most popular Chase experiences are associated with specific venues or events.

For example, the U.S. Open is an annual tennis competition that offers Chase cardmembers access to an exclusive lounge. Other specific venues that offer special perks include: the Chase Center, Madison Square Garden, the Forum, and Chase Field.

Below, I will break down what some of these venues will offer you.

Madison Square Garden (New York City)

At Madison Square Garden, you can look into special experiences with professional sports teams like the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. In addition, there may be special concert events taking place as well.

Madison Square Garden is also one of the few locations with a Chase Lounge. And no, it’s not a piece of furniture, it’s an exclusive lounge only available to cardmembers. Here you can enjoy complimentary food and soft drinks and pick up drinks at a cash bar.

If you purchase merchandise from Madison Square Garden and spend $75 or more on your Chase card, you can receive $10 off your purchase. You can also get a discount on food and drink by spending $20 or more.

Chase Preferred Seating is another benefit available at Madison Square Garden. With this benefit, you can get access to some of the best seats that are only available to Chase cardholders.

These can be purchased via Ticketmaster. When searching for tickets, select “Chase cardholder access” under the event type. Then choose your event and purchase your ticket with your Chase card and you can take advantage of Chase Preferred Seating.

Learn More

Madison Square Garden — Photo by incognito7nyc via Flickr.

Chase Center (San Francisco)

If you are a fan of the Golden State Warriors, you will enjoy the benefits offered at the Chase Center.

This is a new venue located in downtown San Francisco and as a Chase cardholder, you can have a bit of a VIP experience. For example, you might be able to enter the building before the general public and enjoy the Chase Lounge. You can also get a nice discount on food and drinks.

Learn More

Regional events

You can also find events taking place in regional locations. There are a lot of events that take place at museums, zoos, and aquariums. For example, here are some of the events taking place recently:

The Maryland Zoo
Marbles Kids Museum
The Philadelphia Zoo
Mural Arts Philadelphia
The St. Louis Aquarium
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Because of coronavirus, many of these are currently virtual events but you can always check out the upcoming events here.

The Forum

The Forum is the old home of the Los Angeles Lakers up until 1999 but it still puts on a lot of events and concerts.

You can find a Chase Lounge at the Forum, where once again you can enjoy complimentary food and beverages along with a cash bar. But you might also have access to a VIP parking area along with a private entry and exit.

Keep in mind that like others you may need to make reservations for this lounge prior to your visit.

Learn More

The Chicago Theater

The Chicago Theater is another venue where you can experience a Chase Lounge and possibly take advantage of Chase Preferred seats. Once again, you’ll want to make sure to inquire about reservations.

Learn More

Chase Field

Chase Field is home to the Arizona Diamondbacks (Major League Baseball). Here, you want to be on the lookout for exclusive game day experiences along with advanced sales of tickets that you can snag before the general public.

You can also receive a $25 D-bucks Card by spending $75 or more with your Chase credit or debit card at the Chase Field Team Shop and receive 15% off at the Chase Field Team Shop.

Lastly, another benefit to look into is the renewal gift and special access for season tickets.

Learn More

Sapphire Experiences

Sapphire Experiences is where the exclusivity of Chase Experiences really ramps up. In order to view these events, you will have to login with credentials belonging to a Sapphire card.

Past events include things like:

Emmy’s
Sundance
Chef showcases
Galapagos Islands Expedition
PGA Championships
Mexico City food tour

Often times, you can choose from a variety of packages with more expensive packages offering a more VIP-like experience.

For example, the base Emmys package would cost $525 but you could choose an upgraded experience that included watching rehearsal and attending the Governor’s Ball for $3,500.

You can pay for these experiences with your card or in some cases you can use points. Some of these events can go pretty quickly and have limited tickets, so you’ll want to act fast.

Sapphire Lounges

You can also get access to Sapphire Lounges if you hold a Chase Sapphirre Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or a Sapphire banking debit card.

You can find these lounges at a lot of different events such as Winterland on The Rooftop at Pier 17 or the Sundance Film Festival.

These lounges have also popped up in other areas like the Seaport District in New York City and the Hotel Thrillist Denver event. You can also look out for them at the PGA Championship and Pitch Fork Music Festival among other events.

Chase Dining

If you are a foodie, then Chase Dining is definitely something that you will want to look into. You can find amazing restaurants in your location and special experiences as well.

You can also use your points to book these experiences. Chase has offered limited time bonuses on the redemptions allowing Sapphire Preferred members to redeem for 1.25 cents per point and Reserve members to redeem for 1.5 cents per point.

Due to the pandemic the experiences are largely limited to take out, virtual dining, and outdoor seating reservations but that will likely soon change.

United Card Events

United Card Events are special events available to United card holders. You can access these events by paying with your card or paying with your miles.

(This program was formerly called “Inside Access from Chase.”)

Once again, due to coronavirus a lot of these experiences are currently virtual so you will have to settle for that for now. But they have put on some pretty interesting events.

One recent event was a virtual chalk talk with Peyton Manning and his brother Cooper Manning. The price for access for one person was $125 and the event had a capacity of only 100 people. Participants were also given a special gift box as well.

So this is the type of event that would require you to be ready to book properly after it’s released.

Learn More

Chase Experiences FAQ

Are Chase Experiences free?

Some Chase Experiences are free while others will require a payment that will depend on the type of package you purchase.

Who is eligible for Chase Experiences?

Many Chase Experiences are open to all Chase cardmembers including credit card and debit card holders. Others will be limited to certain types of cardmembers such as Sapphire cardholders.

What type of events can you access with Sapphire Experiences?

Past events include things like:

Emmy’s
Sundance
Chef showcases
Galapagos Islands Expedition
PGA Championships
Mexico City food tour

What venues or events have Chase Lounges?

Madison Square Garden
The Chicago Theater
The Forum
U.S. Open

Final word

As you can tell, Chase Experiences can offer some pretty special and unique experiences. Whether you are into sports, dining, or other forms of entertainment, chances are you can find some thing that would appeal to you.

I would highly recommend to check out these events from time to time because you never know what type of special event my pop up.

Daniel Gillaspia

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and creator of the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned full-time travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in major publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Forbes, CNBC, US News, and Business Insider. Find his full bio here.

Reduced Mileage Awards Guide [2021]

It’s always nice when you can put miles back into your wallet and reduced mileage awards are a great way to do that. They are relatively easy to take advantage of but in order to do so you will need to be aware of the limitations and different discount levels available.

In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about reduced mileage awards.

What are reduced mileage awards?

Reduced mileage awards are special discounts on American Airlines MileSAAver awards to select destinations that are available to some American Airlines co-branded credit card holders.

These discounts allow you to save thousands of miles on redemptions, which can knock down the price of a flight from 12,500 miles to 8,750 miles.

The list of select destinations changes every month and every two months the list is completely updated.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Are reduced mileage awards worth it?

Some might wonder if reduced mileage awards are really worth it.

Obviously, if you can save miles on the trip you already planned on taking the savings are going to be worth it as long as the booking process is not an extreme pain in the rear end (it’s usually not — although problems do sometimes arise).

So from that perspective, I think the awards are almost always worth it when you can utilize them.

The biggest thing to be on the lookout for are “Web Specials.” These are awards that can be extremely cheap, sometimes cheaper than the MileSAAver awards with the reduced mileage award discount.

You should always be on the lookout for those awards because you could save even more miles by booking them.

But in terms of the value proposition of your American Airlines credit card, that’s a little bit of a different story.

You can answer that question by first getting a sense of the value that you can get from this benefit.

If you were to utilize the reduced mileage awards for a trip over 500 miles you could save up to 7,500 miles.

At a valuation of 1.37, that comes out to about $102 in value. So if you are utilizing this benefit from a credit card with an annual fee under $100, then that’s an easy way to completely offset the annual fee.

The problem just arises when you realize that the eligible destinations are somewhat limited and it’s not always easy to find availability. So in some instances this credit card perk can be pretty difficult to use which makes its value proposition a little suspect for some.

Eligible credit cards for reduced mileage awards

There are quite a few different cards that will qualify for reduced mileage awards and there are two distinct discount tiers.

The top-tier which offers the biggest discount will be available to you if you have one of the following cards:

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Select MasterCard
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Silver World Elite MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Red MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Business MasterCard

In the top tier, you can get a 7,500 mile discount on roundtrip flights at 500 miles or more (the discount is 3,750 miles for one-way trips). For flights under 500 miles, the discount is 2,000 miles for a roundtrip or 1,000 miles for a one-way trip.

This means that you can save up to 30% of round-trip flights within the US.

The second tier which offers the smaller discount will be available to you if you have one of the following cards:

Citi AAdvantage Gold World Elite MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Blue MasterCard

In the bottom tier, you can get a 5,000 mile discount on roundtrip flights at 500 miles or more (the discount is 2,500 miles for one-way trips). For flights under 500 miles, the discount is 1,000 miles for a roundtrip or 500 miles for a one-way trip.

Booking rules

Be sure that you check the terms and conditions to find the latest booking rules.

Typically, there will be a deadline for when you must book your award redemption by and then there will be a separate deadline for when you must actually travel by.

There is also a geographical restriction that requires your travel to originate in the lower 48 (contiguous United States).

Worth noting, you should be able to apply the discount on flights to and from the list of airports.

How to use reduced mileage awards

Figure out your discount type

The first step that you need to take when utilizing this perk is figuring out what type of discount you are eligible for.

You can do this by viewing the list above and seeing whether your credit card qualifies you for the top-tier or lower-tier discount.

Find the discount code

The next step is to pick your class of service and find the corresponding award code. You can find the award codes here.

Below, I have included a breakdown of these codes from early 2021 but keep in mind that the discount codes do change as the schedule gets updated.

Flights within the U.S. (500+ miles)

Make sure that you pay close attention to the cabin type that you are booking.

7,500 mile discount award codes

First Class (2-cabin aircraft) – UD21X2E / AVM13
Business Class (3-cabin aircraft) – UD28X7E / AVA07
Main Cabin – TD8X7E / AVM12

5,000 mile discount award codes

First Class (2-cabin aircraft) – UD22X5E / AVM11
Business Class (3-cabin aircraft) – UD30E / AVA01
Main Cabin – TD10E / AVM10

Flights within the U.S. (under 500 miles)

2,000 mile discount award codes

First Class (2-cabin aircraft) – UD14E / AVA12
Main Cabin – TD6X5E / AVA11

1,000 mile discount award codes

First Class (2-cabin aircraft) – UD14X5E / AVA06
Main Cabin – TD7E / AVA05

Find your destination

The next step is to choose your destination. The big thing to know here is that availability changes on a monthly basis.

This means that you want to check on the schedule on a regular basis to see if your destination is listed. The schedule is broken down by month and so you can easily review it to see if your desired destination is currently eligible.

And yet another big thing to know about these reduced mileage awards: you won’t always find the most popular cities listed on the schedule. A lot of times, the destinations are much smaller cities.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find some very popular destinations. For example, in early 2021 some of the popular cities found on the schedule included:

Denver, Colorado (DEN)
Detroit, Michigan (DTW)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL)
Houston, Texas (IAH & HOU)
Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS)
Orlando, Florida (MCO)

The thing about these popular cities is that often they may only appear on the schedule for one or two months out of the four available versus the smaller cities that might appear every available month.

MileSAAver awards

After you know your discount type and your desired destination, you then want to check for award availability.

When trying to book these awards, you are looking for “MileSAAver” awards. Now that we are seeing some form of dynamic pricing it’s not as easy to find these MileSAAver awards any longer.

One easy way to find these, is to click on the details when viewing flight options and look for the booking code. The eligible MileSAAver awards will have a “T” class for economy and “U” class for business.

If you are looking at a web special, the code will display something different such as “Y” for economy. Remember, those are NOT eligible for the reduced mileage award discount.

Book

Once you have your destination and code, and you are ready to book, all you need to do is call reservations at 1-800-882-8880.

Since this is an award ticket, be ready to pay the award ticket taxes and fees which begin at $5.60 per one-way trip.

Since these awards cannot be booked online, the $30 phone booking fee should be waived (but just make sure that the agent is aware of this rule).

In addition, the $75 close-in booking fee should no longer apply to these awards.

Reduced mileage awards FAQ

What cards qualify for reduced mileage awards?

The following cards qualify for the full discount:

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Select MasterCard
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Silver World Elite MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Red MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Business MasterCard

The following cards qualify for the partial discount:

Citi AAdvantage Gold World Elite MasterCard
AAdvantage Aviator Blue MasterCard

Can you book reduced mileage awards for someone else?

Yes, you are allowed to book tickets for other individuals as long as the miles come out of your account.

Can you use reduced mileage awards for domestic first class flights?

Yes, you can use the discount for domestic first class flights.

Can you use reduced mileage awards for one-way flights?

Yes, you can use the discount to book one-way flights.

Can you get reduced mileage awards with the MileUp card?

Unfortunately, no you cannot get the reduced mileage awards with the MileUp card.

When does American Airlines release new reduced mileage awards?

Every two months American Airlines will release the new list of eligible destinations. This list will cover four months which means that you can book these awards up to four months in advance.

Can you book reduced mileage awards online?

No, you cannot book these awards online.

Can you book reduced mileage awards for international awards?

No, unfortunately this does not appear to be a possibility.

Can you get multiple discounts with multiple cards?

No, you can only take advantage of the discount a single time with each booking.

Can you use the reduced mileage award discount on partners?

Unfortunately, no you cannot use the discount on partners.

Final word

Reduced mileage awards are fantastic ways to save thousands of miles on award redemptions. The trick is to find a destination you plan on visiting on the calendar at the right time. It’s not always easy to do that but it definitely is worth it when you can.

Daniel Gillaspia

Free Spirit Travel More Companion Flight Voucher Guide [2021]

Many different credit cards offer special companion fares that allow a companion to fly for free or at a discount. Some of these are issued automatically and others require a certain amount of spend to earn.

The Free Spirit MasterCard is one of these that offers you a discounted companion fare every year so long as you meet the minimum spend requirement. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the companion voucher.

What is the Free Spirit Travel More companion voucher?

The companion voucher is a recurring benefit offered to Free Spirit Travel More World Elite Mastercard holders who spend at least $5,000 in an anniversary year. This allows you to receive a $100 discount on a companion ticket every year.

Note that this works very different from the Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card — another type of companion fare issued by Bank of America.

That companion ticket will cover the cost of a companion ticket so long as you pay the $99 fee and cover the additional fees and taxes. (Sometimes the $99 fee requirement is waived.)

This is a major difference because with a companion fare like the one attached to the Alaska card, you can get several hundred dollars in value.

But this companion benefit is limited to a $100 discount. It almost works in the opposite fashion so don’t get confused by that.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Is the companion voucher worth it?

In order to receive the benefit, you’ll have to spend $5,000 in your anniversary year.

$5,000 is a pretty low spend requirement for an annual bonus as they typically require much higher spend, often starting around $15,000 to $20,000 a year. Some even go as high as $75,000 plus!

So the spend requirement for this perk is very low.

The value of this benefit maxes out at $100 since it does not offer you a free fare, so it makes calculating your value proposition very easy.

The annual fee for the Free Spirit MasterCard is $79 so a single use of this discount allows you to come out on top in terms of value which can make this credit card a keeper.

And that is without factoring in the use of other card benefits like the priority boarding, 25% rebate on in-flight purchases, etc.

The big thing to keep in mind is the opportunity cost here, though.

You could always put $5,000 worth of spend to a welcome bonus requirement for a much more lucrative reward.

For example, if you were to spend $4,000 to earn something like a 60,000 point bonus of Chase Ultimate Rewards, that could easily net you over $700 in travel.

So you could spend less and receive much more in value (like 7X or more). However, that would require opening up a new credit card account and not everybody is always in the market for doing that.

So, if you regularly spend over $5,000 on this card then getting a $100 discount is a nice perk, especially if you have plans to regularly fly with Spirit every year.

Arrival time

If your account is open with active charging privileges on your account anniversary date, you will receive the companion voucher code via email within the first billing cycle after the anniversary each year.

Because this is such a new benefit, we don’t have data on exactly how long this benefit takes to arrive.

Restrictions

Eligible credit card

In order to receive the benefit, your primary fare and the companion fare must be purchased with your Free Spirit MasterCard.

(You’ll also receive 3X the points on your airfare so there is an extra incentive to use your card for your ticket.)

The traveling guest must be on the same itinerary and the booking must take place at the same time directly on Spirit.com.

Expiration

You must use your companion flight voucher code within 12 months of the date of issue.

The great thing about this benefit is that the travel may be completed after the expiration date of the voucher code.

Unfortunately, your expiration date cannot be extended and once the voucher code has expired, it cannot be exchanged.

If for some reason your credit card is closed or you cancel your credit card, you will no longer be eligible to receive the benefit.

You also can not use this code on award to travel, vacation packages, or tours nor can you combine it with other airfare discounts.

Once you have met the minimum spend requirement for the benefit and after your anniversary date passes, you will receive your voucher code via email to the email address associated with the primary card holder’s account.

If for some reason you do not receive it, simply call the customer service number on the back of your credit card to get it re-sent.

It is possible that the terms may have more restrictions such as blackout dates or routing rules.

However, as I mentioned this is such a new benefit that we will have to wait until we get more data on the terms and how those terms are applied.

Final word

Overall, this is a somewhat mediocre benefit but it’s a great way to offset your entire annual fee if you hold his card. For someone who regularly flies with Spirit, I think it makes sense to take advantage of this benefit.

Cover Photo: Wikipedia

Daniel Gillaspia

Ultimate Guide to Chase Ink Business Preferred Cell Phone Protection (Insurance) [2021]

The Chase Ink Business Preferred is arguably the most valuable business credit card.

It’s one of the best business credit cards for entrepreneurs with it bonus categories on advertising and travel but it’s also a great card to pay your cell phone bill with.

Here’s the ultimate guide to the Chase Ink Preferred cell phone protection (insurance).

What is the Chase Ink Business Preferred Cell Phone Protection?

The Chase Ink Business Preferred cell phone protection will protect you against damage, theft, or involuntary and accidental parting of your cell phone when you use your Chase Ink Preferred to pay your phone bill.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

What does “involuntary and accidental parting” mean?

Involuntary and accidental parting with property means “the unintended separation from an item of personal property in which the item’s location is known but recovery is impractical to complete.”

So for example if you unintentionally drop your phone in the ocean then you might have grounds for coverage since you know it’s in the ocean but draining the ocean and/or going on a scuba mission to recover your phone is pretty impractical.

However, if you just left your phone sitting out somewhere but can’t remember, your phone could be anywhere so you can’t argue that you know its location.

So the take-a-way is that lost phones are not covered. I think there’s definitely some grey area in the language regarding practical recovery and some benefit services love to fall back on grey areas in their terms to deny coverage.

Thus, be prepared to plead your case if you’re going to argue recovery of your phone is “impractical.”

$100 deductible

The protection requires a $100 deductible per claim and allows a maximum of 3 claims per 12 month period. You will receive no more than the purchase price less your $100 deductible. The maximum coverage limit is $600 per claim and $1,800 dollars per 12 month period.

Practically speaking, this means you’re able to get up to $500 worth of free credit towards repairs or replacements per claim and up to $1,500 per year.

The $100 deductible is a bit of a bummer for a couple of reasons. For one, if it’s just your screen that needs fixing, you can often find kiosks in shopping malls or online vendors that can fix it for under $100.

It’s also a bit of a bummer because there are other cards that offer $25 deductibles for similar coverage like the Wells Fargo Cash Wise.

But even with that limitation, the protection can still be very worthwhile.

Chase Ink Preferred Cell Phone Protection

How the cell phone protection coverage works

To be eligible for the cell phone insurance perk you must charge your monthly cellular wireless telephone bills to your Chase Ink Preferred card.

This is key to remember — just being a Chase Ink Preferred cardmember is not enough to kick in the cell phone protection perk. Also, just because you purchased your phone with the Chase Ink Preferred that does not mean that you’ll get coverage.

When the cell phone protection begins

The cellular telephone protection begins the day following your cellular wireless telephone bill payment and remains in effect until the last day of the calendar month following the payment. Coverage is suspended if no payment is made on your eligible card.

This is another key thing to consider.

The cell phone insurance does not kick in until “the day following your cellular wireless telephone bill payment.” So until you actually make a payment on your cell phone bill, you are not covered by the Chase Ink Preferred.

To illustrate, say you get a new cell phone on March 15, 2019 but you don’t make a payment until March 31, 2019. This means that the protection won’t apply to any damage that occurs in the month of March 2019.

When the cell phone protection ends

Also, if you ever fail to make a payment or switch up your payment then you will eventually lose the protection. In those situations, the coverage would end the last day of the calendar month following the payment.

Coverage is secondary

The cell phone protection is supplemental to cellular wireless telephone insurance programs, homeowner’s, renter’s, automobile, or employer’s insurance policies.

What this means is that if you have cell phone insurance like that offered by Verizon, this benefit only kicks in when that coverage has been exhausted.

What is not covered?

There’s a pretty extensive list of items that are not covered.

But I’ll focus on three areas I think are pretty important.

“Mysteriously disappear”

Phones that are lost or “mysteriously disappear” will not be covered. Mysterious disappearance” means the “vanishing of an item in an unexplained manner where there is absence of evidence of a wrongful act by a person or persons.”

Again, I think there’s a lot of room for interpretation with this provision. I take it to mean that if you claim your phone was stolen from your car but there’s not a police report or any supporting documentation, that probably falls under “mysteriously disappeared.”

Pre-paid phones

You should know that phones that have been rented, leased, borrowed or that are a part of a pre-paid wireless service plan or “pay as you go” type service plan are not eligible.

Phones not purchased from authorized dealers

Cell phones not purchased from a cellular service provider’s retail or Internet store, (for example: Verizon Wireless, Sprint Wireless, etc.) or from an authorized cellular phone retailer are not eligible.

Additional exclusions

The following items are also excluded:

Phone accessories
Phones purchased for resale.
Phones under the care and control of a common carrier
Phones stolen from baggage unless hand-carried and under your supervision
Cosmetic damage to the phone that does not impact the functionalities of the phone.
Damage or theft resulting from abuse, intentional acts, fraud, illegal activities, etc.
Damage or theft resulting from mis-delivery or voluntary parting with the cellular wireless telephone.

You can look more into the terms and conditions here.

How do I file a claim?

It’s really important to contact the Benefit Administrator at 888-320-9956 within 60 days of damage, theft or involuntary and accidental parting. If you wait any longer than that, your claim may be denied.

The Benefit Administrator representative will ask you some preliminary questions and send you a claim form or you can file your claim online.

I recommend filing a claim online because it’ usually much easier. You’ll go to the Card Benefit Services website to file online.

This claim form must be completed, signed, and returned with all the requested documentation within 90 days from the date of the incident, or your claim might be denied.

The process for filing online is very similar to filing an extended warranty claim for cell phone protection which you can read about here.

What do I need to submit with my claim?

Just like with any other credit card protection, you need to do your best to keep records of every document related to the benefit you’re seeking.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Standard documents needed

The documents that you’ll need to submit a claim may include:

Your completed and signed claim form.
Copies of your card statement showing the entire monthly cell phone payment(s) preceding the date of damage, theft or involuntary and accidental parting.
A copy of your cell phone bill that corresponds with the above card statement.
A copy of your cell phone provider’s wireless device page or other sufficient proof, as determined in the Benefit Administrator’s sole discretion, of the cellular wireless telephone model currently linked to Your cellular wireless telephone account.
If the claim is due to theft or criminal action, a copy of the police report or incident report filed within 48 hours of the occurrence.

If the claim is due to damage, a copy of an insurance claim or other report as the Benefit Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems necessary to determine eligibility for coverage.

Additional possible documents needed

In addition the Benefit Administrator may in its sole discretion require:

(a) An itemized estimate of repair from an authorized repair facility
(b) The cell phone in question
(c) an itemized store receipt for the replacement cell phones showing the purchase was made at an authorized cellular service provider’s retail or Internet store.

As you can see, the Benefit Administrator is going to want to see documents to back up everything. It shouldn’t be difficult for you to retrieve most of these items online but when it comes to itemized receipts or even the cell phone itself, you need to make sure you’re prepared to hand those over if needed.

How will I be reimbursed if my claim is approved?

Depending on the nature and circumstances of the incident, the Benefit Administrator, at its sole discretion, may choose to repair or replace the cellular wireless telephone or reimburse the Cardholder for the lesser of:

a) $600 dollars excess of the $100.00 deductible; or
b) the current suggested retail price of a replacement cellular wireless telephone of like kind and quality, excluding taxes, delivery and transportation charges, and any fees associated with the cellular wireless telephone service provider, less the $100.00 deductible.

Under normal circumstances, reimbursement will take place within ten (10) business days of receipt and approval of claim form and all required documents.

Additional Provisions for Cellular Telephone Protection:

This protection provides benefits that only apply to the cardholder and eligible lines listed on the most recent cellular provider’s monthly billing statement for the billing cycle prior to when the incident occurred.

Many state that the protections only apply to employees on the monthly billing statement but the terms and conditions don’t clarify that.

Here are some additional restrictions:

If You make any claim knowing it to be false or fraudulent in any respect including, but not limited to, the cost of repair services, no coverage shall exist for such claim and the Cellular Telephone Protection benefit may be canceled.
Once you report an occurrence of the incident, a claim file will be opened and shall remain open for six months from the date of the incident. No payment will be made on a claim that is not completely substantiated in the manner required by the Benefit Administrator within six months of the date of the incident.

Other cards that provide cell phone insurance

There are a few other credit cards that provide this benefit but they are personal credit cards.

Wells Fargo credit cards

Wells Fargo has some great rewards credit cards that I think a lot of people sleep on. Several of these cards like the Well Fargo Propel and the Cash Wise card come with cell phone protection up to a maximum benefit limit of $600 per claim and $1,200 per 12 month period.

But what makes them stand out is that the deductible is only $25.

Barclays Uber

The Barclays Uber card is one of the best cash back credit cards and arguably the best card for dining since it earns a whopping 4% back!

Other cards

A few other cards also offer cell phone protection including the Absolute Rewards card from First National Bank of Omaha and the Platinum Visa from U.S. Bank.

Chase Ink Cell Phone Protection FAQ

What is the deductible for Chase Ink Business Preferred cell phone protection?

The deductible is $100 per claim.

What is the maximum number of claims for Chase Ink Business Preferred cell phone protection?

You can file a maximum of three claims per 12 month period.

What is the maximum coverage limit for Chase Ink Business Preferred cell phone protection?

The maximum coverage limit is $600 per claim and $1,800 dollars per 12 month period.

How do I get the cell phone protection?

You can trigger coverage by paying your cell phone bill with your Chase Ink Business Preferred.

Can I get coverage for a pre-paid phone?

Phones that have been rented, leased, borrowed or that are a part of a pre-paid wireless service plan or “pay as you go” type service plan are not eligible.

Does the Ink Cash have this benefit?

The Chase Ink Cash is a great card but unfortunately it does not provide cell phone protection. Also, the Chase Sapphire Preferred (full card review) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve also do not provide these benefits.

Do you have to buy the cell phone with your Chase Ink card?

No, you only need to pay your cell phone bill with the Chase Ink Preferred in order for the benefit to kick in.

Final word

The Chase Ink Preferred cell phone protection benefit is a great perk but it does have its limitations compared to other cards. The most important thing is to know is that you must pay your cell phone bill with the Ink Preferred in order for coverage to kick in and that you need to document everything as best you can so that you can smoothly process your claim.

Daniel Gillaspia

Chase Sapphire Reserve Authorized User Benefits (Priority Pass, Fee, Etc.) [2021]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most valuable credit cards on the market. With the 3X on dining and travel, $300 travel credit, 1.5 cent travel portal redemptions, Priority Pass lounge access, and amazing travel and purchase protections, it’s really hard for other issuers to compete with this card.

But is it worth paying a fee to add an authorized user to your account?

This article will answer that question by taking a look at all of the Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user benefits.

Interested in finding out the top travel credit cards for this month? Click here to check them out!

What are the Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user benefits?

The main authorized user benefits are:

Priority Pass Select membership
Travel and purchase protections
3X on dining and travel

I’ll discuss all of these in detail below.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Priority Pass airport lounge access

Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized users are eligible for their own Priority Pass Select memberships. This is a huge perk because that type of lounge membership would normally cost $399 but you’re getting it for only $75!

Just like the primary cardholder, the authorized user will be able to bring in up to two guests into the lounge. Also, the authorized user will also have access to the credits that can be used at Priority Pass partner restaurants.

So if you’re always going to be traveling with up to two of your prospective authorized users, they will already be covered for airport lounge access via your own Reserve card. But if they travel alone and want to get access to Priority Pass lounges, then they probably need to be added as an authorized user.

Out of all of the Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user benefits, this perk is probably the most valuable. You can read more about this lounge policy here.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Protections

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with some of the best travel and purchase protections offered by any credit card.

Sapphire Reserve authorized user rental car protections

The most significant protection in my opinion is rental car insurance (or collision damage waiver). The rental car coverage for Sapphire Reserve authorized users is primary coverage, which means that you typically don’t have to file a claim with your rental car insurance company and can avoid a rise in your premium.

In some cases, this perk alone is well worth the $75 one has to pay be added as an authorized user.

Sapphire Reserve authorized user travel and purchase protections

But primary rental car coverage is only of the many protections that the Reserve comes with. You’ll also get all of the following built-in protections.

Lost or damaged Luggage –-For checked or carry-on bags are damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000.00
Trip Cancellaton/Interruption — If your trip is canceled or cut short by covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses.
Trip Delay Reimbursement — If delayed more than 6 hours you are covered for expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket
Baggage Delay Reimbursement — If delayed more than 6 hours, you are covered for essential expenses, such as toiletries and clothes for up to $100
Purchase protections — Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account
Extended Warranty Protection — Extends the time period of the original manufacturer’s written U.S. repair warranty by 1 additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less, up to a maximum of $10,000.00
Return Protection — You can be reimbursed for eligible items that the store won’t take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per year.
Travel accident insurance — Travel Accident Insurance consists of two benefit types, Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance and 24-Hour Travel Accident Insurance, which provide coverage for accidental death or dismemberment, or a combined loss of speech, sight or hearing, experienced on a covered trip.
Roadside assistance — Free for up to $50 and up to 4 times per year

You can read more in-depth details about all of these protections here.

3X on dining and travel

Just like the primary cardmember, an authorized user on the Sapphire Reserve will earn 3X on dining and travel.

If you’re only concerned with earning additional bonus points the “poor man” option (below) might be best option.

Benefits Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized users don’t get

While authorized users get tons of valuable perks, they also don’t get everything. Here’s a lot of what they miss out on.

Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check

Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized users don’t get Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check credits to use individually. These perks allow you to breeze through security and customs and can be serious time savers. Other cards like the Amex Platinum offer these benefits to their authorized users.

$300 travel credit

The Sapphire Reserve has an awesome $300 travel credit that can be used on just about anything travel-related. However, Sapphire Reserve authorized users do not get their own travel credits.

With that said, authorized users can still use the $300 travel credit that is attached to the primary cardmembers account.

It’s understandable that Chase wouldn’t give authorized users a $300 travel credit when they only have to pay $75 for their annual fee and other cards like the Platinum Card don’t offer separate travel credits for authorized users.

No authorized user bonus

Also, there is no sign-up bonuses offered for adding Sapphire Reserve authorized users to your account. The only way you can earn the 50,000 point sign-up bonus is if you open up a new credit card with Chase (and you haven’t received that bonus in the last 24 months).

Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user fee comparison

In order to add a Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user, you’ll have to pay $75 per authorized user.

Compare that to the Amex Platinum which allows up to three authorized users for $175 and the Citi Prestige which allows you to add authorized users for $75 each. $75 per authorized user isn’t terribly expensive but it’s high enough to make sure that it’s worth what you’re paying.

Also keep in mind that the Sapphire Reserve’s little brother, the Chase Sapphire Preferred, allows for authorized users for no additional charge (full card details here). The Chase Freedom also allows for free authorized users to be added.

Some authorized users can be added for free on other cards.

Avoiding the authorized user fee

Some people find themselves in the couple conundrum where the each member of the couple wants to hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve but they don’t want to pay the fee for the additional authorized user.

For people in this situation, there are two separate routes you can go:

The “poor man’s” authorized user

The poor man’t authorized user allows you to receive a separate Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card so that you end up with two separate cards that remain active. Simply call up Chase and tell them you want a replacement card with the exact same number, expiration date, etc.

You’ll soon receive an additional card in the mail which can be used concurrently with your prior card. Obviously, this card won’t have the “authorized user’s” name on the card and won’t come with perks like Priority Pass, but that’s why it’s the “poor man’s” authorized user.

The good thing about this option is you can still use to earn points and at no additional cost.

Do the math

You can always run some numbers and figure out if you’ll be earning more in rewards and receiving more in benefits than you would be paying in authorized user fees.

If you’re just going to add one user, you need to determine if your benefits and rewards equal $75 or higher.

For example, if you spent $2,500 on dining and travel in a year then you’d net $75 worth of rewards redeeming your points for a statement credit at 1 cent per point. If you’re redeeming points at 1.5 cents per point that’s $1,666 worth of spend on dining and travel to earn $75 back.

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user FAQ

What is the Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user fee?

The cost to add a single authorized user on the Chase Sapphire Reserve is $75 per year. Each successive authorized user will have an additional $75 fee per year.

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user fee waived?

No, the authorized user annual fee is not waived the first year.

How do you add an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Simply head to the authorized user Chase page and log-in to your account. Then once you have access to that page select your Sapphire Reserve (you should be able to see the last four digits of the card).

You will need to input the personal details of the authorized user such as the name, date of birth, and address. Chase does not require the Social Security number.

If you don’t want to add an authorized user online, consider calling the customer support number1-800-432-3117.

Will the authorized user account report to the person’s credit report?

If Chase can verify the authorized user, they will report the account to the authorized user’s personal credit report.

Chase does not require you to input a Social Security number when adding an authorized user online so sometimes if you want the account to show up on a personal credit report, you will need to call into Chase and add that person’s social security number.

How do you activate Priority Pass for an authorized user?

If the primary cardmember has not activated his or her Priority Pass membership, then when they activate it it should be activated for all cardmembers on the account.

If you are adding authorized users after the primary card member has activated his or her card, you will need to call Chase in order to activate the Priority Pass membership with the authorized user.

Are authorized users affected by 5/24?

You can add an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Reserve even if that authorized user is above 5/24. However, an authorized user account may sometimes count towards 5/24 so that is something to consider.

Are current authorized users eligible to sign-up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Yes, if you are currently an authorized user on someone else’s account, you can still be eligible to be approved for the Sapphire Reserve.

How do you remove an authorized user to the Chase Sapphire Reserve?

The easiest way to remove an authorized user is to call the number on the back of your card or call the customer support number at 1-800-432-3117.

Sometimes you may have to follow up with the credit bureaus to make sure that the account has been successfully removed from the credit report. Some credit reports will allow you to dispute an account directly from your report in order to get this done.

Final word

The Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user benefits are valuable if you’d like to have Priority Pass access. Getting a full membership for $75 is a bargain (assuming you’d actually use it). But beyond some additional protections, there’s not a whole lot of value on the table. And so for many people, I think getting a separate Sapphire Reserve card via the poor man’s method might be the way to go.

Daniel Gillaspia

Chase Sapphire Reserve Hotel Benefits (Status, Upgrades, Luxury Collection) [2021]

The Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is full of different types of travel benefits, including things like travel insurance and lounge access. But the Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers some great hotel benefits that many people don’t even know about.

This article will talk you through all of these different hotel benefits and give you some tips on how to utilize some of the perks for upgrades with the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection and Relais & Châteaux. I’ll also cover whether or not the Sapphire Reserve offers hotel status and how that compares to other cards.

What are the Chase Sapphire Reserve hotel benefits?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve has some of the best hotel benefits out of any travel rewards credit card and it offers the following perks:

3X bonus points on hotel stays
$300 travel credit (usable on hotel stays)
Points transfer to hotel partners
The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
Hotel Benefits at Relais & Châteaux
Sbe hotels
Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection
Chase Travel Portal
Trip cancellation

This package of travel benefits is just one of the reasons why the Chase Sapphire Reserve is considered one of my top travel credit cards. If you want to see how it stacks up against other top travel cards, click here to see the breakdown!

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

3X bonus points on hotels

The first hotel benefit is that the Chase Sapphire Reserve will earn 3X on hotel purchases, since it earns 3X on all travel and dining purchases.

Chase states that the following purchases are eligible to be considered travel:

Merchants in the travel category include airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds and operators of passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages.

Earning 3X Ultimate Rewards on hotel purchases is great. If you value Ultimate Rewards at 1.73 cents per point (WalletFlo valuation) that’s like earning 5.18% back which is very competitive. The Chase Sapphire Reserve won’t always be your best option for hotel spend, though.

Take note of some of the co-branded cards that earn better returns on hotel spend with their respective brands.

For example, if you had the Hilton Aspire Card you would earn 14X per dollar spent on Hilton purchases. If you valued Hilton points at half a cent per point, that would be like getting 7% back on your spend so you would potentially get more value using a card like that.

Of course, you need to consider that you will be earning points that can transfer out to travel partners with the Chase Sapphire Reserve (more on that below). Still, if you are interested in maximizing hotel rewards be sure to check out our list of all of the top hotel credit cards.

$300 travel credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $300 travel credit which can be used to cover any purchase that codes as travel, which would include hotel purchases.

This $300 travel credit helps to offset the $550 annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve down to an effective $250 annual fee which is very manageable. If you were expecting to spend $300 on hotels in the next year then you could pick up this card and legitimately consider your annual fee to be $250 since you were already going to spend $300 on hotels.

It’s very easy to justify paying $250 for Priority Pass airport lounge access, 3X on dining and travel, and other special perks like the DoorDash credit and primary rental coverage. Thus, for a hotel spender, the Reserve often fits perfectly into your travel plans.

Sapphire Reserve hotel partners

The Sapphire Reserve earns points that can be transferred (1:1) to the following hotel programs:

Hyatt
IHG
Marriott Bonvoy

Hyatt

Hyatt is by the far best hotel partner if you ask me. That’s because it’s usually possible to get the most bang for your buck when you stay at Hyatt properties. It’s often possible to get 1.5 cents per point or higher when staying at Hyatt properties, which is not something that could be easily achieved with IHG or Marriott.

This is huge because it means that you don’t have to waste your points when transferring for hotel stays. It always feels great to travel for free when your hotel expenses are covered by points but hotel partners are often not good choices for transferring points due to the value of their currencies. This means that in order to cover your hotel stays with points, you often have to sacrifice value — but not with Hyatt!

Hyatt has a smaller footprint so that is one drawback to the program. It can be difficult to find Hyatt properties in some cities/regions whereas other programs like Hilton and Marriott are much more widespread.

It’s also nice to have Hyatt as a transfer partner because the Chase World of Hyatt Card comes with some solid perks. It comes with the following benefits:

Bonus earning:
- 4X spent with your card at Hyatt hotels, including participating restaurants and spas
- 2X on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and ride-share services
- 2X at restaurants, cafes and coffee shops
- 2X on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline
- 2X spent on fitness club and gym memberships
Free nights:
- Receive one free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort every year after your cardmember anniversary
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 during your cardmember anniversary year
Elite status:
- Receive 5 qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every yea
- Earn 2 additional qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
$95 Annual Fee

IHG

IHG can be a useful transfer partner if you can take advantage of IHG PointBreaks which allow you to redeem your points at IHG properties for much cheaper award prices. When taking advantage of these specials, you’ll be able to capitalize on the value of your points.

Since Chase also offers an IHG credit card, this is a great way to supplement your balance with IHG.

The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card comes with the following features:

Annual free night certificate at an “eligible hotel”
10X for spend at IHG
2X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants
Automatic Platinum Elite Status
20% discount on purchases of IHG points
4th night free on award stays
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every 4 years
No foreign transaction fees
$89 annual fee

Marriott Bonvoy

You can find some solid Marriott redemptions if you search long and hard enough. You probably won’t get the level of value that you get with Hyatt, but you can still come across some deals. The best value historically can be had in the Hotel + Air packages though.

These are packages that allow you to redeem Marriott points for airline miles and free night awards for various categories. By using these packages, you can often optimize the value of your Marriott points. So if you want to transfer your Ultimate Rewards to Marriott, you should definitely look into those.

You might also consider picking up the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card which comes with the following benefits:

1 Free Night Stay every year after account anniversary (valued up to 35,00 points)
6 points for every $1 spent at participating Marriott hotels
2 points for every $1 you spend on all other purchases and your points don’t expire as long as you make purchases on your credit card every 24 months
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year
Automatic Marriott Silver status
Marriott Gold status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year

The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection

The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection will allow you enjoy special benefits at over 900 luxury properties around the world. These perks include the following:

Daily breakfast for two
Complimentary Wifi
Room upgrade (based on availability)
Early check-in and late check-out (based on availability)
Special benefit at each property (the value of this perk is usually at $100 but sometimes lower at around $50)
Extra amenities, gifts and more

The special benefit will vary depending on the property but you can expect things like the following: lunch or dinner for two, a spa treatment, golf green fee waivers, welcome gift, or airport transfers. The value of this perk is usually at $100 but sometimes lower at around $50.

However, sometimes the value can be much higher if you make a premium booking such as booking a suite. For example, the Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong offers a complimentary round trip private transfer for Hong Kong International Airport or Kai Tak Cruise Terminal or $200 Food and Beverage credit per room, per stay for Suite bookings while normal bookings just get a one-way transfer or a $100 credit.

So here’s a rundown of the “heavier” benefits.

Dining and spa credits
Airport transportations
Couple’s massage
Afternoon tea
Executive Lounge access

And then here are some of the “lighter” benefits, often offered in conjunction with the above.

Welcome chocolates
Daily Fruits and Newspapers
Chinese silk scarf
Bottle of wine
Complimentary canapé service
Welcome Drink

You can use the link above to search for luxury properties in the program but you shouldn’t have trouble finding some world class properties all around the world like the Park Hyatt.

The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is a program that is very similar to Amex’s Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR), which also offers special benefits at certain luxury properties for Platinum cardmembers. Note: the Sapphire Reserve is not the only Chase card that grants access to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.

Related: Amex Hotel Collection Guide

The Park Hyatt Bangkok is part of the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection

Hotel Benefits at Relais & Châteaux

Relais & Châteaux is a “prestigious collection of independently owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants, representing approximately 500 establishments globally.” At these properties, you can receive a VIP welcome which includes things like a bottle of champagne in room on arrival and also free breakfast (at some properties).

You can also get accelerated access to Club 5C status with Relais & Châteaux after staying just 2 nights at qualifying properties in a 12-month period. Club 5C will provide you with the following benefits:

Room upgrade subject to availability upon arrival
Personalized welcome in each one of the Relais & Châteaux properties (VIP Welcome)
Discovery Privilege to enjoy the cultural and gourmet treasures of each property
Club 5C Concierge service
Newsletters with details of exclusive offers tailored to wishes and preferences
Invitations to attend prestigious events

Update: Club 5C status is no longer available

I recently stayed at a Relais & Châteaux property in Rome, right next to the Coliseum, and it was one of my most memorable hotel stays. Many of these hotels are boutique-type properties in beautiful buildings that give you a much better “local” feel than some chain hotels do so you definitely want to check out this program.

Read more about this perk here.

Sbe hotels

Sbe hotels is a new benefit of the Sapphire Reserve. It offers free nights and elite-like benefits to a small network of properties, most of which are located in Miami. Here are some properties you might book:

Bahamas: SLS Baha Mar
Doha: Mondrian Doha
Istanbul: 10 Karaköy
Las Vegas: Delano Las Vegas
London: Sanderson
London: St Martins Lane
Los Angeles: Mondrian Los Angeles
Miami: Delano South Beach
Miami: Hyde Midtown
Miami: Mondrian South Beach
Miami: Redbury South Beach
Miami: Shore Club
Miami: SLS Brickell
Miami: SLS LUX Brickell
Miami: SLS South Beach
Miami: The Raleigh (under renovation)
New York: Hudson
New York: Mondrian Park Avenue
New York: Redbury New York

Tip: Use the free app WalletFlo to help you travel the world for free by finding the best travel credit cards and promotions!

Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection

You also get access to the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection. Benefits with this program include:

Best available rate guarantee
Automatic room upgrade upon arrival, when available
Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, when available
Complimentary continental breakfast daily
$25 USD food or beverage credit per stay
VIP Guest status
Late check-out upon request, when available (3 pm)
Special amenity unique to each property, such as an additional dining credit or spa credit

These benefits are essentially the same benefits that you get with the Visa Signature Hotel Collection but you get the upgrade to a special amenity which should be worth around $100. The complimentary benefit may be one of the following:

An additional $75 Food & Beverage credit, on top of the existing $25 Food & Beverage credit
A $100 spa or golf credit
A $100 credit towards room rate
Guaranteed room upgrade at time of booking with a minimum value of $100

Chase Travel Portal

With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll be able to redeem points at a rate of 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Travel Portal. This is a great rate for using your points at hotels and it often means that you’re getting more value from your Ultimate Rewards than you would from points with a hotel loyalty program.

That’s significant because it means that in many cases you may not want to transfer out your points and instead use the Chase Travel Portal to optimize the value of your points.

The drawback to using the Chase Travel Portal is that some hotels won’t allow you to receive your elite benefits because you didn’t book directly with the hotel. This is a major drawback since it means you’ll be potentially missing out on value (but I’ve received elite benefits many times).

You also won’t be able to earn hotel points for your stay so those are some things to consider before using the Chase Travel Portal.

I received elite benefits at the St. Regis Houston using the Chase Travel Portal.

Trip cancellation

In order to save the most on hotel stays, you often have to purchase the prepaid rates that don’t allow you to cancel without a penalty. Depending on the hotel and the price of the room, that penalty can be several hundred dollars or more.

But if you book with a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can get reimbursed for nonrefundable fees when it comes to canceling trips for covered reasons. In fact, you can get coverage on up to $10,000 worth of expenses per trip which is very competitive.

Priority Pass airport lounges

The Sapphire Reserve also offers access for you and two guests to Priority Pass Select airport lounges. While these aren’t exactly hotels, they can make your life much easier when transitioning from air travel to your hotel, especially when you’re not able to check-in early to a hotel and you can access an arrivals lounge.

Platinum Card comparison

The Amex Platinum Card offers a much more stout line-up of hotel benefits in my opinion. That’s due to the hotel elite status it offers and the FHR program that I think is superior to the luxury program offered by the Reserve (and allows you to earn 5X on some hotel purchases). It comes with a ton of great benefits including:

Priority Pass access for you and two guests
Centurion lounges access for you and two guests
Delta SkyClub access when flying with Delta
Hilton Honors Gold elite status
Marriott Gold
Rental car status
5X on airfare
5X on hotels booked through the Amex Travel portal
$200 Uber credit and $200 airline credit
TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry $100 credit
Annual fee: $550 (NOT waived first year)

Chase Sapphire Reserve hotel benefits FAQ

Does the Sapphire Reserve get you hotel elite status?

You do not get hotel elite status with the Sapphire Reserve.

One of the areas where the Sapphire Reserve might be lacking is when it comes to offering hotel elite status. The Amex Platinum Card has a leg up on the Reserve because it offers Hilton Honors Gold status and Gold status with Marriott.

While many other premium cards don’t offer hotel status, it would have been great if the Reserve offered something like Hyatt Explorist status or at least a bottom-tier status like Discoverist.

Related: Best Credit Cards for Hotel and Airline Elite Status

Does the Sapphire Reserve get you free hotel nights?

The Sapphire Reserve does not directly get you free hotel nights but you can use the travel credit to cover the cost of hotel stays up to $300. You can also use the luxury hotel programs that it offers like the LHRC to get free nights. Read more on how to get a free hotel night stay here.

Does the Sapphire Reserve get you hotel upgrades?

The Sapphire Reserve can get you upgrades when utilizing the luxury hotel programs attached to the card including the LHRC, Sbe hotels, and Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection.

Does the Sapphire Reserve get you free breakfast at hotels?

The Sapphire Reserve can get you free breakfast when utilizing the luxury hotel programs attached to the card including the LHRC, Sbe hotels, and Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection. Typically, this is a free breakfast for two people.

What are the The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits?

Daily breakfast for two
Complimentary Wifi
Room upgrade (based on availability)
Early check-in and late check-out (based on availability)
Special benefit at each property (the value of this perk is usually at $100 but sometimes lower at around $50)
Extra amenities, gifts and more

Final word

The Sapphire Reserve has some interesting and valuable hotel benefits. I do wish it offered status with a program like Hyatt since in my opinion that would make the card much more attractive and on par with the Platinum Card in that department. But the benefits aren’t bad and having Hyatt as a 1:1 transfer ratio is a huge win since it means that you don’t waste your points on hotel transfers.

Daniel Gillaspia

Amex Hotel Collection Guide [2021]

Offers contained within this article maybe expired.

American Express offers a number of ways to go about hotel bookings including programs like Amex Travel and Fine Hotels and Resorts. But a lot of people overlook the Amex Hotel Collection.

In this article, I’ll cover all of the benefits you can receive with the program and also will show you if booking through the Amex Hotel Collection is cheaper than booking directly with the hotels.

What is the Amex Hotel Collection?

The Amex Hotel Collection is a program available to select American Express cards that allows you to receive a $100 credit and other benefits at certain hotels when you book a minimum two night stay.

Many of the properties will be high-end properties that are part of a major hotel chain and others might be upscale boutique hotels. However, you can find some properties at lower rates around $200 per night.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Eligible cards

Only select American Express cards will give you access to the Amex Hotel Collection. These are more “premium” cards with higher annual fees and the eligible cards include:

Amex Business Gold Card (full review)
Amex Gold Card
Business Platinum Card
Centurion Card
Platinum Card (full review)

Note: Since the Gold Card does not have access to FHR (discussed more below), the Amex Hotel Collection really feels like more of a stand out benefit for that card.

How to use the Amex Hotel Collection

It’s very easy to use the Amex Hotel Collection. Simply go to the main website and then input the search criteria for your hotel. Remember, you must stay a minimum two nights to use this benefit.

You can search without logging in but if you would like to book you will be prompted to login. (Sometimes, you may be prompted to login before beginning your search.)

All of the common hotel search filters will be available to use such as filtering by price, map, star rating, neighborhoods, etc. So you can play around with all of those to narrow down your top choices.

Just make sure that when you are searching, that you check the checkbox for the Hotel Collection on the left sidebar. Otherwise, you will see hotels that are not part of the program.

Amex Hotel Collection Benefits

$100 property credit
Room upgrade at check-in if available
Gold Card members receive 2X (on prepaid stays)
Platinum Card members receive 5X (on prepaid stays)
Ability to pay with points

$100 property credit

I would argue that the main benefit of this program is that you can receive a $100 property credit. This credit can be used on qualifying dining, spa, and other resort purchases.

The exact type of credit that you will receive just depends on the type of property that you booked.

My bit of advice would be to make reservations if you plan on utilizing this credit for things like dining and spa treatments.

If you don’t book far enough in advance and inquire about reservations, it’s possible that you could arrive at the property with no way to utilize your property credit.

And if that happens, you may not be given any kind of a refund or credit.

Spa room at Hyatt Ziva — Spa treatments are a common use for the $100 credit.

Room upgrade

By booking through the Hotel Collection, you will also be entitled to a room upgrade if there is availability.

Typically, I would probably expect a room upgrade one class above what you booked. So this could mean your standard room getting upgraded to a larger room or perhaps a room with a better view or on a higher floor.

Benefits for prepaid bookings

While it is possible to book flexible cancellation rates, if you make a prepaid booking, you can actually get a little bit more value out of this program.

If you are using your Gold Card, you can earn 2X Membership Rewards on the booking.

But things are much more lucrative if you have a Platinum Card. With the Platinum, you can earn a whopping 5X Membership Rewards on your prepaid bookings.

If you value Membership Rewards at around two cents per point, that’s like getting 10% back on your hotel spend which is extremely competitive and better than even some of the best hotel credit cards.

For example, the Hilton Aspire earns 14X at Hilton properties and at a valuation of .52 cents per point, that comes out to 7.28% back. So the Platinum could earn you almost 3% more back on a Hilton stay.

As explained more below, just remember that you will likely be missing out on credits toward elite status and points on your stay which set back your earnings quite a bit.

And finally, if you are booking a prepaid stay you can also use your points to pay for the booking. You’ll have to redeem a minimum of 5,000 points and you only get .7 cents in value per point. This is not good value for your points and so I would only use it as an absolute last resort.

Elite status

Many people wonder if you can still receive elite benefits when booking through the Amex Hotel Collection.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find a clear-cut answer but there are a few things to note.

Elite status benefits

When it comes to receiving your elite status benefits tied to your specific level of elite status such as a free breakfast, there’s always a possibility you can receive them when booking through an online travel agency.

A lot of times it depends on the brand but I have booked stays in the last two years and received my elite status benefits with major hotel programs including Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.

I received these benefits at both cheaper properties and even top luxury brands like the St. Regis. (I’ve even received the benefits on prepaid stays.)

I usually call up the hotel a few hours after booking and ensure that my elite status number is attached to my reservation. Sometimes the hotel automatically adds it and other times I have to get them to add it.

Also, at check-in I usually inquire about potential upgrades based on my elite status.

I’ll ask something like, “So does my Platinum status get me an upgrade on this stay?” If they say yes, then that’s generally an indication that I’ll receive all of my elite status benefits like free breakfast, lounge access, etc.

Elite status credits

Receiving credit towards elite status for your stay is a much different matter. It’s extremely rare in my experience to receive credits for status for your stay when booking through an online travel agency.

Your best odds probably occur when you avoid prepaid bookings. But even then I would not say it is guaranteed at all.

Hotel Collection vs Fine Hotels and Resorts

If you’re wondering how these programs compare to each other, the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts is a much more robust program.

That program will offer you the following benefits:

Noon check-in, when available
Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
Room upgrade upon arrival, when available
Daily breakfast for two people
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Special amenity unique to each property

So FHR offers a much more complete set of hotel perks. Also, many people report receiving elite credits when staying at an FHR property which is another key difference.

Of course, the other big difference is that you must have a Platinum Card in order to access the FHR program. But if you are looking to receive an “elite-like” experience during your hotel stay, the FHR is definitely the way to go.

Related:

Price comparison

The big question that people usually ask is whether or not the Amex Hotel Collection is cheaper than booking directly with the hotel.

Well, we were highly curious about this question and so we researched 15 different properties and found the exact same room types with the same (or very similar) type of cancellation policy.

And what we found was that the prices on Amex Hotel Collection were usually 10% more expensive per night. The average increase in price was about $25 per night.

That is no surprise considering that you receive additional benefits when you book through the Amex Hotel Collection.

When you factor in those perks like the $100 hotel credit and potentially room upgrades then all of a sudden the value proposition is a little bit different.

In that circumstance, paying something like $25 more to receive a $100 credit can make sense if you already had plans on spending what that credit can cover such as a meal at the hotel.

Of course, you also have to factor in the elite benefits you might be losing by booking through Amex Hotel Collection.

If the prices were the same between booking directly with the hotel and the Amex Hotel Collection, it’s possible that you could still get more value by booking directly with the hotel when you factor in benefits like free breakfast, points earned, and elite credits. This is especially true on longer stays.

If you are curious about the data points that we found, I’ve included all of the research below so you can check it out yourself.

Hotel	Hotel Collection	Direct	% Difference
Grand Bohemian Hotel Charleston, Autograph Collection	$443	$384	15.36%
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa At Gainey Ranch	$299	$291	2.75%
C. Baldwin, Curio Collection by Hilton	$199	$191	4.19%
Andaz Savannah	$234	$213	9.86%
Conrad Chicago	$339	$325	4.31%
InterContinental New York Times Square	$299	$278	7.55%
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort And Spa	$269	$243	10.70%
The Charter Hotel Seattle, Curio Collection by Hilton	$259	$248	4.44%
InterContinental San Diego	$279	$259	7.72%
W Fort Lauderdale	$319	$303	5.28%
Renaissance Paris Vendome Hotel	$550	$489	12.47%
InterContinental London Park Lane	$495	$478	3.56%
Hilton Tokyo	$257	$219	17.35%
InterContinental Sydney Double Bay	$302	$208	45.19%
Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht	$551	$593	-7.08%
			9.58%

Hotel Collection FAQ

Can I get elite status benefits when booking through the Hotel collection?

It may be possible to receive your elite status benefits as long as you add your elite status number to your reservation. However, receiving elite credits is probably much more unlikely.

What are the Amex Hotel Collection benefits?

$100 property credit
Room upgrade at check-in if available
Gold Card members receive 2X (on prepaid stays)
Platinum Card members receive 5X (on prepaid stays)
Ability to pay with points

Are the Amex Hotel Collection properties expensive?

The Hotel Collection contains many luxury properties, which means that these will typically be more expensive properties. Prices will generally be $300 per night or more, although you may find some for around $200 per night.

Is the Amex Hotel Collection more expensive than booking directly with the hotel?

Yes, based on our research looking at various hotels we found that the Amex Hotel Collection is approximately 10% more expensive on average.

What cards are eligible for the Amex Hotel Collection?

Amex Business Gold Card
Amex Gold Card
Business Platinum Card
Centurion Card
Platinum Card

Can I earn 5X when booking through the Amex Hotel Collection?

Yes, if you book a prepaid stay with the Platinum Card you will earn 5X.

Do you get free breakfast with the Amex Hotel Collection?

Unfortunately, no free breakfast is not a benefit.

Final word

As you can see, this can be a great way to receive some perks on a stay of at least two nights — perfect for a weekend getaway.

You just need to be careful about the difference in price which sometimes can be quite high and always remember to do a value analysis on the perks you may or may not be receiving.

Daniel Gillaspia

AAdvantage Aviator Flight Cents Guide [2021]

One of the benefits of the AAdvantage Aviator Red (and Silver) is a program called Flight Cents.

It’s a nifty little way to rack up more American Airlines AAdvantage miles without even thinking about doing so but is it really worth it?

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about Flight Cents.

What is Flight Cents?

Flight Cents is a way to earn additional American Airlines miles by rounding up your Aviator credit card purchases to the nearest whole dollar.

For each cent that is rounded up, you’ll automatically purchase half an AAdvantage mile up to a certain threshold.

It’s a little confusing so let’s walk through an example.

Let’s say that you make a purchase of $3.01.

Flight Cents would round up the purchase to $4 (the nearest whole dollar) which means that the rounded up amount would equate to $.99.

Half of $.99 is 49.5 which means that you would earn 50 miles (rounded up to the nearest whole mile) from Flight Cents.

You would also earn an additional 3 miles from your purchase which means that you would earn a total of 53 miles.

Getting about 50 miles this route is not bad but the rounding up process can require a very high volume of transactions to max out (or to even come close to maxing out).

If you were somehow to get a $.99 round up from every transaction, that would require ~500 transactions per month.

With normal spend, you are obviously going to get much less than that so it will take a very high volume of transactions to get enough round ups to $500 which is the monthly maximum amount you can get.

I would also advise against trying to game this benefit by making a lot of unnatural small purchases because Barclays is known to crack down on so-called “gamers.”

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

How does Flight Cents work

To take advantage of Flight Cents you will need to first set the threshold to the maximum amount that you would like to round up to each statement.

You can set your threshold amount anywhere ranging from $1 to $500.

Once you hit your threshold, you will get a half a mile for every one cent that is rounded up to the nearest whole dollar for each purchase.

And if you don’t hit your threshold, you will simply earn miles based on the amount rounded up at the end of your statement.

So let’s say that you maxed out your $500 threshold.

That would mean that you had 50,000 total cents rounded up from transactions. That will come out to a total of 25,000 miles for that statement period.

You can always view the Flight Cents summary page at AviatorMastercard.com/FlightCents to see an itemized list of rounded up purchases.

How to enroll

In order to trigger the benefit, you need to set your threshold above $0 which you can do at AviatorMastercard.com/FlightCents. Click on “adjust your threshold” to set your threshold and get started with the program.

Keep in mind that you can always change your threshold at any time to the default of zero dollars.

Whatever your threshold is set at as of 11:59 PM Eastern time on the end of the day before your billing cycle, that will be used as a threshold for your next billing cycle.

Is Flight Cents worth it?

The big debatable question with Flight Cents is whether or not it is worth it to participate.

You are essentially buying one AAdvantage mile for two cents.

A lot of people will probably feel that this is not an amazing deal.

For one, a lot of people value American Airlines miles at somewhere around 1.6 cents per mile.

So you are purchasing them above their valued price.

But there are a few things to say about that.

The first is that this is still significantly cheaper than purchasing AA miles at normal rates.

I checked the price for 5,000 AA miles and that would’ve cost $188.13. This comes out to 3.7 cents per mile. So two cents per mile is still a bargain compared to this.

Even if I chose to purchase more miles, the rates are still not as good as two cents per mile.

For example, for purchasing 25,000 miles I would receive a 15% discount and the total price would be $799.54.

This would come out to 3.1 cents per mile so once again getting miles for two cents per mile is still better than purchasing them out right.

Just note that on some occasions you can find special promotions where you can purchase miles at a much better rate.

The other thing about getting miles at two cents per mile is that if you regularly use your miles for business class and first class redemptions, you know that your miles can be worth much more than 2 cents per mile.

In those cases, picking up miles at two cents per mile could work out to be a bargain.

I think what a lot of people also like about this route is that it is a passive way to continuously build up your American Airlines balance without having to really think about it.

So there’s sort of a convenience factor here.

Ultimately, I would prefer not to use it because I don’t really like the idea of paying two cents per mile but if I was coming up on a redemption and I needed miles, this could potentially be a cheaper way to get them, so I would be okay to give it a shot.

Final word

I think Flight Cents is an interesting benefit. It’s not the most lucrative way to earn AA miles but it can be significantly cheaper than purchasing them.

If you know you are going to get outsized value from your miles well above two cents per mile then I think it definitely makes sense to go all in on this program and try to earn as many miles as you can.

Daniel Gillaspia

$125 American Airlines Flight Discount Guide [2021]

Many travel credit cards offer you special bonuses when you hit a certain threshold of annual spend. The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select is another one of these cards offering you the ability to earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount.

But is it worth putting a lot of spend on this card to earn this benefit and what are all of the restrictions that apply? In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the $125 American Airlines flight discount.

What is the $125 American Airlines flight discount?

The $125 American Airlines flight discount is a special perk offered by the Platinum Select that you can receive after you spend $20,000 during your card membership year.

Before jumping into the details of the flight discount perk, it’s worth pointing out that the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select also has other solid perks like free checked bags and some pretty decent bonus earning rates which consist of the following:

2X on purchases on American Airlines
2X at restaurants (including cafes, bars, lounges, and fast food restaurants)
2X at gas stations

You can also get “Preferred Boarding” on American Airlines flights for up to four companions traveling with you and listed in the same reservation.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Is the $125 American Airlines flight discount worth it?

Any time you have to spend $20,000 to receive a perk it’s a good idea to ask yourself if it is really worth it?

If you are somebody who only uses the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select credit card and easily hit the $20,000 threshold every year, then it’s just a matter of whether or not you will use the benefit.

But if you are not somebody who would normally spend $20,000 on the the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select credit card then you definitely want to consider other options.

I say that because you can find more lucrative bonuses with other cards. For example, the Hilton Surpass will give you a free night after you spend $15,000.

That free night could easily be worth several hundred dollars so you would get a lot more value for even less spend.

So make sure you are aware of the alternatives!

$125 American Airlines flight discount rules

In order to receive the flight discount, you must spend $20,000 or more during your card membership year. This means that this park is given out on an anniversary year basis (the spending counter does not reset at the new year unless that is your account anniversary).

As soon as you open up your card, you can begin working toward the spend for this benefit and the deadline for your spend will be at or around your account anniversary.

Every year after that, the deadline will be 12 months from the billing period after your annual fee bills through the next billing period your annual fee bills.

Closing your card

The terms and conditions state “[t]o receive the Flight Discount, your account must be open for one billing cycle after your annual fee is billed..”

This would suggest that you will need to pay the annual fee in order to receive the benefit.

Expiration

The discount will expire one year from the date of issuance. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic they have offered extensions such as six month extensions.

The terms state that after you qualify for the discount, it could take 8 to 12 weeks for delivery of your discount. But in reality a lot of perks like this can arrive much quicker so be on the lookout.

Eligible Airlines

As you would probably expect, you can use your discount on ticket purchases for flights marketed and operated by American Airlines.

But you can also use the discount on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by:

Compass Airlines
Envoy Air
Republic Airways
SkyWest Airlines
Mesa Airlines
PSA Airlines
Piedmont Airlines

Just make sure that the itineraries are originating in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands, and sold in US Dollars.

Something that is really cool about this benefit is that it can also be redeemed for air travel on oneworld carriers or American Airlines codeshare flights. A lot of co-branded airline credit card perks do not extend to partner airlines so this is a great enhancement to the value of this benefit.

Base fare

You can only use this discount toward the base airfare and directly associated taxes, fees, and other charges that are collected as the normal part of a fare calculation.

So if there are flight products or services that are sold separately this discount will not apply.

Using the benefit

You can use the benefit online at AA.com or you can also use it by calling American Airlines Reservations. (If you choose to book your ticket over the phone, you might be subject to booking fees so consider that.)

Once you pull up your desired flight, go to the other forms of payment option and then select the option for “Gift card/Travel Voucher/flight discounts.”

You will then get the opportunity to enter your discount code.

If the price of your ticket is more than the value of your discount, then you will need to pay the difference with a credit, debit or charge card, or with American Airlines Gift Cards.

If you decide to cancel or change your ticket, the flight discount will be forfeited and you will be responsible for any change fees or the difference in airfare.

Another thing that is cool about this benefit is that you can use the discount to book a flight for somebody else. Just provide them with the discount code and they should be able to apply it at check out with no issue.

Final word

The $125 discount is a decent perk if you regularly fly with American Airlines. However, I would take a close look at the alternative bonuses you could earn with $20,000 worth of spend. In some cases, you might be able to come out with much more value.

Daniel Gillaspia

Alaska Airlines Visa Annual Companion Fare Benefit Guide [2021]

One of the most valuable benefits for the Alaska Airlines Visa is the annual companion fare. If used properly, it is a way to not only offset your annual fee but to come out on top by a large margin (sometimes several hundred dollars).

In other words, it can make your Alaska Airlines Visa card worth holding onto in the long term.

In this article, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Alaska Airlines Visa Annual companion fare.

What is the Alaska Airlines Visa companion fare?

The companion fare is a recurring benefit offered to Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card holders that allows you to book a discounted economy ticket for a companion every year.

It is also sometimes offered as a benefit in the form of a welcome bonus.

This is a single use companion fare ticket which is quite different from something like the Southwest Companion Pass which you can use multiple times.

Tip: Use WalletFlo for all your credit card needs. It’s free and will help you optimize your rewards and savings!

Arrival time

If your account is open with active charging privileges on your account anniversary date, you will receive the Companion Fare code within the first 2 billing cycles after the Anniversary date each year.

The Alaska FAQ states that, “[t]ypically, your account anniversary will fall approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the date on which you originally open your credit card account.”

This means that you could be waiting quite some time for that benefit to arrive after your true account anniversary date.

In reality, you may receive the companion fare much quicker than that, as it may show up only a couple of weeks after your account open date.

Once the companion fare code arrives, it should be directly credited to your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account. I’m not aware of notifications that go out for this benefit so you will just need to be on the lookout for it.

There is also a companion fare that often is attached to the welcome bonus.

To earn that, you will have to meet a minimum spend requirement such as spending $2,000 in the first 90 days after opening up your account but this requirement could change.

If you are earning a companion fare with your welcome bonus, it will likely appear shortly after the statement closes that you hit your minimum spend in.

Restrictions

You can use this code for a round-trip or one-way coach companion fare on Alaska Airlines.

The big take away here is that you must book a coach fare ticket and that you cannot use the code for partner airlines like American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, etc.

(In the past you could use your pass to purchase first class tickets.)

Booking

You’ll need to be traveling with another guest on a paid published ticket on the same itinerary and the ticket will need to be booked at the same time on alaskaair.com.

Routing

You can use the companion fare for one way or round trip travel and can even book open jaws or multi-city itineraries.

Booking multi-city itineraries is a great way to expand the value of your benefit. In some cases, you could be adding on a few hundred bucks in savings.

Just note that multiple stopovers are not allowed.

I have seen some reports of people getting the companion fare to apply to itineraries with multiple stopovers but that goes against the terms of the benefits so you can’t expect that to always work.

Fees

You will be responsible for paying the $99 base fare plus the taxes and fees which may total to $121. (Other fees such as baggage fees may apply as well.)

The annual fee for this credit card is $75 so if you are able to find a companion fare that totals $196 or more, you are coming out on top with this card.

That should not be difficult to do when flying across the country with Alaska Airlines. However, if you are looking to book shorter flights around the West Coast it may be much more difficult to find a deal that makes sense.

Note: There have been special offers in the past where the $99 base fare is waived so be on the lookout for those.

Eligible travelers

This companion fare has great flexibility when it comes to the eligibility of the travelers using the perk.

That is because the cardmember who receives the companion fare code does NOT have to be a traveler on the reservation.

The Alaska Mileage Plan member who owns the companion fare code must be either: 1) one of the travelers or 2) simply the purchaser of the reservation.

That makes using this perk substantially easier for a lot of people.

Note: If you are the companion fare holder and not traveling then your name must match the name on the credit card used to purchase the reservation.

Credit card used

You will need to purchase the primary ticket and also the companion fare with your Alaska Airlines credit card.

This is super important for people considering canceling their card.

Some people might consider canceling their Alaska card right after they receive the companion fare benefit but if you do that then you will not be eligible for the benefit since you won’t be able to use your card for the purchase.

This was not always the case so if you used this benefit prior to October 2019 just note that this was a recent change.

Expiration

You must redeem your companion fare code online within 12 months of the date of issue. (Your companion fare code must be redeemed by 11:59 pm PT on the expiration date.)

Once you have received your ticket, the travel date may occur after the expiration of your companion fare code.

So let’s say that your companion fare code expired October 15, 2021. If you booked your ticket prior to October 15, 2021 for a flight the next month, that would be allowed by the rules.

According to the terms and conditions, the expiration date cannot be extended and if your companion fare code expires it cannot be restored or exchanged.

One possible work around here is that you could book a full fare economy ticket which allows for maximum flexibility with changes.

You can purchase tickets for up to 330 days in advance so you could purchase a full fare ticket almost a year in advance and then change the ticket once you know your exact travel plans.

You should be able to change the ticket type and also the destination. If your new ticket is cheaper than the initial ticket then you can be refunded the difference.

Finding your companion fare discount code

To locate your companion fare discount code log into your Alaska account and look under the “discount and companion fare codes” section.

As long as you are the primary cardholder, you should be able to find it here.

In order to use your code, from the “discount and companion fares codes” section simply click on “shop” next to your discount code. This is also where you can view the expiration date.

After you select “shop,” the companion fare code will be automatically copied into the discount or companion fare code field as you search for flights.

Just make sure that you select only two travelers because that is the only way to book a flight with the discount code.

(If you are trying to fly with more than one individual, you will need to make a separate booking for them.)

As you proceed to check out you should see the breakdown of your itinerary and under the total price you should see the companion price set at $99.

Note that you will also have to cover the fees which will typically total at least $22.

Be sure to check out: Alaska Airlines Club 49: (Deals & Baggage Fee Benefits)

Alaska Airlines Visa companion fare FAQs

Will I earn miles for the companion fare flights?

Yes, you and the guest can earn mileage credit for the flights.

Can I use the companion fare code on award tickets?

No, unfortunately you cannot use the companion fare code on award tickets.

When will I receive my annual companion fare?

Alaska states that it could take a couple of billing cycles for you to receive the companion fare but some people receive the companion fare within just a few weeks after the anniversary of the account open date.

Does the cardholder have to travel on the companion fare?

No, if the cardholder is not traveling they only have to use their card to purchase the revenue ticket and the companion fare ticket.

Can you upgrade the companion fare?

If there are two upgradable seats available, you may be able to upgrade your companion fare using miles, elite + companion upgrades, guest upgrades, or paid upgrades that may be offered at check-in.

What airlines can I use the companion fare on?

The companion fare is valid on flights operated by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air and on PenAir between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor. It is not valid on codeshare flights.

Final word

As you can tell, this could be quite a lucrative benefit for those who fly Alaska Airlines. If you can utilize it on a ticket costing $196 or more then you will be in the clear for completely offsetting the annual fee of your Alaska Airlines credit card.

Daniel Gillaspia

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