Do you have Chase Ultimate Rewards points burning a hole in your pocket, and dreams of flying American Airlines? You're in the right place! While it's not possible to directly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to American Airlines AAdvantage, don't despair! There are clever strategies to use your valuable Chase points to book American Airlines flights. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step, ensuring you get the most out of your hard-earned rewards.
Let's dive in and unlock those American Airlines flights!
The Reality: No Direct Transfer, But Plenty of Options!
It's crucial to understand upfront: American Airlines AAdvantage is NOT a direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. This is often the first hurdle people encounter. However, thanks to airline alliances and Chase's versatile travel portal, you have excellent alternatives.
Your primary options are:
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Transferring to Oneworld Alliance Partners: American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance. Several Chase Ultimate Rewards airline partners are also Oneworld members, allowing you to book American Airlines flights through their loyalty programs. This is often the most valuable redemption option.
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Booking through the Chase Travel Portal: You can use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book American Airlines flights directly through Chase's own travel portal, much like booking through an online travel agency.
Let's explore each method in detail!
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| How To Transfer Points From Chase To American Airlines |
Step 1: Confirm You Have Transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Before you even think about transferring, let's make sure your points are eligible!
Are you holding a Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, or Chase Ink Business Cash card? While these cards earn Ultimate Rewards points, they don't directly allow transfers to airline or hotel partners. For that, you'll need one of Chase's premium travel cards.
Sub-heading 1.1: Eligible Chase Cards for Transfers
To transfer Ultimate Rewards points to airline or hotel partners, you must hold one of the following:
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
What if you don't have one of these? Don't worry! If you have points on a Chase Freedom or Ink Cash card, you can combine your points with one of your eligible premium cards. This is a common and highly recommended strategy to unlock the full potential of your Ultimate Rewards.
Sub-heading 1.2: How to Combine Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Tip: Reading in chunks improves focus.
If you have multiple Chase cards, you can easily pool your points to an eligible card:
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Log in to your Chase online account.
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Navigate to your Ultimate Rewards dashboard.
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Select the card you want to move points from (e.g., Chase Freedom Unlimited).
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Look for an option like "Combine Points" or "Transfer to another Chase card."
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Choose the premium card you want to move points to (e.g., Chase Sapphire Reserve).
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Enter the amount of points you wish to combine.
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Pro Tip: Always combine your points to the card that offers the best redemption value through the Chase Travel portal (e.g., Chase Sapphire Reserve for 1.5 cents per point).
Step 2: Option 1 - Transferring to Oneworld Alliance Partners (Recommended for Value!)
This is often the best way to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points for American Airlines flights. American Airlines is part of the Oneworld Alliance, which means you can book their flights using miles from other Oneworld member airlines.
Sub-heading 2.1: Key Chase Transfer Partners within Oneworld
The most common and useful Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners for booking American Airlines flights are:
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British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
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Iberia Plus (Avios)
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Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios)
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Note on Avios: British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways all use the "Avios" currency, and you can generally transfer Avios between these programs at a 1:1 ratio. This offers incredible flexibility!
Sub-heading 2.2: Why this Method is Often Better
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Potentially Higher Value: Transferring to partners often yields a much higher per-point value compared to booking through the Chase Travel portal, especially for business or first-class redemptions.
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Access to Award Space: While not guaranteed, partner airlines sometimes have access to award space that isn't available through the Chase Travel portal.
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Sweet Spots: Each partner program has its "sweet spots" for redemptions, where you can get exceptional value for certain routes or distances. For example, British Airways Avios can be fantastic for short-haul domestic flights on American Airlines within the U.S.
Sub-heading 2.3: Step-by-Step Guide to Transferring to a Partner and Booking AA
Step 2.3.1: Identify Your Target American Airlines Flight
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Before transferring points, it's absolutely critical to find the specific American Airlines flight you want to book and confirm award availability on the partner airline's website. Points transfers are irreversible!
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How to search for award availability:
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Go to the website of your chosen Oneworld partner (e.g., British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, or Qatar Airways Privilege Club).
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Log in or create an account if you don't have one.
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Navigate to their "Book with Avios" or "Award Travel" section.
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Search for your desired American Airlines flight. Be flexible with your dates and times if possible, as award availability can be limited.
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Step 2.3.2: Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to the Partner Airline
Once you've found an available flight:
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Log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account.
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From the Ultimate Rewards dashboard, click on "Transfer to Travel Partners."
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Select the desired airline partner (e.g., British Airways Executive Club).
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Enter your frequent flyer number for that airline's loyalty program. (If you don't have one, create it before you start this process!)
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Enter the exact number of points you wish to transfer. Remember, transfers are usually in increments of 1,000 points.
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Review all details carefully. Double-check your loyalty program number and the number of points.
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Confirm the transfer. Most Chase transfers to airline partners are instantaneous, but some can take a few hours or even up to 24-48 hours.
Step 2.3.3: Book Your American Airlines Flight with Partner Miles
As soon as your points appear in your chosen airline partner's account:
QuickTip: Pay close attention to transitions.
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Go back to the partner airline's website (e.g., British Airways, Iberia, or Qatar Airways).
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Log in to your loyalty account.
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Search for the American Airlines flight again. The award availability should now show up, and you'll see the option to book with your newly transferred miles (Avios).
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Complete the booking process. You will typically need to pay a small amount in taxes and fees.
Step 3: Option 2 - Booking Through the Chase Travel Portal
This method is more straightforward, but often yields less value for your points, especially for premium cabin travel. However, it offers more flexibility in terms of flight availability as it functions like a cash booking.
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Sub-heading 3.1: How the Chase Travel Portal Works
When you book through the Chase Travel portal, your Ultimate Rewards points are essentially converted into a cash value to pay for your flight. The value you get per point depends on which Chase card you hold:
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel.
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed for travel.
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed for travel.
Sub-heading 3.2: Step-by-Step Guide to Booking via Chase Travel Portal
Step 3.2.1: Access the Chase Travel Portal
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Log in to your Chase online account.
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Navigate to your Ultimate Rewards dashboard.
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Click on the "Travel" tab or link. This will take you to the Chase Travel portal.
Step 3.2.2: Search for American Airlines Flights
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In the Chase Travel portal, select "Flights."
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Enter your departure and arrival airports, dates, and number of passengers.
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In the search results, you can filter by airline to specifically look for American Airlines flights.
Step 3.2.3: Select Your Flight and Redeem Points
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Browse the available American Airlines flights. The price will be displayed in both cash and the equivalent number of Ultimate Rewards points.
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Select your desired flight.
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On the payment screen, choose to pay with your Ultimate Rewards points. You can often pay for the entire flight with points or use a combination of points and cash.
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Review your booking details carefully before confirming.
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Important Considerations:
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Bookings through the Chase Travel portal are generally considered third-party reservations. This means that if you need to make changes or cancellations, you'll likely have to go through Chase Travel first, rather than directly with American Airlines. This can sometimes be more cumbersome.
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You generally will not earn AAdvantage miles or elite qualifying credit for flights booked through the Chase Travel portal, as they are treated as cash bookings by American Airlines.
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Step 4: Making the Right Choice for Your Trip
Deciding between transferring to a partner and using the Chase Travel portal depends on several factors:
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Value: For premium cabin travel (business/first class), transferring to a Oneworld partner will almost always give you significantly better value for your points. For economy flights, the Chase Travel portal might sometimes be competitive, especially for cheaper cash fares.
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Flexibility: The Chase Travel portal offers more flexibility in terms of flight availability since it's like a cash booking. Partner award availability can be limited.
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Effort: Booking through the Chase Travel portal is generally simpler and quicker. Transferring points and booking through a partner requires a few more steps and a bit of research.
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Earning Miles/Elite Status: If earning AAdvantage miles or working towards American Airlines elite status is important to you, neither option is ideal. However, booking through the Chase Travel Portal is essentially a cash booking (paid for with points) and may sometimes qualify for earning miles, depending on the fare class. Always confirm with American Airlines if this is a priority.
Step 5: Final Check and Confirmation
QuickTip: Revisit key lines for better recall.
Regardless of the method you choose, always perform these final checks:
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Verify Passenger Details: Ensure the name on the ticket exactly matches your government-issued ID.
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Review Itinerary: Double-check flight numbers, dates, and times.
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Confirm Total Cost: Understand any taxes, fees, or surcharges you might be paying in cash.
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Check Confirmation Email: Make sure you receive a confirmation email from either the partner airline or Chase Travel.
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Link to American Airlines (if applicable): If you booked through a Oneworld partner, try to locate your American Airlines PNR (Passenger Name Record) on the partner airline's website. You can then use this PNR on the American Airlines website to manage your booking, select seats, or verify details.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to transfer Chase points to American Airlines directly?
You cannot directly transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to American Airlines AAdvantage. American Airlines is not a direct transfer partner of Chase.
How to find American Airlines award availability on partner airlines?
You need to visit the website of a Chase Oneworld transfer partner like British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, or Qatar Airways Privilege Club and search for award flights there. Look for the "Book with Avios" or "Award Travel" sections.
How to combine Chase points from different cards?
Log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, select the card you want to move points from, and look for the "Combine Points" or "Transfer to another Chase card" option to move them to an eligible premium card (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred).
How to get the best value when booking American Airlines with Chase points?
Generally, transferring Chase points to a Oneworld partner (like British Airways or Iberia) and booking American Airlines flights through their program offers the best value, especially for premium cabin redemptions.
QuickTip: Revisit posts more than once.
How to book American Airlines flights using the Chase Travel portal?
Log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, go to the "Travel" section, select "Flights," search for your desired American Airlines flight, and choose to pay with your Ultimate Rewards points during checkout.
How to know if a Chase transfer partner is part of Oneworld?
The primary Chase transfer partners that are also Oneworld members are British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club. These are your best bets for booking American Airlines flights.
How to check Chase point transfer times to airline partners?
Most Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to airline partners are instant, but some can take a few hours or up to 24-48 hours. Always confirm the transfer completion before making final booking decisions.
How to avoid losing value when transferring Chase points?
Always confirm award availability with the partner airline before you transfer your points, as transfers are irreversible. This ensures you have a specific flight to book once your points arrive.
How to earn American Airlines miles on flights booked with Chase points?
If you book through a Oneworld partner or the Chase Travel portal, you generally will not earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles or elite qualifying credit, as these are considered award redemptions or third-party bookings. The only way to earn AAdvantage miles directly is by paying cash for your flight or booking directly through American Airlines with AAdvantage miles.
How to use Avios to book American Airlines flights?
Once you've transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards to a program that uses Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways), log into that program's website, search for award flights, and select American Airlines flights that appear in the search results.
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