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https://www.crmjetty.com/blog/online-travel-portal-the-future-travel-business/

Online Travel Portal: The Future of Travel Business

Sulabh Chauhan

When was the last time you visited a travel agency office to book your travel ticket? Or to understand holiday packages to pick from? Well, I am sure it was a long time back when the online travel business was in its nascent stage. This was a time when it wasn’t widely accepted and popular because people had apprehensions about such transactions being fraudulent.

Well, that time has passed and the online travel business is a thriving industry today. Big players like Airbnb, Expedia, Booking.com, etc., have revolutionized the travel industry. They have made online travel services reliable and secure and therefore gained people’s trust and support.

After a drop in 2020 due to COVID-19, the online travel agency sector worldwide is forecast to snowball again. According to Statista, it is forecast to touch $ 820.18 bn by 2023. It is clear that the online travel business is a booming industry and will continue to be so.

Rising to the occasion, even small travel agency owners are also looking to go online. For them, an online travel portal can be an ideal fit. It is because it lets them manage their agents, partners, and customers centrally and efficiently.

If you also run a travel company or are looking to start one, this post is for you. In this post, you are going to learn about the importance of an online travel portal in detail. You’ll also know the features you must seek in a travel portal.

Benefits of an Online Travel Portal

A travel portal based on your CRM can help manage your travel business easily. For example, a SuiteCRM customer portal for your travel business would be suitable if you use SuiteCRM. And Salesforce portal for Salesforce-based organization, and so on.

Reduced Running Costs

If you run a travel company, hiring several travel agents to explain tour packages and booking tickets may be costly. Instead, a SuiteCRM customer portal or any other portal for your travel business can save you expenses.

Moreover, you can also cut down the effort of maintaining records of all costumes in spreadsheets. This is because you can view all your customers’ and agents’ details centrally and manage them better with a travel portal.

Real-Time Access

A travel portal provides real-time access to all details like prices of tour packages, hotels, rental services, flights, etc. to your customers. Customers can also vet and compare the prices of hotels and packages during peak season and normal times. It helps them make a more informed choice of a tour package, hotel, etc.

Customer Care Support

A travel portal helps customers communicate and convey issues easily via a chat or call option. This helps customers get quick solutions to their travel-related issues or answers to queries. For providing the utmost customer satisfaction you can integrate these hotel API providers in your online travel portal.

They can also get help in selecting the right package for their tour plan via customer care support. This way, a travel portal eliminates the need to call or visit a travel agency office for every small issue or query.

Enhanced Transparency and Convenience

An online travel portal helps display accurate fares with any hidden costs. This helps build customers’ trust in your company and connect with you more. A complete comprehensive breakdown of applicable charges brings more transparency.

Besides, booking tickets and packages online is convenient. Customers don’t have to visit any office or branch to book their tickets, hotels, or bus rental services. They can do it all right from within the portal. Using a portal for this also helps get a much clearer view of comparison metrics like pricing, amenities, etc. This saves both their time and money and enhances their experience. Similarly, customers can also easily cancel or reschedule a booking without calling the company’s office or visiting there.

All this helps takes customers’ convenience, and booking experience, to the next level.

Large Variety of Options

An online travel portal helps gain access to a large list of hotels, rental cars , flight or bus tickets, and tour packages. Customers can get numerous options to choose from unlike in the case of an offline travel agency.

All this is not feasible with a travel agent due to time constraints and limited knowledge available on the internet.

Features to Look for in a Travel Portal

The travel portal you pick should be easily accessible to the admin, agents, and customers.

A. For Admin

As the business owner and admin, you should have control over the complete management of your customers and agents. For that, there are a few admin features below that you must look for when picking a travel portal:

1. As an admin, the travel portal should allow you to view, manage, and update customers’ booking details on the fly.

2. You should also be able to manage hotel bookings easily and efficiently from within the travel portal. The portal should provide a centralized view of all bookings to help you get better visibility and avoid any errors.

3. There should be a built-in process for the online identification of customers within the portal. It will help you avoid the hassle of manual identity verification after check-ins.

4. The portal should allow you to manage tour packages and their details like prices in real-time. You should offer the best tour package recommendations based on your customers’ preferences and budget.

B. For Agents

If you provide an online travel service that supports individual travel agents and associates; your travel portal should have the following features:

1. Individual hospitality agents and associates should be able to manage their commission for every booking. The portal should also let them track total bookings and negotiate the commission to pay to you.

2. The portal should let travel and hospitality associates and agents implement the credit systems for customers. It will help increase repeat bookings and expand the customer base.

3. The portal should also facilitate offering discounts on bookings for agents to attract more online bookings. This way, they can also adjust the commission fee according to the overall profitability of your company.

C. For Customers

Last but not least, the travel portal you pick should be user-friendly for your customers.

1. The portal should make the booking experience seamless for customers. It should let them check for the availability of travel tickets on specific dates and book them.

2. There should be a choice of multiple payment options to book. The portal should also provide the option to save a payment method for future bookings for fast transactions.

3. There should be an exhaustive list of hotels, ratings, charges, and facilities displayed. Comparison and filter options should be there to allow customers to vet and pick a package carefully.

4. Your travel portal should let customers view travel booking history and update booking details. They should get to update, cancel, or reschedule their bookings without hassle.

Launch Your Travel Portal with CRMJetty

If you own a travel company and are looking for a travel portal, we’ve got you covered. Our development team can help you develop a travel portal based on your CRM.

We provide ready-to-integrate industry-specific SuiteCRM client portal, Salesforce portal, WordPress portal, etc. If you want to expand your existing portal’s capabilities, we can help you with that also. We can discuss your portal requirements, analyze the feasibility of development or customization, test limitations, and deliver the final portal.

All product and company names are trademarks™, registered® or copyright© trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

Read Related Blogs About SuiteCRM

How to enhance customer experience with suitecrm customer portal, streamlining your small business for the holiday season with suitecrm customer portal, the future of self-service depends on technology: use it well.

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The Advantages of Using Online Travel Booking Portals

• March 22, 2023

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Online travel booking portals have revolutionized the travel industry by giving customers the convenience and flexibility to book travel arrangements from their homes. These portals have also brought significant benefits to travel businesses. This article will discuss the benefits of online travel booking portals for businesses.

Increased Visibility and Reach

One of the significant benefits of online travel booking portals is the increased visibility and reach businesses can achieve. Travel portals have millions of users worldwide visiting their websites to book travel arrangements. By listing their services on these portals, businesses can increase their visibility and reach a broader audience, attracting more customers to their services.

Improved Customer Engagement

Online travel booking portals allow businesses to engage with customers in real-time. These portals allow businesses to communicate with their customers through chatbots, emails, and notifications, providing them with up-to-date information about their travel arrangements. This engagement level helps businesses build strong customer relationships, improve customer satisfaction, and increase customer loyalty.

Streamlined Booking Process

Online travel booking portals have simplified the booking process for customers, making it easy for them to research, compare, and book travel arrangements. This streamlined process has resulted in increased sales for businesses. Customers can easily browse different travel options, compare prices and book travel arrangements with just a few clicks. This convenience has increased customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat business for travel businesses.

Increased Revenue

One of the most significant benefits of online travel booking portals for businesses is the increased revenue that they can generate. By listing their services on these portals, businesses can reach a broader audience and attract more customers. This increased visibility can increase bookings, resulting in higher revenue for businesses. Additionally, many online travel booking portals offer businesses the option to upsell their services, such as room upgrades, travel insurance, and airport transfers, further increasing their revenue.

Improved Marketing Strategy

Online travel booking portals allow businesses to improve their marketing strategy. These portals have a wealth of customer behavior and preferences data, which businesses can use to tailor their marketing campaigns. Businesses can create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their customers by analyzing customer data, leading to increased bookings and revenue.

Reduced Operating Costs

Online travel booking portals can help businesses to reduce their operating costs significantly. These portals provide businesses with a platform to list their services, eliminating the need for traditional marketing and advertising methods. Additionally, these portals automate many of the booking processes, reducing the need for manual intervention and reducing staffing costs.

Improved Operational Efficiency

Online travel booking portals can help businesses to improve their operational efficiency. These portals automate many of the processes involved in booking travel arrangements, such as reservations, payments, and confirmations. This automation helps businesses to reduce errors, eliminate redundant tasks, and improve the speed of their operations. As a result, businesses can provide their customers with a better experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Online travel booking portals have significantly benefited the travel industry, providing customers with convenience, flexibility, and a streamlined booking process. By leveraging these benefits, travel businesses can improve their marketing strategies, increase operational efficiency, and provide customers with a better experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Are you looking for online travel booking portal services in Washington, PA ? Globeo is here to make your business trips easy, manageable, and stress-free. Contact us today to learn more about our online booking portal!

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Benefits of online travel portal development for Travel Industry

18-april-2017 shweta

web development

Gaining the brand presence is very essential to fuel the expansion of your travel business. A smart approach and a powerful one, that defines the future state of travel industry is a well-designed travel portal.

The recent trend of Travel portal development has helped the travel industry to follow a step process of growth. Travel portal development is associated to the implementation of travel technology in the field of travel sector.

Some benefits of travel portal includes-

• Offer real time data access.
• Minimize your maintenance cost.
• 24*7 interactions with customers.
• Saves time and money.
• Minimized order processing costs.
• Instant reservation or booking facilities of flights, tour packages etc.
• Helpful in expansion of your business.

Travel Portals basically provides the customers or booking agents with travel information, bookings, and all the required information which one may need while travelling. These travel portals fetch information from central servers which have granted them the specified permission and provide users with the cheapest fares and the best possible service, something which users desire all the time.

Travel Portal can be classified in some major types of portal like Flight Booking, Holiday Packages, Car Booking, Taxi/Bus Booking, and lots more

Users can simply search for hotels and book them online. They can view their account details, booking stage, seat number easily. Booking a ticket or cancelling a ticket becomes very simple.

It is a proper way to do promotions of business and by online marketing you will extremely get more potential customers. It is quiet helpful for travelers to reserve their air tickets online or hire a car online for required time interval.

Online Travel Portals offer the necessary foundation to build upon and expand growth within the company. In easy words it’s a structured gateway that helps to structure the access to information found on the internet. Our professional web developers can deliver customized travel portals which go well with the provisions of the clients as well as the visitors.

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The 10 best online travel agencies in 2024

The top 10 online travel agencies.

• Booking.com
• Lastminute.com

Best online travel agencies for business travel

1. travelperk.

Main offerings and features:

• Industry-leading travel inventory
• Flexible booking with FlexiPerk
• Safety alerts with TravelCare
• Integrated travel policy & approval flows
• Centralized invoicing
• Easy & real-time expense reports
• Carbon offsetting with GreenPerk
• 24/7 fast customer support in target 15s
• VAT reclaim
• Integration with 3rd party tools , such as expense management or HR software like Expensify and BambooHR

Save time and money on your business travel with TravelPerk

2. sap concur.

• Works with some of the biggest brands
• Easy tracking and reporting of expenses for expense reports
• Many connected apps, such as Uber and Airbnb for cars and hotels
• One solution for a variety of business travel spending

Click below to compare both platforms’ features and benefits

• Ample integrations
• Award-winning mobile app
• Employee-centric travel management

Click below for a more detailed comparison between both platforms:

Best online travel agencies for leisure travel, 1. booking.com.

• Intuitive booking tool and website
• Flight + Hotel booking for easily planning trips with no cross-referencing travel websites
• Simple car rental options and taxi hire
• Available in over 40 different languages and offers over half a million properties across 207 countries
• You can book experiences in your destination city to entertain you on your travels
• Genius rewards program

• Simple interface and booking tool
• Deals when making more than one booking
• 38 different languages and offers a 24-hour, multilingual customer support service
• Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
• Millions of reviews to help make your decision

3. Lastminute.com

• Filter hotels according to budgets, star ratings, guest ratings, board types, and more
• ATOL protection on flight + hotel bundles
• Flash sales for last-minute deals
• Payment plans to spread out the cost of travel
• Extra entertainment booking for your trips, like theatrical productions and day trips
• Gift cards for gifting travel

• Expedia rewards for hotels, cars, and more
• Experienced support
• Compare cruise lines
• Big savings when booking flights, hotels, and car rentals
• Operates in nearly 70 countries and in over 35 different languages
• Luxury travel options

• Book hotels, flights, cars, and bundles
• 24/7 support
• Lower prices on the app
• Great last-minute deals for spontaneous travel

6. Bookmundi

Best online travel agencies for flights

1. skyscanner.

• Super flexible booking filters
• Cheaper flights and hotels than other OTAs
• Price alerts for travel routes of interest
• Easy-to-use booking tool and UI
• Hundreds of location and currency options
• One-way, return, and multi-city travel options

2. Kiwi.com

• Simple flight booking tool
• Partnerships with Booking.com and Rentalcars.com
• Discover deals anywhere with the option to open up your search
• Easy-to-use app

How do online travel agencies work?

What are the advantages of booking through an online travel agency.

• Access to comparison tools
• Peer reviews to help you with your decisions
• Flexible cancellation policies
• All your travel in one place
• Local flights and deals

Rewards programs

Comparison tools, peer reviews, flexible cancellation.

Flexiperk: Cancel anytime, anywhere. Get a minimum of 80% of your money back.

One account for all of your travel needs, a local approach to global travel, wrapping up.

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

• See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
• Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
• Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

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CITI TRAVEL with Booking.com

Introducing citi travel℠: your first stop to your next destination.

Earn ThankYou ® Points when you pay for part, or all, of your trip with your eligible Citi Card through the Citi Travel portal. Plus, you can redeem your points towards even more adventures through the Citi Travel portal. With customizable options and booking right from your Citi Mobile ® App for eligible cardholders, the way to go is now way easier.

Earn More ThankYou ® Points on Select Bookings Through the Citi Travel portal

10x the fun with citi strata premier℠.

Earn a total of 10x ThankYou ® Points on hotels and car rentals when you book on the Citi Travel portal. 1

5X the Fun with Rewards+ ®

Earn a total of 5x ThankYou ® Points on hotels and car rentals when you book on the Citi Travel portal. Offer expires December 31, 2025. 2

More Points, More Fun with Double Cash ®

Earn a total of 5 ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals when you book on the Citi Travel portal. Offers expires December 31, 2024. 3

Offer provides 3 additional points on top of the 1 point per dollar on purchases and 1 point per dollar for payments on purchases

Earn More Points with Custom Cash ®

Earn an unlimited additional 4 ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotels and car rentals when you book on the Citi Travel portal. Offers expires June 30, 2025. 4

Additional Citi Travel Portal Benefits

The citi travel portal offers perks to make your travel booking experience easier and more convenient., access to over 1.4 million hotel and resort options, competitive prices when booking flights, hotels, cars and attractions, 24/7 customer service support for your booking needs.

ThankYou ® Cards Make Every Day More Rewarding

It's easy to earn ThankYou ® Points with Citi credit cards. Find the one that helps you earn the most on your daily spending.

Citi Travel: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the citi travel portal.

Citi Travel is a travel booking portal that gives eligible Citi card members access to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and attractions at competitive prices, along with 24/7 customer support. Additionally, when you book through the Citi Travel portal using ThankYou ® rewards cards, you can earn ThankYou ® points on your travel spending which can then be redeemed to be used on your next journey.

How do I book through the Citi Travel portal?

To book through the Citi Travel portal:

• Login into your Citi Mobile App or directly into the Citi Travel portal using your Citi Online User ID and password.
• After that, search for the flights, hotels, car rentals or attractions you want to book and enter the necessary information (such as number of guests or passengers, travel dates, etc.)
• Confirm your booking and choose whether you want to pay with card, points, or a combination of these purchase options.ns.

Can I use any Citi ® card to book through Citi Travel?

All Citi ThankYou ® Rewards Credit Cards

Citi Travel℠ is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with Booking.com.

1 You will earn 10 ThankYou Points for each $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions when you use your Citi Strata Premier Card to book them through the Citi Travel site via CitiTravel.com or 1-833-737-1288 (TTY: 711). For bookings made with a combination of points and your Citi Strata Premier Card, only the portion paid with your card will earn points. Points are not earned on cancelled bookings. If your account is closed for any reason, including if you convert to another card product, you will no longer be eligible for this offer. Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with Booking.com.

2 Earn a total of 5 ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental and attractions excluding air travel when booked through the Citi Travel℠ portal on cititravel.com or by calling 1-833-737-1288 and saying "Travel". Offer is valid through 11:59 PM 12/31/2025. You earn 1 ThankYou ® Point per $1 spent on the Citi Travel portal bookings. You will earn an additional 4 bonus ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental and attractions excluding air travel when booked through the Citi Travel portal or by calling 1-833-737-1288 through 11:59 PM 12/31/2025. The booking must post to your account during the promotional period to qualify. This offer may overlap with other special offers in which you are currently enrolled. You must use your Citi Rewards+ ® Card registered at the Citi Travel portal to earn the bonus points . For bookings made with a combination of points and your Citi Rewards+ ® Card, only the portion paid with your card will earn points. Bonus points will take up to 3 billing cycles to post to your account. To qualify for this offer, this account must be open and current. Points will not be earned on canceled bookings. If your account is closed for any reason, including if you convert to another card product, you will no longer be eligible for this offer. Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with booking.com.

3 Earn a total of 5 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions excluding air travel when booked through the Citi Travel℠ portal on cititravel.com or by calling 1-833-737-1288 and saying "Travel". Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024. You earn 1 ThankYou Point per $1 spent on the Citi Travel portal bookings and an additional 1 ThankYou Point per $1 paid on Eligible Payments (as defined in the Citi ThankYou ® Rewards Terms and Conditions for Citi Double Cash ® Card Accounts) made to your Citi Double Cash card account. You will earn an additional 3 bonus ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions excluding air travel when booked through the Citi Travel portal or by calling 1-833-737-1288 through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024. The booking must post to your account during the promotional period to qualify. This offer may overlap with other special offers in which you are currently enrolled. You must use your Citi Double Cash Card registered at the Citi Travel portal to earn the bonus points . For bookings made with a combination of points and your eligible Citi Double Cash card, only the portion paid with your card will earn the additional points. Bonus points may take one or two billing cycles to post to your account. To qualify for this offer, this account must be open and current. Points will not be earned on canceled bookings. If your account is closed for any reason, including if you convert to another card product, you will no longer be eligible for this offer. Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with booking.com.

4 Earn an additional 4 Thank You Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions excluding air travel through the Citi Travel℠ portal or by calling 1-833-737-1288 (TTY: 711). Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 6/30/2025. The booking must post to your account during the promotional period to qualify. This offer may overlap with other special offers in which you are currently enrolled. You must use your Citi Custom Cash ® Card registered at the Citi Travel portal to earn the bonus points . For bookings made with a combination of points and your eligible Citi card, only the portion paid with your card will earn the additional points. Bonus points may take one or two billing cycles to post to your account. To qualify for this offer, this account must be open and current. Points will not be earned on canceled bookings. If your account is closed for any reason, including if you convert to another card product, you will no longer be eligible for this offer. Citi Travel is powered by Rocket Travel Inc., part of the Booking Holdings Inc. group of companies together with booking.com.

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Por favor, tenga en cuenta que las comunicaciones verbales y escritas de Citi podrían estar únicamente en inglés, ya que, tal vez, no podamos proporcionar comunicaciones relacionadas con los servicios en todos los idiomas. Estas comunicaciones podrían incluir, entre otras, contratos, divulgaciones y estados de cuenta, cambios en los términos o en los cargos, así como cualquier documento de mantenimiento de su cuenta. Si necesita ayuda en un idioma distinto al inglés, por favor, comuníquese con nosotros, ya que tenemos servicios de idiomas que podrían serle útiles.

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Everything You Need To Know About the Citi Travel℠ Portal

AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers .

Being able to redeem my rewards in a variety of ways is one of my favorite aspects of collecting flexible points currencies like Citi ThankYou ® Points. I'll always argue that the best way to use ThankYou ® Points is by transferring them to Citi's 19 travel partners . But you also can use them to book several types of travel directly, including flights, hotel stays, rental cars, and activities. How? By using the Citi Travel SM portal.

Although you won't get the same value for your points that you could by transferring them to partner loyalty programs, the flexibility offered by the Citi Travel portal is excellent. It's also easy to use. We'll dig into all the details here, including a walkthrough of how to book various types of travel using the portal.

Page Contents

What Is the Citi Travel Portal?

Earning citi thankyou points, booking hotels, booking flights, basic economy, booking rental cars, booking activities and attractions, when it makes sense to book through the citi travel portal, when to avoid using the citi travel portal, final thoughts, what is the phone number for citi travel, do flights booked with thankyou points earn miles, who has access to the citi travel portal.

The Citi Travel portal — officially Citi Travel with Booking.com — is a one-stop-shop online travel portal that lets you book flights, hotel stays, rental cars, and activities. It's similar to the Chase Travel and Amex Travel portals, if you're familiar with those. You can book trips using an eligible Citi credit card, or you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points for your travel.

As of early 2023, Citi Travel is powered by third-party provider Booking.com and functions similar to Booking.com's online travel agency (OTA), although the user interface isn't quite the same. The options presented won't be exactly the same as what you will find with Chase Travel or other OTAs (e.g., Expedia). However, if you've navigated any of these before, finding your way around Citi Travel will be easy enough.

The only requirement to be able to use the Citi Travel portal is that you hold a card earning Citi ThankYou Points.

How Much Are ThankYou Points Worth Through Citi Travel?

Citi ThankYou points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed through the Citi Travel portal. This low value per point is one of the downsides of using Citi Travel. Unlike when you book through the Chase Travel portal , having a specific premium credit card will not get you any extra value for your points.

Contrast this with the average 2.05¢ per point that AwardWallet users get from their ThankYou Points. This is because our users overwhelmingly redeem their points by transferring them to Citi's transfer partners and redeeming them for premium travel with airlines and hotels. However, it can be a lot more work to get this sort of value out of your points.

If you value simple, straightforward redemption options — especially a one-stop-shop where you can potentially book all the travel you need — the Citi Travel portal is still worth using.

Citi offers a nice array of ways to earn ThankYou Points . If you're looking to boost your points balance, consider one of the cards below. The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a mainstay in my wallet. The Citi Double Cash ® Card is an excellent choice as well, as you earn 2% cash back on all purchases: 1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay. But these earnings come in the form of ThankYou Points, which you can use in several ways, including redemptions for travel that are worth more than using your earnings for cash back. Plus, the card doesn't charge an annual fee.

Other cards that provide access to the Citi Travel portal include:

• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
• Citi Double Cash ® Card
• Citi Custom Cash ® Card
• Citi Rewards+ ® Card
• Citi ThankYou ® Preferred Card (no longer open to new applicants)
• Citi Prestige ® Card (no longer open to new applicants)

Related: Build a Winning Combo of Citi ThankYou Rewards Cards

How To Book Using the Citi Travel Portal

You'll need to log into Citi Travel using your normal Citi account credentials; you can access the login page here . If you have more than one ThankYou Point-earning card, the first thing you'll be asked to do is select which one you'd like to use to book travel. Select a card and click “Search for Travel” at the bottom of the page.

It is at this moment that I must comment on Citi's website functionality. While I generally don't have issues accessing my card accounts, successfully logging into my account and beginning a search through Citi Travel didn't always happen without a hitch. I'd often land on an error page. Know that if this happens to you, you're not alone. This is honestly the most frustrating aspect of using Citi Travel.

Assuming login and card selection are successful, you'll land at the main Citi Travel search page. Here, you can select whether to book hotels, rental cars, flights, or attractions. This landing page is similar to other travel portals and should look familiar.

Now, let's dive into how to search for hotels and other accommodations.

Booking hotels and other accommodations with Citi Travel is straightforward. Simply select “Hotels” on the main search page, and then enter your destination, dates, and the number of guests. You'll be presented with a list of accommodation options bookable through the travel portal.

It's important to note that you're not stuck with only hotels. In my searches, there were often bed and breakfasts, serviced apartments, and hostels. There are certainly not the vacation rental options you'd find with Airbnb, for example, but you'll find more than just hotels.

Below are the top results for a sample Citi Travel Portal hotel search for properties in New York City. If you've booked hotels with other OTAs, navigating the search should be pretty intuitive. The default sorting option is “Best Match,” which seems to prefer Hotel Collection properties (more on those below). You can see the price in both points and cash, top featured amenities, and the average guest rating. I did notice that the guest ratings for each property are not identical to those you'll see at Booking.com. It seems Citi Travel has its own ratings .

There are numerous filter options in the panel to the left of the results, including property type, neighborhood, star rating, guest rating, and room amenities. It's easy to change the sorting and filtering to find properties to your liking.

If you select a particular hotel, you can view photos and explore its features and amenities.

From here, you can scroll down to select a particular room. Since the Citi Travel Portal is powered by Booking.com, all available room types should show up. This gives you a lot more flexibility than booking with many hotel loyalty programs, where you're restricted to base-level rooms or must fork over additional points for an enhanced room or suite.

How does pricing compare to other booking channels?

When you initially search, you may notice that the cash prices displayed exclude taxes and fees but the points prices (often shown as a combo of points and cash) include taxes and fees. Unfortunately, to do a price comparison with other sites, you'll have to add the stay to your cart to see the final price after including taxes and fees.

It's important to note that you may not be provided the best price through Citi Travel. The first comparison I made was between Citi Travel and Booking.com, the site that powers the Citi Travel portal. One would think both sites would offer the same price, but that wasn't the case.

Here is Citi Travel's price for a stay at the Royalton New York, a random property I selected from the search results. Ignoring the current hotel savings offer, the four-night stay costs $1,810.19.

Through Booking.com, the cost is $1,590.62. Citi Travel is charging ~$220 more! This is for the same room type and a similar cancellation policy.

Here is a second example of price shopping among sites for a four-night stay at The Westin New York at Times Square:

• Citi Travel: $1,927.77
• Booking.com: $1,927.80
• Expedia.com: $1,522.95

In this case, the Citi Travel and Booking.com prices are nearly identical. But they are substantially more than Expedia's price. Make sure you compare the Citi Travel portal price against other sites. You might get a better deal elsewhere.

Hotel Collection benefits

As part of revamping the travel portal and switching its provider to Booking.com, Citi launched two hotel programs: Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection. Eligible Citi cardholders can enjoy exclusive savings and perks at these properties, including free breakfast for two, free Wi-Fi, and early check-in and late check-out, when available. With Luxury Collection bookings, guests are eligible for room upgrades at check-in, based on availability, and receive a $100 on-property credit for use during their stay.

Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection bookings are available only to those with the Citi Prestige Card or Citi Strata Premier . These programs are similar to other luxury hotel programs, such as American Express' Fine Hotels + Resorts and Chase's Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.

Related: How To Receive Elite Hotel Benefits Without Elite Status

As you peruse the Citi Travel portal, you may notice that Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection properties usually get first billing in the list of results. Click on “See offers” to see the perks you can enjoy and the terms of each.

If you want to specifically filter for Hotel Collection or Luxury Collection properties, these are conveniently located at the top of the many filters in the left panel.

However, there's a catch: You have to book a specific rate to receive the Hotel Collection or Luxury Collection benefits. Sometimes, the premium simply isn't worth it for what you receive. Consider this rate difference for a stay at the Mondrian South Beach in Miami. An additional $195 plus taxes per night for Hotel Collection perks? There's no way that's worth it for early check-in and daily breakfast.

Will I get hotel elite status benefits booking through the Citi Travel portal?

If you book through the Citi Travel portal, you likely won't receive hotel elite benefits with major chain hotels.  Bookings with Citi Travel are treated as third-party reservations, and most hotels don't honor elite benefits for these. This is a big downside compared to booking directly with a hotel. I often count on hotel elite status perks to add substantial value to my stay. Free breakfast for a family can add up to a lot of daily savings! Plus, you won't receive stay credit on these bookings, which means it won't help your progress toward qualifying for elite status.

There are plenty of hotels available in the Citi Travel portal that aren't associated with major chains, though. If you don't have loyalty to a particular chain, this loss of benefits isn't a worry. Booking hotels through Citi Travel also remains useful if you're specifically looking for properties outside what is offered by major chains (e.g., boutique bed and breakfasts) or if you're looking for hotels in an area devoid of major chains.

Using the Citi Strata Premier‘s $100 annual hotel perk

If you have the Citi Strata Premier , make sure you select that card on the landing page before starting your hotel search. This will automatically apply the annual hotel savings benefit — $100 off a booking of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees — offered by the card. You can use this benefit once per year and must book through Citi Travel to enjoy this credit.

Using the Prestige Card‘s fourth-night free benefit

Those who still hold the Prestige Card (which isn't available to new applicants) get a fourth night free on hotel bookings, available twice each year when booking through Citi Travel. If you have this card, ensure you select it on the first page before beginning your searches; otherwise, you won't enjoy this benefit.

Now that we've covered how to book lodging, let's move on to booking flights through Citi Travel. You can use the portal to book flights similar to how you'd use any other OTA. To search for a flight, simply select the “Flights” option on the search screen and key in your origin, destination, whether you want one-way or round-trip travel, flight date(s), number of passengers, and cabin class. You also can select whether you want “Direct only,” which will eliminate flight options with connections.

Citi Travel will present a list of flight options based on your search criteria. At this point, you can sort and filter in various ways. The default sorting is “Best Overall,” which is somewhat subjective but typically includes a shorter travel time with fewer connections. You can filter by carrier, departure or arrival time, number of stops, and price, among other options.

Flight availability

You can book most flights on major domestic and international carriers using the Citi Travel portal. You'll have more options at your fingertips when searching for flights through Citi Travel rather than restricting yourself to using award miles. Mixed-carrier itineraries that normally aren't available using award miles are sometimes an option with Citi Travel.

It's important to note, however, that there are some low-cost carriers that can't be booked in the portal. Some are available with a phone call, while others aren't available at all. Here's a look at low-cost carriers you can and cannot book with Citi Travel:

• Book online: Flybe, JetBlue, and WestJet
• Book via phone: Air Asia, GOL, Pegasus, Southwest
• Cannot book at all: Spirit, Frontier, Sun Country

To book over the phone, contact the ThankYou Service Center at 833-737-1288 .

Related: Can You Book Low-Cost Carriers with Amex, Capital One, Chase, or Citi Points?

Flight pricing

Flight pricing should be similar and competitive to what you find when booking directly with airlines, barring the use of any discount codes or other promotions currently available. Pricing should mirror other OTAs, as well. You'll sometimes see a bigger variation with international carriers than with U.S. airlines. Remember that you'll get 1 cent per ThankYou Point when using points to book flights. Therefore, a $200 ticket will cost 20,000 ThankYou Points.

You'll get the biggest bang for your buck booking economy flights with Citi ThankYou Points. This is because the redemption value you get from economy award flights (booked via the airlines' loyalty programs) is often less than what you can get out of business-class awards — but not always. It pays to check for award flights to see if there are any Citi ThankYou transfer partners you can use to book the flight you want.

Related: The Best Citi ThankYou Point Sweet Spots for Flights in North America

Do flights booked with ThankYou Points earn miles?

Yes. Unlike an award ticket, when you book a ticket through Citi Travel using ThankYou Points, your ticket will earn miles based on the carrier's earning methodology. This is because you're actually booking a cash ticket and then redeeming your ThankYou Points at 1 cent each to cover the cost. Make sure you enter your frequent flyer number to earn miles on any tickets booked.

You also should consider the fact that you earn award miles when comparing the cost of an award ticket to that of a ticket booked through Citi Travel. This may affect which booking method you choose. If you're chasing elite status, this is something else to factor in, as well. Paid tickets can earn elite miles, segments, qualifying dollars, and/or points that help you qualify for status. Award tickets typically don't.

Example economy flight comparison: Citi Travel portal vs. transfer partner

Consider this itinerary from San Francisco (SFO) to Newark (EWR). It is available for $163.90 cash or 16,390 Citi ThankYou Points when booked in the Citi Travel portal.

You can book this as an award using Avianca LifeMiles — one of the Citi ThankYou transfer partners. At first glance, paying 13,500 LifeMiles seems like the better deal. However, make sure you consider the taxes and fees, plus any miles earned by your ticket. LifeMiles charges a redemption fee, so the total cost of the flight would be 13,500 Citi ThankYou Points (transferred to LifeMIiles) plus $30.60. Now it's close to a wash.

Doing a little digging, this cash fare would be a United Airlines K-class ticket. Crediting this ticket to LifeMiles, you'd earn 1,282 miles. You'd give these up if you booked an award ticket. Now the math clearly shows that booking through the Citi Travel portal is the better option.

Related:  Citi's No Annual Fee Cards and the Strategy Behind How to Get Them

Be careful: Citi will present Basic Economy flight options for some carriers. These are clearly labeled, however, so it should be easy to avoid them. If you're looking at a Basic Economy itinerary, it'll clearly say so. However, you'll need to know each carrier's name for their Basic Economy equivalent. No matter what it's called, it'll be displayed within a rectangle above the carrier name.

One gripe I have with Citi Travel is that Basic Economy cannot be filtered out of the search . This is problematic. At times, I'd like to eliminate all Basic Economy flights from the results to compare the cheapest economy fares that are not Basic. Instead, you have to select a flight, and then choose a different fare class on the booking screen. If you're wondering why all your options are Basic Economy, this is the reason. Don't worry: You still can book a normal economy fare. You just need to do so after selecting a flight option.

Like searching for hotels and flights, searching for rental cars in the Citi Travel portal is straightforward. Enter your pick-up and drop-off location(s), the dates and times of both, the driver's age, and you're off and running. One of the nicest aspects of the rental car search — unlike searching for hotels — is that the total price is displayed up front.

You can filter the search results by vehicle type, rental agency, and whether free cancellation is offered. I like that the initial search is sorted by the lowest price first. You also can see whether the reservation offers free cancellation or is non-refundable.

Here are a few things to be aware of when renting a car through Citi Travel:

• Primary auto rental collision damage waiver: Many premium credit cards offer rental car coverage that covers your rental car in the event of a collision. However, Citi's own credit cards do not offer this. This means that rentals made through the Citi Travel portal will never be covered — a major downside — unless you purchase this additional coverage.
• Rental agency “skip the counter” programs: Some rental agencies, such as National and Hertz, offer “skip the counter” programs where you can go straight to the lot to pick out a car. If you rent through Citi Travel, you may not receive these benefits. I can attest that I have received my elite status benefits on many third-party bookings, however, so you may be fine. You may need to contact the rental agency after making a booking and get them to add your loyalty number manually.
• Use of discount codes: If you book through Citi Travel, you won't be able to apply corporate (or any other) discount codes to reduce the cost of your rental.

Attractions are the final category of travel you can book through Citi Travel. There is a multitude of options to pick from, including tours, transportation, events, food experiences, outdoor experiences, cultural experiences, and more. What you can find through Citi Travel is what you would expect to find through an OTA like Expedia or Orbitz — or through a site like Tripadvisor or Viator.

To search for attractions, simply start typing a city name into the search bar. If you type in a country name (or the name of a U.S. state), you'll be prompted with a list of cities to choose from. Once you search for a particular location, you can filter the results by price, star rating, and/or duration. You also can sort by price and popularity. Attractions are also grouped into categories, and you can filter the results by selecting each in the top ribbon.

Attractions is the one type of travel where it seems Citi Travel has a slight edge over making reservations through Booking.com. You'd expect the two sites to have exactly the same price for the same experience. However, I found that Citi Travel was often 3%–5% cheaper than Booking.com. Not huge savings, but certainly something to note. As with everything else in the Citi Travel portal, your ThankYou Points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for attractions.

Not all locations will have attractions available to book. I tried to enter the towns in my rural area, and none of them showed up in the options. That being said, you should be able to find something in the vast majority of major cities, plus some other areas. It's worth noting that you won't find Disney park tickets in the portal, unfortunately.

Related: Tips for Saving Money at Disney World With Points and Miles

Is It Worth Using the Citi Travel Portal?

This is the big question. With ThankYou Points worth only 1 cent each when redeemed through Citi Travel, it isn't generally worth redeeming them through the portal. Unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards, where you can get 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point — which is more comparable to their value when transferred to loyalty partners — Citi doesn't offer any bonus value. Given that AwardWallet users redeem ThankYou Points for an average of 2.05¢ each when using transfer partners, we recommend that you use them this way.

That being said, there are times when booking through Citi Travel will get you more value than transferring your points. This is most common with economy airfare.

If you're also trying to save money and would rather spend reward points than cash for travel where transfer partners aren't an option, this is another time when using the Citi Travel portal will be worth it. The same goes for those who want to book all their travel in one place. It takes time to understand the ins and outs of loyalty programs; for some, the simplicity Citi Travel provides is a major selling point.

Finally, you always can use the Citi Travel portal to book paid travel. There are some clear reasons to do so. Being able to take advantage of the Citi Strata Premier‘s annual $100 off $500 hotel booking benefit is one of them. Promotions such as 5X or 10X points on booking through Citi Travel (through June 30, 2024) could also be worth utilizing. Don't write off the Citi Travel portal entirely. It's a great option to have in certain situations.

Using the Citi Travel Portal is generally a good idea:

• When you don't want to worry about travel blackout dates or availability for award travel.
• If you prioritize simplicity and would rather book all your travel in one place.
• When booking an award flight would yield a similar value per point; remember that flights booked through the Citi Travel Portal are revenue fares that earn miles!
• When you can take advantage of certain benefits (e.g., Citi Strata Premier Card annual hotel benefit) or bonus earning promotions.
• If you want to use ThankYou Points to book attractions.

These are the times you'll want to avoid using the Citi Travel portal:

• When booking premium cabin flights, as you'll nearly always do better booking these using award miles from transfer partners.
• When it costs fewer points to transfer them to a loyalty partner and book your travel that way.
• For booking hotels where you want to receive elite benefits.
• When you want travel flexibility; award travel usually has better change and cancellation policies than paid travel.
• For any car rentals; these aren't covered by a primary auto rental collision damage waiver through Citi.

Whether you see the Citi Travel portal as a key tool in planning your travel and redeeming your points or view it as a low-value option you don't care for, it's at least an option to have in your back pocket. The biggest upside I see for some travelers is being able to book your entire trip using one tool. There's also the perk of using points to pay for things where transfer partners aren't an option, such as guided tours or attraction tickets.

Personally, I won't get much value out of the Citi Travel portal. If I'm trying to limit the amount of cash I'm spending on a trip, I may consider using it to book attractions. The low 1-cent-per-point value, though, is a huge turn-off — almost too much for me to stomach. I try to get over 2 cents per ThankYou Point through partners like LifeMiles , Flying Blue , and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles .

You can call Citi Travel at 1-833-737-1288.

Yes. Flights booked through Citi Travel are revenue fares, so they will earn award miles. Citi just lets you redeem your ThankYou Points to cover the cost.

Anyone with a credit card earning ThankYou Points has access. However, cards issued by Citi that earn other rewards, such as American Airlines miles, don't provide access to the portal for booking travel.

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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Can the 4th night free combine with the $100 credit for Citi Prestige? Thanks!

Unfortunately, you can’t combine the Prestige and Premier credits because you have to use a single payment method at checkout.

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Credit cards

A traveler’s guide to the Chase Travel portal

Tamara Aydinyan

Julie Sherrier

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Robin Saks Frankel

Updated 5:23 p.m. UTC Nov. 28, 2023

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For qualifying Chase cardholders, the easy-to-use Chase Travel℠ portal offers a flexible and convenient way to book hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises and more using points or a combination of points and cash.

What is the Chase travel portal?

A favorite among frequent travelers for its versatility and redemption options, Chase Ultimate Rewards® (UR) is one of the major transferable credit card rewards points programs and UR points are Chase’s flexible rewards currency.

The Chase travel portal works much like an online travel agency (OTA) similar to Orbitz or Priceline where you can book hotels, flights, cars, activities and cruises. But unlike a traditional OTA, with the Chase travel portal you can book travel with your Chase card’s rewards points, cash or a combination of the two.

Who can use the portal?

A handful of exclusively Chase-issued credit cards grant cardholders access to the Chase travel portal, but how you can utilize the portal and the value you can receive is card-specific.

The following credit cards are the only cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points outright:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

But if you or a household member own at least one of the cards above, the rewards on the following cash-back credit cards can be combined with any of the cards listed above and used as Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

• Chase Freedom Flex℠ * The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

And while the points earned cannot be combined with any of the UR-earning cards, the following pay-in-full card does have access to the Chase travel portal:

• Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card * The information for the Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is the portal worth using?

It’s often said that having the right travel credit card is important, but knowing how to redeem your miles and points can be as paramount as which card you use to earn them. However, not everybody has the patience or interest to learn the intricacies of different rewards programs to maximize the value of every mile and point.

So while transferring UR points to individual loyalty programs is still one of the best ways to get the most cents per point at a 1:1 basis, for those who value simplicity, the Chase travel portal offers a straightforward way to book travel, earn and redeem points and still receive a great deal. Best of all, you won’t be limited by any loyalty program or award space availability.

When transferring points, the minimum you can transfer is 1,000 points to the following UR travel partners with either the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Ink Business Preferred cards:

Regardless of how you’re using the Chase travel portal, it’s worth considering the pros and cons.

• The standard rate for Ultimate Rewards points when redeemed for travel through the Chase travel portal is 1 UR point = 1 cent, but can be worth significantly more with the UR-earning cards. The Chase Sapphire Reserve gets a redemption value of 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Travel℠ portal while the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Business Preferred cards each get 1.25 cents per point.
• Since you’re not limited to any loyalty programs, you can use your UR points to book boutique hotels that you’d otherwise only be able to book with cash.
• Flights booked through the Chase travel portal can earn frequent flyer miles and can be used toward advancing your elite status.
• You can earn a substantial amount of bonus points when booking through the Chase portal depending on the card you’re using.
• You can use a combination of points plus cash to purchase your reservation.
• Hotels booked through the Chase travel portal do not earn hotel points or credits toward elite status. Any elite status perks you’d receive if booking directly with the hotel will likely be forgone.
• If you experience any issues while traveling, you’d have to go through Chase to resolve the issue. For example, if there is a problem with your hotel reservation, you’ll have to contact a Chase representative for help resolving it since you didn’t book directly with the hotel. Dealing with a middleman during travel emergencies is less than ideal and something to be wary of when considering booking through the portal.
• Southwest Airlines flights do not show up in the UR travel portal, but can be reserved by calling the Chase Travel Center at 855-233-9462.

How to book travel through the Chase travel portal

You can access the Chase travel portal by logging into your Chase account and clicking on the Rewards balance on the right or by going to the Chase Ultimate Rewards website .

Once you’re logged in, if you have more than one UR-earning Chase card, you’ll be asked to select one to proceed with — a crucial step as each card has different earning and redemption rates.

After clicking on your selection, you will be taken to the Ultimate Rewards dashboard. If you click on the Earn / Use dropdown button, all of your Ultimate Rewards options will be presented. Click on Travel to proceed to the portal.

Once in the travel portal, you’ll  have the option of selecting the type of booking you’d like to make.

From there, your user experience will be similar to any other OTA where you can search your travel options.

Because the Chase travel portal doesn’t limit you to transfer partners or loyalty programs, you’ll be able to search almost all major airlines. One notable exception is Southwest Airlines, which is still bookable using UR points but will require a phone call to the Chase Travel Center to reserve your flight.

One difference compared to a traditional OTA is the option to buy in cash, points or a combination of both.

If you’re short on points or if you’d like to offset the cash price with some points, you’re given the option to choose how to pay.

After that, you’ll be prompted to enter your traveler information and you’re all booked. However, you will have to log into the specific airline with your reservation code in order to reserve seats.

Booking hotels through the Chase travel portal is a similar process. And with the portal’s easy-to-use search function, you can find boutique hotels that would otherwise be unbookable with loyalty-program-based points.

However, if you have elite status with a hotel chain, you’ll want to book directly rather than going through the Chase portal in order to access status benefits and have that hotel stay count toward achieving a higher status. Or, you can transfer UR points to one of three UR hotel loyalty program transfer partners, including Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt or IHG One Rewards.

Rental cars can also be booked through the portal in a similar fashion. And as in many cases, being aware of which card you’re booking your car rental with can make a big difference in case of an accident as both the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred offer primary car insurance , an uncommon, money-saving benefit, which saves you from having to file a claim with your private car insurance carrier first.

A quick guide to the Chase Ultimate Rewards program

As some of the most sought-after flexible points, Chase Ultimate Rewards can be accrued through several avenues. The most lucrative way is by applying for Chase credit cards and earning their respective welcome bonuses — but be wary of Chase’s 5/24 rule , which blocks applicants from opening a Chase credit card if they’ve opened five or more cards from any issuer in the past 24 months.

If you have two Chase cards that earn UR points, you can then transfer the rewards earned to the card that carries the most redemption value. For example, you can open the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and then the Chase Freedom Flex and move any points earned on the Flex card to the Preferred card, which has a boosted value of 25% more when redeemed through the portal.

Looking to add more than one new credit card to your wallet? Here’s why you shouldn’t apply for multiple cards at the same time.

Outside of regular credit card spending, you can also grow your Ultimate Rewards pile by using the Chase shopping portal. By adding just one extra step to your online shopping, you can earn bonus points for your future travels.

While transferring points to partners is one option to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, there are numerous other ways to use the Chase Ultimate Rewards program to your benefit. Whether it’s redeeming your points as a statement credit for eligible, rotating categories throughout the year through the “Pay Yourself Back” feature, booking special dining experiences with your points or using the portal to book your next vacation, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program’s flexibility makes it a great option regardless of your lifestyle.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) are Chase Bank’s flexible rewards currency that can be earned on several of its credit cards.

The Chase travel portal can be accessed through the Chase app or the Chase website. After logging in, you can select the option to book travel.

You can use your Chase travel credit, like the up to $50 annual hotel statement credit offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred, by booking your travel through the Chase travel portal. The statement credit will automatically be applied to your account within one to two billing cycles after your purchase posts to your account — up to an annual maximum accumulation of $50.

You can redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards directly through the travel portal with almost all major airlines with the exception of Southwest Airlines, which can be booked over the phone. With Southwest, select the flight you want at Southwest.com and then call Chase Travel Center at 855-233-9462 with the flight details.

The value you receive from the Chase travel portal will depend on the credit card you’re using. For example, if you have either the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred, your points are worth either 50% or 25% more, respectively, when redeemed for travel.

*The information for the Chase Freedom Flex℠, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Tamara Aydinyan has been traveling the world with the help of miles and points for over a decade and enjoys teaching others to do the same. When she's not on the move, you can find her in Los Angeles or New York City, or on Instagram @deadlytravel.

Julie Stephen Sherrier is a personal finance writer and editor based in Austin, TX. She is the former senior managing editor for LendingTree, responsible for all credit card and credit health content. Before joining LendingTree, Julie spent more than a decade as the managing editor and then editorial director at Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She also served as an adjunct journalism instructor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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What you need to know about direct versus third-party travel bookings

W hen you're planning a trip, there are several ways to make reservations for your flights, hotel and rental car. Two of the most common options include booking directly with the provider and using a third-party service, such as an online travel agency. But is one method better than the other?

Let's go over each method's benefits and everything you should consider before booking a trip.

What is a direct booking?

A direct booking involves paying for and reserving your travels through the airline, hotel or car rental agency itself. For example, if you want to book a stay at a Hilton hotel , you can use the Hilton website to make your reservation. Or, if you want to fly on United Airlines, you can book your reservation through the airline's website.

What is a third-party booking?

A third-party booking encompasses any sort of travel that's reserved with a separate provider (such as OTAs like Expedia and Priceline) and not directly through an airline, hotel or car rental agency. Other examples of third-party providers include travel agents and credit card travel portals (like Chase Travel℠ and Amex Travel ).

Benefits of booking directly

At TPG, we often recommend making direct bookings for travel. Here are some of the top benefits of booking directly:

Direct bookings cut out the middleman

If there's an issue with your travel, such as a flight delay or cancellation, you can deal with the airline itself and not a third party. Or, if the airline makes changes to your flight times and the new schedule doesn't work for you, you can reach out to the carrier to switch your flight to a more appropriate time — or even cancel it altogether.

Dealing with an airline directly can be much more efficient than trying to navigate reservation changes with a third party. It can mean the difference between having several rebooking options or having none at all because other travelers (who likely booked directly with the airline) got first priority.

The same goes for hotels and rental car agencies. Let's say you decided to revise your travel dates, so you want to make a voluntary change to your reservation. You may not be able to easily do this with a third-party booking site, especially if you used an OTA.

Oftentimes, third-party reservations have more restrictive policies regarding changes or cancellations. Or, you may be charged a fee to make changes. For example, if you contact JetBlue to make a ticket change on a travel agency booking instead of one made via JetBlue's website, you'll be charged a $50 service fee per person. If you can't self-manage your reservation on JetBlue's website and you want to avoid the service fee, the airline advises contacting the third party that booked your ticket for assistance.

However, the third-party booking site itself may also impose change fees. For example, Priceline's website states that "if your flight's fare rules allow a change, a per ticket exchange processing fee may apply." Similarly, Hotels.com 's terms and conditions disclose that it may also charge for reservation changes.

You can earn rewards and qualify for elite status

Typically, airline bookings have been eligible for miles-earning progress that counts directly toward elite status whether you book directly or via a third party. This means that if you book a flight through a third party and include your loyalty program number on the reservation, you should earn miles that adhere to the airline's fare class rules. If you have status with that airline, you will be eligible for status perks, such as seat selection or a free checked bag.

Related: When you will (and won't) earn miles on your flight

The same is not true for third-party hotel bookings , though. When you book a hotel reservation through a third party, you typically do not earn points or qualify for any status benefits through loyalty programs.

If you're booking with an independent travel agent or travel adviser, be sure to ask whether your reservations will qualify for status-earning metrics like points, nights or stays. In some cases, your travel agent may be booking a package deal that won't earn hotel rewards, but you may still be able to include a frequent flyer number to get airline miles or status benefits. In other cases, you may be able to book through a program like Hyatt Prive or Hilton Impresario that does qualify for points and elite night credits.

Promotions or perks are often available to frequent guests

Direct bookings are more profitable to the airline, hotel or rental car agency, as these companies do not have to pay a commission to a third party for your reservations. Thus, you can reap benefits that encourage you to continue booking directly.

For airlines, hotels and rental car agencies, there may be discounts or promotions available to customers who book directly. Additionally, loyalty program members often receive targeted offers and coupon codes that can only be redeemed when you book directly.

When it comes to hotels, you may get a better room by booking directly, even if you don't have elite status. Hotels often give the worst rooms (think: ones with no view, that are small, that are not as updated, that sit next to a service elevator, etc.) to people who book via a third party.

Of course, there are exceptions to this. For example, hotels booked via programs like American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts often offer an upgraded room type.

If the hotel happens to be oversold, booking directly means you're less likely to be " walked " (or moved to another hotel because the property you booked is full). However, loyalty program members who book directly, even those with top-tier status, can still be walked. It's just more likely that the hotel will prioritize customers with status over those who booked with a third party.

If you find a lower price for your hotel from a third party, you may be able to price match or take advantage of a "best rate guarantee." This allows you to book directly but pay a lower price by providing proof of the OTA's price. Keep in mind that your proof has to be for the exact same room type; some hotels may classify a room one way on their websites and differently with an OTA, making it harder to request a price match.

Benefits of third-party bookings

Third-party bookings can make sense for lots of travelers for several reasons. Here are some of the top benefits of third-party bookings:

It is easier to quickly compare prices between different options

Sometimes, when you're planning a trip, you want to compare your options for flights, hotels or rental cars. Instead of going to several different airline, hotel or rental car websites, you can use one third-party site or a travel agent to shop and compare prices.

If you don't have a lot of time to do research but want to stick to a set budget, third-party bookings can be a quick way to book a trip within your budget parameters. They also typically allow you to package airfare, hotel and a rental car into one booking, which can help simplify planning.

You'll often find lower prices and discounts

While you may sometimes find promotions and discounts when making direct bookings, third parties frequently offer steep discounts as well, especially on last-minute hotel stays. Many hotels would rather sell the room via a third-party company and pay the commission instead of the room going unsold. Just keep in mind that you may get the smallest room with a view of a brick wall, as the hotel has no incentive to upgrade you to anything nicer.

Additionally, some of the lesser-known OTAs may offer bigger discounts compared to the more mainstream OTAs. However, buyer beware: They may also be harder to deal with if you run into any problems on your trip or your booking needs a modification or cancellation. Programs like these include brands like HotelTonight.

Some OTAs have their own rewards programs

If you frequently book travel through an OTA, it can be worthwhile to join its rewards program.

Members of One Key , the loyalty program for Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo, receive 2% in OneKeyCash for every dollar spent on eligible hotels, vacation rentals, activities, packages, car rentals and cruises. They also get 0.2% in OneKeyCash for every dollar spent on eligible flights.

Similarly, Priceline has a VIP program that offers benefits and discounts based on your status level. Status is earned through completed trips or from having the Priceline VIP Rewards™ Visa® Card .

The information for the Priceline Rewards card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

In some cases, you have a travel advocate

Booking trips through an independent travel agent or travel adviser (rather than an OTA) can actually work to your advantage, especially if you find yourself needing to pivot during a delay or cancellation.

When you need to contact an airline or hotel, it can sometimes be difficult to navigate time zones. But if you book with a travel agent, you can be sleeping in the middle of the night while they handle the rebooking logistics for you.

Travel agents also often have insider information about specific destinations and can recommend activities based on your interests. As an added bonus, they can help you pick activities that fit within your set vacation budget.

Related: Is it better to book a cruise through a travel agent? We say yes

Should you avoid third-party bookings?

The biggest reason to avoid third-party bookings is that these sites function as middlemen, which can cause problems if you have delays or cancellations. It may be difficult to reach a human to speak to if you book a trip with an OTA or credit card travel portal. A lot of communication and customer service for these services is done through email or online chat. When you're trying to rebook travel, time is of the essence, and most people usually don't want to deal with long waits or extensive conversations.

Having travel insurance that covers you for delays and cancellations, either through your credit card or a separate policy you purchased, is always smart, especially if your bookings are through a third party.

Also, be sure to watch out for fees with third-party bookings. For example, Priceline adds a convenience fee when selecting a seat for a flight, even when the airline itself doesn't charge one. Change and cancellation fees are also common with third-party companies.

That being said, there are several instances when third-party bookings might be the best way to book your travel.

For a last-minute reservation when your plans are unlikely to change, a third-party booking may be a smart choice if it saves you money rather than booking directly. However, if you think you may need to cancel or reschedule your travel, changes are much easier to make when trips are booked directly. It's important to read the fine print, as third-party reservations may be nonrefundable with no options to book a refundable rate (unlike direct bookings, which often offer both refundable and nonrefundable options).

Another instance when you may want to book with a third party is when using credit card benefits that require reserving travel through the card issuer's travel portal. Such benefits may include the annual $50 hotel credit from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the $300 annual travel credit from the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card . The only way to use these benefits is to make your bookings via Chase Travel℠ or the Capital One travel portal .

Third-party bookings can also be a great option when you want to reserve a hotel that isn't part of a major chain, so earning rewards or having status doesn't matter as much.

Bottom line

If being able to easily reach a live customer service representative and seamlessly rebook travel (if needed) is important to you, skip the OTAs and stick with direct bookings. Spending a little more to have those safeguards in place can be worth it.

That said, there may be times when it makes sense to book via a third party. If you've determined the benefits (like a potential deal) outweigh the drawbacks, making a third-party booking may be the best way to go.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Guide to the American AAdvantage online shopping portal

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Key takeaways

• The American AAdvantage eShopping portal lets loyalty members earn additional bonus miles each time they shop.
• Individuals can earn miles through the portal once they join the American AAdvantage program and create an account login.
• While consumers earn miles regardless of how they pay for purchases made through the portal, using a rewards credit card can help multiply their efforts.
• Not only can members earn miles for award flights for shopping in the portal, but eShopping purchases also earn Loyalty Points toward elite status with American.

There are all kinds of ways to earn miles in your favorite frequent flyer program , and some don’t require you to fly at all. You can earn miles for each dollar you spend on an airline credit card , and you may even be able to earn a generous welcome offer, too. You can also rack up miles through an airline’s dining club, or by using a program-related shopping portal each time you make a purchase online.

The American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping portal is what you’ll want to use if you’re interested in earning more miles in the American AAdvantage program. If you’re not flying a lot this year, or if you just want to boost your miles balance, keep reading to find out how the portal works and how to sign up.

What is the American AAdvantage online shopping portal?

The AAdvantage eShopping portal lets AAdvantage members earn more miles by shopping online, and using the portal is a breeze. You’ll simply log in with your AAdvantage account information, browse and click on offers and shop for items like you normally would. A shopping portal only asks you to “click through” before you shop, but you’ll still head to the exact same retailer website you would be using otherwise. But by going through the portal, you’ll earn bonus miles on the purchases you’d make anyway.

You can use a debit card or any credit card to pay for purchases — it doesn’t have to be an American Airlines credit card. If you do use an American Airlines credit card, however, you’ll earn even more miles on your purchases to use for award flights later on.

How to access the AAdvantage eShopping portal

Using the AAdvantage eShopping portal is easy. All you have to do is simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Join the American AAdvantage program

To join the American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping program, you’ll first need an AAdvantage frequent flyer account. Joining the AAdvantage program is free, and you can enroll in the program on American Airlines’ website by providing information like your full name, address and phone number.

You’ll also need to create a login and password you can use to access your account.

Step 2: Log into AAdvantage eShopping

Once you have an AAdvantage number, you can start shopping through the AAdvantage eShopping program just by using that number to log into your account.

In the past, you had to create a separate AAdvantage eShopping account, this step is no longer required.

Step 3: Consider downloading the browser extension

The AAdvantage eShopping program also offers a browser extension , which is available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. This tool will remind you to activate your AAdvantage shopping account so you can earn miles at participating stores when you shop. It will also alert you to promotional offers, automatically apply coupons at checkout and help you find the best prices online.

Step 4: Earn bonus miles on everything you buy

Once you’re ready to start earning miles, you can visit the AAdvantage eShopping program website (or click on the browser extension button) and check for available offers. There are more than 1,200 stores offering bonus miles through this program, and you typically earn anywhere from one to five bonus miles for each dollar spent.

All you have to do is make sure you’re logged into your AAdvantage account, head to AAdvantage eShopping and “click through” the portal to a participating store before you make a purchase.

Other things to know

If you plan to use the AAdvantage eShopping portal to maximize your rewards, there are several important details to consider:

• Your cookies must be enabled . Your online purchases are tracked with cookies, meaning your cookies must be enabled for you to earn American bonus miles.
• You won’t see your miles right away . According to the airline, it typically takes at least three to five days for miles earned through eShopping to post to your account. In some cases, you may even have to wait 15 days for your miles to show up.
• “Clicking through” the portal is required . You won’t earn bonus miles on eligible purchases if you don’t click through the AAdvantage portal before you shop. This step requires you to be logged into the shopping portal and initiate your visit to a store website directly through it.
• Returns can reduce your bonus miles . If you return a purchase after you earn bonus miles, the AAdvantage eShopping portal can take a commensurate number of the miles you earn back from your account.
• You cannot redeem miles through the portal . AAdvantage eShopping is for earning bonus miles on purchases, but you can’t redeem miles here. Redemption options for the miles you earn include award flights with American and its oneworld partners, seat upgrades, car rentals and hotel stays, to name a few options.
• American is making it more difficult to earn miles for travel booked through third party booking sites . American announced earlier in 2024 that it will no longer award airline miles or Loyalty Points for airfare booked through non-preferred third party travel sites. This makes using the AAdvantage eShopping portal more important to your rewards game than ever.

Benefits of the AAdvantage shopping portal

Here’s an overview of all the benefits you can get from shopping through the American AAdvantage eShopping program.

Earn miles on spending you’d do anyway

You’ll frequently see offers allowing you to earn anywhere from 1X miles to 5X miles by shopping with various retailers. Some offers also let you earn bonus miles. So, instead of earning 2X miles per dollar with a select retailer, you might be able to earn 4X miles (for a limited time) by shopping with that retailer.

The portal also runs special offers occasionally, such as seasonal promotions. These offers can help you earn more miles on eligible purchases in categories that change throughout the year.

Shop with over 1,200 retailers

American AAdvantage eShopping partners vary widely, but you earn bonus miles when you shop at more than 1,200 online stores. Shopping categories typically include home items, dining, entertainment, home office essentials, clothing, electronics and more. While the participating retailers can change from time to time, you’ll frequently find popular merchants like:

• Macy’s

Since AA eShopping partners can change, your best bet is to log in to your account occasionally to check for new offers and discounts. There’s nothing to lose by keeping an eye on this portal and maximizing it when you can, but you stand to lose a ton of miles if you choose to ignore it.

Earn Loyalty Points toward elite status

Also note that eShopping purchases help members earn Loyalty Points toward elite status with the American AAdvantage program. This means you can use the shopping portal to earn more Loyalty Points toward elite status all year long, or to spend what you need to reach the next status tier.

Note that AAdvantage Gold status — the lowest tier of American AAdvantage status — requires you to earn 40,000 Loyalty Points within a year. However, members who earn at least 15,000 Loyalty Points per year qualify for basic benefits like early boarding and five Preferred Seat vouchers.

Best credit cards for AAdvantage eShopping

Racking up more airline miles is easy with American Airlines credit cards. The following chart highlights some of the top options to consider if you decide you want to earn even more miles.

At the time of writing, American Airlines was a transfer partner only with the Bilt Rewards program, but that partnership is ending soon. After that, there won’t be a direct credit card transfer partnership to American Airlines any longer (unless a new one is announced). Therefore, we recommend using a general travel rewards card , such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card , to maximize flexible travel miles that will partner well with the AAdvantage miles you’re earning through the portal.

How to maximize AAdvantage eShopping

There are some steps you can take to make the most of the AAdvantage eShopping portal over time. Consider these tips:

• Download the browser extension . The AAdvantage browser extension will remind you each time you visit a retailer that participates in the AAdvantage shopping portal. Download this button so you never miss out on bonus miles when you shop online.
• Make sure to check the portal frequently for special offers . Remember that participating retailers in the portal frequently change. Any time you make an online purchase, you should check to see if an AAdvantage shopping portal participant store offers the item you want.
• Don’t forget to check for non-retail bonus offers . Also, remember that you can earn bonus miles for some subscription or meal-kit services. For example, you may be able to earn bonus miles when you sign up for Disney+, Hulu or HelloFresh.
• Join American AAdvantage Dining, too . While the AAdvantage dining program is an entirely separate program, it lets you earn miles when you dine out at participating restaurants. By pairing it with the AAdvantage shopping portal, you can rack up more miles in yet another spending category.
• Pay for your purchases with a credit card that earns AAdvantage miles . You can earn even more rewards if you use an American Airlines credit card to purchase items through the eShopping portal.

The bottom line

Shopping portals like the American AAdvantage eShopping portal can be valuable tools if you do a lot of your shopping online. After all, you can qualify for the exact same pricing you would be paying for your online purchases anyway. But this way, you can earn bonus miles to put toward your next vacation.

*The information about the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®, AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the American AAdvantage shopping portal

How many american airlines miles can you earn, how long does it take to receive earned miles, is the eshopping portal a good deal, does american airlines shopping portal earn loyalty points.

Guide to American AAdvantage dining program

Best American Airlines credit cards

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Claims approved for payment within this system are designed to use electronic funds transfer (EFT) to your checking/savings account or VA debit card. If your EFT information is not on file with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Financial Management System (FMS) your approved payment may be delayed until the information is provided to process your claim or adjustments are made to allow for temporary payment by check. If you currently receive other benefit payments by EFT from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) your EFT information is not on file with our system unless you have provided it previously to your local VA Medical Center. You can confirm if your EFT information is on file by reviewing your Veteran profile screen. If it is missing please contact your local BT office to update it. They will provide you with the necessary signature forms to have it added.

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When entering claims, please identify the facility responsible for payment as the facility that provided your care or approved your care for care in the community. For example, if you submit a claim for care or services approved at a non-VA facility, you identify the care VA facility that authorized it as facility responsible for payment. In most situations this will be your preferred or home facility. If you receive care at a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) this location will be available for selection as an associated facility of its larger parent VA Medical Center. You will see it when you select the location of your appointment.  

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The Guide to Chase’s Travel Portal

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Table of Contents

Who can use Chase's travel portal?

How to use chase's travel portal, other things you can do in chase's portal, chase travel contact options, chase's travel portal can be lucrative.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are among the most useful rewards you can earn. When it comes time to redeem them, you will be directed to Chase's travel portal. This is where you can book flights, hotels and rental cars with points, redeem them for merchandise and gift cards, or transfer points to other programs.

Should you redeem points to pay for a trip instead of using cash or transfer them to a loyalty program partner to get better value? You'll need to do a little homework to find the right answer as each situation is different.

Chase points are the currency you earn when using cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® . They are superior in many ways to other point currencies because  you earn more than one penny in value  per point with these two cards. For example, when redeeming through Chase's travel portal, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® will net you 1.5 cents in value per point and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card will net you 1.25 cents in value per point. When you transfer to a partner, your per-point-value may be even greater.

With the travel portal, you can redeem points to pay for an entire trip or you can use a mix of points and cash to cover a travel booking. You can also pay all in cash, earning 5 to 10 points per $1 spent, depending on the card you have. Using points for travel is the most valuable way to extract value from Chase Ultimate Rewards® for most people.

It's an efficient website, but some irritants snag even savvy travelers. Let's dig into Chase's travel portal's good and bad. You'll find that it is mostly good, if not great.

Chase cards vary in earning and redemption benefits so you will want to pay attention to which one you use, especially if you have more than one card. The most valuable cards earn Ultimate Rewards® points, but some Chase cards, like the United℠ Explorer Card , earn miles or points in that co-branded program (in this example, United MileagePlus miles ).

Let’s review the cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards®, with the most rewarding cards first. Keep in mind that if you have more than one of these cards, you can move points between Chase Ultimate Rewards® accounts to redeem them from an account that delivers more cents per point in value.

These cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® and provide access to Chase's travel portal:

Chase Sapphire Reserve® .

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card .

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

Chase Freedom Unlimited® .

Chase Freedom Flex℠ .

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card .

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card .

Chase Freedom Rise Credit Card.

★ LIMITED TIME OFFER

Heads up! For a limited time, both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are offering elevated sign-up bonuses that can be worth more than $900 for the Preferred card and more than $1,100 for the Reserve. Learn more and apply here.

There is an important perk to remember if you have multiple cards. Since the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card offers 1.5 cents in value per point and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offer 1.25 cents in value, it is best to redeem points from these accounts rather than any other Chase card.

If you have one of those two premium cards and another Chase card (like Chase Freedom Unlimited® , for example), you can move your Ultimate Rewards® points from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® account to a premium card’s account (like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card).

This strategy allows you to unlock half a cent more in value in seconds. It’s one of the best benefits of Ultimate Rewards® when you have a premium card and one of its no-fee cards.

Want to earn a bunch of points quickly to make a redemption? The sign-up bonuses on these cards can rake in extra points if you meet the terms and conditions.

on Chase's website

• 5 points per $1 on travel booked through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

• 2 points per $1 on other travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

Point value in Chase's travel portal: 1.25 cents apiece.

• 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase.

• 5 points per $1 on air travel purchased through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Point value in Chase's travel portal: 1.5 cents apiece.

• In the first year, 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 4.5% cash back on drugstores and restaurants, and 3% on all other purchases on up to $20,000 in spending.

• After that, 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% cash back at drugstores and restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Point value in Chase's travel portal: 1 cent apiece.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,125 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Here’s a primer on what you can and cannot do with Ultimate Rewards® points.

Log in to your account, then navigate to the Chase Ultimate Rewards® tab on the right of the screen. If you have more than one card that earns this currency, you can see each balance and select the account from which you want to redeem points.

Once you select the card, you’ll be taken to a homepage that shows the points you have earned and how you can redeem them. We recommend sticking to travel redemptions rather than using points for merchandise as the value diminishes significantly with the latter.

Select the "Travel" tab at the top of the screen. From here, you can decide whether to transfer points to a partner or redeem them as cash for a trip.

One of the best perks of using this travel portal to make a points redemption is that you still earn frequent flyer miles on most airline tickets since these are booked as a revenue ticket (not as an award redemption like when using airline miles to book a flight).

How to book award flights in Chase's travel portal

This is one of the more popular features of using points, but keep in mind it doesn't feature all airlines, which can be frustrating. Even if you find a flight on an airline's website or third-party booking site, it doesn't mean it will be available at Chase.

Enter the relevant details in the search bar to find a flight. Results can be filtered by stops, airline or price. Another benefit of this portal is that you aren't subject to award seat availability in the same way you might be when redeeming miles through an airline's program.

If there is a seat that could be bought with cash, you can usually redeem points for it. Plain and simple.

Compare how many miles you would need if booking directly with the airline with what Chase is charging.

If it would cost fewer points to book directly with the airline, you’ll want to use miles instead. For example, Delta co-branded American Express cardholders can often redeem their miles like cash on Delta’s website (at 1 cent per mile’s value). That’s just average, but if it is cheaper than what Chase is charging, consider that the better option. But don’t forget that airlines will add on taxes and fees when redeeming miles . Airfare booked with Chase Ultimate Rewards® points don't have additional costs tacked on — these are already bundled into the fare.

Another important note is that some low-cost airlines like Allegiant don't appear in search results. If you want to travel on a budget airline, then you'll need to visit those websites to compare fares.

You can pay in cash, points or a combination. Chase will display particular details about your fare, like whether assigned seats or checked bags are included. This may not take into account any elite status perks you hold.

How to book hotels in Chase's travel portal

You can also redeem points for hotel stays using Ultimate Rewards® points. This is great news, especially when staying at hotels where you may not have  elite status  or don't care about elite perks or points earned.

Keep in mind that when making a reservation outside a hotel’s official reservation channels, you won’t earn points in its program or be able to take advantage of elite status benefits. So if you have status with a hotel chain, this isn't the best value unless you are willing to forgo those benefits.

Making a reservation is straightforward. Enter the city and travel dates to see a list of hotels available for redemption. Then, you can redeem points or pay in cash for your trip.

Like with flights, compare the cost of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points with the number of points a hotel’s program is charging. A particular favorite is World of Hyatt, which still uses an award chart and, as a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards®, can often deliver more favorable deals when using Hyatt’s points rather than Chase points.

For example, it would cost about 9,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to redeem a night at Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport. But, if you transfer points to World of Hyatt, you would need 5,000 points for the same night’s stay.

One of the booking tabs also leads to the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection . This subset of high-end hotels delivers bonus perks like free breakfast, a $100 hotel credit and room upgrades, depending on the property and other things.

You can book directly through Chase or redeem points and be eligible. It’s nice to have elite status-style perks at a hotel where you may not have status or that doesn't have a loyalty program.

How to book car rentals in Chase's travel portal

This is a great place to reserve rental cars using points, and Chase rental car insurance benefits apply when using the card and paying with points. But, for that to be the case, you will want to pay for part of the rental in cash so the insurance benefits are activated. To do that, pay with a combination of cash and points, and decline the rental company's insurance first.

How to book activities in Chase's travel portal

Activities available for booking through Chase's travel portal include tours and experiences at home or when traveling and airport transfers. Price comparison plays a role here, too, since many hotel brands have their own platforms like Marriott Bonvoy Moments or FIND Experiences from World of Hyatt. These allow you to redeem points for experiences.

Check which program is cheaper before redeeming Chase points if you find similar options in either program.

How to book cruises in Chase's travel portal

Since cruise bookings can be more complex, you will need to call Chase Ultimate Rewards® at 855-234-2542 to make a reservation. There are many ways to earn multiple points when booking a cruise that may be better than using Chase, but when redeeming points for a cruise , there can be a lot of value.

Using Chase's portal to make a travel reservation is also strategic, as depending on your card, you can earn a healthy stash of points this way. Just be sure to compare the benefits you can earn with the opportunity cost of booking elsewhere.

Benefits of booking travel in Chase's portal

Let’s say you have a premium card like Chase Sapphire Reserve® . It earns 5x points per $1 when booking flights through the portal. The sweet spot is when using this card for hotel stays and rental cars booked via the portal for 10x points per dollar spent. Consider what’s in your wallet, and decide which card will net the most points.

Another benefit is that you will earn miles from flights booked through the portal, even when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points since these are viewed as a revenue ticket.

Remember, you will want to compare if it is cheaper to redeem airline miles directly through a carrier’s redemption program or if you can use fewer points by redeeming Chase points via the portal.

Sometimes it might make more sense to transfer points from Chase to an airline partner when redeeming a flight (or a hotel program when making a hotel stay). Be as vigilant with price comparison when redeeming miles and points as you would when using cash.

Does Chase's travel portal price match?

No. You cannot submit a lower fare elsewhere for a price guarantee here since this isn't a publicly available site. It is only available to those who have a Chase card.

What else you need to know

When booking through this reservation site, keep in mind that most airlines and hotels cannot assist directly with a reservation. They see this as a third-party booking through Expedia and will direct you to Chase's agents.

Many travelers report the experience can be frustrating when travel disruptions or cancellations occur. Agents are friendly but can sometimes be limited in their abilities, often reading prompts on their screens in international call centers.

It can be a hazard booking a reservation with a third party, but the trade-off in redeeming points is worth it for some travelers.

If you do need to contact a Chase portal agent for support on a reservation made through the site — whether for a flight, hotel booking, car rental or activity — you've got one option: a good, old-fashioned telephone call.

Dial 866-331-0773 for assistance regarding changes or cancellations to your bookings.

You might have better luck dialing the support line for your specific Chase card. You might opt to give one of these a try:

Chase Sapphire Reserve® : 855-234-2542.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : 866-331-0773.

All other cards: 866-951-6592.

If you compare prices and consider the opportunity cost of using the portal instead of booking elsewhere, you can almost always come out ahead.

You can save money, earn bonus points and travel better with transferable loyalty points like Chase Ultimate Rewards®. They have the flexibility and versatility necessary to deliver excellent value on travel (rather than being locked into one airline or hotel loyalty program). With the right card (or suite of cards), you’ll be able to accumulate points and benefits.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

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How to use the chase travel portal.

One of the many perks of using a Chase branded credit card is the opportunity to earn and redeem points for travel-related purchases. What’s more, did you know that you could maximize your points value and reap even more rewards points by booking through the Chase Travel portal?

To make the most of your purchases for travel, you can book your flights, hotels and more through the Chase Travel portal.

To help you navigate the rewards program, we’ll go over:

How to earn and redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Accessing the chase travel portal.

• How to book flights through the Chase Travel portal

Booking hotels through the Chase Travel portal

How to book rental cars, cruises and other types of travel.

• The benefits of booking travel in the Chase Travel portal
• Additional tips and tricks for the Chase Travel portal

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are earned by using your Chase branded card on everyday purchases. When you use your Chase card(s), you can also earn points by making purchases on:

• Paid reservations
• Restaurant bookings
• Hotel reservations

Depending on the Chase credit card you use, you can be eligible for a wide range of perks and rewards. All Chase family cards, such as Freedom ® , Sapphire ® and Ink ® , earn points that can be redeemed on the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

To access the portal, go to the booking platform at www.chasetravel.com or login to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account and go to your Chase credit card’s main dashboard.

Next, click on the “Earn/Use” button where the number of points you have is listed. Choose “Travel” from the options listed, and this will take you to the travel portal.

How to book flights through Chase Travel portal

Rather than making your flight purchases externally, book your flights using the Chase Travel portal so you can get rewards on airfare. To do this, access the travel portal and search for the flight you want. You can filter your search by cost, airline, departure/arrival time and departure airport.

Once you’ve found the flight of your choice, select your option and purchase your flight using your Chase card. If you have Ultimate Rewards points available, you can use them to pay for all or part of your flight, and/or other travel-related purchases.

Similar to flights, you can redeem your Ultimate Rewards for hotel reservations. To do this, search by destination to see available hotels. You can narrow your search by filtering for price/amenities/ratings, type of property, number of bedrooms, neighborhood and more.

Select your hotel option, then continue to confirm your booking using your Chase card or redeeming your Ultimate Rewards to help make your purchases.

You can use the portal to book rental cars, activities and other travel-related purchases. To book a cruise line, you need to call directly.

For car rentals, be sure to use the appropriate points connected to your specific card to get additional perks, such as car insurance.

The benefits of booking travel in Chase Travel portal

Travel costs can add up easily, but if you’re using the portal to redeem your points, you are giving your points good use with certain cards. On the other hand, using the portal could also help you earn more points on your purchases. For example, you can get even more points on flights if you book through portal. These points can later be redeemed on your future travels.

Chase Travel portal summary

No matter where your next adventure takes you, use the Chase Travel portal to book hotels, flights and more. Earning points through the portal can unlock future opportunities for you to take trips in one platform.

• card travel tips

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Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. You’ll sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security, so you can make both retirement and Medicare choices and withhold any premiums from your benefit payments.

If you’re under age 65, you may be eligible for Medicare if you have permanent kidney failure or if you receive Disability benefits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not qualify you for Medicare on its own. Even if you receive SSI, you must meet one of the other requirements to qualify.

Information you'll need to provide

Basic information about yourself

• Social Security number
• Where you were born (city, state, country)

Health insurance information

• Start and end dates for any current group health plans
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For Part B only

• Valid email address
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If you're 65 or older, you can enroll online for Parts A and B, or Part A only. You can delay Part B if you're already covered through an employer group health plan.

The application is for retirement benefits and Medicare, or Medicare only.

• Apply online

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Tell the representative you want to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B, or Part A only.

Call TTY +1 800-325-0778 if you're deaf or hard of hearing.

After you submit a request

Check the status  of your application.

The best ways to book hotels through online travel agencies and bank portals

Update : Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

When possible, booking directly with a hotel is the best way to make your reservation. This ensures you earn hotel points, your stay counts toward elite status qualification, any elite status benefits you have are recognized and if you need to make changes, it's much easier to deal directly with a property.

That said, let's look at when it may be necessary — or get you a better deal — to book hotels through an online travel agency or bank portal. We'll also consider the best ways to maximize your reservation.

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When to book through an OTA or bank portal

There are now hundreds of online travel agencies and apps focusing on hotel bookings, thanks to the commissions paid to the agency. Most readers will recognize the popular OTAs in the U.S. as Agoda , Expedia , Hotels.com , Hotwire , Priceline and Travelocity .

Switching to bank portals, you're probably familiar with these banks that offer portals that allow you to book hotels: American Express Travel , Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts , Amex Hotel Collection , Citi ThankYou Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection , U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo GoFar Rewards . Most banks have some type of portal or agreement with one of the above OTAs, which allows you to book travel with cash or their respective bank rewards.

Here are a few scenarios where it could make sense for you to use an online travel agency or bank portal:

• You want to book an independent or boutique hotel that isn't part of a chain and doesn't have its own rewards program.
• Your workplace requires you to use an online travel agent.
• The OTA has a sale or promotion too good to pass up. A few apps such as HotelTonight also have really great prices from time to time.
• You want to redeem your transferable bank points to cover the revenue cost of a hotel.
• As the travel expert within your family and friends, you are routinely asked to book a hotel for friends and family (more on this below).
• You've done the quick math and recognized the cost of a hotel will require fewer points to book through the bank portal than through transferring to the hotel program.
• If you're a Citi Prestige® cardholder and want to utilize the fourth night free benefit , you must book through ThankYou.com.
• You want the benefits provided by booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts , Amex Hotel Collection or Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection . Note that you may receive elite benefits and earnings on some properties with Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts and Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection , but I generally wouldn't count on it.

The information for the Citi Prestige card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Here's a quick recap of the value of your Amex, Chase and Citi points when used toward the cost of a hotel through their portals:

Related: Amex vs. Citi vs. Chase: Which booking portal is best for hotels?

Strategies to maximize bookings

If you find yourself in one of the above situations, here are the strategies I would use when booking through an OTA or bank portal:

Use OTA rewards programs

Most online travel agencies have their own rewards program that equates to 1%-10% cash back per booking. The great benefit of most of these is that unlike with hotel loyalty programs, you can book for your friends, family and co-workers and get credit in the OTA rewards program for their bookings. For example, if your aunt who rarely travels needs a hotel, offer to book it for her and have her reimburse you. You'll earn credit in the OTA program under your account.

Related: How to maximize Hotels.com Rewards for free nights and more

Check cash-back portals

Multiple online shopping portals incentivize you with cash back to shop for hotels on a particular site. I use cashbackmonitor.com to look up the OTA I want to use.

Related: Maximizing online shopping portals for your purchases

Attempt best-rate guarantee claims

Most large hotel chains challenge you to find a better price for a room on an OTA compared to their site. If you're successful, you'll usually receive either a percentage off the room or a flat credit back . They're usually quite challenging to be approved . But, if you're booking through an OTA anyway, it's worth a peek at the hotel website to see if you can find a better price with the OTA. Remember, everything about the room and booking conditions must be identical between the hotel's website and the OTA for the best-rate guarantee claim to be approved. And, you'll need to complete your booking directly with the hotel if you have a successful claim.

Related: The state of the hotel best-rate guarantee

Bank portal bookings

These are pretty straightforward, since your points have a fixed redemption value. There are two tasks I complete before redeeming my points toward the revenue cost of a hotel stay. First, I do a quick calculation of transferring points to the hotel program versus redeeming through the portal to make sure I'll use fewer points in the portal. And second, I make sure the price for the hotel in the portal either matches or nearly matches the publicly available rates .

Related: Don't transfer points: It may be better to book an all-inclusive resort through your credit card portal

Bottom line

If I want to utilize the Citi Prestige fourth night free benefit , book an Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts stay , book a stay at an independent property or if I'm booking for friends or family, I'll head to an OTA or bank portal rather than booking directly. But, if I'm staying with a hotel chain for which I have status or for which I want to earn status, I prefer to book directly with the hotel chain so that I can enjoy elite benefits and points earnings.

Related guides

• The best hotel credit cards
• Best travel credit cards for travel purchases
• Booking direct: How much value does Hilton status provide?
• Booking direct: How much value does Marriott status provide?
• Booking direct: How much value does World of Hyatt status provide?
• Why transferable points are more valuable than ever
• A guide to earning transferable points
• How valuable is the Citi Prestige's fourth night free when booking midtier hotels though Citi ThankYou?
• How valuable is the Citi Prestige's fourth night free when booking luxury hotels though Citi ThankYou?

Additional reporting by Katie Genter.

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