Chase’s Points Boost on Flights Is a Massive Points Bust

Chase has introduced a new feature called Points Boost in its travel portal

But don’t let the name fool you

Points Boost is really a points bust — a massive devaluation for travel booked through Chase

Exactly when this change takes effect will depend on when you got your card. » Learn more: Goodbye Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Hello Capital One Venture XWhat is Points Boost

Points Boost has up the value of Chase’s travel portal, and not for the better

For over a decade, Chase let you redeem points in the travel portal at fixed values depending on your card

That value is now changing

Select bookings marked as Points Boost will increase the point value to between 1. 5 and 2 cents each

The value and availability of Points Boost awards will vary depending on what card you have

According to Chase, Points Boost may be offered on select airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, activities or cruises

However, our study focused specifically on airlines

To find a qualifying Points Boost flight, complete a in Chase's travel portal

Once the results show up, you'll see a scrollbar of Points Boost options at the top of the screen

You can also the results by "Points Boost only" by toggling the slider below that box

Although a result may say "Points Boost" in the top left, it only qualifies for special pricing if you see the points price in blue beneath the cash price

Selected routings included airports to target both Chase partners (including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways and Air Canada) and non-partner hubs

All of the economy tickets we found were in United’s Economy Plus (economy with upgraded legroom)

The prices for those economy tickets were sometimes outrageously high; Numerous flights were priced higher on United economy with Points Boost than a first class ticket cost without Points Boost

If you want to fly economy, it now appears that your points will be worth 1 cent each when booking flights through Chase

Other airlines that appeared include Air Canada, Emirates, EVA, Qantas and LATAM

No Points Boost options were found for Chase partners Southwest Airlines and British Airways, or non-partners Delta Air Lines, American Airlines or Alaska Airlines

For most domestic first class tickets, we found the pricing comparable between Chase’s travel portal and booking direct with United

These tickets appear to be the one potential spot of value in the new Points Boost gram

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offered slightly more Points Boost options than other cards

Chase says in its terms that Points Boost availability varies by card

Many Points Boost itineraries had bad pricing, long layovers or inconvenient routings

You might get a decent redemption rate on these bookings, but that doesn’t mean they’re a good deal

Just a few examples from our study:All Points Boost awards between Phoenix and Minneapolis had a layover in Denver (United’s hub)

This route has non-stop service on Delta, American and Sun Country Airlines

The cheapest Points Boost award between Seattle and Salt Lake City required a seven-hour trip with a layover, and still cost more points than a first class ticket on a 2-hour direct flight on Delta (non-Points Boost)

All Points Boost awards between Miami and Dallas have a layover

This route has non-stop service on Southwest and American

MethodologyWe analyzed the cash and points costs of 81 domestic and international roundtrip itineraries on Chase’s travel portal

The departure dates were selected at 60 days from the day of the analysis

Return dates were chosen eight days after the departure date

Selected routings included airports to target both Chase partners (including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways and Air Canada) and non-partner hubs

Point values for economy, premium economy, and first class redemptions were calculated by dividing the cash cost of the itinerary by the number of points required

The broadest devaluation we’ve ever seen

When an airline or hotel devalues its rewards gram, you can often just switch to another gram

But Chase is the largest credit card issuer in the country, and there are only a handful of other issuers that offer flexible travel rewards, limiting your options to look elsewhere

Due to the number of cardholders impacted, this change is potentially the broadest devaluation we’ve ever seen

Sure, opportunities exist to get greater value than before

But there are far more ways to get worse value

And it’s not just flights

Your points are now worth less (only 1 cent each) towards car rentals, cruises and most hotels booked through Chase if they don’t have a Points Boost option

How to still get value from Chase Ultimate Rewards®You can still get good value from your Chase points — but not frequently through Chase’s travel portal

Fortunately, Chase still lets you transfer points to travel partners, such as World of Hyatt

Those transfer partners are generally the way I suggest you use your points to get outsized value

Full list of Chase transfer partnersAirlinesAer Lingus (1:1 ratio)

Air Canada (1:1 ratio)

Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio)

British Airways (1:1 ratio)

Singapore (1:1 ratio)

Southwest (1:1 ratio)

Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio)

HotelsHyatt (1:1 ratio)

InterContinental Hotels Group (1:1 ratio)

Then, pay for travel with your card

The amount of your statement credit will become part of your travel budget, and you’ll earn more points from both your credit card and the airline or hotel loyalty gram because you paid with your card and booked directly

Perhaps most importantly, this also avoids issues that can arise when booking travel through third parties, including inflated prices and a lack of accountability when things go wrong

How to maximize your rewardsYou want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you

His work has been by The Associated Press, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Nasdaq and Yahoo Finance