The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* has helped me save a significant amount of money onflightsand hotels over the years. It was even the best of MathHotels.comtravel cardand one of my all-time favorites. But that’s no longer the case.
Unfortunately, Chase recently took away my favorite 25% enhanced redemption rate when booking travel via Chase Travel℠. The Chase Ultimate Rewards platform allows you to convert your points intotravel, gift cards, experiences, and shopping. At times, my points accumulated to a free round-trip flight, which made a big difference.
Chase substituted it with aPoints Boost program, which provides a greater value per point compared to the 25% bonus. Here’s the twist: it’s only available for certain flights and hotels, and the promotions change frequently. If you book travel through any other non-boosted deal, you’ll receive just 1 cent per point. And I’m not pleased about that.
I suppose you could argue that it’s positive that some money-saving card perks remain, such as the $50 hotel credit and the 10% anniversary bonus points. However, if I’m redeeming more points through the updated rewards system, both the card and the Chase travel portal seem significantly less valuable.
This significant change could convince me to switch cards. Let’s go through the program and determine if the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still beneficial for you.
What is Chase’s latest Points Enhancement initiative?
The updated Points Boost initiative started last month. Nevertheless, any points accumulated prior to October 26, 2025, can still be used according to the old rewards system for the following two years.
But any points earned after October 26 will be worth up to 1.5 cents per point for specific flights and hotels, and up to 1.75 cents per point for premium flights. However, these enhanced offers may vary.
This could lead to significant savings if you’re reserving a first-class flight or discovering a great offer on a hotel, but the guarantee of a fixed 1.25-cent redemption rate, no matter the day or type of travel, was a straightforward method for me to ensure value.
I’m happy to have two years to utilize my points as I have been. Points used during this period will also be eligible for the Points Boost program. This provides some time to evaluate the value and savings.
Why I’m Not Enthusiastic About Chase’s Points Boost
Chase’s Point Boost resembles taking a risk when seeking a travel deal. You might end up using more points for a deal that could have been obtained with fewer. Here’s the breakdown of the numbers.
If I reserve an economy round-trip flight from Charlotte to New York’s LaGuardia airport, it will cost $179 or 14,316 points via the Chase portal. However, if those points were valued at just one cent each, I would require 17,900 points.
If I’m fortunate enough to get a Points Boost promotion that allows me to use points at 1.5 cents each for the flight, I’ll require fewer points: 11,933. However, the main issue is whether the offer will be available when I’m prepared to book, as these promotions are limited and subject to change.
Where there was once confidence in securing a favorable opportunity, it now seems dependent on Chase’s moods to determine when I can gain more value and when I might lose out.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve’s updated annual fee is also not justified.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve®* is Chase’s top-tier travel card, and even though it might appear to be the best alternative if you’re dissatisfied with the CSP’s updates, reconsider.
The Sapphire Reserve might be beneficial if you utilizethe wide range of benefits and yearly credits associated with its high $795 annual feeHowever, the Points Boost adjustments will also affect the CSR.
Considering that I’ll face the same issue with my points, the card’s advantages and annual fee aren’t worthwhile for my budget.
I haven’t ended things with Chase yet, but it’s complicated.
Even though I’m not a fan of the new Points Boost program, there are some positive aspects. For instance, I appreciate that Marriott partners with Chase, and I really like the travel insurance benefits offered by the card. However, I’m still undecided. So is my colleague.Evan Zimmera MathHotels.com money editor with eight years of experience covering credit cards.
He usually books flights through the Chase portal and has managed to save some money. However, he isn’t sure about his future with the CSP.
I’ll hold onto the card for the near future, but the changes to the rewards program are definitely making me think again,” he said. “I’ll likely wait and see if I notice a significant change in my savings.
I’ll probably do the same, but for now, I’m looking for new cards that are more suitable for my budget and offer better value when redeemed, compared to what Chase provides, such as theCapital One Venture X and the American Express Gold Card.
Released on July 24, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. PT.
