Why the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Is the Best for Booking Flights

The Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of my favorite travel credit cards. It’s been in my wallet since it was introduced in 2016, and I still use it for the majority of my travel expenses — especially for flights.

There are a few contenders in the debate about the best credit card for booking flights, but I believe the best is the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Here’s why.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Flight Benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is considered one of the best travel credit cards on the market. It offers premium benefits and the ability to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which are incredibly valuable.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

21.74% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.74% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

We’ve written extensively about the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, so let’s just focus on the perks that apply to flight bookings.

Earn Lots of Chase Points

I book nearly all of my flights with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card —in fact, I use it for most of my travel expenses. Why? Because it earns 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on all travel expenses, including flights, hotels, cruises, local transit, travel agencies, ride-share services, and airport parking.

We value Chase points at 2 cents each, which gives you an excellent 6% return when using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for flights. When you book flights through Chase Travel, you earn an elevated 5 points per $1 spent, which results in a 10% return.

While booking flights through Chase Travel earns more points, I still prefer booking directly with the airline. Booking through a third party like Chase Travel adds complexities when it comes to cancelation policies, and if anything goes wrong, it’s easier to be able to contact the airline directly.

After earning all of those points, you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase Travel portal or by transferring to Chase’s hotel and airline partners.

Complimentary Travel Insurance

The second reason I always book flights with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card is its excellent travel protections. Here’s a look at your coverage when you purchase any part of a common carrier ticket, like a flight, with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card. This includes paying taxes and fees on award flights, and there is no round-trip requirement, though Chase now requires full payment for trip cancellation insurance to kick in:

• Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance: You’re covered for up to $10,000 per traveler ($20,000 per trip maximum) for prepaid, nonrefundable travel expenses (like passenger fares, tours, and hotels) if your trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered cause (like sickness or weather).
• Trip Delay Reimbursement: When your common carrier trip is delayed for at least 6 hours or overnight, you’re covered for up to $500 per traveler for unreimbursed expenses like lodging and food.
• Travel Accident Insurance: You’re covered for up to $1 million for accidental death or dismemberment.
• Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Covers up to $3,000 per person for checked or carry-on bags that are lost, damaged, or stolen.
• Baggage Delay Insurance: Receive up to $100 per day for up to 5 days to purchase essentials when your checked baggage is delayed over 6 hours.
• Emergency Evacuation and Transportation: You’re covered for medical services and transportation up to $100,000.
• Emergency Medical and Dental: You and your immediate family members are covered up to $2,500 for medical expenses with a $50 deductible.

Alternatives to the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

Some might argue that The Platinum Card^® from American Express is the best for booking flights since it earns 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly through the airline or through AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year). That’s a great earning rate, and the Amex Platinum card comes with lots of great travel benefits, but I believe the Chase Sapphire Reserve card still reigns supreme.

First, the travel protections offered on the Chase Sapphire Reserve card are more comprehensive and include benefits that the Amex Platinum card doesn’t have, like emergency medical and dental and delayed baggage coverage. Plus, the baggage insurance plan included on the Amex Platinum card doesn’t apply when you pay the taxes and fees on an award ticket.

In addition, the Amex Platinum card specifies that travelers must book round-trip flights — or 2 one-way tickets to and from the same airport — to qualify for its travel insurance benefits. In contrast, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card offers coverage for all one-way trips, providing greater flexibility for travelers booking journeys to multiple destinations.

Since I purchase a lot of award flights as one-way fares, this is a subtle but important distinction between these 2 cards. Hopefully, you don’t need to use travel insurance, but if you do, it’s great to have.

Just this year, I successfully filed an emergency medical claim with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card and was reimbursed over $1,100 for expenses for an emergency room visit in Amsterdam. This claim would not have been covered had I used the Amex Platinum card.

Final Thoughts

I love using my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to book flights because it earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points when booking directly with airlines and offers excellent travel insurance. Yes, there are other cards that are good options for booking flights, but I believe the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has the right combination of points earning and flight benefits.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.