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.

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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 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 points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$2,000

Annual Fee

$795

APR

19.49% - 27.99% 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 card application.

Excellent

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.

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

Don’t forget the more than $2,000 in annual credits, which can offset the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 8x points on all Chase Travel purchases
• 5x points on Lyft rides
• 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly

Cons

• $795 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
• $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge^® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^® every 4 years
• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
• Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49% - 27.99% 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 8 Chase Ultimate Rewards per $1 spent on Chase Travel reservations and 4 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent on airlines and hotels booked direct.

We value Chase points at 2 cents each, which gives you an excellent 8-16% return when using the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for flights.

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 a ton of 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.