Chase quietly weakened the Sapphire Reserve “Points Boost” promise for The Edit hotels—some redemptions dropped from 2 cents per point to about 1 2/3. Now Chase says it will proactively honor 2 cents per point for any The Edit booking made through December 22, 2025, crediting cardmembers the difference after the fact.
A rewards credit card’s value proposition is part earning, part redemption, and part benefits. For Chase Sapphire Reserve, this summer’s refresh eliminated fixed 1.5 cents per point opportunities to redeem for travel and replaced it with “Points Boost” which is up to 2 cents per point when redeeming through Chase Travel with their airline and hotel partners.
From launch, Chase’s “The Edit” hotels were marketed as always being available to redeem at that 2 cent level. Quietly Chase changed this and no longer promises 2 cent Edit hotel redemptions.
- Some hotels are still available to redeem at 2 cents per point
- While others have fallen to 1 2/3 cents per point
This took a lot of cardmembers by surprise. And Chase has let me know they’re going to honor redemptions that have already been made at two cents, and any Edit hotel redemptions that are made through December 22 at that level as well. So there’s still an opportunity here.
A Chase spokesperson tells me,
Some of our Chase Travel content marketing the 2x points boost promotion for The Edit remained in market longer than intended. We will proactively honor 2x points value for any customers who book a stay at a property in The Edit through December 22, 2025. Customers will see the points adjustment in their Ultimate Rewards balance.
You’ll redeem at the current prevailing rates, but they’ll make up the difference to you later. The other piece of good news is that while some previous Points Boost opportunities have dropped out or been reduced in value, it actually seems they’ve added some – which is a good sign for the program. For instance,
- JetBlue premium cabin flights are now available in Points Boost, including at 2 cents per point.
- They’re also boosting a lot of economy (but not basic economy) at 1.5 cents per point: Southwest Airlines, Air Canada, Aer Lingus, EVA Airways, Emirates, LATAM, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and United.
Basic economy doesn’t get Points Boost because airlines don’t pay as much commission on those tickets, and they don’t further discount them to Chase in the same way.
With the old fixed 1.5 cents per point, that worked out alright for Chase on most hotel bookings. Their commission was subsidizing the redemptions. But when you’d send points on airfare with airlines they didn’t have fixed agreements with, it was a money-loser. Chase’s solution has been to offer more value at times than before – when they can work out an agreement with a partner that pencils.
And Chase actually delivers quite a lot of passengers when they do this. They’re now one of the biggest sellers of online travel. Chase points redemptions, like American Express points redemptions, move the needle filling planes.
More From View from the Wing
Link da fonte
