When Chase refreshed the value proposition of its Sapphire Reserve card, offering 4 points per dollar on direct airline and hotel purchases, and 8 points per dollar for bookings made through Chase Travel, they dropped 3 points per dollar on ‘all travel’.
That wasn’t about cutting bonus points on your Uber rides or tolls, although every bit helps. It was primarily aimed, I think, at stopping the incentive they were creating to book at Expedia and Airbnb.
Chase Travel has become one of the world’s largest travel booking platforms. They have stopped rewarding doing business with their competitors. However, their platform isn’t fully robust everywhere. They aren’t Airbnb for short-term rentals.
However, they’ve now added Plum Guide properties to their Vacation Homes program.
Plum Guide, known for its high-quality standards and handpicked homes that meet over 150 criteria for comfort, design, and location. For the first time, these cardmembers can book, earn, or redeem Ultimate Rewards points for thousands of unique home stays, including cottages, villas, beach houses, and city apartments—in top destinations worldwide.
Vacation Homes had, oddly, only been available at Chase Travel to Freedom and Ink Business cardmembers. They’re rolling it out to their Sapphire card portfolio, which allows for elevated earnings as well as redemption.
Plum Guide also partners with GHA Discovery for 5% rebates in Discovery Dollars plus elite night credit, but 8x through Chase Travel is more lucrative.
There’s no word yet on potentially adding Plum Guide properties to Points Boost, to give greater redemption value, unfortunately.
Should we all just get an Amex Green card and call it a day?
Taking away 3x points on all travel while increasing the annual fee was unforgivable.
*yawn*
@David M is correct that the loss of the broad 3x travel category still stings. Increasing hotels paid directly to 4x is fine, but doesn’t make up for the loss.
It more than stings. It undercuts the whole ethos of the card. Here’s our 3x travel card – first $300 of travel is on us – use this for all your travel and dining. That was the card. Now it’s all about trying to promote chase travel – which is still pretty terrible.
Lounges are good though.
@Peter — I agree. Amex’s Platinum updates are leaps and bounds better. Chase CSR $250 The Edit 2x and IHG/Pendry, etc. credits, do not make up for the additional fee and loss of 3x travel broad category. Citi (6x Citi Nights… woo…) is a distant third. Oh, and, garsh, BILT… *facepalm*
Speaking of lounges, I tried SAN’s relatively new Sapphire lounge recently. Delicious food (after 11AM, they cater-in, supposedly).