Where in Europe do you want to go? Greece, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Croatia? There are so many fabulous European destinations, and most beginner points-and-miles users start off their points-earning journeys earning Chase Ultimate Rewards®, so let’s talk about using Chase Ultimate Rewards® for European flights.

First, there are 11 airline transfer partners that you can transfer to.  Not all are perfect for flights to Europe, but there are several that are.  Never, ever transfer to a partner until you have confirmed that there are seats available. Transfers only go in one direction—you can’t return them to Chase become Ultimate Rewards® again after they’ve been transferred!

When traveling on a long-haul flight or transcontinental flight, we usually get better value by transferring to a partner than using Chase Travel℠. We have some guidance that will help walk you through what that means when you’re ready to transfer to a travel partner.  Ultimate Rewards® airline transfer partners include:

• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• British Airways
• Emirates
• Flying Blue (KLM/Air France)
• Iberia
• JetBlue
• Singapore Airlines
• Southwest®
• United
• Virgin Atlantic

Chase Travel℠ is great for domestic travel, and we encourage people to compare both prices—how many points it would take to book your award ticket if you transferred to an airline, and how many points it would take if you used points to buy a ticket through Chase Travel℠. You will get 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point in value redeeming through Chase Travel℠, so sometimes it may work out better—especially if you look at economy tickets.

 

Cards That Earn Ultimate Rewards®

The following three cards all earn Ultimate Rewards®.

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Cards That Can Earn Ultimate Rewards® (If You Know How)

These four cards listed below are all marketed as earning points that you can use for cash back, so that’s what a lot of people probably earn and use.  But there’s a way to change that.  If you have at least one of the above cards, then the points you earn from the cards listed below can also be moved into the account for any one of those three cards listed above that earn Ultimate Rewards®.  Then these cards’ points will become Ultimate Rewards®, too:

• Chase Freedom Unlimited
• Chase Freedom Flex
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All information about the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.

All information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Travel Mom Squad. The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is no longer available through Travel Mom Squad.

 

United Airlines to Europe

This was how I booked all of my flights to Europe for years, as I have primarily lived near a United Airlines hub. It is simple and straightforward. If I have flexibility, I can usually find roundtrip economy flights for 60-70K miles and business class seats for under 90K miles one way. (Award prices during summer and holiday travel periods are usually more expensive.) I love that United has very low surcharges, too, which is why I have often used them. However, when you leave London, you will always pay more!

 

 

 

Emirates to Europe

One of the best deals is one of the fifth-freedom flights. Here is an option for 87K miles on Emirates from New York City to Athens. With this flight, I would position to New York. Positioning flights are a great way to take advantage of good flight deals.

 

 

This economy flight is only 38,750 miles and costs $54 in taxes and fees. Emirates offers an incredible flying experience.

 

 

 

Air France to Europe

Economy to Europe for less than 25K miles on Air France—what a deal! Business class can sometimes be found for just 60K one way, but there is much less availability. Again, flexibility is key.  Check out their promo awards each month for even more savings. 

 

 

 

KLM to Europe

Alex and I flew to Amsterdam in business class on a 65K-mile redemption from Salt Lake City. We then took a cheap carrier to Milan. That is a great way to get to Europe—find a cheap flight to Europe and then position yourself to the European city you really want to go to. But Amsterdam is a wonderful destination in itself, too. This is a great way to use Ultimate Rewards® for European flights!

 

 

Iberia to Europe

If you are going to Spain, Iberia is your airline for cheap redemption. 34K from some cities in business class is an awesome deal. I would even fly to Spain and take a cheap European carrier like Ryan Air or EasyJet to get to another city I wanted to visit in Europe. Iberia business class is a great way to get to Europe.

 

 

Singapore Airlines to Europe

Whether you travel in economy or business class, Singapore Airlines is a treat. There is a fifth-freedom flight from JFK to Frankfurt, where you can find some great award redemptions. Singapore also offers Spontaneous Escapes from time to time, and those might offer an even cheaper promo fare.

 

 

Virgin Atlantic to Europe

Virgin Atlantic is another great partner to use when transferring Ultimate Rewards® to book flights to Europe. Sometimes, transfer bonuses will make your points go further, which is always a win-win, and Virgin Atlantic has fairly frequent transfer bonuses you may want to take advantage of. Flying from the east coast to London can be particularly cheap. Just look at how cheap these flights are (even without a transfer bonus)!

 

 

 

Bottom Line

Using Chase Ultimate Rewards® for European flights is a no-brainer for people who use credit card points and miles, as there are so many travel partners with which to book flights. Check out this list the next time you want to go to Europe! Do you have some other great ways to book Ultimate Rewards® for European flights?

 

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