Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
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Hi Im Abby
Your ‘always finding the best deal’ friend!
This guide will teach you all about loyalty points and how to score epic vacations for next to nothing.
🚨 okayyyy friends, deep breath…Chase is making some BIG changes to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card on June 15th.
These changes are a real mixed bag. Some of them are great for families (!!). One of them STINGS.
But as Luke always reminds me, “pull your hand awayyyy from your face Abby, see the big picture“…and he’s right, its a privilege to travel and save like this at all, just means a shift in strategy.
Let’s dive in 👇🏼👇🏼
The Good
❤️ These are all NEW perks being ADDED to the card, not swaps!
3X on vacation rentals (Airbnb + VRBO) ⭐ the one I’d circle!
3X on gas + EV charging (yep, even Costco gas counts!)
$100 Chase Travel hotel credit (DOUBLED from $50!)
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 ALL OF THIS ADDED VALUE and the annual fee is staying the same low $95!
The Bad (and I Won’t Skirt Around It)
❌ Hyatt transfer cut → 1:1 down to 4:3(I know, I KNOW…this is the single biggest piece of news with this change IMO)
❌ The 10% annual points bonus…gone
Here’s the math that hurts.
100,000 Chase points used to become 100,000 Hyatt points. Now those same points become 75,000.
You transfer
You Now Get
100,000 Chase points
75,000 Hyatt points
60,000 Chase points
45,000 Hyatt points
40,000 Chase points
30,000 Hyatt points
10,000 Chase points
7,500 Hyatt points
This has been the #1 recommended travel card for literally EVER. And so much of that was BECAUSE of that Hyatt sweet spot. So this one really, realllyyyy hurts.
After the Hyatt devaluation in May, this feels like a double hit (because it IS 😭😭)
Real talk? IMO Chase is nudging everyone toward its premium cards. That’s the whole play here I think, and it’s a BUMMER.
If the 1:1 Hyatt transfer was never your thing, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is still a fantastic overall travel reward card. Valuable transfer partners, low annual fee…the same card I’d hand a brand-new friend on day one to START.
and the Preferred® will still be crazy valuable that first year no matter what (hello big welcome bonus)
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 THE GOOD (FANTASTIC, AMAZING, RELIEVING!!) NEWS?! The Chase Sapphire Reserve® IS keeping the 1:1 Hyatt transfer ratio…praise be Hallelujah.
SO, in my family, my long-term forever keeper card I think will definitely now be the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, but you need to decide what is best for your crew.
What These Chase Sapphire Preferred® Changes Mean for Your Strategy
IMO If Hyatt is a big piece of your saving on travel strategy, it would be smart to lock in that 1:1 Hyatt transfer with either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (🚨 before MONDAY!! this announcement feels a bit timely no!? yeesh) or Sapphire Reserve for Business℠.
→ The personal Reserve® is my top pick — it keeps the 1:1 Hyatt transfer, the up to 2x Points Boost in the Chase Travel portal, the 2 free guests with the Lounge access and allll the annual credits.
Yes, it carries a $795 annual fee. I KNOW (and very much may not be a fit for your crew because of that- thats OK). 😅😅
But okay, reframe >>> would you pay $795 to unlock $3,500+ in travel, with a stack of annual credits chipping away at that fee along the way??! Remember a card is ALWAYS worth it year 1, and after that you can reassess long term.
Quick transparency, this is my affiliate link, and using it helps support our family instead of those big ole’ banks 🙏 (costs you nothing extra!). I only EVER point you to cards I’d grab myself.
A Few Quick Answers for Current Sapphire Preferred® Cardholders
Already have the Preferred? You get all the new additional perks starting June 15th, nothing to do on your end
Already used your old $50 hotel credit this year? Chase tops you up another $50, so you still land at the full $100
Want to book some $0 Hyatt hotels? Make any Hyatt transfer before October 1st, when the transfer moves to 4:3 for current card holders
The only constant in this game is change, friends. We’ve been riding the waves since 2018, and we’re still out here booking the trips. I have to “get my hand out of my face” as my husband tells me when these changes are announced, and remember to PRIVILEGE it is to travel at all…and save like this at all…so we continue to pivot, and continue to be grateful ❤️
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.