Travel Credit Cards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve
Travel credit cards….
In 2020 I traveled to Brazil for almost 2 months for Carnaval, living in Copacabana, and boy did I learn a lot. While I was there learning about the history of Samba and the culture, I also found myself learning a lot about traveling in general, and not just traveling – but traveling smarter. It wasn’t until this trip that I had even considered a travel credit card. I returned to find myself singing up for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which – hear me out – despite it’s $550/annual fee, packs some serious bang for buck, and for some like me, pays for itself in both monetary value as well as perks and benefits.
I know that fee may scare a lot of people away, but I want break down some of the benefits here. After all, it is among some of the most popular travel credit cards and there is a reason for that. I’ve grown to consider it a bit of a life hack personally, and as a travel agent and dancer, I do find my traveling quite often. Let’s highlight just a few of the benefits….
Right now, the Chase Sapphire Reserve sign up bonus is 60,000 bonus points awarded so long as $4000 is spent within the first three months. This is equal to about $600 cash, $900 through the pay yourself back program, $900 towards travel in the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal, or as much as $1200 towards a Chase Partner hotel or Airline points transfer.
- The card includes a $300 annual travel credit (think of this as coming off that annual fee) towards things like hotels, flights, parking fees, trains, Airbnb, cruises, and more! This comes off automatically as a statement credit. Easy!
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access for you and up to two guests with complimentary food, drinks, wifi, and sometimes showers/daybeds. Some airports also offer free drink and food credits as an alternative at select restaurants. This saves me a TON of money, as airport food/drinks tend to be insanely overpriced.
- A $100 reimbursement for credit good towards either a Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck application fee
- Primary rental car Insurance of up to $75000
- Travel protection/interruption insurance and trip delay insurance
- Free DoorDash DashPass Subscription for a year plus a $5 per month statement credit
- A free Instacart+ Membership for one year plus $15 month statement credit
- Now let’s talk about points earned. This card earns 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every dollar spent on travel, after the $300 annual travel credit.
- They also have monthly bonuses to earn more, and offer 10x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides and Chase Dining. These rewards can be spent in a number of ways, typically for about 2 cents per point.
With all of this in mind, a frequent traveler such as myself can easily “cancel” out or justify that $550 annual fee by taking advantage of the perks, the lounges, and the benefits. These are just a few of the highlights. Click here to view explore all of the benefits and to apply today!
