How To Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to British Airways
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Written by
Harlan Vaughn
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC™
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
Chase Ultimate Rewards® is one of the most valuable and beginner-friendly transferable points programs around. Its airline and hotel partners, including British Airways Club, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, are some of the best.
But if you’re looking for maximum value, there are a couple of things to know before you complete your transfer.
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Can You Transfer Chase Points To British Airways?
Yes. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to British Airways Club for extra Avios points, which are the names of the British Airways airline loyalty program and points currency, respectively, but only if you hold certain Chase credit cards.
Most Ultimate Rewards credit cards with an annual fee will unlock access to Chase transfer partners, including British Airways. These cards include:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you have any of these cards, you can combine the Ultimate Rewards you earn with no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards cards and then transfer your rewards to travel partners. Example cards include the Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® cards.
Chase Ultimate Rewards To British Airways Transfer Ratio
The good thing about Chase Ultimate Rewards is that there’s only one transfer ratio to remember, and that’s 1:1. For each Ultimate Rewards point you transfer, you get an equal number of the travel partner’s points or miles currency.
However, you must transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways in increments of 1,000 points. That means if you need an odd number of points, you’ll need to round up to the nearest thousand. So if you just need a few points, you’ll end up with leftover British Airways Avios after you redeem them.
I find this mildly annoying, but I don’t mind if the award is valuable enough. Just note that once you transfer your points to a partner program, they’re then subject to that program’s expiration policy. For British Airways, your points expire after 36 months of inactivity.
Step-by-Step: How To Transfer Chase Points To British Airways
Here’s how to turn Chase Ultimate Rewards points into British Airways Avios.
Step 1: Sign in to Your Chase Account
First, log in to your Chase account. You can do this via chase.com, ultimaterewards.com or through the Chase mobile app.
If you know you want to transfer points, you can head to ultimaterewards.com. If you choose one of the other ways, you’ll see a link to view or redeem your Ultimate Rewards, which will take you to the same place.
Step 2: Choose Your Eligible Chase Card
If you have multiple Ultimate Rewards credit cards, as I do, you’ll want to select the account you want to use.
For points transfers, choose a card that has access to travel partners. In my case, I’ll go with my Ink Business Preferred card.
Step 3: Navigate To the Points Transfer Page
You’re in! Click the “Travel” tab and select “Transfer points to partners” from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Find British Airways
Scroll down to “Airlines” and find British Airways. They’re in alphabetical order, so it’s near the top.
Step 5: Initiate the Transfer
Now the good stuff. Click “Transfer Points.”
If it’s your first time transferring, you’ll need to enter your British Airways Club number. From another tab, log in to your British Airways account. This is a good idea anyway, so you can verify that your transfer went through without issue.
At the top right of the British Airways website, click your first name. On the page that appears, you’ll see your membership number near the top. Copy it and paste it into the other Ultimate Rewards tab.
Step 6: Enter the Number of Points To Transfer
Then, enter the number of points you want to transfer and click “Next”.
Step 7: Review and Confirm the Transfer
Now you’re at the final step. Review this page carefully, because once you make a transfer, it’s irreversible. If everything looks correct, click “Submit.”
Chase says transfers may take up to seven days, but most of the time, they’re instant. In fact, if you head back to the British Airways tab and refresh the page, chances are you’ll see your points balance instantly rise. If you had an award flight in mind, you can go ahead and snag it now.
When Does It Make Sense To Transfer Chase Points?
Chase Ultimate Rewards are a valuable points currency, so it’s a good idea to redeem them for high-end redemptions. Don’t get too hung up on this, as the best redemption is the one that makes you happy.
However, if you’re thinking of transferring your points, there are a couple of things you can do before you transfer.
First, check the cash price while you’re in the Ultimate Rewards portal. For your flight, Chase will display how many Ultimate Rewards points are needed to purchase it outright.
For this example flight, Chase charges about 38,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
Or, you can book through British Airways for 27,500 Avios plus a cash co-pay.
Which is best? It’s close, but in this example, I’d recommend going ahead and making the transfer. By doing so, you’ll pay about 10,000 points less. Even though there’s a cash component, it’s worth it to keep the extra Ultimate Rewards points in your account.
When Does It Not Make Sense To Transfer Chase Points?
When Cash Flights Are Cheap
British Airways is notorious for high cash co-pays on certain award tickets, to the point where it’s sometimes worth it to pay the cash price. If you find a cheap fare, it could be worth paying for it or booking through the Chase Travel℠ portal to redeem your Ultimate Rewards points, rather than transferring them to British Airways.
If You Want Elite Credit
When you transfer points to an airline for an award flight, you usually won’t earn credit toward the airline’s elite status program. There are exceptions, but even when it’s possible, sometimes the award flight is credited differently than a cash fare. This is worth considering if you care about earning elite status. But sometimes the deal is so good that it’s worth giving up the elite credit.
Transfers Without a Plan
I would also recommend not transferring points speculatively. You may occasionally see a points transfer bonus and be tempted to take it. But unless you have an immediate use for points or miles, keeping them with the bank program is usually the safest place to store them.
When you make a transfer, redeem your miles right away before the airline can devalue its loyalty program, which unfortunately happens regularly.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to British Airways
Here are some scenarios to avoid.
Check Your Loyalty Number
First things first, double- and triple-check that your loyalty number is correct before you make a transfer. The best way to avoid mistakes is to copy and paste the number. If you get it wrong, your points could end up in someone else’s account or take much longer to find their way into yours.
Check How Many Points You Need
If you intend to top off your account with a small number of points, an extra zero (3,000 versus 30,000) could be detrimental. Not only will you have extra points in your British Airways account, but you’ll also have fewer Ultimate Rewards points for another award. While you can always transfer more, you can’t reverse a transfer once it’s completed.
Make Sure Names Match
If you got married or changed your name, make sure your names match on your Chase accounts and British Airways account. Anything that’s mismatched could be lost in limbo or manual review, which would defeat the purpose of instant transfers.
Transfers To Other People’s Accounts
If you want to book an award flight for a friend or family member, you might want to skip a step and transfer your Ultimate Rewards points directly to their British Airways account. Not only would the names not match, but this is specifically prohibited in Chase’s terms and conditions.
Instead, finish your transfer and simply book the award flight through British Airways with their name on the ticket.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Transferring Chase Points to British Airways
Is it worth transferring Chase points to British Airways?
Sometimes. You’ll want to make sure you’re getting good value for your points relative to the ticket’s cash cost and the cost to redeem Ultimate Rewards. Certain awards are a phenomenal value, so it’s very worthwhile to know how to make these transfers when an opportunity appears.
How much are Chase points worth on British Airways?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth about 2 cents each, so you’ll want to make sure they’re worth at least that much before you transfer. Generally, British Airways Avios points aren’t as valuable, so you don’t want to lose value with your transfer. Ideally, your Chase points are worth about the same or more with your British Airways award flight.
Should I book through Chase Travel or transfer points to an airline?
Before you transfer any Chase points, check the cash cost of the flight, then divide it by the number of points you need, minus the taxes and fees. For example, if a flight costs $200 or you could get it for 20,000 points plus $25 in taxes, your calculation would look like: 200 – 25 = 175. 175/20000 = 0.009
That’s a bit less than 1 cent per point. In this case, you can probably do better by buying the flight with cash or booking through Chase Travel, because then at least you’d also earn points and elite credit when you fly.
