Hello fellow travel enthusiasts!
In this issue, I’m going to show you how the 75,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred bonus can realistically cover roundtrip flights to Europe AND a 4-night hotel stay without luxury redemptions, complicated hacks, or unrealistic math.
We’ll walk through real Flying Blue prices, hotel bookings using Chase points, and why the minimum spend actually gives you more points than advertised.
Let’s get into it.

First, Let’s Get the Point Total Right
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000.
What often gets overlooked is that the spending itself also earns points.
Here’s the full math:
• Signup bonus: 75,000 points
• Minimum spend: $5,000
• Points from spend (1x): 5,000 points (at minimum)
Total points earned: ~80,000 Ultimate Rewards points
That extra 5,000 points is important — especially when we get to hotels.
Flights to Europe Using Flying Blue (Where the Real Value Is)
Flying Blue (Loyalty Program of Air France / KLM) is one of Chase’s best airline partners. Economy flights to Europe often price at 18,000–19,500 points one-way.
Example:
• NYC → Paris: ~18,500 points
• Paris → NYC: ~18,500 points
Total: ~37,000 points roundtrip
Taxes & fees: typically $180–$220
Cash price for this flight is often $700–$900, depending on dates.
At this point, you’ve used less than half of your total points.

Points Remaining After Flights
Starting points: ~80,000
Flights used: ~37,000
Points left: ~43,000
This is where hotels come in.

Hotels: Covering 4 Nights on Points
You have two realistic ways to use these remaining points.
Option 1: Chase Travel Portal (Simple & Flexible)
With the Sapphire Preferred, points are worth 1.25¢ each in the Chase portal.
• 43,000 points ≈ $537 in hotel value
That can reasonably cover:
• 4 nights at ~$130–$135 per night, or
• 3 nicer nights at ~$175–$180 per night
No transfers, no availability headaches.
Option 2: Transfer to Hyatt (Best Value)
Hyatt is one of Chase’s strongest hotel partners.
Many solid Hyatt properties in Europe price at:
8,000–12,000 points per night
A very realistic scenario:
• 10,000 points per night × 4 nights = 40,000 points
• Cash rates: ~$150–$220 per night
That’s 4 full hotel nights covered, with a cash value of roughly $600–$850, depending on the city.
You’ll even have a few points left over.

What This Trip Looks Like in Plain English
✈️ Roundtrip flight to Europe
• ~37,000 points
• ~$800 cash value
🏨 4 hotel nights
• ~40,000–43,000 points
• ~$600–$850 cash value
🎯 Total value from one card:
~$1,400 to $1,650
All from one signup bonus plus normal spending you were already doing.

Quick Win
If you’re holding Chase points, avoid redeeming them for:
• Gift cards
• Merchandise
• Random portal “deals”
Those usually lock you into 1¢ per point or less.
Flights and hotels are where Chase points consistently shine.

Tools & Gear (Recommended)
Apple AirTag — Track checked bags on international trips
Power Bank — Game-changer for long flights
Universal travel adapter — One plug, every country
*Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase — at no extra cost to you.

Quick Favor
If this issue helped, feel free to forward it to someone who wants to travel more without paying full price.
See you next time,
Turab
PointstotheT
Smart starts here.
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