In 2018 Chase shifted their travel portal from Connexions Loyalty (owned by cxLoyalty) to Expedia. Then in late 2020 Chase acquired cxLoyalty. Chase is now running the Chase Travel Portal through cxLoyalty again. Some people prefer the offering from Expedia, whereas others prefer cxLoyalty. It looks like it’s still showing as powered by Expedia for some.
Most cardholders will get better value from points by using the Chase Pay Yourself Back feature, but Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders do have a $50 annual hotel credit.
Hat tip to wiivile
I’ve had trouble trying to book a rental car on the travel portal recently it kind of sucks. Anyone else having issues?
Accidentally posted this under someone else’s comment instead of as a standalone:
Would it be possible to book an apartment via the UR Portal to get the 10x points and then use PYB to pay it off at the 1.5 cents per point rate, given that the apartment is also found on Airbnb? Essentially double dipping, no?
I have no idea what the charge reads out as on the statement when booking through the portal. I mean, do they just book through Airbnb on your behalf in that case? If so, that’s why I’m wondering if it’s possible to double dip that way and earn the 10x rate + redeem at the 1.5 cpp rate.
Any insight would be appreciated!
Expedia customer service is non-existent so from that perspective it is a good change.
I recall one of the best features of the change to Expedia was the ability to book same-day hotel rooms. I wonder if we lose that by going back to this provider.
Apparently it is the case!!!! To say I am frustrated is an extreme understatement. Most of my hotel bookings are literally last minute (i.e. it’s Friday morning and I decide to drive somewhere for the weekend… or even worse – I drive for 8 hours straight and decide I want to stop for the night asap), so it looks like now I won’t be able to do it through UR points. Arghhhh…
My travel portal says, “Provided by AFAR” No mention of Expedia
Expedia customer service has been truly awful. Last couple times when I had problems, Ive had to spend hours on the phone with agents who were clueless! I hope this is a change for the better.
I wonder if Disney resorts will be bookable with points again? They disappeared at about the same time as the switch to Expedia.
I earn most of my points from 5X categories using Ink Cash and Freedom [Flex], which I transfer to CSR. I only use CSR for travel (mostly tolls and parking) and occasionally for dining. As far as I can tell, PYB doesn’t do much for me.
There were certain airlines that used to show under the old regime that no longer showed under Expedia (maybe Ukrainian?). Also, I had flights unavailable on Chase/Expedia that were available on Wells Fargo. So I’ guardedly optimistic that this will be an improvement.
It makes more sense to “Pay Yourself Back” because booking travel earns a high rate, correct?
Yes and because you earn point on the original purchase when using PYB. If you use PYB on CSR dining and pay for travel you have an extra 3UR/$ vs redeeming the point on the Chase portal. That goes up to 5-10UR/$ if you use the Chase portal for the cash booking.
Would it be possible to book an apartment via the UR Portal to get the 10x points and then use PYB to pay it off at the 1.5 cents per point rate, given that the apartment is also found on Airbnb? Essentially double dipping, no?
I have no idea what the charge reads out as on the statement when booking through the portal. I mean, do they just book through Airbnb on your behalf in that case? If so, that’s why I’m wondering if it’s possible to double dip that way and earn the 10x rate + redeem at the 1.5 cpp rate.
Any insight would be appreciated!
Yes. PYB lets you book directly with the airline and reimburse in the form of points showing up as a statement credit. Chase UR means they book it under a travel agent and you are at their MERCY to honor fare differences or upgrades/changes. Expedia denies flight credits less than I think $20 and you have to book through them (Expedia/Chase UR) to redeem it.
Did I miss something? I don’t see airlines included as the PYB categories? How would one go about getting the statement credits if you booked flights directly with airlines?