Chase Transfers to Wyndham Rewards
It is always good to see banks increasing their offerings with travel rewards. We've learned that Chase transfers to Wyndham Rewards now. This makes a strong transfer partner program stronger, although it is highly variable how much this affects you and your Chase Ultimate Rewards strategy. Let's dive in to the news and see if it makes sense for you.
Current Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners
As you can see from our handy ToP Partner Transfer Tool, Chase Ultimate Rewards historically transferred at a 1 to 1 ratio to thirteen (13) programs. These partner programs include:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Canada
- Air France/KLM/Flying Blue
- British Airways
- Iberia
- IHG
- JetBlue
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Singapore Airlines
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- World of Hyatt
Wyndham Rewards is now the fourteenth (14th) transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and is also at a 1 to 1 ratio.
Should You Transfer to Wyndham Rewards
Cost of Award Nights
As mentioned, Chase transfers to Wyndham Rewards but should you actually utilize this partner? That is highly variable and the answer is not crystal clear. Wyndham Rewards has a simplified loyalty program. All free nights are limited to 3 different rewards levels and priced per bedroom:
- 7,500 points per night
- 15,000 points per night
- 30,000 points per night
Award Cost v. Cash Cost
At first glance, a hotel room booked with 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards sounds like a fantastic deal. It certainly may be, but it is not 100% true and probably unlikely. You need to examine each and every cash price to see if it justifies transferring points. Wyndham Rewards are usually worth less than 1 cent per point, so that 7,500 point room might have a cash price under $75. That is a very bad deal, if so. Similarly, for a 15,000 point/night room, you'd want, ideally, at least $225 in value and hope for $300+. For 30,000 points/night, you'd want a minimum of $450 and hope for $600. If you are not getting this value, you could consider transferring other points (our Partner Transfer Tool confirms both Capital One and Citi transfer to Wyndham at 1:1 also) or just paying cash.
For the right property and the right time of year, there may be value in transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Wyndham Rewards. But most of the time, it is hard to see the value in this latest Chase transfer partner. This program could have been extremely lucrative before the devaluation, and subsequent cancellation, of the Wyndham-Vacasa partnership.
“Value” Relative to Buying Points during a Sale
Additionally, you can oftentimes purchase Wyndham Rewards points for $0.007 each. While we oftentimes caution against buying points, it can make sense when you are ready to book a property and the cost to buy points is better than the cash cost. If you transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Wyndham at 1 to 1, you're using those points for barely more than 1/2 cent each, since you can buy them for that cost outright. That is horrific value and should be avoided at all costs. So even if the Wyndham Rewards award cost is a great deal relative to the nightly cash cost, also consider the actual cost, i.e. the cost to buy the Wyndham Rewards outright.
Chase Transfers to Wyndham Rewards: ToP Thoughts
Like most developments in the points & miles world, whether or not this latest Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner makes sense for you is highly your mileage may vary (YMMV). It might make sense for certain properties at certain times of the year, but probably won't make sense most of the time. If you wish to earn Wyndham Rewards, a fantastic option is the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business card, with no 5/24 impact, great bonus categories and a low annual fee or just buying the points outright during a sale with an 80-100% bonus.
What are your thoughts on this latest Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner? Come over to our Facebook group and let us know.
