Chase Ultimate Rewards points are terrific for award flights to the Caribbean. So the amazing Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus of 80,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points can go a long way towards award flights AND free hotel nights.
You can transfer points to 4 airline partners to get to the Caribbean: British Airways, Flying Blue, Southwest, and United Airlines.
With remaining points, you can book free hotel stays at chains like Hyatt or IHG. And if you need more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer points from other cards like the Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Book a Caribbean Getaway to Aruba & Many Other Destinations Using the 80,000 Point Ink Business Preferred Sign-Up Bonus for Award Flights and Free Hotel Nights
I’ll explain how to use your points to get Big Travel to the Caribbean!
4 Ways to Get to the Caribbean Using Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Link: Chase Ink Business Preferred
After completing the Ink Business Preferred minimum spending requirement, you’ll have at least 85,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points you can use towards a Caribbean vacation.
Plus, you can combine points from other Ultimate Rewards cards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Sapphire Preferred.
I’ll show you 4 award flight choices to get to the Caribbean.
1. Transfer Points to United Airlines
Link: United Airlines Award Chart
Link: United Airlines Partner Award Chart
United Airlines charges the same number of miles for flights to more than 20 destinations in the Caribbean, no matter which city you’re starting from in the continental US, Alaska, or Canada. That’s why United Airlines is your best option if you’re traveling a long distance to get to the Caribbean.
You’ll pay:
17,500 United Airlines miles one-way in coach
30,000 United Airlines miles one-way in Business Class
40,000 United Airlines miles one-way in First Class
You can also fly to the Caribbean on United Airlines partner airlines like:
Air Canada
Cape Air
Copa Airlines
Silver Airways
United Airlines
For example, I found a round-trip award flight from Newark to San Juan in March 2017, for 35,000 United Airlines miles and ~$11.
Use 35,000 United Airlines Miles to Book a Round-Trip Award Flight to San Juan!
2. Transfer Points to British Airways
Link: American Airlines Caribbean Destinations
Link: British Airways Award Flight Calculator
Link: How to Fly to the Caribbean With British Airways Avios Points
You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from your Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus to British Airways and fly to more than 30 Caribbean destinations on oneworld alliance partner American Airlines.
British Airways uses a distance-based award chart. That means the amount you’ll pay depends on the length of your flight. So folks traveling shorter distances to the Caribbean, like from the East Coast or Southern US states, can get a great deal using British Airways Avios points.
Award flights cost:
7,500 British Airways Avios points for flights under 1,151 miles
10,000 British Airways Avios points for flights between 1,152 and 2,000 miles
12,500 British Airways Avios points for flights between 2,001 and 3,000 miles
I recommend using the British Airways award flight calculator or Wandering Aramean’s Avios calculator tool to check the cost of an award flight.
Available award seats can be extremely limited. So this might not be a great option if you’re looking to book a family vacation to the Caribbean using points.
I found available award seats on a non-stop, round-trip American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Nassau, Bahamas for 15,000 British Airways Avios points and ~$102.
Use 15,000 British Airways Avios Points for a Round-Trip Award Flight From Charlotte to Nassau, Bahamas
This same flight would cost 30,000 American Airlines miles and ~$102 if you booked directly with American Airlines. So using British Airways Avios points saves you 15,000 miles!
3. Transfer Points to Flying Blue (Air France / KLM)
Link: Flying Blue Miles Calculator
Transferring points from your Ink Business Preferred bonus to Flying Blue gives you the option to book award flights on SkyTeam Alliance partner airlines like Delta.
One-way award flights from the US to Caribbean destinations cost:
15,000 Flying Blue miles in coach
30,000 Flying Blue miles in Business Class
But you’ll pay even less to get to these Caribbean destinations:
Aruba
Bonaire
Cancun
Cozumel
Because Flying Blue considers these destinations in North America, it will only cost 12,500 Flying Blue miles one-way in coach. That’s an amazing deal!
Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Flying Blue to Book Discounted Award Flights to Cozumel
4. Transfer Points to Southwest
Link: How to Fly (Almost) Free For Two Years on Southwest!
Southwest award flights are terrific because there are no blackout dates. As long as a flight is available to purchase, you can use Southwest points to book an award flight.
For example, I found a round-trip award flight from Houston to Cancun in January 2017, for 17,410 Southwest points and ~$46 in taxes and fees.
You’ll Pay 17,410 Southwest Points and ~$46 for a Round-Trip Award Flight From Houston to Cancun
This same flight costs ~$323 if you paid cash.
On all Southwest flights, you’ll also get:
2 free checked bags
No change or cancellation fees if your plans change
Southwest flies to these Caribbean destinations:
Aruba
Belize City
Cancun
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Nassau, Bahamas
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Folks with the Southwest Companion Pass will get the best deal traveling to the Caribbean. Because a friend or family member can fly with you for almost free on paid and award tickets for up to 2 years!
Get Travel Protection With the Ink Business Preferred
Link: Ink Business Preferred Benefits Guide
Remember when you pay for part of your trip with the Ink Business Preferred, like the taxes and fees on an award flight, you’ll also get perks like:
Primary rental car auto insurance (when renting for business purposes)
Trip cancellation & interruption insurance up to $5,000 per trip
Trip delay reimbursement up to $500 for delays of 12+ hours
Lost luggage reimbursement for yourself and immediate family, up to $3,000 per passenger
Baggage delay insurance for up to $100 a day for 5 days on delays of 6+ hours
Accident insurance for death or dismemberment, up to $500,000
It’s good to know you’re covered in the unlikely event you’ll have to use any of these coverages.
Also remember, the Ink Business Preferred comes with $600 in cell phone insurance. So if your phone is damaged or stolen on your Caribbean vacation, this coverage could save you a lot of money on repairs or buying a replacement.
Hotel Stays in the Caribbean With Ultimate Rewards Points
After your flights to the Caribbean are booked, you can transfer any remaining Chase Ultimate Rewards points to hotel partners like IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton.
Emily and I like Hyatt hotels because we’ve had excellent experiences staying with them. And their top-category hotels can be very expensive if you paid cash.
Here are posts on top Caribbean hotels you could stay at by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points:
5 Outstanding Hyatt Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico
5 Great Marriott Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico
5 Outstanding IHG Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico
5 Outstanding Ritz-Carlton Hotels in the Caribbean & Mexico
You can also book hotels through the Chase travel portal. And remember your Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1.25 cents each when used to book hotels this way.
So you might be able to book a stay at a hotel that’s not part of a big chain or a unique all-inclusive.
Bottom Line
The 80,000-point Ink Business Preferred sign-up bonus gives you terrific options for a Caribbean vacation.
For award flights to the Caribbean, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to airline programs like British Airways, Flying Blue, Southwest, and United Airlines.
If you have the Southwest Companion Pass, flying Southwest to the Caribbean can be an amazing deal because you’ll get almost 2 for 1 travel!
With remaining Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can book outstanding hotels with IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, or Ritz-Carlton.
If you’re looking for an alternative small business card that earns transferable points, you can consider The Enhanced Business Platinum® Card from American Express OPEN. For a limited time, it has a 100,000 AMEX Membership Rewards point sign-up bonus after meeting spending requirements.
Which Caribbean destination would you visit with the Ink Business Preferred bonus?
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