We’ve been full-time travelers for years, always weighing whether a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve really delivers.
With its hefty $795 annual fee, we asked ourselves: is it worth it?
After using it for flights, hotels, lounges, and more across 90+ countries, here’s why we say yes…if you use it right.
So let’s dive in!
$300 Annual Travel Credit That Actually Works
One of the simplest benefits is the $300 travel statement credit.
It applies to almost anything travel-related, from flights and hotels to campgrounds and parking.
We’ve never had an issue with the credit being applied to our travel expenses charged on the card. It just magically disappears.
That alone slices the fee down fast.
Airport Lounges That Actually Upgrade Your Travel Day
Airport lounges used to feel optional. Now they’re essential.
Lounges not only get you out of the crowded, stressful terminal environment. They are an airport food and drinks hack! We save hundreds of dollars by eating and drinking in airport lounges rather than overpriced airport restaurants when we fly.
And with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, we get unlimited access to Chase lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and even select Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges.
If you take a look at buying a Priority Pass membership, that perk alone is worth $469! Not to mention all the money saved on airport food and wine!
If you are going to be visiting Europe, Central/South America, or Asia you’ll find Priority Pass lounges at even the smaller airports – where they are most needed! We’ve visited Priority Pass lounges in over 40 airports thanks to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Even when flying on ultra low cost carriers like Wizz Air or Air Asia.
It’s a game-changer on travel days.
Built-In Elite Hotel Status
Just by holding this card, we get IHG Platinum Elite status. And it last for 2 years.
That means perks like late checkout and bonus points every time we stay at Intercontinental, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn hotels!
Plus, when you book enough, you can even level up to Diamond Elite.
We love using the late checkout perk while traveling – it’s huge.
Travel Protections That Add Up
The perks don’t just stop at travel perks. It also protects you while traveling – saving you money AND protecting you and your trip.
With this card, you’re covered for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, baggage issues, and emergency evacuations. Sometimes thousands of dollars in relief:
Rental Car Insurance
One of the most underrated perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve is its primary rental car insurance.
Most credit cards only offer secondary coverage, which kicks in after your own car insurance.
With this card, you’re covered for theft and collision damage without involving your personal policy.
We’ve used it in Europe when renting cars in Italy and Scotland, and knowing we didn’t have to pay extra at the counter or risk our own insurance back home saved us both money and stress.
This single benefit can be worth hundreds each year.
Purchase Protection
Covers your eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft up to $10,000 per item.
Return Protection
You can be reimbursed for eligible items that the store won’t accept within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per 12-month period.
24/7 Fraud Monitoring
Chase safeguards your credit card purchases using sophisticated fraud monitoring. They monitor for fraud 24/7 and will text, email or call you if there are unusual purchases on your credit card.
Unfortunately, we’ve had fraud twice on our Chase Sapphire Reserve while traveling. But Chase detected it quickly and contacted us. They reversed the fraudulent charges and closed the card – but then offered to ship a new card to us even though we weren’t at home!
That’s true peace of mind!
Everyday Perks That Add Up
It’s not just travel.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card also comes with built-in credits for dining, Apple subscriptions, DoorDash, Lyft, and even Peloton.
Honestly, there are too many deals and discounts to list here. So click here check them out for yourself.
There are up to $1,500 in lifestyle credits! We actually use about $700 in lifestyle credits.
Bonus Points That Fuel Future Trips
We earn 8x points on Chase Travel, 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, and 3x on dining, and a solid 1x on everything else.
So the points add up fast.
When we redeem through Chase Travel or partners, that adds up to a lot of flights and hotel stays. Especially since Ultimate Rewards points are so flexible.
You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 11 airline programs:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- British Airways Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Club Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
- United Airlines MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
We’ve used Chase points for flights all over the world, including business class flights on United, JetBlue, and Air France. It’s one of the ways we find cheap or free business class flights.
A Real-World Example
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card saved us $800 on just one trip last year.
We got our $300 travel credit for flight expenses, relaxed in airport lounges at 3 airports, and got free insurance on our rental car.
All of that while earning points for our next trip.
Final Take
The Chase Sapphire Reserve is expensive. Because it’s worth it!
If travel is part of how you live, those mix of credits, perks, and protections can easily outweigh the sticker shock. Just be sure to use the benefits!
If you travel more that once a year, book hotels, dine out, or stream and ride, it easily pays for itself.
But if the price tag is still too high, you can always check out the perks offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for $95/year.
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Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first big trip, follow us on the socials for more real-world travel tips:
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