Broke Bento

🛫 How to Book Flights to Asia Using Points (Step-by-Step) — Chase Edition

By Broke Bento Fangirl
Broke Bento Fangirl

If you’ve been dreaming of flying to Korea or Japan to see your favorite idols — but your wallet says no — let me introduce you to your new best friend: Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

With the right strategy, you could book a $1,000+ flight for just taxes and fees. Let me show you how I’m doing it as a fangirl on a budget.

 
✨ Step 1: Get the Right Chase Card
To earn Chase points, you’ll need one of these cards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred®

  • 🔥 Welcome offer: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in 3 months
  • 🏆 Best beginner card with flexible travel perks
  • 💰 $95 annual fee

    Once you’ve got your points stacking up, let’s start shopping for that flight. Check here for my Credit Card List

 
🌍 Step 2: Know Your Transfer Partners
The magic of Chase points is that you can transfer them 1:1 to airline partners, including:

  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • United Airlines MileagePlus
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Emirates Skywards
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Iberia Plus
  • Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
  • Korean Air (through SkyTeam partners like Air France)

If you’re heading to Korea or Japan, look for award seats on:
✈️ Korean Air, ANA, Japan Airlines, Asiana, or Delta (via Air France or Virgin Atlantic)

 
🔎 Step 3: Search for Award Availability
This is the trickiest part. You’ll need to find flights that can actually be booked with points. Here's how:

💻 Tools to Search:

  • Air Canada (Aeroplan) → great for Star Alliance options like ANA
  • Air France Flying Blue → book Delta, Korean Air, or KLM
  • United.com → good for Star Alliance routes to Asia
  • Virgin Atlantic → sometimes shows Korean Air availability
  • Seats.aero or Point.me (paid tools) to speed up the search

✅ Tip: Look for economy or business saver award seats — they cost fewer points.
 
🔁 Step 4: Transfer Your Points
Once you’ve found your flight, go to your Chase Ultimate Rewards® dashboard, choose “Transfer to Travel Partners,” and send your points to the airline program you’re booking through.

🔁 Transfers are usually instant, but double-check availability before you transfer — it’s a one-way street!

 
🧾 Step 5: Book and Pay Taxes
Once your points show up in your airline account, go ahead and book! You’ll just need to pay some taxes and fees — usually $5–$100 depending on the airline and route.

 
🎟️ Real Example:
I booked a roundtrip from New York to Seoul for just 50,000 points + $89 in taxes via Flying Blue (Air France) by transferring Chase points!

 
💡 Final Tips for Success:

  • Be flexible with your travel dates
  • Book early (award seats disappear fast)
  • Mix and match airlines — you can book one-way tickets separately
  • Save Chase points for big redemptions (like international flights or business class)
     
    🎤 TL;DR for the Fangirl on a Mission:
    Use Chase points smartly, and you’ll be screaming for your bias in Seoul before you know it — without emptying your bank account. 💳✈️💜