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I can’t believe the bonus on Chase Sapphire Preferred is still out there at 100,000 points. I first posted about the higher bonus back in June. A few weeks later, I applied for the card and was approved (this is my second time owning the card). I have no idea how long the 100k bonus offer will last. My bonus points are still sitting in my account, begging to be spent.
Just to recap this deal:
- Spend $4000 in the first three months, get 100k bonus points
- $95 annual fee not waived
- 2X points on travel and dining, 1X on all other purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Primary car rental insurance
This is the top card I recommend to miles and points travelers, so I probably sound like a broken record. You can spend Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the Chase travel portal or transfer them to several partners including Southwest, United and Hyatt. This bonus is worth at least $1250 in travel.
Note: You cannot own this card if you own the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You cannot get the bonus if you’ve received the bonus on the CSP or CSR card within the last 48 months. You will not be approved for the card if you’ve opened 5 or more new credit cards in the last 24 months. See here for more details.
Russia, Here We Come!
As some of you know, we adopted two of our kids from Russia. Returning to Russia with them is complicated (see this post). I traveled to Washington, D.C. with them (twice!) to get their Russian passports updated. Then, Covid happened and everything was pushed back 1-2 years.
Well, my oldest is going off to college in two years. Once that happens, who knows what commitments he will have during school breaks (a summer job, internship, etc.) So, I best get planning now so that I can book the flights next year.
My 100k points could give us 3 one-way flights to Moscow on United. I could also transfer the points to Air France for flights via Paris. With all of the Chase transfer partners, I have several possibilities to use the points for that trip.
Or, instead of flights, I could use the points for hotels in Russia. I could transfer the points to Hyatt to stay at the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow. The location can’t be beat! There’s also the more sensible Hyatt Regency Moscow.
At this point, I’m unsure of our full itinerary. I know that it must include Vladivostok (where my boys are from). We may stop in St. Petersburg, or even make a stop in Tokyo. In any case, we can use those 100k points for flights home on a number of airlines.
But for now, my focus is on accumulating miles and points to make this trip happen.
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Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
St Peterberg is a city I would love to visit because of the history and museums. But I still have lots of doubt about visiting russia as a gay couple.
@Paul I understand, Russia does not have a good history with the LGBTQ community. They also have very antiquated views on adoption. I wish some things were different there.
That’s awesome! I’m stoked that my husband and I were both approved for the 100k bonus! We currently have 130k chase points so we’ll have a massive stash once we earn the bonuses! I don’t have any specific plans yet but love that I have so many options for redemption. I’m salivating!!! 🙂
@Tammie That’s awesome! Let the travel dreaming begin!
Hi Nancy,
Very good bonus indeed, and lots of ways to use it.
You have certain situation in your family about Russia, but I would recommend not going to Vladivostok for several reasons. (If boys want to chat with their blood relatives, video chat is the way to do it, to see how far that go). Trip from Moscow to Vlad. require a lot of extra money, time and energy, and nothing very interesting to see there.
St.Petersburg on the other hand can be really rewarding experience for the whole family, as in warm days (May-Aug) there is plenty to see in historic center + surrounding little gem towns, like Petergof, Pavlovsk, Pushkin – within a short train ride and beautiful. The good thing about St.Pete is that most attractions are at walkable distances, subway is efficient, and prices are way cheaper vs. Moscow. The city vibe is much calmer and people are more pleasant.
Moscow has few nice highlights, but beside Kremlin and Red square they are spread at big distances, hence more time to reach. I’d recommend to pick just a handful, plus go to Suzdal’ for a day trip on local train. I don’t use city bus tours, but for your family it may make sense to take one that goes to main Moscow sightseeing places with English-speaking guide, without the need to hassle with local transport.
Both capitals offer nice river cruises, I’d take evening-time in St.Pete and night-time in Moscow.
For trip ideas, you can also fly to Helsinki and take a 3-hour bus to St.Pete from there. Helsinki can be a 1-2 day stopover in either direction.
Good luck!
@Aleks Thanks for the recommendations! We may consider skipping Vladivostok if my boys are ok with it. You’re right, it’s so far away! I spent 2 months in Vladivostok and saw everything there is to see there, twice. So many considerations for this trip. I appreciate your insight.