How We Travel in Luxury on Points: Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is Our Favorite Travel Card for Couples

If you’ve ever scrolled through our travel photos and wondered how we manage to stay at luxury resorts and fly up front without maxing out our savings account, here’s the truth. We travel like this because of points. And not in a complicated spreadsheet kind of way either. We use smart credit card strategies that actually work, and one of the best ways to start is with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

We’ve used this card for years and always recommend it to friends who are just getting into points travel. It’s affordable, beginner-friendly, and one of the easiest ways to start building toward free flights and hotel stays. Right now, the welcome bonus is even higher than usual, which makes it a perfect time to jump in.

Disclosure: This post reflects my personal experience with the Chase Sapphire Preferred®. I was not paid or required to write it. I only share products I actually use and love. If you apply using my referral link, I may receive a bonus at no extra cost to you.

The Elevated Bonus You Should Know About

Right now, Chase is offering a limited-time elevated welcome bonus of 100,000 points on the Sapphire Preferred®. When you meet the minimum spending requirement in the first three months, you can earn a large chunk of points that you can redeem for flights, hotels, rental cars, and more.

We’ve used welcome bonuses like this to fly to Italy in business class and stay in five-star hotels on the Amalfi Coast. It’s the easiest way to jumpstart your points travel journey without doing anything more than shifting your regular spending to a smarter card.

These bonuses change often, so if you’re thinking about it, now is a great time to apply and start earning right away.

Apply here with my Chase Sapphire Preferred referral link

Credit Card Points 101 for Beginners

Never used points before? Or maybe you’ve heard about “points people” and thought it sounded complicated? This part is for you.

Here’s how it works in plain English:

You get a credit card that earns reward points when you use it for everyday purchases. The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns two points per dollar on travel and dining, and one point per dollar on everything else.

You can use those points in two main ways:

1. Book travel directly through the Chase Travel portal, which works like Expedia for flights, hotels, and rental cars.
2. Transfer your points to Chase’s travel partners like Hyatt, United, Air France, or Marriott to potentially get even better value.

The best part? You’re not locked into one airline or hotel. You get to decide how and where to use your points, based on what works for your trip.

How We’ve Personally Used Our Points

This is where it gets fun. We’ve used our Chase Sapphire Preferred® points to book:

• Flights to Europe in business class (we transferred points to Air France)
• Luxury hotel stays in Costa Rica using Hyatt points
• Last-minute beach getaways to Mexico
• Domestic flights and car rentals through the Chase portal

We didn’t pay for any of it out of pocket — just used points. And all of it started with this one card.

Why We Always Recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred

Here’s what we love most about it:

• Two points per dollar on travel and dining
• Flexible redemption options with transfer partners or direct bookings
• A 25% bonus when you redeem points through Chase Travel
• No foreign transaction fees (a must for international travel)
• Built-in travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and rental car coverage
• A low annual fee that’s more than worth it for what you get

This is the card we always recommend to couples or friends who want to travel smarter without diving headfirst into the deep end of travel hacking.

How to Start Traveling on Points

If you’re ready to start earning travel points, here’s what to do:

1. Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred®
2. Use the card for your daily spending — groceries, bills, takeout, travel
3. Hit the welcome bonus by spending the required amount in the first three months
4. Watch those points pile up
5. Plan a trip and use your points to book flights, hotels, or both

You’ll be amazed how quickly it adds up.

Want to Travel Like We Do?

This is truly how we’ve been able to travel so often, so well, and with so many memorable experiences. Whether you’re dreaming of a honeymoon in Italy, a birthday trip to Costa Rica, or just more spontaneous weekend escapes — this card makes it possible.

If you’re ready to get started, you can use our Chase Sapphire Preferred referral link below.

Click here to apply and start earning points

This is the card that started it all for us. We’re still using it, still recommending it, and still building dream trips with the points it earns.