Points enthusiast favors Chase Ultimate Rewards over Amex Membership Rewards

In contrast, redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points through the American Express Travel portal typically yields only up to 1 cent per point. When it comes to cash back redemptions, Amex offers just 0.6 cents per point compared to Chase’s flat rate of 1 cent per point.

The contributor acknowledges that while Amex boasts more transfer partners (20 versus Chase’s 14), not all are equally valuable in practice: "Despite these valuable transfer partners, I don't find much value in many of Amex's other transfer partners and rarely use them."

Dining purchases remain an area where the Amex Gold stands out due to its high earning rates—4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 each calendar year) and 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or via Amex Travel. However, given a surplus of accumulated Amex points and already-booked flights for the rest of the year, attention has shifted toward maximizing hotel redemptions—where "Chase has the best hotel transfer partners, with Hyatt, IHG and Marriott."

"My go-to redemption with Ultimate Rewards points is transferring them to World of Hyatt to cover my hotel stays when traveling," says the contributor.

The fixed award chart maintained by Hyatt allows for predictable redemption values—a key benefit highlighted by recent personal travel experiences such as booking a room at Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport using just 6,500 Chase points instead of paying over $200 in cash.

Chase also offers partnerships with Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. The former provides opportunities for last-minute domestic flights during frequent award sales; United enables access to Star Alliance network awards: "With United, I can unlock numerous flight possibilities by redeeming miles to book award tickets on United planes or Star Alliance partner airlines."

Another factor influencing this preference is flexibility abroad: "Having traveled abroad extensively, I find it much easier to use a Chase Visa credit card when overseas...I've encountered many places abroad that don't accept Amex."

Ultimately, while both cards hold permanent spots in this traveler’s wallet due to their respective strengths in earning rates and redemption options—especially on dining—the current strategy prioritizes accruing Chase Ultimate Rewards because they align better with planned travel needs.

"My strategy could change if I run low on Amex points or if a new lucrative welcome offer presents itself," concludes the author.