You can book 3 round-trip flights to Italy with just 1 card’s welcome bonus

Editor’s note: Chase Ultimate Rewards will pause Emirates point transfers from May 29 through June 30 (tentatively).

Planning a trip to Italy doesn’t have to just be a bucket list dream. In fact, you could be sipping wine and eating gelato with your family or two of your closest friends sooner than you think.

In the world of points and miles, travel rewards cards can help you cut the (very expensive) flight and hotel costs. And if you know how to maximize your points with a really great redemption, booking an international trip, such as an Italian vacay, doesn’t have to be an unattainable getaway.

With just one card in your back pocket, you could book three, yes, three, round-trip flights to Italy. Keep reading to find out how the limited-time Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) welcome bonus will have you saying “ciao” in no time.

Related: Is the limited-time 100,000-point Chase Sapphire Preferred offer really one of the best deals ever?

Book flights to Italy using Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Step 1

For a limited time, the Sapphire Preferred Card is offering its highest-ever welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

If you hold the Sapphire Preferred Card, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent on travel purchased through the Chase Travel℠ portal; 3 points per dollar spent on dining, online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs) and select streaming services; 2 points per dollar spent on all travel purchases; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Therefore, if you hit the minimum spending requirement ($5,000 on purchases within the first three months) and don’t earn additional points through spending in bonus categories, you’ll earn at least 5,000 Chase points. If you combine your 5,000 Chase points and the limited-time welcome offer, you’ll have 105,000 Ultimate Rewards points within the first three months as a Chase cardholder.

Related: How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value

Step 2

So, now that you’ve earned your Chase points, here’s how to redeem your rewards for flights to Italy.

Chase has 14 airline and hotel transfer partners, which can help you maximize your points. Instead of booking through the travel portal, which will yield you a fixed value of 1.25 cents per point, you can transfer your Chase points to an airline or hotel loyalty program. TPG values Chase points at 2.05 cents per point, per our April 2025 valuations, so you should aim to get close to or above that value.

One notable airline partner of Chase is Emirates Skywards. Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Skywards at a 1:1 ratio; therefore, for every 1,000 Chase points you transfer, you’ll receive 1,000 Skywards miles.

Emirates operates a nonstop fifth-freedom flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP). You can fly one-way in economy from New York to Milan for only 17,500 miles plus $54 in taxes and fees. Note that when flying from MXP to JFK, you’ll incur about $94 in taxes and fees.

Therefore, for a round-trip economy flight, you’ll pay just 35,000 Skywards miles plus about $148 in taxes and fees. That is an amazing deal, as most airline loyalty programs charge significantly higher award redemption rates — or at the very least, higher cash surcharges.

With 105,000 Chase points, you can book three Emirates round-trip economy flights from JFK to MXP.

Related: Emirates Skywards loyalty program: How to earn and redeem miles, elite status and more

Step 3

However, before you transfer all of your hard-earned reward points, you must make sure there is award availability. Since transfers are irreversible, it’s best to look on Emirates’ website and find award flights. Additionally, make sure you input the number of award seats you are hoping to book. For example, if you are booking three round-trip flights, search for three award seats.

According to our tests, Chase transfers to Emirates Skywards are instantaneous; however, transfers may be slower, especially if this is your first transfer or if you recently joined the airline loyalty program.

What if I don’t live near JFK airport?

Well, I’m glad you asked. Even if you don’t live near JFK, you can still take this Emirates flight. At TPG, we love using positioning flights to book even better award seats.

For example, as someone who currently resides in South Florida, I would either pay cash or redeem points or miles to book a flight from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to JFK. So, even if I use cash and have to pay between $100 and $300 for a round-trip flight from MCO to JFK, that still would be more cost-effective than paying thousands of dollars for a round-trip flight to Italy from my home airport.

However, there are always caveats to these small travel tips and tricks, so be sure to check out our guide to positioning flights for things to keep in mind when you book.

Related: No major airport near you? Here’s how expert travelers still get amazing flight deals

Bottom line

Utilizing Chase points can help you (and several family members) fly round-trip to Italy with just one card’s welcome bonus. By reducing (and practically eliminating) the cost of these transatlantic flights, you only have to account for your hotel stay and spending money.

Plus, if you only book one round-trip flight (for yourself), you could cut the cost of your hotel stays by transferring your Chase points to the reward program’s three hotel partners: Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards and my personal favorite, World of Hyatt.

Apply now: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card with a 100,000-point bonus.