No, Chase Sapphire Reserve does not offer any benefits designed specifically for American Airlines travelers. American Airlines is not among Chase's airline partners, either. So, cardholders can't transfer Ultimate Rewards points to the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program.

Yes, you can use your Chase Sapphire (Preferred or Reserve) for American Airlines, but not via a direct transfer. Unlike United or Southwest, American Airlines is not a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards. To use your points for an AA flight in 2026, you have two primary options: Booking through the Chase Travel portal, where your points are worth 1.25 to 1.5 cents each toward the cash price of any AA flight, or Transferring to a partner airline. Since American is part of the oneworld alliance, you can transfer Chase points to British Airways Avios or Iberia Plus and then use those miles to book "award seats" on American Airlines flights. This "workaround" is a favorite for travel hackers, though it requires that AA has made "saver level" award space available to its partners, which can be limited during peak travel seasons.

Excellent question! The short answer is yes, you can use your Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve® card to pay for American Airlines flights, but there are some important details to understand about how to get the most value.

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know:

1. Paying for Flights Directly

You can absolutely use your Chase Sapphire card as a payment method on the American Airlines website, app, or at the airport. It will work like any other Visa credit card.

• You will earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on the purchase (2x points on travel with the Preferred, 3x points on travel with the Reserve).
• You will earn American Airlines AAdvantage® miles for the flight itself, as long as you provide your AAdvantage number when booking.
• You will NOT get American Airlines-specific card benefits like free checked bags, priority boarding, or a discount, which are reserved for co-branded American Airlines credit cards (like the Citi® / AAdvantage® cards).

2. Transferring Points to Travel Partners (The Best Value Method)

This is where the Chase Sapphire cards shine. You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline partners at a 1:1 ratio. British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus are both Chase transfer partners and are members of the oneworld alliance with American Airlines.

How it works: 1. Search for award flights on American Airlines’ website. 2. Find a flight you want that has “saver” level award availability. 3. Log into your British Airways Avios account (or Iberia). 4. Search for and book the exact same American Airlines flight using Avios. Because they are alliance partners, you can book AA flights with Avios. 5. Transfer your Chase points instantly to British Airways to complete the booking.

Why this is powerful: Often, you can book American Airlines flights for fewer points by using British Airways Avios for short-haul flights (especially under 1,151 miles in distance-based award charts). This is a famous “sweet spot” for maximizing point value.

3. Booking Through the Chase Travel Portal

You can book American Airlines flights directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal using your points or your card.

• Using Points