No, Chase is not an American Airlines partner. This means you cannot transfer Ultimate Rewards points to the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program.
The best way to decide between the two options is to compare their respective prices. If an award ticket costs fewer points, then you should transfer Chase points to United and book that way. If you could spend fewer Chase points with the Ultimate Rewards travel portal, then that's the way to go.
No, Chase is not an American Airlines partner. This means you cannot transfer Ultimate Rewards points to the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program. However, there are a number of Chase credit cards that offer rewards for booking American Airlines flights.
Flights. Because the Chase travel portal doesn't limit you to transfer partners or loyalty programs, you'll be able to search almost all major airlines. One notable exception is Southwest Airlines, which is still bookable using UR points but will require a phone call to the Chase Travel Center to reserve your flight.
Generally speaking, it's better to redeem your points for travel. You'll likely get more value from a travel redemption than cash back for the same number of points. It's best to aim to get at least 1.5 cents value from each point.