Cash + points optimized plan · 2 travelers · gross budget totals are USD per traveler; pair, car, and room totals are labeled · live trvl cash prices and Chase rules checked July 11, 2026

San Jose to Europe · Oct 23–Nov 15, 2026

San Jose → SFO → Dublin → Edinburgh → Glasgow → Islay → Glasgow → London → Prague → Italy → SFO → San Jose

Gross selected · per traveler $5,792–6,877 All 6 budget categories
Gross selected · two travelers $11,584–13,754 Shared costs split evenly
Time 23 days 22 nights · about 16 PTO weekdays
18 paid nights · 19 if Nov 8 is not covered 4 tournament nights · confirm Nov 8 1 full whisky day 2 Islay nights 2 Amalfi nights Nonstop Rome → SFO priority 170,000 Chase points available

Hotel budget assumes tournament lodging includes the Nov 8 overnight and Nov 9 checkout; otherwise add about $120 for one more Prague room night.

Route map

Select a leg to see timing, cost, usable-time impact, and its booking link.

San Jose via San Francisco to Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Islay, London, Prague and Italy, returning nonstop from Rome A projected world map with the main flight, train, and road legs, including the Glasgow to Islay island flights and the nonstop Rome to San Francisco return. San Jose to and from SFO is itemized in the transport table. Use the leg selector after the map for an accessible text view. Loading route map…
Flight Rail Private car Country geometry: Natural Earth via @d3-maps/atlas; city/airport centroids: OpenStreetMap.
Leg
SFO → Dublin · Aer Lingus EI60
Oct 23 · 17:35–11:45+1 · 10h10
Cost
$659 pp · $1,318 pair
Usable time
Overnight; Dublin starts Saturday afternoon

Open exact-date search

Usable-time timeline

Arrival and departure fragments are shown so the real sightseeing time is visible.

  1. Oct 23–24

    Outbound flight

    1 overnight · leave San Jose 12:45, target SFO 14:15; EI60 17:35 → Dublin 11:45 next day

  2. Oct 24–26

    Dublin · 2 nights

    Usable: arrival afternoon + 1 full day + departure day until 14:15

    Day-by-day detail
    • Oct 24: bag drop, Liberties, Marsh’s Library only if on time, Spitalfields dinner.
    • Oct 25: 14 Henrietta Street, Kilmainham Gaol, IMMA, Legal Eagle and Cobblestone music.
    • Oct 26: MoLI, Iveagh Gardens, Archaeology Museum; collect bags at 14:15 for the 18:30 Edinburgh flight.
  3. Oct 26–28

    Edinburgh · 2 nights

    Usable: late arrival + 1 full city day + departure morning

    Day-by-day detail
    • Oct 27: first entry at Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile closes, National Museum, St Giles, Dean Village, Stockbridge, Noto and Sandy Bell’s.
    • Oct 28: Calton Hill and Portrait Gallery opening hour; collect bags by 11:45 and take a ScotRail departure no later than 12:30 for Glasgow Queen Street, then Airport Express 500 and Loganair LM427 to Islay.
  4. Oct 28–30

    Islay · 2 nights

    Usable: arrival evening + 1 full south-shore whisky day

    Once-in-a-lifetime Islay plan
    • Oct 28: LM427 Glasgow 17:15 → Islay 17:55; prebooked airport taxi to Ardbeg House, Port Ellen; check-in and Signature Restaurant dinner.
    • Oct 29 · 09:45: arrive at Laphroaig; target the 10:30–12:00 Warehouse One tasting (£70 pp; morning inventory must be confirmed).
    • Oct 29 · 12:15: Ardbeg pier, shop and Ardstream lunch—an iconic third place without another heavy formal tasting.
    • Oct 29 · 13:30: Lagavulin Premium Warehouse No. 3 until 15:30 (£105 pp; two-person capacity verified during research), then Lagavulin Bay and Dunyvaig viewpoint if weather permits.
    • Oct 30: LM422 Islay 09:05 → Glasgow 09:45; collect bags, Airport Express to Central and take the first sensible direct Glasgow–London train on a flexible ticket. Target London about 16:30–18:00.
  5. Oct 30–Nov 2

    London · 3 nights

    Usable: arrival evening + 2 full days + departure morning

    Day-by-day detail
    • Oct 30: check in; British Museum 19:00 only if the island flight and train arrive on time; otherwise hotel dinner and move the museum to Saturday.
    • Oct 31: Tower first entry, Tower Bridge, Kolae, Westminster Abbey if the calendar opens, St James’s and Noble Rot.
    • Nov 1: Churchill War Rooms 09:30, Quality Chop House roast, National Gallery.
    • Nov 2: St Paul’s 08:30, Koya lunch, leave for Gatwick 12:45.
  6. Nov 2–5

    Prague · 3 paid nights

    Usable: arrival evening + 2 full days

    Day-by-day detail
    • Nov 2: late arrival; collect and inspect the couriered hockey bag.
    • Nov 3: Prague Castle, Hradčany, St Nicholas, Kampa and Charles Bridge.
    • Nov 4: Jewish Museum circuit, Kantýna, Vyšehrad and U Kalendů; finish courier paperwork.
    • Before Nov 5: buy the senior-left stick and prearrange its donation after Nov 8.
  7. Nov 5–9

    Tournament activities Nov 5–8 · 4 lodging nights Coverage to confirm

    No independent planning Nov 5–8. Confirm that the Nov 8 overnight and Nov 9 checkout are included; otherwise add one Prague hotel night.

  8. Nov 9–11

    Rome · 2 nights

    Usable: arrival afternoon + 1 full day

    Day-by-day detail
    • Nov 9: Wizz arrival, Leonardo Express, Santa Maria Maggiore, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Trevi.
    • Nov 10: 08:30 Colosseum, Forum and Palatine; Testaccio, Centrale Montemartini and Aventine.
    • Nov 11: leave iQ about 06:15 for the 07:30 direct train to Salerno.
  9. Nov 11–13

    Amalfi Coast · 2 nights

    Usable: arrival day + 1 full day + departure morning

    Day-by-day detail
    • Nov 11: arrive about 10:35; Amalfi cathedral before winter closing, Paper Museum, waterfront and Atrani.
    • Nov 12: taxi to Ravello; Villa Rufolo, Villa Cimbrone, Mimi lunch; return before dark.
    • Nov 13: breakfast and a final waterfront walk; private car 08:30 to Salerno, then direct Italo 11:22 to Bologna.
  10. Nov 13–15

    Bologna · 2 nights

    Usable: Friday evening + full Saturday + Sunday breakfast; protected BA return reaches SFO 18:35

    Morning-to-night plan and direct bookings
    • Fri Nov 13 · arrival: Italo 11:22–16:03; taxi and check-in about 16:30. Walk Piazza Maggiore, San Petronio, Santo Stefano and the portico lanes. Dinner 20:00 at All’Osteria Bottega (reserve).
    • Sat Nov 14 · full day: breakfast 07:30; Santo Stefano and porticoes 08:45; Archiginnasio tour 10:20–11:35 (€12 pp); lunch 12:00 at Trattoria da Me; Clock Tower panorama 14:20 (€10 pp); San Luca portico and sanctuary 15:30–18:00; dinner 19:30 at Ahimè. Municipal Art Collections are the rain fallback.
    • Sun Nov 15 · home: breakfast and a short center walk; taxi about 09:00 for BA541 at 12:20. Protected 90-minute Heathrow connection to BA287; SFO 18:35, then customs and 45–75 minutes to San Jose.

Islay whisky-day cost

Date and experience Time Per traveler Pair Book
Laphroaig Warehouse One
Three casks + hand-filled 100 ml bottle
Target 10:30–12:00
morning inventory to confirm
£70 £140 Official experiences
Ardbeg waterfront stop
Pier, shop and Ardstream lunch; no third formal tasting
12:15–13:05 Lunch only Food budget Official dining
Lagavulin Premium Warehouse No. 3
Production tour + cask draws
13:30–15:30
2-person capacity verified
£105 £210 Exact experience
Private Islay driver
Required: airport transfers + timed south-shore routing
Quote exact itinerary £343–450 allowance
split benchmark
£685–900 benchmark
local quote may be lower
Request quote

Known tour subtotal: £175 per traveler / £350 pair. Lunch stays in food; the driver allowance stays in local transit so neither is double-counted in activities. Ask both distilleries for sealed takeaway drams.

Bologna placement decision

Live trvl comparison for Nov 9–15. Exact-date inventory shows no Sunday nonstop to SFO from Bologna or Rome.

Selected · Bologna last
Whole-trip comparison while preserving two Rome nights, two Amalfi nights, and the fixed Prague tournament.
Placement Travel penalty Bologna time Cost vs selected Return and verdict
Start · Nov 9 No PRG→BLQ nonstop. Protected KLM is 4h35 and arrives 23:05 at $159 pp; the cheaper Treviso workaround adds a flight-to-bus-to-train self-connection. 1 night · about 10–12 usable hours About equal to +$60 pp, depending on bag and connection choice Still needs FCO positioning and a Sunday connection. Reject: weakest time.
Middle · Nov 11 Rome→Bologna 2h03 plus Bologna→Salerno 4h35; roughly 4h40 and 700 km more than direct Rome→Salerno. 1 night · about 10–11 usable hours Roughly cost-neutral to +$25 pp Cuts Amalfi arrival time and still backtracks to FCO. Reject: most travel.

$2 time upgrade: the selected BA541/BA287 leaves at 12:20 and takes 15h15. BA547/BA285 is the absolute cheapest at $512 pp and has a longer connection, but requires a pre-dawn hotel departure. Both are protected British Airways tickets with one 23 kg checked bag per adult in the trvl result.

Transport and booking table

Per-traveler and pair costs are both shown. USD conversions are approximate.

Recommended booked spine; European flights and trains are direct, while the Sunday return is one protected British Airways ticket via Heathrow.
Date Leg Service and time Usable-time impact Per traveler Pair / car Book
Oct 23 San Jose → SFO Rideshare / driver
leave 12:45 · allow 60–90 min
Target SFO 14:15 for 17:35 flight $35–60
if split
$70–120
allowance; verify in app
SFO info
Oct 23 SFO → DUB EI60 · 17:35–11:45+1
10h10 · nonstop
Overnight; Dublin from Sat afternoon $659 $1,318 Exact search
Oct 26 DUB → EDI EI3258 · 18:30–19:50
1h20 · nonstop
Keeps Dublin until 14:15 $65 $130 Exact search
Oct 28 Edinburgh → Glasgow ScotRail to Queen Street
44–55 min · leave no later than 12:30
Keeps Edinburgh morning and a large flight buffer £12–20
≈ $16–27 planning range
£24–40
≈ $32–54
Official route
Oct 28 Glasgow Queen Street → GLA Walk to Buchanan + Airport Express 500
15–25 min bus · up to every 10 min
Target airport 13:45–14:00 for 17:15 flight £11–12
≈ $15–16
£22–24
≈ $30–32
Official bus
Oct 28 GLA → ILY Loganair LM427 · 17:15–17:55
40 min · nonstop · 15 kg hold + 6 kg cabin
Port Ellen hotel about 18:25 from £93
≈ $125 · live checkout required
from £186
≈ $250
Loganair
Oct 28–30 Islay airport + whisky day Prebooked private Islay driver
airport transfers + timed south-shore route
No driving after tastings; no reliance on spontaneous taxis £343–450 allowance
≈ $463–608 if split
£685–900 benchmark
≈ $925–1,215; request local quote
Request quote
Oct 30 ILY → GLA Loganair LM422 · 09:05–09:45
40 min · nonstop · 15 kg hold + 6 kg cabin
Allows same-day direct train to London from £98
≈ $132 · live checkout required
from £196
≈ $264
Loganair
Oct 30 Glasgow → London Direct Avanti West Coast
about 4h40–5h · flexible ticket; exact timetable not released
Target first sensible departure after bags; London about 16:30–18:00 £56–112
£11–12 airport bus + £45–100 rail allowance
£112–224
≈ $151–302
Official planner
Nov 2 LGW → PRG U2 8783 · 17:10–20:10
2h · nonstop
London morning; Prague hotel 21:30–22:00 ≈ $88 flight
$107–111 door-to-door
≈ $176 flight
$214–222 door-to-door
Official search
Nov 9 PRG → FCO W4 6136 · 09:25–11:20
1h55 · nonstop
Rome sightseeing from about 14:30 ≈ $69
23 kg bag added
≈ $138 Exact search
Nov 9 FCO → Rome Leonardo Express
32 min · direct
Termini about 13:20 €14
≈ $16
€28
≈ $32
Service info
Nov 11 Rome → Salerno Trenitalia 07:30–09:05
1h35 · direct
Amalfi about 10:35 €20.90
≈ $24
€41.80
≈ $49
Official search
Nov 11 Salerno → Amalfi BlueKeys 09:35–10:35
private sedan
Give driver the train number and require written train-delay tracking/grace €78
≈ $91 if split
€156
≈ $181
Direct transfer
Nov 13 Amalfi → Salerno BlueKeys 08:30–09:50
private sedan
92-minute station buffer before Italo €78
≈ $91 if split
€156
≈ $181
Direct transfer
Nov 13 Salerno → Bologna Italo · 11:22–16:03
4h41 · direct
Bologna hotel about 16:30 €65.90
≈ $75
€131.80
≈ $150
Exact Italo search
Nov 15 Bologna hotel → BLQ Prebooked taxi about 09:00
20–30 min
Allows breakfast and a short center walk €12.50–15 share
≈ $14–17
€25–30
≈ $29–34
Airport taxi info
Nov 15 BLQ → LHR → SFO BA541 12:20–13:50 · BA287 15:20–18:35
15h15 · protected 90-min T5 connection · 1×23 kg bag pp in trvl result
Keeps Bologna morning; SFO 18:35 $514
$2 time upgrade
$1,027 Exact BA search
Nov 15 SFO → San Jose Rideshare / pickup
allow 45–75 min after customs
Expected San Jose arrival about 20:30–21:30 $30–50
if split
$60–100
allowance; verify in app
SFO pickup
During stays Airport/city transit Dublin Express, Airlink 100, PRG Airport Express Timed around arrival and departure margins Budgeted
in local-transit range
$230–330 trip-wide
local transit; separate from tfoot
Dublin
Nov 12 Amalfi ↔ Ravello Official taxi rank
private car
Full Ravello day; no ferry risk €55 round trip share €110 round trip Fares
Trip-wide long-distance + core airport transport, bags, Amalfi cars, Bologna airport taxi, and San Jose↔SFO allowance; does not change with filter $1,860–2,000 pp $3,720–4,000 pair

Fare gate: live trvl planning fares are not held. Confirm the final airline basket, fare brand, 23 kg allowance, and protected-ticket status before purchase. The transport budget excludes any newly disclosed Aer Lingus hockey oversize fee.

Operational flight fallbacks
Trigger Fallback Cost Booking
easyJet flight basket exceeds about $245–253 pair ✈ Flight
BA858 LHR → PRG
Nov 2 · 15:05–18:10 · nonstop
$127 pp / $254 pair flight
about $291 pair door-to-door; fare family/bag to confirm
Exact BA search
Tournament return custodian fails and hockey bag must fly ✈ Flight
Smartwings QS1008 PRG → FCO
Nov 9 · 11:20–13:15 · nonstop
$102 pp / $204 pair feed
budget €90 sports fee; written size acceptance required
Official Smartwings search
Prefer the absolute cheapest return, earlier SFO arrival, and more connection margin ✈ Flight
BA547 + BA285 · BLQ → LHR → SFO
Nov 15 · 07:15–14:55 · 16h40 · protected
$512 pp / $1,024 pair
saves $2 pp; requires about 04:35 hotel departure
Exact BA search

Hotels, nights, usable time, and cost

Per-traveler cost assumes two people sharing one room.

Primary recommendation in each city. Ardbeg House is the one intentional once-in-a-lifetime splurge: its published winter lead-in is about $303/night for the room, subject to the exact-date checkout.
Dates Stop Hotel Usable time Cleanliness Per traveler Room total · $/night
Oct 24–26
2 nights
Dublin Wren Urban Nest Arrival afternoon + full day + departure day 9.1
Location 9.7
≈ $291 €507.76
≈ $581 · $291/night
Oct 26–28
2 nights
Edinburgh Motel One Edinburgh–Royal Arrival evening + full city day + departure morning 9.2
Location 9.8
≈ $249
planning estimate
≈ £370.65
≈ $498 · $249/night
Oct 28–30
2 nights
Islay Ardbeg House
Port Ellen · breakfast + welcome drams
Arrival dinner + full south-shore whisky day Premium
newly renovated
from ≈ $303 from £450
≈ $605 · $303/night
Oct 30–Nov 2
3 nights
London Apex City of London Arrival afternoon + 2 full days + morning 9.4
Location 9.5
≈ $308 £458
≈ $615 · $205/night
Nov 2–5
3 nights
Prague Motel One Florentinum
Book only after inbound gear acceptance
Arrival evening + 2 full days 9.4
Location 9.3
≈ $181 7,650 CZK
≈ $361 · $120/night
Nov 5–9
4 nights · activities Nov 5–8
Tournament Confirm Nov 8 night Everything handled by tournament $0 independent Covered if checkout is Nov 9
Nov 9–11
2 nights
Rome iQ Hotel Roma Arrival afternoon + full day 9.6
Location 9.4
≈ $259 €452.45
≈ $517 · $259/night
Nov 11–13
2 nights
Amalfi Hotel Residence Amalfi Arrival day + full day + morning 9.4
Location 9.6
≈ $262 €458
≈ $524 · $262/night
Nov 13–15
2 nights
Bologna Art Hotel Commercianti
Central; secure luggage storage; official site
Friday evening + full Saturday + Sunday breakfast 9.4
Location 9.8
≈ $182
room + estimated tax
$334 lead-in + ≈ €26 tax
≈ $364 total · $167 room/night
18 paid nights if tournament covers Nov 8; otherwise 19 nights and about +$120 $1,980–2,080 pp $3,960–4,160 pair

Edinburgh is a proportional planning estimate from the earlier four-night quote. Ardbeg House publishes winter rooms from about £225/night; verify the exact Oct 28–30 checkout, room type, included Ardbeg experience, and cancellation terms before paying.

Gross per-traveler working budget

Before points or statement credits. USD per traveler; shared costs are divided by two. Solid bar = planned minimum; lighter tail = upper allowance.

Gross selected · per traveler $5,792–6,877
Gross selected · two travelers $11,584–13,754
Included 6 / 6 budget categories

Gross selected total: $5,792–6,877 per traveler · $11,584–13,754 for two.

The hockey line is half of one player’s $524–714 gear plan plus up to $100 customs reserve, only to make the full pair budget comparable. If the player pays all gear costs, add about $262–407 to the player’s even-split figure and subtract the same amount from the non-player’s.

Hockey equipment and baggage plan

Recommended: fly the gear once, courier it to Prague, then courier it home before Italy.

  1. Pack and measure

    Target ≤20 kg / 100 L. No stick. Protect skate blades. Remove liquids, aerosols, batteries, power banks and AirTags.

  2. SFO → Dublin

    The hockey bag replaces the player’s checked suitcase; the couple shares the other checked suitcase outbound. Check it only after Aer Lingus confirms exact dimensions, weight and sports/oversize treatment in writing. Otherwise price a third checked piece.

  3. Dublin → Prague courier

    Wren holds it after Oct 26 checkout; pickup Oct 27. $125.46 compact quote; $152.52 for 30 kg / 150 L.

  4. Buy the stick in Prague

    Reserve before Nov 5. Any senior-left stick works; budget $80–120. Current 80-flex example. Prearrange donation/leave-with-team after Nov 8; never put the stick in the compact courier bag or carry it to Italy.

  5. Tournament handoff

    Before Nov 5, get the tournament hotel/organizer to agree in writing to hold the sealed bag from Nov 9 checkout until Nov 11 courier pickup.

  6. Prague → Bay Area courier

    Pickup Nov 11: $318.57 at ≤15 kg / 75 L; $355.47 at ≤20 kg / 100 L; $441.57 large. Delivery can occur after the Nov 15 flight home. Hold a separate $25–100 customs reserve.

Gear strategy comparison · one player

Strategy Components Total Trade-off
Courier both ways · 20 kg return $125.46 out + $355.47 home + $80–120 stick $561–601 Same low handling; more realistic if the bag cannot compress to 75 L.
Courier both ways · large $152.52 out + $441.57 home + $80–120 stick $674–714 Convenience choice, not the cheapest.
Carry via Wizz + BA $125.46 out + $65.80–77.76 Wizz sports + $80–120 stick + BA sports/extra-bag charge $271–323 + BA charge Handle the bag through Rome, trains, Amalfi, Bologna and Heathrow; use only after written BA size acceptance and a full checkout quote.
Carry via Smartwings + BA $125.46 out + about $103 Smartwings sports + $80–120 stick + BA sports/extra-bag charge $308–348 + BA charge Operational fallback if tournament custody fails.

Fallback trigger: if the Prague return quote exceeds $400 or the tournament custodian refuses the Nov 9–11 handoff, carry the no-stick bag through Italy only after Wizz/Smartwings and BA confirm its exact packed dimensions, 23 kg limit, and all charges in writing. Strategy totals exclude the optional $25–100 customs reserve.

Ordinary baggage by leg

Leg Normal luggage Hockey bag
SFO → Dublin Two searched checked pieces total: the player uses one for hockey and the couple shares the other ordinary suitcase. Pack a fold-flat duffel inside it if you want two normal checked bags after the Dublin courier handoff. Replaces the player’s normal checked piece. Written Aer Lingus size/sports acceptance is mandatory; 100 L does not prove ≤158 cm linear size. If the couple will not share outbound, price a third piece.
Dublin → Edinburgh Confirm whether the selected Regional fare includes 10, 20 or 23 kg. Already held at Wren for Oct 27 courier pickup.
Edinburgh → Glasgow → Islay → Glasgow → London Loganair Standard includes 15 kg hold + 6 kg cabin; choose Fly Flex for 23 kg hold if either suitcase is heavier. Use a flexible direct Glasgow–London rail ticket after the return island flight. Already in Prague custody, so it never travels to Islay. Keep ordinary luggage within the purchased Loganair allowance.
London → Prague easyJet base includes only a 45×36×20 cm under-seat item; the estimate adds a 23 kg hold bag. Waiting at the approved Prague hotel.
Prague → Rome Wizz base includes under-seat only; prepay hold bags online. Stays with tournament custodian for Nov 11 courier pickup.
Italy rail / Amalfi Ordinary suitcases only; use car transfers between Salerno and Amalfi, then direct rail to Bologna. None under recommended ship-home plan.
BLQ → LHR → SFO trvl shows one 23 kg checked bag per adult on the protected BA ticket; confirm the selected fare at checkout. None under the recommended courier plan. If custody fails, get written BA acceptance for the no-stick packed bag before carrying it.

Outbound EI60 allocation: one hockey bag + one shared ordinary suitcase + carrier-compliant cabin items. After the hockey bag is left with Wren, unfold a packed travel duffel only if it remains within the purchased Loganair allowance; the easyJet/Wizz estimates allow one checked bag per traveler. Hidden-city tickets remain excluded because checked luggage and irregular re-routing can send bags to the ticketed destination.

170,000 Chase points · optimized use

Card product was not supplied, so the plan separates Reserve, Preferred, and no-transfer cases. Gross trip cost stays unchanged: points and credits are payment methods, not discounts to the underlying price.

Award availability not verified
Ultimate Rewards balance 170,000 $1,700 base · $2,550 at 1.5¢ · $3,400 at 2¢
First transfer gate 33,000 UR Only after 2 × 16,250 AerClub seats + fees are visible
Balance after EI60 137,000 UR Use only on exact 1.5–2¢ Chase Travel inventory or eligible legacy value
TRANSFER · EI60 only after checkout CHASE TRAVEL · tagged/legacy ≥1.5¢ CASH · small Europe flights + BA return by default PROMO · verify inside Chase

Recommended allocation

Trip item Cash baseline Points decision Booking
BLQ → LHR → SFO
Cash by default
$514 pp
$1,027 pair
BA541 + BA287
Cash-first, but compare live quotes. Chase Travel must show the same fare, baggage and connection for ≤68,467 points per pair at 1.5¢ or ≤51,350 at 2¢. For a BA award, transfer only if 100 × ($1,027 − exact pair fees) ÷ UR required clears the same cents-per-point threshold; generic Avios estimates are not a live quote. Book British Airways
Search BA reward
Compare Chase Travel
Three Europe flights
Cash
$222 pp
$444 pair total
DUB–EDI · LGW–PRG · PRG–FCO
Pay cash direct unless the exact portal basket is below 29,600 UR per pair at 1.5¢. DUB–EDI costs 4,000 Avios pp off-peak, but its $130 pair cash price leaves only $10 total fee room to reach 1.5¢—not worth a transfer. Use the direct airline links in the transport table; compare only the same fare and bags in Chase Travel.
Selected hotels
Credits first
$3,957 pair
about $1,979 pp
Trigger any eligible Reserve/Preferred cash hotel credit before redeeming points. Then use a tagged Points Boost only when the portal’s refundable, tax-inclusive room matches the selected hotel. Check Hyatt only against the strict thresholds below; never transfer speculatively. Search Chase Travel
Hyatt award chart
Air Canada gift cards
Hold
Balance-dependent No selected Air Canada flight. Save the cards; adding a Canada connection to consume them conflicts with the direct-flight preference and does not improve the current itinerary. Recheck only if a protected Air Canada fare beats BA after bags, connection time and gift-card value.

How to use the full 170,000 without wasting value

Available lane 170k allocation Trip value displaced Decision
AerClub + Reserve 2¢ Boost 33k → AerClub EI60
51,350 → BA return
85,650 → tagged hotels
$4,058 minus EI award fees
Formula: $1,318 − fees + $2,740
Highest value, but only if the required Reserve-tagged itinerary inventory exists at checkout.
No EI award; portal Boost only All 170k to exact tagged travel $2,550 at 1.5¢
$3,400 at 2¢
Valid full-balance fallback. Do not accept a higher portal cash price, worse room, lost baggage or weaker cancellation terms.
Only base 1¢ available Do not force a redemption $1,700 Hold the balance or cash it out if cash is needed. Paying travel with the card can also earn points; using points at the same 1¢ gives that earning up.

Current promotions and card credits

Offer Status Trip fit Action
Chase → Virgin Atlantic +30% PUBLIC TRACKER
Ends Jul 14, 2026 · 11:59 p.m. ET
1,000 UR → 1,300 Virgin
Poor. Virgin does not book the selected Aer Lingus outbound or British Airways return naturally. A speculative transfer would strand flexible points. Transfer 0. Verify the offer in logged-in Chase. Use only if an exact two-seat partner award with acceptable fees and schedule beats BA before expiry. Current bonus tracker · Virgin partner list
Points Boost LOGIN REQUIRED
Dynamic · tagged inventory only
Potentially strong: up to 2¢ Reserve or 1.5¢ Preferred/eligible Ink. Publicly featured destinations are examples, not a promise for this route. Search the exact dates, filter for the rocket/Points Boost tag, and compare the final points quote with direct cash. Official rules
Trip-fit transfer bonuses NONE ACTIVE
as of Jul 11
No current public Chase bonus to AerClub/Avios, Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Hyatt, Marriott or IHG. Hilton is not a Chase transfer partner. Do not move points while waiting for a hypothetical promotion; award inventory can disappear.
Use the matching cash credit before points; card product and unused-credit status must be confirmed in the account.
Card benefit Rule Best itinerary use
Reserve · $300 travel credit Annual broad travel statement credit; use only if still available. Pay eligible direct travel in cash first, then redeem points elsewhere.
Reserve · $250 select-hotel credit Through Dec 31, 2026; prepaid Chase Travel; 2-night minimum; eligible IHG, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin, Minor and Pan Pacific brands. Qualifying spend earns no points. Compare a clean, well-rated IHG option in a 2–3 night city against the selected hotel. Switch only if the refundable all-in portal price minus $250 is lower without hurting location or safety.
Reserve · up to $500 The Edit Up to $250 per prepaid transaction; 2-night minimum; qualifying spend earns no points. Use only if an Edit property’s net cost after credit fits the $200–300/night target and beats the chosen hotel.
Preferred · $100 hotel credit Annual account-year statement credit for a hotel purchased through Chase Travel; qualifying spend earns no points. Pay one comparable hotel booking with the card—not points—to trigger the credit; put points on another eligible item. Official guide
Card lane and Hyatt transfer warning
Account Portal value Transfers Use here
Sapphire Reserve · current rules 1¢ base; tagged Points Boost up to 2¢ Eligible partners generally 1:1; do not transfer until the award is visible. 33k AerClub if confirmed, then 2¢ tagged travel; cash credits first.
Reserve opened before Jun 23, 2025 Points earned before Oct 26, 2025 retain 1.5¢ through Oct 26, 2027; Chase applies the better eligible value. Same transfer gate. This is the cleanest way to use the 137k remainder even without a tagged Boost, if the balance is eligible.
Sapphire Preferred / eligible Ink 1¢ base; tagged Points Boost up to 1.5¢ Most partners 1:1. Preferred opened on/after Jun 15, 2026 transfers to Hyatt at 4:3; older Preferred stays 1:1 only through Sep 30, 2026, then 4:3. 33k AerClub if confirmed; remainder only on 1.5¢ tagged travel.
Freedom / no transfer-enabled card Generally 1¢ No direct partner transfers. Combine points into an eligible Sapphire/Ink account if available; otherwise do not force the $1,700 redemption.

Official Chase rules: transfers are final, in 1,000-point increments, and may take up to 7 business days; Reserve benefits; Preferred benefits and current Hyatt ratio.

Hyatt hotel break-even thresholds
Maximum total Hyatt points for a comparable stay to beat 1.5¢ per Chase point. Taxes, resort fees, room quality and cancellation terms must also match.
Stay Selected cash · pair Max Hyatt · 1:1 transfer Max Hyatt · Preferred 4:3
Dublin · 2 nights$58138,73329,050
Edinburgh · 2 nights≈ $49833,20024,900
Islay · 2 nightsfrom ≈ $60540,33330,250
London · 3 nights$61541,00030,750
Rome · 2 nights$51734,46725,850

Marriott and IHG transfers are excluded: there is no active Chase bonus, and their ordinary point value is too low for these cash rates. Use a cash statement credit instead when eligible.

Live redemption calculator

Defaults model the EI60 chart price and a 1.5¢ portal quote. Enter the exact AerClub taxes/fees and any logged-in transfer bonus or portal quote before moving points.

UR to transfer 33,000 rounded up to Chase’s 1,000-point increment
Net transfer value 3.99¢ after entered award fees
Chase balance left 137,000 from 170,000 available

Transfer currently wins: 3.99¢/UR versus 1.50¢/UR through the example portal quote. Enter live AerClub fees before deciding.

Booking order

  1. Identify the Chase card lane and unused credits. In logged-in Chase Travel, quote the exact selected flights and comparable refundable hotels; record the cash total, points total, Points Boost tag, baggage and cancellation terms.
  2. Search AerClub before transferring anything. If two EI60 seats show at 16,250 Avios each on Oct 23 and the live pair taxes/fees clear the calculator threshold, transfer 33,000 UR and book immediately. Transfers are final.
  3. Price and hold BA541/BA287 and the small Europe flights. Use cash direct unless the identical Chase Travel item clears 1.5¢/UR. Save checkout evidence showing fare brand, protected connection, 23 kg baggage allowance, and pair total.
  4. Hold refundable hotels and trigger any eligible cash hotel credit. Compare final portal price and terms with direct. Confirm the tournament includes the Nov 8 overnight and Nov 9 checkout; verify Art Hotel Commercianti’s official two-night total and cancellation terms.
  5. Lock hockey custody. Wren for Oct 27 pickup; Prague hotel for inbound delivery; tournament hotel/organizer for Nov 9–11 return custody.
  6. Lock the Islay chain as one package. Hold Ardbeg House Oct 28–30; then buy LM427 and LM422, reserve a private Islay driver, confirm a morning Laphroaig Warehouse One place and Lagavulin Warehouse No. 3 at 13:30, and use a flexible direct Glasgow–London rail ticket because island flights are weather-sensitive.
  7. Book timed sights when calendars open. Kilmainham Sep 27; Colosseum Oct 11; London and Prague timed entries as released.