It all started in November 2018. I was getting back into traveling and preparing for my first cruise—the trip that would become the first installment of my Out to Sea series.
With more adventures in mind, I wanted a travel card that could handle the trips ahead. I already had a simple credit card with Chase, so I decided to add one of their big cards to my wallet: the Chase Sapphire Reserve.
My starting credit limit was $10,000, a significant jump from what I had at the time. That gave me more room to handle travel bookings, but it also came with a responsibility to keep my spending within what I could actually afford. A larger credit limit did not mean I suddenly had an extra $10,000 in income.
At the time, the $450 annual fee was a tough pill to swallow. Paying that much just to carry a credit card required some convincing, even with the travel benefits.
Yet here I am in 2026, and it is still in my wallet. The annual fee has climbed quite a bit since then, but the card has continued to earn its place as my travel habits have grown.
Apparently, writing a review took considerably longer than deciding to book another trip. But after nearly eight years, I think this one is overdue.
For me, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is still worth it. That does not mean everyone needs one, and it definitely does not mean an expensive credit card magically makes travel affordable. It means the benefits I actually use fit the way I travel well enough to justify the cost.
And there is absolutely a cost.
Let’s talk about that annual fee
The current annual fee is $795. Yes, seven hundred and ninety-five actual American dollars. Take a moment. I understand.
The card also includes a $300 annual credit toward qualifying travel purchases, and that is one of the benefits I’ve personally used. If you fully use that credit on travel you would have purchased anyway, the remaining fee to justify is $495. That is still real money. The bank has not suddenly become your generous travel aunt.
For someone who takes one occasional trip, that could be a tough sell. For someone whose upcoming-trip list keeps growing shortly after returning from the previous vacation, there is more opportunity to get value.
I appear to fall into the second category. Shocking development.
Responsible spending comes first
Before getting excited about points, lounges, or statement credits, financial literacy needs to be part of the conversation. Understand your budget, your card’s interest rate, its fees, and when your payment is due. Only charge what you can afford to pay off in full each month.
Being able to make the minimum payment is a very different thing from being able to afford the purchase. The goal is to pay the full statement balance by its due date, rather than carry a balance from one month to the next.
If you are paying interest, you are defeating the purpose of earning points. Interest charges can quickly outweigh the value of those rewards, and spending more just to collect points makes the math worse.
I joke about booking another trip before I have unpacked from the last one, but responsible spending is what makes continued travel possible. The vacation should fit the budget before the rewards enter the conversation.
The points fit the things I enjoy
The current earning structure includes 8 points per dollar on eligible Chase Travel purchases, 4 on flights and hotels booked directly, and 3 on dining.
Flights, hotels, and food. Conveniently, three things that keep appearing in my travel budget.
I’ve personally earned 8x points booking through the Chase Travel portal. With the amount of travel I keep putting on the calendar, that is a benefit that gets actual use.
I enjoy seeing somewhere new, walking around with my camera, finding something good to eat, and occasionally deciding that a tasty beverage counts as cultural research. A rewards card that lines up with some of that spending makes sense to me.
But earning more points is only useful if the purchase itself makes sense. I would compare booking prices and cancellation terms before chasing a higher multiplier. Paying extra just to earn more rewards feels like something I would roast someone else for doing.
Airport comfort has its appeal
The Reserve includes access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and participating Priority Pass lounges, subject to the applicable access rules.
I’ve personally used Priority Pass, and I’ve started a trip with a drink at the Chase Sapphire Lounge at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Chase makes a nice lounge, although I wish the PHX location were a bit larger. A little more room to settle in before the next adventure would be appreciated.
For an anxious traveler who would rather arrive early than sprint through a terminal, the appeal is obvious. A place to sit, recharge, and decompress can make a long travel day a little easier.
That matters when a vacation begins after a full workday and continues with an overnight flight during which my body refuses to acknowledge that sleep is an option.
Still, lounge access deserves a practical reality check: are there participating lounges at the airports and terminals you actually use? A lovely lounge somewhere you never fly is not doing much for your annual fee.
The other perks I’ve actually used
This is where the review gets more personal, because my experience goes beyond looking at a benefits page and thinking, “Well, that sounds nice.”
Along with Priority Pass and the Sapphire Lounge, I’ve used the Global Entry application fee benefit, the annual travel credit, and a hotel credit. Those are practical additions for someone who keeps finding reasons to leave Arizona.
I’ve also used the StubHub credit. Travel gets plenty of attention here, but I enjoy concerts, sporting events, and other live events too. Apparently, my calendar was not busy enough already.
The Apple TV and Apple Music benefits have gotten use as well. I tend to think of the Reserve as a travel card, but those subscriptions bring some value to the time between trips. There are, occasionally, days when I am home.
Lyft has been another useful part of the mix: I’ve earned 5x points on eligible rides and used the Lyft credit. Getting around is part of the trip budget too, even when it is considerably less exciting than booking the trip itself.
I’ve also used the included IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status. I’m not assigning a made-up dollar value to the status or claiming it guarantees an upgrade, but it belongs on the list of benefits I’ve personally put to use.
Taken together, these perks are a big part of why the card works for me. I’m using benefits across travel, transportation, entertainment, and everyday life.
That still does not mean every advertised dollar counts as money saved.
A credit for something I already wanted can be useful. A credit that persuades me to spend more on something I would otherwise skip needs a much harder look.
I like restaurants, concerts, sporting events, and travel. There is room for those benefits to fit my life. There is also room for me to get carried away, so the question remains simple: would I have spent this money anyway?
I already have a full-time job. Managing credit card benefits should not require an assistant manager.
Travel protections deserve attention too
The Reserve also includes travel protections, with coverage subject to eligibility requirements, limits, and exclusions.
Those benefits are worth reading before departure. When a trip involves flights, hotels, and a ship that intends to leave at a specific time, understanding what is covered matters.
I would rather read the terms at home than discover them while standing at an airport trying to rearrange my entire existence.
I’ve tried Amex too
I’ve also tried the American Express Gold and Platinum cards, so the Sapphire Reserve has not been my only experience with cards offering travel and lifestyle perks. Personally, I found both Amex cards more difficult to use in comparison.
For me, the Sapphire Reserve has been easier to fit into the way I travel and spend. A card can have an impressive list of benefits, but how easily I can actually use them matters when deciding whether it deserves a place in my wallet.
That is my experience, and your mileage may vary. Someone with different habits might find the Amex Gold or Platinum a better fit. For mine, Chase has been the easier match.
So yes, it is worth it for me
My travel style is a mix of short escapes, longer adventures, solo cruises, photography, good food, and squeezing as much life as possible around a full-time job.
Within that life, I see enough value in the Sapphire Reserve to justify keeping it. The annual fee still deserves a fresh look every year, especially when benefits or travel plans change.
Your mileage may vary. Your travel habits, budget, airports, and use of the benefits could make this card a very different proposition for you. My $10,000 starting limit was my own experience, too; it is not a promise of what someone else will receive.
The test is whether the benefits I actually use outweigh the cost while keeping my spending within what I can pay off each month. Points are never my excuse to carry travel debt.
I want my money going toward the next destination, the next meal, and the next slightly questionable side quest.
If this card helps with that, great.
It still cannot approve my PTO. At $795 a year, I feel like that should at least be under consideration.
If it works for you, find my referral link below to help out the brand.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Referral Link
Card details checked October 4, 2026. Benefits and terms can change. Consult Chase’s current offer and your account’s benefit terms.
Sources:
How the $300 travel credit works
