How I Actually Use My Chase Sapphire Reserve Perks Every Year

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A lot of Reserve reviews just list the benefits. I wanted to show what actually using them looks like day to day, because that's the part that convinces people the $795 fee makes sense.

Lounges, every single trip. Every time I fly, I check for a Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club or a Priority Pass lounge first. Free food, free drinks, quiet space to work, and I can bring guests. Chase values this benefit at over $850/year for a family that uses it regularly, and honestly that tracks. A single lounge visit for two people can easily run $100+ if you paid out of pocket.

The travel credit resets the clock on the fee. The $300 annual travel statement credit applies automatically to things like flights, hotels, parking, tolls, and rideshares. It's not some narrow, hard-to-use credit. I usually burn through mine within the first few weeks of the new cardmember year just from normal travel.

The Edit credit for hotel bookings. Up to $500 a year toward prepaid stays booked through The Edit, Chase's curated hotel collection, on top of perks like room upgrades and late checkout at those properties. I've used this for anniversary trips and it's meaningfully changed what hotels I book.

Dining credits I didn't expect to use as much as I do. Up to $150 twice a year (so $300 total) at restaurants in the Sapphire Exclusive Tables program on OpenTable. I treat this as a standing excuse to try new restaurants in whatever city I'm in.

Smaller perks that add up: $10/month in Peloton credits, reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years, and complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status through 2027 that's gotten me room upgrades more than once.

The honest math: between the $300 travel credit and the dining and Edit credits, I'm recovering more than the $795 fee in credits alone most years, before I even count the points I earn (8x on Chase Travel, 4x on direct flight/hotel bookings, 3x on dining) or the lounge visits. The current 150,000-point welcome bonus (after $6,000 spend in 3 months) makes this an especially good time to apply if you're on the fence.

One caveat on those travel points: Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders don't start earning points on travel purchases until after the first $300 spent in the travel category each account year, since that spend counts toward the $300 Annual Travel Credit first.

This card isn't for someone who travels once a year. But if travel and dining are already part of your regular spending, the Reserve pays you back for living the life you're already living.

Disclosure: I may earn a commission if you apply through a link on this site. All opinions are my own.