Essential Tips: Fly to Europe this summer in United Polaris business class for only 50,000 Chase points.

There's still time to experience flying to Europe in business class this summer at an affordable rate.

Currently, Chase is offering a 20% bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air Canada Aeroplan before July 31. With this promotion, 50,000 Chase points can be converted to 60,000 Aeroplan points.

At the moment, United Airlines has outstanding business-class availability to Europe during the peak summer travel season. The best options can be found from mid-July to mid-August, departing from United's hubs: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., and O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago, heading to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London, Brussels Airport (BRU), and Geneva Airport (GVA). There are at least four business-class seats on these routes, with several dates offering up to nine seats available for booking with points and miles.

You might first consider booking these flights using United MileagePlus miles since United is the operator.

For these flights, expect MileagePlus rates for business-class seats to begin at 80,000 miles each way.

United partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 transfer rate. However, transferring Chase points to United does not grant a bonus, meaning you'll need 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points to finalize your booking.

This is a reasonable offer for summer travel to Europe, especially when compared to Delta SkyMiles rates, which can go as high as 375,000 miles for similar flights. Keep in mind, the deal improves significantly when booking through Air Canada Aeroplan.

Although Aeroplan employs dynamic pricing for Air Canada-operated flights, resulting in higher rates to Europe during the summer, it only charges 60,000 points for business-class trips from the northeastern U.S. to Western Europe. This rate also applies to flights on partner airlines like United. Longer journeys, such as those from Colorado and California to Europe, require 70,000 Aeroplan points, which remains a competitive price.

While fees and taxes may be slightly higher through Aeroplan, they remain quite low, averaging around $57 per ticket.

Exchanging 60,000 points instead of 80,000 miles for the same United flight is a fantastic deal, but if you hold Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it becomes even more affordable. With the 20% transfer bonus, transferring just 50,000 Chase points will yield 60,000 Aeroplan points, allowing you to fly to Europe this summer for only 50,000 points rather than spending thousands in cash.

In summary

With excellent award availability this summer from multiple United hubs in the U.S., it’s still possible to fly your family comfortably across the Atlantic.

While you might initially think of booking United Polaris flights with United miles, you can save 30,000 miles by taking advantage of the current 20% transfer bonus from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Air Canada Aeroplan. You only need 50,000 Chase points to secure United flights to Europe this summer, making it a fantastic way to enhance your travel experience.

At present, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is offering 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account. Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card also offers 60,000 bonus points after the same spending requirement, plus a $300 statement credit on Chase Travel℠ purchases within the first year, simplifying the process of booking your ideal summer getaway.