Chase Sapphire Reserve 2026: Keep or Downgrade? | Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast

Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve worth keeping in 2026 – or is it time to downgrade?

Join host Justin Vacula and guest Beth on the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast as they break down the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s changing value proposition in a world of rising annual fees and constantly shifting perks.

They walk through the major benefits one by one – including hotel credits, food delivery perks, entertainment and rideshare credits, and newer partner credits like StubHub – and talk about what they’re really worth in everyday use.

Justin and Beth also explore downgrade paths, retention-offer strategy, cash-out options, and how the card fits into a broader points-and-miles setup in 2026.

You’ll hear practical takes, listener questions, and real-world scenarios to help you decide whether to keep the CSR, downgrade, or shift your spend elsewhere.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 Meet Beth

02:09 Chase Sapphire Reserve: keep, cancel, or downgrade?

02:54 Walking through the new and updated benefits

07:40 Travel credits, status perks, and how to value them

12:15 Dining, convenience store, and everyday credits

17:53 Entertainment, rideshare, and lifestyle perks

22:06 Fitness perks and lounge access in context

24:54 Are the lounge benefits really worth it?

25:16 Retention offers, fee hikes, and negotiation strategy

25:31 Cashing out points vs keeping them for travel

25:58 Upcoming events, appearances & announcements

27:39 Using CardPointers to organize and maximize rewards

28:33 Monthly meetups, listener community & social events

29:19 Frequent Traveler University and other live events

30:20 High-spend strategies with the Chase Sapphire Reserve

32:39 Smart downgrade and upgrade paths within the Chase lineup

35:42 Listener comments, questions & real-world scenarios

45:14 Future travel plans and how CSR fits (or doesn’t)

46:41 Final takeaways & farewell

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