Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm closing in on one year with the Sapphire Reserve. I'm seriously thinking of downgrading to the Sapphire Preferred card or some other no fee card. I'm finding that I'm getting better value transferring my points to United than I would booking directly through the Chase portal, even with the 50% bump. Since Ultimate Reward points are transferred to airline partners 1:1 regardless of the card type, it doesn't make sense to pay the $450 a second time.
One nice perk that I wasn't expecting, I'm starting to get travel credits a second time before getting charged the annual fee a second time. So 100,000 points plus $600 in travel credits for paying $450 one time... not a bad deal.
Do you spend 5500.00 a year or more on restaurants or travel? Valuing the points at 0.01 that's your breakeven between the two cards without respect to any other benefits
Do you spend 5500.00 a year or more on restaurants or travel? Valuing the points at 0.01 that's your breakeven between the two cards without respect to any other benefits
even without factoring the $300 travel reimbursement which generally makes the $450 fee a $150 fee?
I'm closing in on one year with the Sapphire Reserve. I'm seriously thinking of downgrading to the Sapphire Preferred card or some other no fee card. I'm finding that I'm getting better value transferring my points to United than I would booking directly through the Chase portal, even with the 50% bump. Since Ultimate Reward points are transferred to airline partners 1:1 regardless of the card type, it doesn't make sense to pay the $450 a second time.
One nice perk that I wasn't expecting, I'm starting to get travel credits a second time before getting charged the annual fee a second time. So 100,000 points plus $600 in travel credits for paying $450 one time... not a bad deal.
have you been able to book flights on united with the saver rate? it looks to me like you dont get a good value without the saver rate and so far i have never been able to get that. im not flexible enough on my dates for the most part.
even without factoring the $300 travel reimbursement which generally makes the $450 fee a $150 fee?
I already took that into account. It's a 150 fee vs 95 so you have to make up a 55.00 difference and hence the 5500 spent on returants and travel would be the break even
Last year, I had many reward cards. Hilton, Double Cash, Amex Blue and Everyday, Discover It, Chase Freedom etc... It was too confusing to earn cash back, points and rewards because of the time to manage it all. I decided to go simple. Really simple. I use the QuickSliver for 1.5% back on everything, no foreign transaction fees plan and simple. No need to remember to sign up for categories and limits restrictions. I was tired of playing the rotating cashback and rewards game.
I use a Target Debit for 5% at Target, Chase Disney debit for discounts at Disney and merchandise at the store. I have a William Sonoma Visa for 2% dining but I have that as a backup credit card. I'm considering the Venture card because of the signup bonus and plans to travel. But again, plain and simple!
Do you spend 5500.00 a year or more on restaurants or travel? Valuing the points at 0.01 that's your breakeven between the two cards without respect to any other benefits
Normally yes, but I will not be traveling much in 2018. I'm planning one trip to Europe and plan on booking that with points through United. I'll consider the Reserve card again in 2019 if I plan on traveling more again. It was nice having lounge access.
have you been able to book flights on united with the saver rate? it looks to me like you dont get a good value without the saver rate and so far i have never been able to get that. im not flexible enough on my dates for the most part.
I'm not sure what you're referring to with saver rate. When I search on the United app, I search for Economy fares and come up with a couple of options.
have you been able to book flights on united with the saver rate? it looks to me like you dont get a good value without the saver rate and so far i have never been able to get that. im not flexible enough on my dates for the most part.
That's the key, from my experience, being very flexible or booking 300+ days out when the Saver Award seats are uploaded into the award seats program on United.
I don't have Sapphire Reserve or Preferred so I can't comment on using the Chase portal to book award flights. Over the last 11 years I have booked 4 award flights through United/Star Alliance for Saver Awards (the cheapest) and one on American Airlines.
My first Saver Award ticket was to Australia (Sydney) from Tucson, it was back in 2006 when it was "only" 50,000 miles, and I booked a ticket for three weeks during Christmas/New Year's which is the peak of the peak season. I truly lucked out on that, but also booked it 300+ days out, when the award seats were uploaded. Normally that ticket would have been $2000+, so I got at least $0.04/mile for the miles I spent, my best redemption ever.
Since then, I booked a United Saver ticket for January 2011 to go from Scranton-Chicago-Hong Kong for 4 weeks, had no problem. Then did Africa, another Saver Award, from Raleigh-DC-Addis Ababa-Johannesburg going and Johannesburg-DC-Raleigh returning for 3 and a half weeks back in 2014. My last award ticket I booked through United was in 2015 also a Saver Award, this time an "open jaw" that went Raleigh-DC-Munich-Budapest going, then Dubrovnik-Frankfort-DC-Raleigh returning for 3 weeks.
I also booked an award ticket (their cheapest) through American from the US to New Zealand for 4 weeks in 2012. I wanted to go for the entire month of December, but couldn't get the return ticket, so I moved my trip up a month and did the entire month of November, that year, in New Zealand, booking it in February.
Those or the USAA Limitless Cashback Visa if you are eligible. 2.5% CB on everything.
USAA has some great card offers. Unfortunately, they're geographically restricted. Meaning, for whatever reason, not all of their card products are available in all states.
Last year, I had many reward cards. Hilton, Double Cash, Amex Blue and Everyday, Discover It, Chase Freedom etc... It was too confusing to earn cash back, points and rewards because of the time to manage it all. I decided to go simple. Really simple. I use the QuickSliver for 1.5% back on everything, no foreign transaction fees plan and simple. No need to remember to sign up for categories and limits restrictions. I was tired of playing the rotating cashback and rewards game.
I use a Target Debit for 5% at Target, Chase Disney debit for discounts at Disney and merchandise at the store. I have a William Sonoma Visa for 2% dining but I have that as a backup credit card. I'm considering the Venture card because of the signup bonus and plans to travel. But again, plain and simple!
I feel you. I have several credit cards that I earn cash back on.
My chase card for rotating rewards
my discover card for rotating rewards
my local credit union card for 3 percent on gas and restaurant
citi bank 2 percent cash back on everything else.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
