Milenomics² [No Annual Fee Edition] Episode 71: Ranking Bank Points for Domestic Airfare

0:55 Ranking Bank Points for Domestic Airfare

• We’re talking about deeply discounted airfare, not FREE airfare. 
• Every one of these programs has a cash out path–that’s great

1:45 Overview: Highs and Lows of each Program

1:59 Chase UR

• Talked about the most online, but not as valuable as Amex to us
• Much more straightforward than Amex
• 1 Cent per Ultimate Reward point earned (easy cash out on all card)
• 5x earning on Office Supply has been around for a long time. 
• Earning at high rates, transferring to a CSR/CSP 

3:00 Earning Chase UR 

• Easy to use Domestic Partners in United and Southwest
• Travel Portal booking is not ideal but does have uplift
• Earning with high multipliers and sign up bonuses works well
• 5/24 limits the number of cards you can get
• Can co-mingle points

6:30 Southwest (W/ Chase UR)

• Points have become less useful as Ticketless Travel Funds (TTF) have become permanent
• Less transfers from UR->Southwest because TTF are so plentiful
• If transferring , the best way to earn is still NOT on the Southwest credit cards. 

7:43 Booking with the Chase Travel Portal: 

• Price inflation is real (American, others) Be sure to check google flights
• Can see inflated prices on flights, issues when canceling
• 1.25 cents per point / 1.5 cents per point (20% - 33% discount on travel)
• Sometimes just taking cash back at 1 cent per point is the way to pay for travel
• These points are not ‘free’

10:53 Amex MR Overview

• Amex is so generous that they have changed subscribers’ lives
• THE most generous bank with respect to SUB, earning bonuses and referrals
• The default cash back amount for a MR is 0.6 Cents ($.006) per MR with a few exceptions
• Difficult to get rid of these points. 

12:41 Booking Travel with Amex MR

• With such easy earning there isn’t a fast enough release valve sometimes
• Their travel portal is horrible, but is mandatory for the 35% rebate
• Insider fares are lower fares than anywhere else. 
• Extremely high annual fee cards needed to release points at high value
• To get good redemption rates with points you have to graduate to high annual fee cards
• Either churn the card or pay the high annual fee (carrying costs) to get good value
• Delta transfers are a great option – 1.1 cents in value per point, transfer 1:1
• Holding a Delta card gives a 15% discount as well, works out to around 1.25 cents per point. 

16:26 Earning Membership Rewards

• “They’ve gone crazy with the Sign up Bonuses” 
• Easier to earn at a moderate level than Chase (or any other bank) 
• Many high annual Fee cards, which come with many coupons/credits
• Nonstarter for someone just starting out. 

18:55 Difficulties transacting with AMEX

• Need High annual Fee Business Platinum for 35% rebate (approx 1.5 cents per point) 
• Need High Annaul Fee Morgan stanley (1cpp) or Schwab (1.1 cpp) to cash out MR. 
• Cannot co-mingle points across spouses, which means you need 2 of each of these cards!
• 35% rebate only on airline of choice or business/fir