Other Credit Card Programs - Thank you points - 34k - best use

I have 34k points.

What could be a best value?

Also, I have a party of 4 might want to travel in Dec for graduation - a 2 hr flight.

Any other thoughts?
Any penalty free transfers to a different point system?
Or get a Target/Amazon gift card?

ThankYou Points are worth $0.01 each, maximum. Any redemption which will yield $340 is optimal.

ThankYou does not currently offer Amazon or Target giftcards. You can see a list of retail cards here...

https://rewards.thankyou.com/b2r/merchandise/landBrowseCategory.do?supplierCategoryId=10100&storeid=87&code=02&categoryId=1280

Hotel cards are listed separately

https://rewards.thankyou.com/b2r/merchandise/browseCategory.do?supplierCategoryId=10100&GS_SELECT_CATEGORY_ID=1289&storeid=87&code=0300&brand=&pageSize=12&min_price=&max_price=0&page=1&sort=5&list_style=null

The complication with 34,000 is that to realize $0.01 per point with gift cards you would need to redeem for three $100 cards, and this would leave you holding 4,000. Lower denomination cards are more costly.

Points can also be redeemed for air, hotel or car rental using the online booking tool at a rate which "approaches" $0.01 per point...

https://www.thankyou.com/travelRewardsCategory.jspx?categoryName=Travel+%26 +Experiences&travelTabName=Flights

For the Hotel redemptions can you use more than one of those $100 certificate for the same stay?

For the Hotel redemptions can you use more than one of those $100 certificate for the same stay?

This is NOT controlled by ThankYou Network - you would have to get an answer from the related hotel chain, AND preferrably the hotel itself - as in many cases, the words from the HQ is "guidelines" only.

ThankYou Points are worth $0.01 each, maximum. Any redemption which will yield $340 is optimal.

ThankYou does not currently offer Amazon or Target giftcards. You can see a list of retail cards here...

https://rewards.thankyou.com/b2r/merchandise/browseCategory.do?supplierCategoryId=10100&GS_SELECT_CATEGORY_ID=1289&storeid=87&code=0300&brand=&pageSize=12&min_price=&max_price=0&page=1&sort=5&list_style=null


Points can also be redeemed for air, hotel or car rental using the online booking tool at a rate which "approaches" $0.01 per point...

https://www.thankyou.com/travelRewardsCategory.jspx?categoryName=Travel+%26 +Experiences&travelTabName=Flights

It turns out only one person is traveling for Graduation.

Even SouthWest seems to cost around $200 from SJC to DEN - would it be a good use to use TYPs to get an airtkt on United perhaps?

I am assuming that its about 25k points - will it include airport taxes as well?

Yes, just look for anything that nets 1 cent per TYP, then look for a credit card that gives you 3-5 TYPs per $. I use hotel stays and Avis rental car certs, though recently Avis certs have been selling for slightly more than 1 pt./cent. Sometimes threatening to cancel your existing card will result in an offer of up to 5 points per $ for the same card you're using. Worked for me.

... would it be a good use to use TYPs to get an airtkt on United perhaps?

A penny is a penny. ThankYou no longer offers airline tickets for a predetermined number of points. The cost of the ticket in dollars x 100 will be the cost in TYP, plus about 800 points for an Expedia service fee.

A penny is a penny. ThankYou no longer offers airline tickets for a predetermined number of points. The cost of the ticket in dollars x 100 will be the cost in TYP, plus about 800 points for an Expedia service fee.

Thanks
Is there a day in the week the fares tend to be lower.
I am traveling in Dec - when should I get the tkt?

In Dec for a same Frontier flight between SFO and DEN
PriceLine gives me $184
TYP = 19200 => $192

TYP is not showing SouthWest, Why??

Thanks
Is there a day in the week the fares tend to be lower.
I am traveling in Dec - when should I get the tkt?

In Dec for a same Frontier flight between SFO and DEN
PriceLine gives me $184
TYP = 19200 => $192

TYP is not showing SouthWest, Why??

Tue and Wed are generally lower priced days of the week.

Travelling in Dec you are dealing with the X'mas travel period. The fares would be high during the period from Dec 17 thru January 3rd, in general.

Southwest only sells its tickets on its own site. Nowhere else would you find Southwest tickets on sale other than its own site.

Southwest also does not have any interline agreement with other airlines as far as I remember. That means, if you are stranded on a Southwest connection, you will have no way to be endorsed to another airline but wait for another Southwest flight.

If I buy it on TYP or Price Line, then for Frontier, I still have to pay them $20 (one way) for check in bags.

Only if I buy it on Frontier web site, then there is a "classic" option that is $25 (one way) more gives 1 bag to check in + DirectTV !

Any tips or workaround?

If I buy it on TYP or Price Line, then for Frontier, I still have to pay them $20 (one way) for check in bags.

Only if I buy it on Frontier web site, then there is a "classic" option that is $25 (one way) more gives 1 bag to check in + DirectTV !

Any tips or workaround?

No.

First, you are sweating an 8 bucks difference between buying it from Priceline and using your TYPs, as you said $184 versus $192.

Now you are sweating on the option of paying $5 extra ($20 checked bag fee versus $25 with 1 checked bag + DirectTV).

Ain't your first and utmost question was how to use your 34K TYPs to get best value?

You already got the answer - it is 1 penny per 1 TYP, no matter how you slice it, as mia points out, a penny is a penny.

First, you are sweating an 8 bucks difference between buying it from Priceline and using your TYPs, as you said $184 versus $192.

It looks to me that by end of the week you are tired that you have become less valuable to this forum as you start over-stretching information. I posted the facts as I explored them - as you are aware, I want to get the most out of it - that is my goal, heading for the graduation. You can refrain from posting if you can't add value.



Now you are sweating on the option of paying $5 extra ($20 checked bag fee versus $25 with 1 checked bag + DirectTV).
These are new to me as I been doing my studies.


Ain't your first and utmost question was how to use your 34K TYPs to get best value?
You got this right.

You need a good night sleep and let others to express themselves the way they want to as long as they don't jump in other peoples way.

It looks to me that by end of the week you are tired that you have become less valuable to this forum as you start over-stretching information. I posted the facts as I explored them - as you are aware, I want to get the most out of it - that is my goal, heading for the graduation. You can refrain from posting if you can't add value.


How can you get the most out of it, TYP speaking, when a penny is a penny?

As you wish, this will be my last post on your thread - since I am the stupid one and the only one who continues to post answers to naive questions - the value of TYP, Southwest is not on Expedia, Why? (actually the question is expressed in a rather rude manner.) And, on top of that, Is there a way to get around a $5 difference in the hope of getting DirectTV... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

While you dont think my answers give any value, ask yourself, did anyone answer your question about what days of the week might have cheaper airfares? Why Expedia does not show Southwest airlines? Such info not valuable to you? Nobody even bothers to answer such basic questions.

How can you get the most out of it, TYP speaking, when a penny is a penny?


This is how I would do it:
I will use my Blue cash card instead - therefore it will be in the form of cash and its more versatile - % of the reward is very similar.

Currently I am using the citi AmEx TYP card for everything - when I find a way to finish most of the TYP, I will go for the Blue cash.

Thanks for your tip on Tues/Wed to buy airtkts & other stuff you posted - I value your contribution.

Happy weekend.

Cheers

I have 34k points.

What could be a best value?

Also, I have a party of 4 might want to travel in Dec for graduation - a 2 hr flight.

Any other thoughts?
Any penalty free transfers to a different point system?
Or get a Target/Amazon gift card?

There's already a thread out there, entitled "TYP, Best Use" (or something similar), and I think your query fits within it (though I'm not one to criticize with respect to this issue).

Personally, I like to use my points for Expedia stuff because the redemption ratios tend to be pretty good (i.e. as long as Expedia's prices are close to rock-bottom, you do okay; and even when this is not the case, you still fetch ~90% of their optimal value.)

But, there are others that prefer gift cards. If you're willing to sweat out the eBay routine, some of the more liquid cards (e.g. Wal Mart) sell for pretty darn close to face value; add in transaction related fees and you should still come out at 95% (and have cash to show for it).

I continue to view TYP as a long-term play because I've experience just how easy it is to get an additional 200k points with a phone call to Citi (i.e. retention offer) and a bit of creative "spending".

Like you, my current balance is around 35k. I will happily spend this down on hotels during the next week (I'm back in China feeling out the waters), as I prepare to generate an additional 200k before year's end.

In closing, even if you don't have the patience to convert TYP into cash, they are really useful. No matter where I am in the world, I can use them to get a hotel (often places I would never entertain visiting otherwise, but random motels in podunk towns, also). TYP are powerful in this respect.

Personally, I like to use my points for Expedia stuff because the redemption ratios tend to be pretty good (i.e. as long as Expedia's prices are close to rock-bottom, you do okay; and even when this is not the case, you still fetch ~90% of their optimal value.)

But, there are others that prefer gift cards. If you're willing to sweat out the eBay routine, some of the more liquid cards (e.g. Wal Mart) sell for pretty darn close to face value; add in transaction related fees and you should still come out at 95% (and have cash to show for it).

It seems that _Scionf_ may be having the problem of not wanting to use TYP for Expedia costs?

In that case, TYP are pretty useless unless you need LandsEnd/Sears or Gap cards. Amazon is gone, Walmart is gone, other cards drift in and out (home depot, staples), but the best use is still a 1-1 trade, nothing better.

It seems that _Scionf_ may be having the problem of not wanting to use TYP for Expedia costs?
Not - it seems that you didn't read my post!


In that case, TYP are pretty useless unless you need LandsEnd/Sears or Gap cards. Amazon is gone, Walmart is gone, other cards drift in and out (home depot, staples), but the best use is still a 1-1 trade, nothing better.

These are some reasons too - meaning less versatile, when I have the option of Blue Cash.

Amazon is gone, Walmart is gone, other cards drift in and out (home depot, staples), but the best use is still a 1-1 trade, nothing better.

Staples is what I was thinking of when I mentioned "Walmart." Those cards sell for very close to face value on eBay, and I'm sure Home Depot does as well (if it's offered; I can never keep track). My point was that anyone who's willing to go through the eBay routine can probably come close to matching Expedia (even if they're working with Gap/Chilli's cards).

But, I just like the simplicity of the Expedia system. For those of us that travel a lot, the Expedia war chest is a nice thing to have at our disposal.

I like to use my TYP for low priced tickets on American that I would pay for because they are too cheap to use AA miles. That way I earn my AA miles but I don't have to use my real money. I also like Land's end gift cards which by the way can be used at Sears. I like Land's end as a company - I buy their stuff on sale and it is great that stuff can be returned at Sears if they don't fit. Since I have a Sears 2 blocks away from me this is great. I have also gotten Macy's since my daughter likes to shop there as well as TJ Max. The $100 gift cards for 10,000 points clearly give you the best value if they are stores you would shop at anyway. What's the rush to use 34,000 pts? How much are you collecting monthly?

Lands End gc's can also be used at K Mart.

...I don't have to use my real money....

I'm lost :confused:. If TYP are convertible 1:1 into gift cards from stores where you would shop at anyway how are they less real than money?

dennis

I'm lost :confused:. If TYP are convertible 1:1 into gift cards from stores where you would shop at anyway how are they less real than money?

dennis

The TYP cards are limited to a few stores that take a 1:1. If you don't shop at those stores (Sears/Kmart/Lands End, Macy's, Gap, etc), you are limited to Expedia uses of the miles.

However, if you have flight points, you earn 2-4 TYP for every dollar spent = less than half price flights.

I have a lot of points. I couldn't shop that much to use them all at Land's End/Sears. I wouldn't use them at an office supply store as those would be business expenses so I would want to charge those. So if there is a cheap flight where I would not want to use miles - unless I needed the flexibility of a mileage ticket, I would use cash if I didn't have TYP (which I did just last year before I realized that I could do this). So having points to use saves me cash for something I would be paying for anyway. I may shop at those stores but that kind of spending is limited and not really necessities in the same way as the cost of flights.

... If you don't shop at those stores ....

Understood, but the post to which I was replying specified where you would shop at anyway.

if you have flight points, you earn 2-4 TYP for every dollar spent = less than half price flights

Flight Points reduce the required spending by 50%, but when Flight Points are converted to ThankYou Points they are worth $0.01 each. If you redeem those points for an Expedia ticket you are not buying a flight for half price, you are paying full price (plus a service fee). If you redeemed for a giftcard would you say you purchased it for half price because you used Flight Points?

... I couldn't shop that much to use them all at...

Thank you for the clarification. I was not questioning the decision to redeem at Expedia, although I find their customer service far below the level of the airlines. I am primarily interested in the notion that money is more valuable than the equivalent amount of points or miles. I'm not disagreeing, merely curious to understand the rationaile. My wife says this is not one of my most endearing qualities ;) .

I think we will end up depleting our TYP by ordering Macys (or similar) giftcards to give at Christmas to people who do shop there on a regular basis.

Understood, but the post to which I was replying specified where you would shop at anyway.

Yes, specifically it is 1:1 for where you would shop anyway, but in reality most people need a better way to spend 100,000 TYP points because there are not enough options in the gift card department.


Flight Points reduce the required spending by 50%, but when Flight Points are converted to ThankYou Points they are worth $0.01 each. If you redeem those points for an Expedia ticket you are not buying a flight for half price, you are paying full price (plus a service fee). If you redeemed for a giftcard would you say you purchased it for half price because you used Flight Points?

Yes, it is worth $0.01 each once converted. However, the Flight Points are gravy that turn a 1-2% earning card into a 2-4% card, so my interpretation is that my spending ability is doubled, or the cost is half price.

Or another view, it makes the card more valuable when calculating which card to use, so yes I spend less in real money to get an expedia flight with TYP over another credit card (Schwab 2%, Blue Cash, etc.).

Once I've gotten the points, they are points to spend and I no longer think about how much it cost me to get those points. It offers something different from miles. I get a bunch of points free for banking and it goes into the pool of points. Since I use my premier card only for gas stations and grocery stores, matched with flight points it is 4 points per $1 (pretty close because I have to charge flights and award fees which do not give 2 points per $1). But then once you have them to spend there is still what are the best returns for the points. First it is flights for which I would have paid cash, then gift cards that give $100 for 10,000 points.