Chase Ultimate Rewards - UA Chase Card up for renewal but I'm unsure what to get instead

I've had a UA Chase Visa card for a while. It's the older Mileage Plus Visa Signature card that earns one point for all spend and two points for UA spend but virtually nothing else including NO priority boarding, free bag, etc.

The card is up for renewal and I see no reason to keep it and pay the annual fee for absolutely NO benefits. (Don't understand that they didn't upgrade the benefits like Citi did on my AA Platinum Advantage card which now offers the fee bag, boarding, etc.) Not a big UA flyer and I do not need a UA card to keep the account active since I can do this with MP Dining. I have several other Chase products but the UA card has the highest balance and it's also my oldest Chase card. (I reallocate some of the credit balance to the Chase Sapphire Card when I got it in January.)

Just to help other make the best suggestions, here are the other Chase cards I have:

Chase Sapphire Preferred - Use this as my primary card when I want to divest some points from the SPG AMEX. Always use it for travel expenses and for restaurant purchases.

BA Visa - Use the card to achieve the $30k spend every other year for the free companion award. Just used one companion award last month to go to France but have one that expires Dec. 2013 that will be used by then.

Priority Club Visa - Only keeping the card for the free night that comes with it every year. Used the last one as part of our trip to France at the IC Cannes. Needless to say paying the annual fee was a great deal compared to the normal cost of the room at the IC Cannes.

Here's my options:
1. I'm leaning toward applying for the Hyatt Visa but only to get the two free nights, upgrade certificate (I'm a Platinum member) and annual free night which would pay for the annual fee (but I have an email offer for the first year free if I apply). I had originally planned on waiting to apply for this card until some time next year (to use in 2014) because we want to use our BA voucher next year (2013) to either go to Greece or Spain and Hyatt doesn't have an over abundance of properties to use the free night there. If I apply for the card now I would probably use the two free nights in NYC within the year.

2. Fairmont Card - I just don't see the added benefit of this card due to the limited number of properties. They have no properties in Spain or Greece and if I needed to just "use" the free night the options are more limited in NYC due to only one property and limited availability at that property. Plus I just don't understand the program and how the points are redeemed.

3. Marriott Card - I'm not a huge Marriott fan (just a lowly silver with them) and it just doesn't seem like the best card out there.

4. Not get a new card and move the credit balance to the Sapphire Preferred card.

What would you do? Any other suggestions? I keep reading about the Chase Freedom and Ink Cards but I just haven't done enough research on them yet. Don't you have to be a business owner to get one of them?

There are two features of the original Platinum card that are not available on any of the current cards that you should consider before closing the account:

1. 5k PQM after $5k spend, and another 5k PQM for >$35k/year.
2. Choices. You can receive a statement credit against any UA/Star alliance charges, effectively making this a 2%-back card.

The additional 5k PQM has put me over 100k miles (and 1K requalification) twice in the past five years. If you travel well over 100k miles/year then this benefit is useless to you.

As for the second option, this is how I use it: When I'm looking at a reward flight, if I can buy it for ~$250-$350 and the flight is ~>1500 flight miles, then I use choices. Since you paid for the ticket you earn PQM and award miles on the flight. If the ticket is above this amount and a standard award is available, or if the flight is <1500 miles long, I usually use miles to pay for it.

You have to ask yourself- Why did Chase drop this card? They must feel that the new cards are better for THEM, which means the old cards is better for US. As 1k the AF is still waived as well. If I wasn't 1k I'm not sure I'd pay the AF, which I believe is still ~$140?

Andrew

Edit: I just re-read your post and see that you stated you're not a big UA flyer. In this case the card probably isn't worth it to you.

I think the UA Select card is different than what andrewket is describing.

This would be the card that offers 3 RDM/$ and 1 PQM/$ on UA purchases, plus some categories of general spending at 2 RDM/$.

I think a good case could be made for keeping this card:

There is an annual 5000 RDM bonus, which easily offsets most of the annual fee
Chase has been offering decent retention bonuses, such as 10k RDM for a certain spend
The PQM for spending deal and the higher earning categories are NOT offered anymore - if you give those up you can't get them back
It's a convenient place to store your extra credit line so you can be approved for more cards later


(Search for "United" in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credit-card-programs/1106796-chase-retention-bonus-reports-all-cards.html )

EDIT: Or am I thinking of the wrong card?...