Originally Posted by
s0ssos
Now with the Discover It Miles card giving you 3% cashback the first year, it seems that most of the times miles aren't worth all that much in redemption for business class. Especially with the cheap business fares that come about (and are much easier to find than award flights).
For example, Delta charges 70,000 miles. That would be $2100 for a one-way ticket, which is obtainable for business if you get a promo fare.
First, of course, is ridiculously priced, and so even using more miles it is still worth it.
But it seems the game is changing.
Three major assumptions you make, all of which I think are false, that undermine your conclusion. First and foremost, promo fares are not normal. They are often airport-specific and are for sale for a short duration for a small window of travel dates. If you're searching to book a flight during that window, yes, they are easier to find than award seats. But all else equal, if you want a specific itinerary, say, BNA-VIE, I would posit you're much more likely to find award seats than promo J ticket. Perhaps I've had better luck with award seats than others.
Second, 3% cashback earn is not sustainable. As you point out, that is a first year promo for Discover. Some can get 2.625% on an ongoing basis, but most are limited to 2.1%.
Finally, you assume that the only source of points/miles is 1x spending. 70k Delta miles can be earned in many ways that do not forfeit $2100 in cashback. A Delta Platinum Amex sign up bonus, for example. Even without sign up bonuses, one can earn 70k miles via bonus categories that have a lower opportunity cost than 1x spend.
Yeah, promo J fares can make miles less appealing if you find a promo fare that works for what you want/need, but they certainly don't make J awards value-less.