Agree, that’s why I wrote “debatable”. I’m spoiled in that regard because I rarely spend $$$ for airfare since achieving my 2nd lifetime status (AA BankDirect miles 12-14 years ago, UA BIS 6-7 years ago), also the reason why for my past 2 UA Biz cards the 5 purchases for the UA credit wasn’t even a blip on the radar for me.

(FWIW, with LGA as my primary airport and JFK secondary, it’s easy to be a free agent. Only time I spend $$$ on an airline ticket is to top off a UA TB purchase. Otherwise it’s AmEx MR for UA, AA miles for AA (most travel), and occasional MR or UA or DL or BA or AL miles. A strong argument in favor of “earn and spend judiciously and save” vice “earn and burn”.)

Great minds think alike. Same for my UA Club card, for which “it’s all about the SUB” and UA Lounge access, sock drawered except for 1 Lyft or Uber ride each month just to get the credit (and show activity). Fortunately nowadays (with digital wallets and CCs in profiles) it can actually be in the sock drawer for 11 months and still be used occasionally, compared to the “(? not) good ole days” when the physical card was invariably required.

Lost me, what’s the difference? To me, once the SUB has posted, “cancel-before-another-AF” is the reason for the sock drawer. To me “sock drawer” and “cancel-before-another-AF” are synonymous, with the long version being: “sock drawer for 10-11 months until the AF is billed and decision regarding possible retention offer or cancellation regardless of retention offer”.