NO!


A TYP is not "worth' 3 cents if redeemed in first/business class.

First, that assumes that the hassle and inefficiencies of dealing with EXPREDIA does not result in a less than competitive price and or at a minimum and aggravation and waste of time factor.

Second, It assumes that the premium luxury travel would have actually been paid for by you in cold , hard cash.

After all you are paying card it , cash in advance.

Third, if you are a couple with a mortgage very often you need around half million dollars of points to get two J tixs.

So you have paid Jake a 2.5% vig for years to get about $250,000 or best case $167,000 in mortgage payments to him.

lost opportunity cost?

vulgarities of future TY point devaluations?

Uncertainty over retail pricing on Business class? some regions EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA SAO PAULO are VERY HARD TO REDEEM AT THE CURRENT CAPS.

Fourth, your 3 cents in travel assumes a very unlikely scenario of redeeming the ABSOLUTE maximum value on a ticket that you would have definitely paid for any way. Its difficult to Hot EXACTLY the maximum.


Finally, what would you rather have Three cents in cash for 500,000 points OR the potential speculative ability to book travel , WITH ONE VENDOR, WITH ONE SEARCH ENGINE & BOOKING LIMITATIONS with that travel having a theoretical potential maximum value of 3 cents.??

I apply a 50% discount to the above scenario.

A TY point is "worth" 1.5 cents to me and if I can't achieve a critical mass of 250,000 TY points then its worth 1 cent in cash.

Conversely, I pay my taxes using starwood Amex as the SPG points are Worth 2.49 cents ( or close) to that. Sometimes even the Hilton AX, If I need it no meet the annual $ 20,000 theshold requirement for HHonors Gold.