Originally Posted by
sdsearch
Meanwhile,
all you can do with ThankYou points is redeem them for rewards that are equivalent to about a 1% cashback! ThankYou and all other "fake miles" and "fake points" systems don't mix with your FF account or your existing hotel account, they take your TY points and use them (at cashback-equivalent rates) to buy airline tickets or hotel rooms outright (for $$$ that you pay for out of your TY points).
TYP can be used for airline tickets under their "fixed point redemption" option at values of up to 2 or 3 cents per mile.
The new Citi AMEX Platinum card allows you to earn a minimum of 3 TYP per dollar on all purchases (5 TYP per dollar on select purchases), though it is capped at a relatively modest 150,000 TYP per year.
Even at cash value, TYP are worth a penny a point and there are plenty of card options that earn you up to 5 TYP per dollar with a minimum of 2 TYP per dollar using the PremierPass Elite card (assuming you purchase airline tickets with any regularity), so it is nowhere near equivalent to "1% cashback".