There was extensive discussion here: Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite - closed for applications 7.26.2018 (2016-2021) and over time the topic was exhausted.

I know this is a YMMV question, but I'm going to ask the experts. My question is regarding the "pay yourself back" option. I have the option to pay myself back for United flights at the $.01 exchange rate. I have committed the unpardonable sin of accumulating over 2 million miles over time while paying cash for tickets in my quest to reach 3 million BIS miles and lifetime 1K (I'm at 2.9 million now). With devaluation happening daily via dynamic pricing, it's killing me watch my balance rise. Now, with the Infinite card I can use those miles to knock down my CC balance.

Here's the question. With devaluation, what is a United mile truly worth today? $.01 feels low, but with dynamic award pricing it's tough to find an exchange much above $.015 any more, and many much lower. Am I looking at this wrong and just hold the miles for some aspirational trip that may never happen, or take the $.01 exchange and knock my CC balance down $10-20,000? Thoughts?

Not a sin at all, I’m quite pleased with my 7 figure balances in multiple programs. Think outside of the box, judicious burning is head and shoulders above “earn and burn” as a basic strategy.

There’s more to the “value” of mile or point than the “exchange rate”. There are many factors, including but not limited to ease and cost of acquisition (which is significantly more challenging and expensive today), ease and cost of redemption, $$$ cost of airline tickets and hotel rooms, cost of living and inflation, and (essentially incalculable) urgent/emergency needs.

Now that all, particularly 1st or Biz Class, airlines seats are so much more $$$ expensive, judiciously saved points or miles are “worth” much more and relatively less expensive (even accounting for devaluations). It’s impossible to calculate the value of enough judiciously saved points or miles to fly a family, perhaps some (elderly or infirm) in 1st or biz, across the country on short notice (e.g. for a funeral) when that same family would be challenged to afford the price gouged $$$$ for the same last minute flights. Many people are much more appreciative of a 1st or Biz Class seat as they age; in my 30’s and 40’s a long haul Biz Class seat was a luxury, now in my 60’s it’s essentially a required deal breaker. Similar to $$$, which everyone should be saving (for retirement among other things) despite ongoing devaluations, points and miles should be judiciously saved until an age when one has more time and ability to travel and earning opportunities (for $$ and points & miles) will undoubtedly decrease.

On a concrete level, a UA or AA mile can easily be leveraged to $0.02-$0.03 when redeeming for domestic travel and often twice that much when redeeming for international travel, particularly near the pointy end of the plane.

I maintain that judicious saving was and remains prudent and brilliant, you should be commended for accumulating a healthy balance. Once you reach lifetime 1k you could start spending those miles and perhaps do as I do, having not spent $$$ on an airline ticket for several years.

If you are really carrying a balance on the card, then absolutely, as you should also factor in the reduction in interest charges, which would have to be high.

Even if you are not carrying a balance on the card, turning "points/miles" into actual cash value can be a good use, even if not maximizing their actual value. Even more so if you do not have a use for these miles planned.

your argument is not really right. cash can gain value over time if properly invested, while points dont. so as long as your investment returns outpace the inflation of air fare, then it will be worth it to burn those points rather than keep them. this is especially true since ffps devalue over time. you are also assuming status quo; e.g. partner airlines not reducing award availability over time, which is contrary to what we are seeing today, and demand for awards remaining the same, which is also untrue, and we are seeing more and more people fighting over the limited availability. for the latter, US based ffps are at an disadvantage as they can only book around 330 days out while other ffps can book around 360 days out. and i dont think i need to explain the benefits of cash over miles

Thank you for your input and analysis. I am pretty certain that I will get much feedback on the counterpoint, so I appreciate your perspective. It gives me more to think about.

My club card normally posts miles and PQPs to United on Mondays. But this week, only miles posted; not the PQPs. (I have not maxed out on them.) Have they made some change in posting those? This week's posting should move me up a level.

For me, PQP from any United credit card typically posts on Thursdays (at any hour - it varies) and is back dated to Monday.

Does anyone have any DPs for how long it takes for this card to show up in the United app? My card was approved on Tuesday, physical card delivered Thursday, but it’s not yet shown with its list of benefits in the UA app. I see my other United card (explorer) there, but not the new Club card. The club membership is also shown, as well as the initial baggage membership they add with new cards...just not the card itself.

Just wondering how long it might take, since I’m guessing the 10% off economy saver awards might take effect at the same time (along with IHG platinum, etc)…and I’m also holding off signing up for promotions in the app, in the hopes of being able to activate them on the new card instead of the old one. Thanks!

Being my own data point, in case there are other impatient people like me in the future wondering about this!

Day 0 - card approved, Apple Pay available, club membership and temporary baggage subscription active on United site.
Day 2 - physical card delivered
Day 4 - Card now shown on United site, and other benefits (10% off economy saver, IHG status, Avis status) now available

Seemed like it was taking a while, but now that I'm typing this, I realize it was all pretty quick in reality.

I have had the. Personal UA club card for 5 years, recently applied for Club Business, plan is to cancel personal card.

how do the benefits compare between the two? Which is the. Pre rewarding for UA spend?

Here are some key differences between the two

1. The Personal one gives bonus PQP (1500 each year) while the Business version does not (beyond any signup bonus PQP)
2. The Personal one is a Visa Infinite card vs the Business version is the Visa Signature card - for the most part this may not make much difference except for certain Infinite benefits
3. The Personal only earns 1x on general purchases while the Business earns 1.5x on general purchases
4. The Personal provides a 10k award discount after spending 20k on the card while the Business version has no such discount
5. The Business version provides $50 credit for United farelock purchases but the Personal doesn't

More aggressive (application) strategy, perhaps if SUBs are a significant consideration, could consider alternately �churning� the 2 cards (Club and Club Biz) every 25-27 months. Only 1 AF per card, to me that AF is justified by the SUB.

That strategy has worked well for me for 5 years with cards and SUBs as follows:

Club: 9/20 - 10/21
Club Biz: 11/21 - 2/23
Club: 3/23 - 4/24
Club Biz: 4/24 - 5/25
Club: 5/25 - ???

Question about the 10k mile award flight discount benefit. If you book an award itinerary using this benefit, and subsequently have to cancel the ticket, is the discount lost for booking a new ticket? Or would it be redeposited for further use?

Wow. Been waiting for a $40 TB credit via the quest card and was directed to your post. So thank you. This is wild and a scam, fairly confident this AWD was added later as it wasn't in the updates last year when the quest card was updated. I won't use cars.united.com ever again. I'm also going to request a rebate from Chase for this scam. I know I won't get anything, but just wow.

Quest makes NO mention of AWD requirements.
Travel Benefits | United Quest Card | Chase.com https://share.google/qFM3R3g9O4z5cg5QC