to the thread!
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So, while flying business on miles is relatively cheaper than paying out of pocket, it's still likely to be more expensive than I would have paid for an economy ticket out of pocket."
This would depend on the airline. If we are talking British Airways and connection to or through London then that can often be the case. As for other airlines, I have not found that to be the case. Last year we flew in Singapore Suites and our out of pocket expense in taxes and fees was less than $100 per person. I think it was closer to $75. I've seen some amazing fare sales to Asia but never flights that were less than $100 per person. Next month we are flying on Emirates in first class to the Maldives with a stop over in Dubai. Our taxes and fees for those flights are less than $200 per person.
SFO is a hub for United so you may want to look into focusing on Chase Ultimate Reward points. UR points transfer 1:1 to United so they are great for award flights. However, they also can be used to pay for flights on any airline through the UR portal. The points are worth 1.25 cents through a CSP account and 1.5 cents through a CSR account. AA has SFO as a focus city so the AA cards may be a good option if you don't plan to stay under 5/24 for long.
Keep in mind that while there are cards that should be signed up for and dumped after a year because the bonus points are worth well more than the fee, there are also cards with an AF that should be kept because the value they bring to the table far outweigh the AF.
Personally, I find I get more value from points and miles than I do cash back. There is absolutely no possible way for me to match the amount of travel we are able to do on points and miles if I were focused on cash back cards. The Maldives/Dubai trip next month alone would cost over $57,000 dollars (which I would never spend real money to do) and I'd need 5.7 million miles to cover that.
You'll get a lot of differing opinions on the thread which is a good thing. This will help you compare your goals and situation to what others are doing and find the path that is right for you. We like to say here that there is no wrong way to earn and burn your miles. There are many options and it is good to look at each path and see what works for you.
@SouthFayetteFan and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum on our travel goals and how we view our credit card strategies. None the less, we routinely amaze one another with what we accomplish
and hold the utmost respect and esteem for one another. That's the other wonderful thing about this thread, everyone respects each other no one judges anyone's choices.
