We previously covered that Chase was changing the United Quest Credit To Travel Bank. It appears this is affecting all Chase United cards that come with any sort of United credit. For example the Chase United Business:
Starting March 24, 2025, after meeting qualifying flights, your $100 annual United® travel credit will be deposited in the form of $100 in United TravelBank cash
In addition the fine print states the credit will expire after 12 months.
TravelBank Cash: TravelBank cash must be used for bookings on a United- or United Express®-operated flight or as otherwise permitted by United, and the reservation must be made prior to the expiration date of the credit. TravelBank cash may not be combined, transferred, extended beyond expiration date or re-credited for miles. Each unused award flight credit will expire 12 months after date of issue. TravelBank cash can be used alone or in combination with most other forms of payment. You can’t combine TravelBank cash with travel certificates, future flight credit or miles. Flight purchases made with Money + Miles do not qualify for applying TravelBank cash. TravelBank cash credit must be used toward a reservation made within 12 months from the issue date. For more information about TravelBank cash, visit united.com/TravelBankTerms.
To qualify and earn your TravelBank cash, your account must be open and in good standing at time of fulfillment. If your credit card account is closed at any time, United reserves the right to remove the unused TravelBank cash from your MileagePlus account. Offer and TravelBank cash rules and regulations are subject to change. Taxes and fees related to travel are the responsibility of the passenger.
By placing it in Travel Bank you then have to pay cash for the rest of the ticket. You cannot use both Travel Bank and any flight credits you may have. One or the other.
Can Travel Bank credits be used for taxis? The credit was usable toward taxes.
Your post has typos and is incomplete. Did you mean taxis or taxes, and if taxes, personal taxes or just taxes on flights?
Nope
Another reason why cashback is king
I wonder if this will eventually impact the IHG cards
Impact in what way? The IHG cards that have been earing anything United have already been earning TravelBank already for a while.
So it seems as if the IHG cards preceded this change, rather than following this change, doesn’t it?
Or are you just talking about the expiration? The expiration was about 6 months originally on my IHG Business Premier cards, but that was probably because it was a TravelBank credit issued every half a year. The above TravelBank credit on a United card which is getting the 12 month expiration is issued once a year.
Lame, but everyone should expect constant devaluations in this game. I only hold the business card, it really pays for itself. 2 club passes a year which I sell on ebay and it pays for the card annual fee. Helps me check bags for free on that airline. Otherwise the cards blow unless you are a united enthusiast.
Limited appeal. Of all the people who regularly fly United, I don’t know any to be enthusiastic about it.
I have the United Explorer card which also comes with 2 club passes. I only use the card for the free carry on & checked bag
Carry on is already free on all UA flights unless you’re Boarding Group 5.
You’re both missing out – the real no-brainer combo is the Business & Gateway cards, which will get you 5000 bonus miles automatically every year, keep your access to expanded award availability, 2 lounge passes, and extra baggage/priority boarding.
I get the award availability with the business card. I get the baggage with the business card. I don’t need a personal card for 5k miles a year. Much rather get an actually useful card.
You definitely are missing out. Most of us here already have Gateway cards after downgrading from other UA cards. With no hard pull, no 5/24 slot, and no AF, there’s no reason not to have one if you’re in the UA CC ecosystem.
Could you explain how the gateway + business combo give you 5k bonus miles? And what is the expanded award availability?
If you have any UA biz card and any personal UA card then you automatically get 5,000 miles each year for doing nothing. So get a SUB on UA Quest/Explorer then downgrade to no AF Gateway after the first year (and perhaps the 2nd year’s credits if they post within 30days). Then you’ll keep all the best perks with the UA Biz card for $99 and get 5k miles…which everyone should value at least at $50. So $49 for 2 lounge passes and all the other benefits in perpetuity! Expanded award availability is made for people with the fee-based UA cards, but it “sticks” if you have 1yr+ fee card then downgrade to Gateway.
Imagine needing the baggage fee waiver because you only ever fly domestic on United.