If I were to mileage run, I would use my US Bank Flexperks card because:
Air Travel Awards – The FlexPerks Reward Center offers an easy search and booking process. Affiliated with over 150 airlines, you’ll find plenty of flight and carrier options to suit your specific needs.
Examples:
20,000 FlexPoints = Up to $400 ticket value
30,000 FlexPoints = Up to $600 ticket value
40,000 FlexPoints = Up to $800 ticket value
50,000 FlexPoints = Up to $1,000 ticket value
If you come close to the “Up to $XYY ticket value” your points can be worth up to $.02/point.
Here are a couple of clips from The Flight Deal
US Airways – $369: Phoenix – San Juan, Puerto Rico. Roundtrip, including all Taxes
Redeeming the points here would have a worth of $.018
American / United / Delta – $766: Los Angeles – Beijing, China. Roundtrip, including all Taxes
Redeeming points here would be worth $.019
In addition, another benefit with the Flexperks card is the $25 airline allowance as mentioned on MilePoint:
$25 airline allowance with each award ticket5 means you’ll be reimbursed up to $25 toward incidental airline expenses, such as baggage fees or in-flight food and drinks charged to your card.
FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature cardmembers may receive up to a $25 airline allowance with each redeemed airline award travel ticket. Cardmembers who redeem FlexPoints for award travel may be credited up to $25 on a future statement for Qualified Purchases made using their FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature card with the airline carrier providing award travel flight. “Qualified Purchases” are any purchases made with your FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature card that post to your account under the airline carrier providing your award travel flight between the dates of your award travel flight. Cardmembers must call Cardmember Services at 877-978-7446 to request a statement credit within 90 days of a Qualified Purchase. Once the request is approved by Cardmember Services, the cardmember will receive a statement credit within 4 to 6 weeks for the amount of the qualified purchase, up to $25. U.S. Bank does not have the ability to control how a merchant chooses to classify their business and therefore reserves the right to determine which purchases qualify for allowance. You may redeem allowance for Qualified Purchases only if the outstanding balance of your account is below its revolve limit and if your account is open and in good standing under the terms of your Cardmember Agreement. Once you or we close your account for any reason, your allowance may be forfeited.
Now you are mileage running cheaply and stocking up $25 in gift cards with the airline.
