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(1) You have some amount of time after downgrading to undo it if you feel it was a mistake.
(2) While the points are less valuable, and non-transferable, on the Freedom card, this is only temporary.
At some time in the future when you have one of the three transferable cards, you can move them back.
You also have the option to upgrade the Freedom card back to a Sapphire Preferred.
(3) Your original plan still makes sense.
The Venture X card is essentially free (because of the $300 travel credit and 10k retention bonus each year).
If you can’t make that card make sense for you along with a $95 per year Chase card then travel cards might not be for you.