American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card
In my opinion this is and has been one of the best cards on the market for some time now. The Amex SPG reward program allows you to transfer your points to dozens of airlines. For every 20,000 points you transfer, Amex will add on an additional 5,000 points free. So it makes sense to only transfer in increments of 20,000 if you need points in a particular airline program. Starpoints are also redeemable at over 1,000 hotel properties around the world at great rates that will often save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I would definitely value Starpoints at over 2 cents per point when redeeming for hotels. To read more about how much your points are worth, refer back to How Much are My Points Worth? If you don’t have enough points to book as many hotel nights as you’d like, Starwood also has a great Cash & Points award redemption program.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Exchange Ratio (Starpoints:Miles) |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1 |
| Aeroplan/Air Canada | 1:1 |
| Air Berlin | 1:1 |
| Air China Companion | 1:1 |
| Air New Zealand & Air Points | 65:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1:1 |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | 1:1 |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club | 1:1 |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 1:1 |
| Asia Miles | 1:1 |
| Asiana Airlines | 1:1 |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 |
| China Eastern Airlines | 1:1 |
| China Southern Airlines’ Sky Pearl Club | 1:1 |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 1:1 |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 |
| Etihad Airways | 1:1 |
| Flying Blue | 1:1 |
| Gol Smiles | 2:1 |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 1:1 |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank | 1:1 |
| LAN Airlines LANPASS Kms | 1:1.5 |
| Miles and More | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways | 1:1 |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 |
| Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 |
| US Airways Dividend Miles | 1:1 |
| United Mileage Plus | 2:1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 |
| Virgin Australia | 1:1 |
I discussed in another article about how valuable ANA points can be and how their distance-based award chart can lead to some really great deal in economy, business, and first class. SPG and Membership Reward points are the best way to earn ANA rewards and can land you amazing Star Alliance availability. Starpoints are also great to transfer points to and book coveted first class suites and outstanding service from Singapore Airlines. Or, if you just need to top off a frequent flyer account to book an award ticket or have the flexibility to transfer to almost every major airline, Starpoints can give you that piece of mind.
Flexibility:
Recently, a fantastic offer emerged from Air France’s Flying Blue rewards program that offered flights from Boston to Europe and beyond, including: Israel, Greece, Turkey, and more, for only 12,500 points each way this summer! As many of us may not possess points in the Flying Blue program, Starpoints become extremely valuable because you can transfer your points for a roundtrip flight in peak summer to Israel or Europe for only 20,000 Starpoints. Transfer 20,000 points and receive that 5,000 point bonus to give you that free roundtrip ticket that could easily run you more than $1,000. Need points in Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Emirates, or any of the airlines listed above, then top off your account with Starpoints at any time. Flexibility is a beautiful thing.
- Earn 10,000 after your first purchase and another 15,000 after you spend $5,000 within the first 6 months
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65
- Earn up to 5 Starpoints for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG hotels and resorts. Plus, you will earn 1 Starpoint for all other purchases.
- Free 2 stays/5 nights towards elite status with card opening