We’ve seen American Express increase the sign up bonus from 25,000 to 30,000 points for my favorite travel rewards credit card: The Starwood Preferred Guest Card. But in the past, Amex required you to meet the spend threshold of $5,000 in order to receive that bonus. Now, Amex only requires you to spend $3,000 in 3 months to get the bonus! This is offer is only slated to last until 09/14. If you’ve had the card before, you won’t be eligible for the bonus.
I’ve always maintained that the SPG card earns you the most valuable rewards currency of any other program. Starwood offers a variety of fantastic hotel chains that can be redeemed for only a few thousand points. Hotels that go for $300, $400, or $500+ go for 10,000 or 12,000 points per night. If you book 5 nights, you will get the 5th night free.
Increased 30,000 Point Sign Up Offer:
The increased offer is available for both the consumer and business SPG cards, but the business card has the spending requirement of $5,000 in 3 months. A list of the dozens of airline frequent flyer programs that you can transfer Starpoints at a 1:1 ratio and receive a 5,000 point bonus for every 20,000 points that you transfer:
| 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 |
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. 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.
Enjoyed my recent stay at the Sheraton Kauai Resort for only 12,000 points per night!