Starwood Improves The Signup Bonus Offer!

I remember seeing on dansdeals that best tranfer is to ANA. When is LAN better? When is ANA better?

@thingywingy:
ANA is no longer the great option that it used to be as they added heavy fuel surcharges. They still have low rates with many free stopovers, but you’ll have to pay $$$ for that privilege now.

Partners like USAirways, Air Canada, American, LAN, and Delta all allow you to avoid paying fuel surcharges in most cases.

Sapphire Preferred gives 2x points of dining and travel.
AND you can transfer to CO/UA at 1:1. SPG Amex offers neither. I am finding SPG card less and less useful now.

Dan, Just out of curiosity why do you rate the Starwood Card higher than the Chase Sapphire Card, when the Sapphire card gives you a higher signup bonus (50k or even 100k), an annual 7% dividend etc. I know the annual fee for the Sapphire card is a little higher than the Starwood card after the inital year, but with the bonus I think it is worth it.

I’m pretty sure I saw a Starwood offer on your site just a month ago that gives 15k bonus after 4.5k spent in three months… I signed up then, how do I find out what bonus schedule I’m on?

My father just got approved for this card, two days ago. Will he be able to get the 15k bonus after the new terms or must he spend $15,000?

Any way to work this out?

@JA:
Exactly why I use Sapphire Preferred now for travel and dining. But for general spending Starwood is still best.
And you can transfer Starpoints to USAir or Air Canada for travel on Continental or Star Alliance at a 1:1.25 ratio.

@Puppydogs:
I said the Starwood card is the best for general spending.
For a signup bonus, obviously getting 56K for spending $3,000 on the Sapphire Preferred is better than getting 30K for spending $5,000 on Starwood.

But for overall spending I think SPG is still best. Although Sapphire Preferred is strong competition. Especially if you couple Sapphire Preferred with Freedom or Ink Cash. See this post for more info on that combo:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/16061

@reader:
Call and ask?

@YudiG:
Call or send a secure message to find out!

Are there any 100K Amex cards around now? Seems that most of the codes in the forum are expired.

I signed up for the $4500/30,000 points deal and when i got the card they said i didnt. Is there any way to prove that to them? I also applied for a business card and one for my wife which I did not activate yet- is there any way for me to get this new deal that you have listed here?

Dose the Sapphire Preferred gives 2 points on gas? Thanks.

@Dan: Thanks Dan

Dan,I used to have a starrwood card a few month ago can I still apply. Also just applied for the amex gold card a few weeks ago do i need to wait b4 applying for this offer?

Dan,

When in the past have you gotten a “whopping 312%”?

HSS

dan, you clearly hate capital one. What is wrong with the capital 1 2% on travel card? Explain it to me. You keep talking about how you may be able to get 2 cents a mile, but capital one’s card is ALWAYS 2 cents a mile. That doesn’t include an excellent ‘earn more rewards’ plan.

No FX fees either.

I have signed up for the starwoods card to get the 30k bonus. I also did a business one. But I plan to go back to my cap1 card. I am in the arbitrage business and I often get 2 cents extra per dollar by using my Cap1 card when spending. I’ve earned over 430 dollars in travel dollars on cap1 during the last few months on 21,500. Would I have gotten to 430 on a starwoods card? Unlikely.

Starwood Hotels donot allow you to book a room if you have >2 people in your group. Does this mean that you need to make 2 separate award reservations?

@Yehuda:
Nope.

@Clevelander:
Send an Secure Message via americanexpress.com/messagecenter to social media>twitter and explain that you signed up with a link for 30K for spending $4,500, which was a public, non-targeted promotion.

@Malkie:
No.

@MIKE:
You can apply again now.

@HSS:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/4365

@no comment:
Ask Capital One how many miles they want for a trip a round-the-world ticket in First class suites like my wife and I took earlier this year. The retail value was about $250,000. Thus you would need 25 Million Capital One “Miles” for that trip.

Or you can use 230,000 or 280,000 AA miles, regardless of the price of the tickets.
185,000 Starpoints become 230,000 AA miles.

185,000 Starpoints or 25 Million Capital One points. Tough call…

Or a more common redemption, a business class ticket to Israel with a cot of $5,000. With Capital One you would need 500,000 miles. With Starwood you can transfer 100,000 points into 125,000 USAir miles and have more than enough miles to fly on any Star Alliance carrier without any fuel surcharges. Or go in business class for as little as 40,000 points with some surcharges.

A Capital One point is worth a penny a piece no matter what. It can’t be worth more than that. With real airline/hotel miles and points the sky is the limit. 2 cents is the worst you should do, but 50 cents per points is entirely possible as well if you play your cards right. That’s a whole lot more fun!

Now if you just redeem for domestic coach and you always redeem months in advance you may do better with Capital One. But that last-minute ticket from NY to Cleveland will cost $1,300 or 130,000 Capital One points. With Sapphire Preferred you can transfer to Continental miles where you will need just 20,000 for the round-trip. With the 1.07 bonus that’s just 18,691.

@SG:
I’m not sure what you mean? More than 2 adults in one room?
Another really bad thing about Capital One cards-they hard pull all 3 of your credit reports instead of just one like with the other banks. 3 times the hit to your credit score!

Dan, surely you cannot lose your American Express Membership Rewards points if you transfer them out of MR before cancelling your card.

Can I apply for a second starwood card

starwood card

Dan,
I missed something, could you please explain.

“and 2/5 elite qualifying stays and nights for each card you have”

Thanks and Shana Tova,
Eli

Dan,

Do you have any idea how long this offer will be available? I’m in the middle of spending for another card, but don’t want to miss this offer. Thanks!

@Dan: I meant if I select 2 adults per room and 2 rooms it gives the following message:
‘Award stays limited to 1 room / 2 adults. Please change rooms / adults to see availability.’
I guess this is a bug in their system.

Dan:
Since the Starwood Card is also an American Express card will Continental still accept the transfer of points after September 30? If so, can the points be used on all their partner airlines? What does Starwood charge for the transfer of points?
BTW in reading all the information that you and your readers have posted I have accumulated lots of miles for travel to Israel by following some of the suggestions. Thanks so much!

Dan,
I had a starwoods card a few years ago. If I apply for a new one do I qualify for the 30k bonus?

Dan I need your input! I just applied for the chase marriot 50k bonus (as well as the hyatt card). I got declined because I alredy have a marriot card. I spoke to chase reconsideration dept who agreed to alow me to open the card if I close my existing one. (I explained I needed the new card bec I wanted a different annivesary date for my annual free night). Will I still get the 50k bonus?? bec I now read the fine print that says existing or previous marriot card holders are not eligable for bonus points?

@Gabbai:
Of course not, I’m talking about if you don’t transfer them.

@alce:
I had 3 active at one point, but YMMV.

@elih:
That’s for qualifying for Starwood elite status.

@IB:
I’m not sure yet.

@SG:
Just book it separately or call or chat to book.

@sml:
I don’t follow your question.

Nothing is changing with Starwood, you can still transfer to all of their partners listed in the post.
There is no tax for transferring Starpoints into miles like there is for American Express Membership Rewards points into miles.

@Menashe:
YMMV.

@MIKE:
YMMV, but try asking on http://www.dansdeals.com/forums

can i have the starwood business card and the starwood consumer card at the same time ? & which one will afeect my credit repot & score ?

@jack:
Absolutely.

The line of credit or spending on the business card won’t help or hurt you.

thanks

Dan, maybe you can confirm if this works.
transfer Spg to Amtrak 1:1
transfer Amtrak to CO 1:1
u then avoid the 2:1 hit

I have the Chase Saphire card is there anyway to upgrade to preffered and get the same sign on bonus?

Dan,
I signed up for an Amex card about 2 months ago and I’m on the $15K in 6 month spending threshold. Is there anyway for me to get them to put me on the new $5K threshold?

can i join my spg accounts from my business card with my consumer card?

hi dan i got this card through your link but i never got the points i even sent a secure message and they said that i will get the points when i spend 15,000 in 6 months, is there a code that i can call them with or should i try again?

@mark:
Not easy to transfer Amtrak points.

@Eli:
Apply for the preferred card.

@Daniel B:
Try sending them a secure message.

@Harry:
Sure, just call SPG.

@steve:
Attach a screenshot of the $5K offer to the secure message.
The best secure message dept is their social media>twitter team.

thanks, where can i get a screenshot cuz now the link goes to the regular offer?

hi dan
is there a way for me to upgrade to gold without staying they nights the require?