Poll: What Do You Do With Your Starpoints?

Hi Dan,

I have a question: If I open an Amex platinum where I would have to pay $450 membership fee. If I cancel it within a month, would they refund my $450? My goal is to open one and then close it to avoid the $450 so that I will be able to get into Airport Lounges. Will it work for lounges access if the card has been canceled?

Thank you for all your help!! You are Amazing :)!

Friend of mine did it ,should work. Eventually they catch on.

dan how do u fly to and fro israel for 20k a each way?

right now, i use my points to build up, but occinassly ill use it on hotels,
i.e. i was in rhodes last week, and i satyed at the only sheraton there, it was gorgeous, 3 nights in suite for 130$ and 7k, i have dont dead sea a bunch of times as well.

It would be easier to just have someone add you as an AU rather than applying for your own card, if that’s your only use, and if you choose apply for your own you have 60 days to cancel for a full refund.

I have been reading your blog for a while and am thinking of trying a credit card deal. My concern is that each time I apply for a card, there will be a hit on my credit. How do you manage to get several cards without your credit score being negatively effected?

I read the other post and still cant figure out how 20,000 starpoints gets you to israel?

Hi Dan,

I already have the Starwood consumer card, am I able to apply for another one?

I used my points for cancun vacation… would have been better value if stayed 5 nights but stayed 6, paid for 5 42,500 at the Westin in the nicer part of the hotel (extra 1,300 points a night but questionable reviews made me push for it). On hotels.com nonrefundable would be over $1,500 for my dates so the value was 4,25 each not amazing but not too bad

Thanks for the Le Meridian Dead Sea tip – went ahead and booked my room!

Hi,
i have the same question.
which elite status stays alive after closing the card?
GE? SPG Gold? Car rental status? Etc?

Hi Dan

I want to go to flordia in jan with my family i want to know i have 29000 starwood points what is the best option to transfer to mile? which airline is the best to transfer the mile to?

thank you

Where does it mention in the fly to Israel post how you can get there on just 20k starpoints. I didn’t see anything less than 40k.

@David: Dan, how can I get to Israel roundtrip on 40,000 Starwood points ? i cannot seem to figure it out. Thanks !

I am planning to use my points for a nice 2 days with my wife in manhatten

have not nailed down the hotel yet, but thinking of the W times square

Can you explain what LAN is?

Hi! I wanted to know where you saw the le meridian dead sea for 2,000 points. I keep on seeing it for 3,000. Thank you!

The fact is that, when a hotel offers C&P award, their revenue rates are not sky high. When rates are hign, then C&P is closed out.

@David:
If you cancel within 60 days you do get a refund and it does still work for lounges. And of course the $200 airline credit and starwood gold status.

@TZvee:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23168/

@cheryl:
Credit pulls are just a small part of your overall score.
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/15735

@Sunny:
Read it again. 20,000 Stapoints=25,000 miles.

@Jack:
You can, though you may have to come up with a reason for needing a 2nd one, like for separating expenses onto different cards.
Of course there’s also the business card.

@Abe:
That stuff will say alive.

@Avi:
Probably BA.

@Mayer:
Flying Blue promo period.

@MIRIAM:
Flying Blue on Delta.

@Josh:
Get the Hyatt card, the Andaz 5th Avenue is fan-tas-tic!
http://dansdeals.com/go/hyatt

@Mendy:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/17453

@p.m.:
Friday/Sat nights are 2,000. See the sample dates in the post.

@Al:
Not nessarily true, and hotel sales staff can open cash and points dates for you.

@Dan: You mean Flying Blue durring a promo period?

What about the Chatwal as a Starwood option in NYC? I’ve heard it’s amazing.

@dan. I once wanted to stay at the la maridian dead sea they blocked out rooms for points I saw that they have most room clases avail and that meant they are not allowed to block for points, I called spg manager said I’m right and called them but they wouldn’t budge, manager said that’s why in israel there are barely hotels with spg they don’t follow the rules,

whats BA? is it british airways??

@Dan Can I open a business credit card if I don’t have a business?

@CoolFNW:
Expensive.

@joseph:
Call SPG again.

@Avi:
Yes.

@Jack:
Yes, see how here:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23240

“@Josh:
Get the Hyatt card, the Andaz 5th Avenue is fan-tas-tic!
http://dansdeals.com/go/hyatt”

i just applied for sapphire preferred and freedom yesterday
freedom i had to call to get approved, as they questioned my need for 2 cards at the same time

would applying for the hyatt now give me more problems ?

How can a get a suite (not the standard room) with starpoints or c&p?

updates on elal tickets plz, will they honer them?

@dan what about the priority pass? will it stay active after canceling the platinum?

How do u get the dead sea to open rooms. When I call spg they say that there is “no standered rooms” thanks

Airline miles are easy to get tons of; hotels not so much. SPG points are by far best used on hotels.

Hi i am new so please dont all jump at me,
i just got approved for a spg consumer and plat consumer can i do a 2bm for 2 amex biz cards do i have chances to pull it through or do i have to wait?

@Dan: Thanks so much Dan ! Where do I apply for flying blue ? I googled it but it seems to be affliated with KLM, do they participate with Delta ? Assuming then that I transfer the SPG points to flying blue ?

Dan,

My files are getting thick with credit cards, many of which have annual fees.

My credit score is high, so I don’t really care about getting hit for opening multiple lines for my wife and I, but I’m wondering how you determine which cards are worth keeping open.

I’m also wondering how long you have to wait after taking advantage of an offer before you might be able to apply again if you have previously cancelled the same card.

There are just so many offers, so many kinds of points, etc. that it becomes quite confusing! Do you have a downloadable spreadsheet of some kind or something 🙂

Hi dan i went to BA and i tried to look up flight to FL but they said that they can’t fly there??

why did i get that message what should i do??

thank you

@David: Not any more, Amex does not allow this anymore, a few years ago maybe, but not a chance today. The credit card companies and banks are not dumb, they have people who follow all the popular miles and points blogs, do you think Amex will give you $100 for Global Entry, a FREE Priority Pass card for lounge access, $200 free -statement credit- for your ailrine of choice, car rental preferred, access to american express fine hotels and resorts for FREE , no way Jose. The game is changing, the easy days are gone, credit card companies are targetting heavy spenders -as you can see the spend requirements keep increasing -I just hit the $30000 spend in a calendar year on Chase British Airways visa – free companion first class ticket, though with fees but worth it on BA first class.

@Sunny: not 20,000 star points to Israel. But starpoints are very valuable, when you transfer 20000 to a partner airline eg US Airways you receive 5000 bonus points which earns you 25000 US Airways miles etcwhich is pretty good but still will not get you to Israel .

@michael: for a mexico vacation the best deal for those with american express platinum cards is to use american express fine hotels and resorts, most of the time you get the 4th night free, breakfast for 2 during your entire stay, 2-4 dinners , $100 or more hotel credit to use for food, spa etc and a room upgrade. For those who do not have the platinum card you can use Virtuoso agents and get the same. Hope this helps. I was an airline Captain for a major airline, traveled the world and keep up with all things aviation.

Which specific airline should I transfer 40,000 spg points- to fly to Israel with out fuel surcharges?

Pilot

Thank you for your help. I am not a Platinum member unfortunatly, only Gold. How does this Virtuso agents thing work?

@Josh:
If you explain that you plan on staying at Hyatt hotels and have some credit line to move around to get approved it can be done.

@shnucky:
Call them.

@Abe:
No.

@Dumb:
Sure.

@MIRIAM:
Airfrance.com

@Avi:
You need to click to include partners. Or call them up.

@pilot:
Flying Blue Promo is 20K Starpoints=25K miles plus fuel surcharges round trip.

@MD:
Flying Blue on Delta nonstop.

Which airlines would I able to transfer 20K starwood points to get a ticket to israel plus fuel charges, and where can I transfer 40,000 starpoints to get a free ticket without any fuel charges?

@Dan:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23240

Dan, Where did u find the Le meridian dead sea
for 2,000 points? By me it keeps coming up at
3,000 points per night

@Hesh:
Please read previous comments before commenting.

i have 9000 spg points? what can i do with it? i dont need it for hotel stay. what options do i have? can i sell them? can i change them for mileage, how?

i wanted to go to isreal for succos i have a family of 2 adults and 2 children and 1 infant and i have 250,000 spg points and 50,000 chase point can i get tickets and how, thank you very much you are the best

I tried to book at SLR in beverly hills with cash and points, but they told me that I cant do that for this hotel. I see you did it for 4800 points and $90. How can i do that?

@chaya:
You can transfer them into BA Avios and fly free from NYC to any short-haul city.

@JOEY:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23168

@david:
Cash and points is capacity controlled. Regular points, 5th night free, and nights & flights awards are not capacity controlled.

@Dan: Thanks. Any chance more space opens up for cash and points, or should i just book now with points only?

thanks dan.
but how to i transfer them into BA Avios? how much avios will i get?

I had just recently canceled my starwood card since I don’t stay at hotels and I didn’t want to pay a membership fee. (I accumulated about 22,800 points.)
Now I wanted to reapply, but the link shows the following message:
Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months.
My previous card was a business card but I was the cardholder.
Could we apply with the same business name but with my husband as cardholder and still receive the bonus?
And if so can we add his starpoints to mine so we have a bigger total instead of two smaller amounts?

i got approved for both credit cards
do i get to keep points if i will cancel my cards and how do i get starwood accounts?

thanks loads dan. Hashem should bentsch you and your family. i just got for the spg card, thanks to you. is there a way to get the card number and start spending before the card arrives? i am going to israel for chanukah and would like to book hotels already