# starwood amex



## pointsjunkie (Jul 10, 2007)

did you see the new promotion for a new starwood amex credit card? normal 10000 starpoints and then if you spend $15000 in 6 months you will get an additional 15000 starpoints. sure wish we could be part of this promotion but we already have credit cards. must go on flyer talk and go to starwood and press cards.


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## Courts (Jul 10, 2007)

pointsjunkie said:


> did you see the new promotion for a new starwood amex credit card? normal 10000 starpoints and then if you spend $15000 in 6 months you will get an additional 15000 starpoints. sure wish we could be part of this promotion but we already have credit cards. must go on flyer talk and go to starwood and press cards.



Don't you hate when they come along with a better promotion than the one you signed up with?


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## stevens397 (Jul 10, 2007)

I have had the Starwood AMEX for a number  of years - my wife had a card on my account.  When I saw this special, I signed her up for a card on her own.  She was approved within 30 seconds.

Starwood will allow people at the same address to give points back and forth.  So those who already have card can simply get one for their spouse.


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## Talent312 (Jul 11, 2007)

I signed up for this promotion about five weeks ago.  Justt got my 10K points, and have already used 'em to reserve a room in the Sheraton at the Franfurt airport.


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## uf_gator_87 (Jul 11, 2007)

Scratch that.  Got it.


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## patty5ia (Jul 11, 2007)

How did you get this promotion?  Please share website.  Thanks


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## pointsjunkie (Jul 11, 2007)

go to flyer talk.com you will se forums fit miles and points. then scroll to starwood,hit enter and then look for spg card, hit that and it will get you to the site. great deal, wish we could do it.


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## DeniseM (Jul 11, 2007)

pointsjunkie said:


> wish we could do it.



Why can't you?  When we got into timesharing we got rid of our other cards and got the Starwood AMEX for most things and the Hawaiian Air VISA for the places that won't take the AMEX.  If you have balances, it's easy to transfer them.


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## fran (Jul 15, 2007)

*Amex*



pointsjunkie said:


> and then if you spend $15000 in 6 months you will get an additional 15000 starpoints



I don't see the reference to the 15,000 additional starpoints.  Could the promotion be over already?

Fran


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## ann824 (Jul 15, 2007)

https://www201.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=6/17719/b/226 
Try this link and see if it works.

Ann


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## fran (Jul 15, 2007)

*Thank You Ann!*

It worked and I am so excited!

Thank you,

Fran


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## pointsjunkie (Jul 15, 2007)

as a starpoint junkie everyone in our house already has the AMEX card(prior to this promotion) so none of us qualify.


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## NJDave (Jul 16, 2007)

stevens397 said:


> I have had the Starwood AMEX for a number  of years - my wife had a card on my account.  When I saw this special, I signed her up for a card on her own.



Did you add yourself to your wife's account or just encourage her to go spend 15,000 on herself  ?


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## nell (Aug 26, 2007)

Does anyone know if this offer is still good?

Jonelle


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## jmzf1958 (Aug 26, 2007)

I applied for the starwood american express about a week ago, received it
Friday, so it is probably still good.  It's a great promotion!


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## frankhi (Aug 26, 2007)

Wish I had heard of that too! My wife and I both recently applied for starwood amex cards and starwood amex business cards and so ended up with 20k each, then we each spent 5k on the cards and got our pt total up to 25k each. I was checking the westin excelsior in florence and found I could book a award room now for oct 08. So I booked 2 nts (one with my points one with her's)... saving around $1k


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## pcgirl54 (Aug 26, 2007)

*Starwood Amex review on milescard*

http://www.milecards.com/?gclid=CK2_q7imi44CFSBMGgodWzGrEA


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## pointsjunkie (Aug 29, 2007)

the offer is still on .www.americanexpress.com/spg25.


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## pointsjunkie (Nov 28, 2007)

ann824 said:


> https://www201.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=6/17719/b/226
> Try this link and see if it works.
> 
> Ann



this is the link that you asked for. it still works.


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## Troopers (Dec 1, 2007)

Just bought a resale WKORV and finally got into the Starwood system.  Now that I'm a (resale) Starwood Vacation Owner, am I automatically enrolled as a SPG member (I know not as a gold member)?  If so, what's my SPG number?  Also, I'm considering to get the Starwood Amex or Amex Gold/Plat...I'm concurrently a Amex Blue holder.  Any reason why I should join Starwood vs Gold/Plat?

Thanks.


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## DeniseM (Dec 1, 2007)

R Chen said:


> Just bought a resale WKORV and finally got into the Starwood system.  Now that I'm a (resale) Starwood Vacation Owner, am I automatically enrolled as a SPG member (I know not as a gold member)?  If so, what's my SPG number?  Also, I'm considering to get the Starwood Amex or Amex Gold/Plat...I'm concurrently a Amex Blue holder.  Any reason why I should join Starwood vs Gold/Plat?
> 
> Thanks.



Hmmm....if you buy resale, I don't think you are automatically enrolled, and I think you have to buy from the developer to get Gold status, but anyone can go to their website and sign up for SPG.  We like the Starwood AMEX because you get 25,000 air miles for 20,000 Starpoints using the Starwood AMEX.  Do you get that with a regular AMEX?  Also, as owners, we get extra points any time we use it at a Starwood timeshare or hotel - however, that may not apply to resale owners.  (We own both, but bought from the developer first and got Gold status that way.)  

I think you can reach Gold by simply charging $30K a year on the card.  We use our card for absolutely every purchase, so it's actually pretty easy to reach $30K.  However, the perks for Gold are so minimal, I can't say it has ever benefited me in any way.  If you stay in Starwood Hotels a LOT it might be of some benefit to you.  But since there are a Guh-zillion Gold members, you very seldom get a significant hotel upgrade with Gold Status, and the timeshares do not recognize SPG status.

HTH!


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## LisaRex (Dec 1, 2007)

SPG is different than SVO and you aren't automatically enrolled. In order to get an SPG account, just go to SPG.com and register.  You'll get an email with your new number right away.  It's free of charge.

If you own with your spouse, you'll each have to sign up for your own SPG account.  Joint memberships have gone the way of the dodo.


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## Troopers (Dec 2, 2007)

DeniseM said:


> We like the Starwood AMEX because you get 25,000 air miles for 20,000 Starpoints using the Starwood AMEX.  Do you get that with a regular AMEX?  Also, as owners, we get extra points any time we use it at a Starwood timeshare or hotel - however, that may not apply to resale owners.  (We own both, but bought from the developer first and got Gold status that way.)



With my Amex Blue, I do not have the ability to transfer to airline miles.  However, there is no annual fee for primary card nor secondary cards.  Side note, the transfer rate to UA is 2:1 (UA is preferred airline) which is not good.   Also, I rarely stay at a Starwood hotel.



DeniseM said:


> I think you can reach Gold by simply charging $30K a year on the card.  We use our card for absolutely every purchase, so it's actually pretty easy to reach $30K.  However, the perks for Gold are so minimal, I can't say it has ever benefited me in any way.  If you stay in Starwood Hotels a LOT it might be of some benefit to you.  But since there are a Guh-zillion Gold members, you very seldom get a significant hotel upgrade with Gold Status, and the timeshares do not recognize SPG status.



I charge ~$4k monthly so achieving gold status shouldn't be a problem but it sounds like it will not do a whole lot for me.

Thanks.


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## DeniseM (Dec 2, 2007)

R Chen said:


> With my Amex Blue, I do not have the ability to transfer to airline miles.  However, there is no annual fee for primary card nor secondary cards.  Side note, the transfer rate to UA is 2:1 (UA is preferred airline) which is not good.   Also, I rarely stay at a Starwood hotel.



Yeah - for almost all other airlines it is 1:1, but at 2:1 UA is not a good deal.  The Starwood AMEX may not work for you unless you would consider switching loyalties to another airline.  

We always use our points for our yearly trip to Hawaii on Hawaiian Air (1:1), so we also have a Hawaiian Air VISA for merchants who don't accept the AMEX.  That way we never miss out on any purchase points. 

There is a $50  fee for the Starwood AMEX, but since we get 2 free tix to Hawaii every year, it's worth it to us.  We are actually accumulating points at a faster rate than we need them so my long term plan is to have enough points for 2 first class tix to Australia for a major retirement trip.

Starwood also offers bounus points now and then.  I just got an offer for a 15% bonus on all purchases and my husband got an offer for double points for all internet purchases until the end of Dec.


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## formerhater (Dec 2, 2007)

We also carry the Starwood AMEX and Hawaiian Visa.  A nice benefit is the lower redemption rate for Hawaiian Visa cardholders on Hawaiian (30K vs 35K miles for coach RT mainland to Hawaii).


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## Troopers (Dec 4, 2007)

I just "upgraded" my Amex Blue to Amex Platinum.  As an Amex Platinum card holder, I get SPG Gold.  I will probably switch my hotel loyalties from Marriott to Starwood since it seems the starpoints accrue faster and are of higher value.

Side note, does anyone know if the 3:1 starpoints for every dollar spent at hotels also applies to timeshares?

Maybe this warrants a new thread, but anyone have "techniques" to maximize starpoints and benefits as a Amex Platinum holder?

Thanks.


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## DeniseM (Dec 4, 2007)

There are people on the Starwood board on flyertalk.com who  have made a science out of working their AMEX card - that is the best place for that kind of info.  However, many of them are business travelers and so they have some advantages, because they travel so frequently.  

We are not business travelers, but we use our AMEX for absolutely every purchase we make - groceries, utilities, medical expenses, insurance, you name it.  We earn a ton of points with just our every day bills and purchases.  I just bought a new car, and even though I didn't need financing, I put as much as they would let me on the card just for the points.  Of course, to make this work, you have to faithfully pay off the entire balance on time every month.


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## Troopers (Dec 5, 2007)

Thanks DeniseM.  I too charge as much as possible on my Amex.  I'll check out flyertalk.com.


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