# SPG Luxury card



## vacation dreaming (Aug 24, 2018)

I just signed up for the new card.  I usually pay Vistana maintenance fees on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and receive 3x points.  Can anyone confirm if the new SPG Amex will give 6x marriot points on Vistana maintenance fees?


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## Helios (Aug 24, 2018)

vacation dreaming said:


> I just signed up for the new card.  I usually pay Vistana maintenance fees on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and receive 3x points.  Can anyone confirm if the new SPG Amex will give 6x marriot points on Vistana maintenance fees?


I am thinking about signing up but most of the benefits overlap with many CCs I already have and that is stopping me.  I would probably use the $300 credit and the free night, I guess that should more than cover the AF.


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## vacation dreaming (Aug 24, 2018)

I agree- the new card could be better.  We have enough room charges every year that I was not worried about using the $300 credit and after that, it is $150 with a better free night certificate than the old card.  It was not a slam dunk decision but not too hard to justify either.


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## MULTIZ321 (Aug 24, 2018)

Bonus Offers to Upgrade to the SPG Luxury Card: Up to 100K Points 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/upgrade-bonus-offers-spg-luxury-card/


RIchard


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## triangulum33 (Aug 24, 2018)

How is this Luxury card different than the regular SPG card?


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## VacationForever (Aug 25, 2018)

triangulum33 said:


> How is this Luxury card different than the regular SPG card?


$450 per year membership fees, with $300 credit back for travel spending, 3X pts for direct airline booking.  6X Marriott/SPG spending and 2X for other spending - same as the other card.


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## frank808 (Aug 25, 2018)

Just signed up my wife and I for the luxury card for the 200k bonus.  Remember, if you have the chase spg visa card,you have to get the card by 8/25 to qualify for the 100k bonus.  Come 8/26 you will not get the bonus if you already have a chase marriott visa.


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## controller1 (Aug 25, 2018)

vacation dreaming said:


> I just signed up for the new card.  I usually pay Vistana maintenance fees on the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card and receive 3x points.  Can anyone confirm if the new SPG Amex will give 6x marriot points on Vistana maintenance fees?



No one can confirm the SPG Amex Luxury card will earn 6X Marriott Points for Vistana maintenance fees since the card is new.  I do know that I prepaid a small amount of Vistana MFs on August 1 with my current SPG Amex and I received 6X Marriott Points for the transaction. I can't imagine that the new card would pay differently.


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## ValleyGirl (Aug 25, 2018)

frank808 said:


> Just signed up my wife and I for the luxury card for the 200k bonus.  Remember, if you have the chase spg visa card,you have to get the card by 8/25 to qualify for the 100k bonus.  Come 8/26 you will not get the bonus if you already have a chase marriott visa.


200K or 100K? Did you add a user or apply separately?
Also I did not see the 100K bonus on the "Upgrade" info??


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## frank808 (Aug 25, 2018)

ValleyGirl said:


> 200K or 100K? Did you add a user or apply separately?
> Also I did not see the 100K bonus on the "Upgrade" info??


It was 100k for each of us.  Did not upgrade as our regular spg amex is like your offer, with no bonus or smaller than 100k.  So since we did not get offered the full 100k for upgrade, we each appplied for a new account and got 100k bonus as long as we spend $5k in 3 months.

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## ValleyGirl (Aug 25, 2018)

frank808 said:


> It was 100k for each of us.  Did not upgrade as our regular spg amex is like your offer, with no bonus or smaller than 100k.  So since we did not get offered the full 100k for upgrade, we each appplied for a new account and got 100k bonus as long as we spend $5k in 3 months.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


Thank you!
Confirmed what I saw.  Not sure if we want any more credit - limits pretty high now.
Also using the 3:1 rule the new points equiv are 33,000 just a little higher than old SPG AMEX bonus.


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## ValleyGirl (Aug 25, 2018)

frank808 said:


> It was 100k for each of us.  Did not upgrade as our regular spg amex is like your offer, with no bonus or smaller than 100k.  So since we did not get offered the full 100k for upgrade, we each appplied for a new account and got 100k bonus as long as we spend $5k in 3 months.
> 
> Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


I just noticed your location in Oahu!!  You have power to post?  How is it going?


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## frank808 (Aug 25, 2018)

ValleyGirl said:


> I just noticed your location in Oahu!!  You have power to post?  How is it going?


It was very fortuitous that the state got spared from a hurricane.  It didnt even rain today at koolina.  It was a cloudy day and some slight gusts of wind.  But all is well and hoping the big island and maui are ok as they have to contend with flooding.  

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## regatta333 (Aug 25, 2018)

I currently have the personal SPG credit card, but did not receive any offers to upgrade.  Debating whether it's worth applying for the new luxury card.  My current card anniversary is
coming up in November so I'd like to retain it long enough to get the free night award (do you have to pay the annual $95 renewal fee in order to get the free night?).
Am I likely to see a renewal offer that includes the 100K sign up bonus if I wait?


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## NJDave (Aug 25, 2018)

I posted this on the Marriott boards but thought it was relevant here too.

If you have an SPG card, you can refer your spouse for the new Luxury Amex Card (or older SPG) and receive 20,000 points. You will see this option when you log into your credit card account.

Even thought the referral is for the older SPG card, the person receiving the referral has an opportunity to select another card being offered. The Luxury card is one of those options. The site states that the referring person will still obtain the bonus (i.e. 20,000) points for referral.


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## grrrah (Aug 25, 2018)

Helios said:


> I am thinking about signing up but most of the benefits overlap with many CCs I already have and that is stopping me.  I would probably use the $300 credit and the free night, I guess that should more than cover the AF.


So you're essentially paying $150 for the free night.  Wouldn't the regular card cost $95 for the free night (first year waived)?  The luxury card gives more points for restaurants and a few other things too, but if you aren't using it for that, then wouldn't it make sense to go lower? do you get a higher free night?

I'm asking because I'm not sure either, and want to learn...


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## Robotpedlr (Aug 25, 2018)

I think the new Lux card gets a 50k point free night and the other only got a 35k point night.  Plus you get the 100k sign up points that is worth 2-3 nights.


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## frank808 (Aug 25, 2018)

Luxury card is a free night up to 50k points, spg amex gets you free nightnup to 35k points.





grrrah said:


> So you're essentially paying $150 for the free night.  Wouldn't the regular card cost $95 for the free night (first year waived)?  The luxury card gives more points for restaurants and a few other things too, but if you aren't using it for that, then wouldn't it make sense to go lower? do you get a higher free night?
> 
> I'm asking because I'm not sure either, and want to learn...



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## applekor (Aug 26, 2018)

Remember folks that they severely watered down the points since the merger.  I would not use this card for any spending other than hotel stays.  Everyday purchases give you 2 Marriott points which is 0.67 spg points per dollar( 1/3 less than what we used to earn). This is much worse than any other point card out there.  

That being said, I’m keeping my card for now ( for the free room)but the chase sapphire reserve is my new favorite. 3 actual points/dollar per hotel stay vs 6 Marriott points (that are worth 2).  

Just my 2 cents.-Tom


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## Ken555 (Aug 26, 2018)

I do not see the advantage of the Luxury card, other than for a very narrow segment of travelers. 


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## LisaRex (Aug 26, 2018)

FYI, If you already have an SPG AMEX, just sign into your AMEX account, and scroll down to the "Amex Benefits and Offers" section to see an offer to upgrade to the Lux card and pocket a 100,000 bonus.  Saves you from re-applying, though they'll probably do another credit pull. *Expires 10/31/18*. 

Here's what the offer says.

*Lisa, upgrade to the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card today!*
*Upgrade your Starwood Preferred Guest (ending -44005)
It's Simple - just select the "Request an Upgrade" button below. Your account number won't change. Plus, any Additional Cards you already have will also be upgraded.
$300 SPG or Marriott Rewards Statement Credit*
Each Card renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits for purchases on the Card at participating SPG® or Marriott Rewards® hotels.‡

*Points - 6x, 3x, 2x*
6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels.
3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
2 points on all other eligible purchases.‡

*Free Night Award*
Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees.‡

*Complimentary Gold Elite Status*
*Enjoy complimentary Gold Elite status with your Card.‡ Earn Platinum Elite status after making $75,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.‡*

**

I agree that it's probably not worth the fee given the devaluation of SPs.  I'm much more likely to spend the $300 on travel to offset the Chase Sapphire Premiere card per year than $300 at SPG hotels. 

Two positives worth mentioning: 

You'll get complimentary gold status with this card (e.g. you won't have to spend $35k like the old card) And if you spend $75k per year, you'll get platinum status!  (Yeah, I know. That ain't gonna happen with us either.)  

It doesn't appear that they're going to charge $75 for additional users. 
After mulling over both options, I went ahead and signed us each up for the new Chase MR card to pocket the 75k bonus.  Sadly, I missed the 100k offer.   First year was free and $95 after that.  I think that'll work better for us.  Marriott has been my go-to hotel recently because Starwood doesn't have much of a presence in non-major cities, so I'll probably keep the Chase MR card for the free night, which offsets the annual fee.  However, the bulk of my spending will still be on the Chase Sapphire because the benefits are so much better.  I've held on to the SPG Amex 2 years longer than I wanted to because they keep waiving the annual fee when I call, but it's unlikely that I'll do that again. I never use it anymore, which is a shame because at one point it was my go-to card.

I am really going to miss the great benefits of the old SPG program coupled with the SPG AMex.  Back in June, I used up 12,000 of my last 100,000 SPs to stay at the Sheraton deMedici hotel in Rome.  I cannot tell you what a treat it was to stay there after staying in non-SPG hotels for the bulk of our Trafalgar tour of Italy.   I don't know what Italians have against soft beds, but I could have cried when I crawled into my soft bed with clean and soft sheets at the Sheraton.  The room was easily twice as big as others I stayed in...and the AC actually worked!  I told our tour mates from Australia that they can rib us all they want about our politics, but we Americans know how to build great hotels!  I mean, the Westin reputation is what led me to owning WKORV back in the day.


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## JudyS (Aug 27, 2018)

I signed up for the new SPG Luxury card. I didn't have an offer to upgrade. I tried to sign my husband up, too. First, Amex said he was pre-approved. Then, it said that "due to the number of Amex cards he had opened or closed," he was not eligible for the 100k Marriott Reward Points welcome offer. It then gave me the chance to cancel the application before a credit pull was done, so I canceled.

So, I got a new SPG Luxury card with a 100k Marriott Reward Points Welcome offer, but my husband did not.

One of the SPG Luxury card benefits is a $300 rebate on Sheraton/Marriott charges. What I'm really hoping is that the $300 Sheraton/Marriott rebate is good on Sheraton MFs. I stay at Sheraton timeshares frequently, but rarely charge anything to my room. I suppose I *could* buy stuff that I charge to my room, but I'd much rather get a $300 rebate on my MFs. If the $300 rebate doesn't apply to Sheraton MFs, I will cancel the card at the end of the year. If the $300 rebate does apply to Sheraton MF, I might keep the card to get the 50k point free night on each anniversary.


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## VacationForever (Aug 27, 2018)

If Vistana and Marriott MF don't count towards the $300, this becomes a very expensive card to own.  Has anyone gotten the answer?


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## taterhed (Aug 27, 2018)

You can also usually charge tours etc.. to the room from the tours/concierge briefings.  Sometimes you get bonus points too.
I'm guessing these would count....and a good way to burn $300 fast.


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## VacationForever (Aug 27, 2018)

taterhed said:


> You can also usually charge tours etc.. to the room from the tours/concierge briefings.  Sometimes you get bonus points too.
> I'm guessing these would count....and a good way to burn $300 fast.


At MKO, the tours that I booked were charged directly in the vendors.  I had initially thought all travel would apply to the $300 credit but when I read the specific language I am not going to touch this card unless MF counts.


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## CalGalTraveler (Aug 27, 2018)

We like the Chase Sapphire Reserve because we know the $300 credit will work for MF and we don't need to fiddle around with room charges during our vacation.  The main benefit for upgrading to SPG Luxury is if we could get the $30k we spent already on the SPG personal card for Gold Elite to apply to the 60K platinum elite for this year. However my upgrade is only 15k points so will forgo this.


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## taterhed (Aug 27, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> At MKO, the tours that I booked were charged directly in the vendors.  I had initially thought all travel would apply to the $300 credit but when I read the specific language I am not going to touch this card unless MF counts.


I bet it varies from resort to resort.
The one we charged at MAW went right onto the 'on file card' and we got MR points.  Now that you say, can't remember what the title of the charge was....


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## Seaport104 (Aug 27, 2018)

My husband received a targeted offer for $125k bonus points for this card on Friday, August 24th. Here are the excerpts.


"With this exclusive offer, you’ll earn 125,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first three months.¹ Offer ends December 7, 2018. "



*Terms and Conditions* 

1*Effective 8/26, welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a welcome or upgrade offer for The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card in the last 24 months. *To be eligible to earn 125,000 bonus points, you must make eligible purchases with your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card that total $5,000 or more (the "Threshold Amount") within your first 3 months of Card Membership, based on the date of your Card approval. Bonus points will appear on your Starwood Preferred Guest statement 8–12 weeks after you reach the Threshold Amount. If we, in our sole discretion, determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse or gaming in connection with the welcome offer in any way, or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more Cards to obtain a welcome offer(s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit points to your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us. In rare instances, your period to spend $5,000 may be shorter than 3 months if there is a delay in receiving your Card. Also, purchases may fall outside of the 3-month period in some cases, such as a delay in merchants submitting transactions to us or if the purchase date differs from the date you made the transaction. (For example, if you buy goods online, the purchase date may be the date the goods are shipped.) Eligible purchases to meet the Threshold Amount can be made by the Basic Card Member and any Additional Card Members on a single Card account. Eligible purchases are purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers (balance transfers are not available on the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card), cash advances, purchases of travelers checks, purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, purchases of gift cards, person-to-person payments, or purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional Card Members on your account are not eligible for this offer. To earn the bonus points, your Card account must not be canceled or past due at the time of fulfillment. If your application is not received by 12/07/2018, we will not process your application even if we later receive your application. American Express reserves the right to modify or revoke offer at any time. 

2You will receive 2 points for each U.S. dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card.

You will receive 1 additional point (for a total of 3 points) from American Express for each U.S. dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card for airfare on a scheduled flight charged directly with passenger airlines (charter flights and private jet flights are excluded) and 1 additional point (for a total of 3 points) for each dollar charged at restaurants located in the U.S. To earn 1 additional point for a restaurant purchase, the purchase must be at a restaurant located in the U.S. You will NOT earn 1 additional point for purchases made at a restaurant owned by a U.S. company but located outside the U.S. (e.g., Hard Rock Café in Paris). You also will NOT earn 1 additional point for purchases at nightclubs, convenience stores, grocery stores or supermarkets. You may not earn 1 additional point for purchases at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino or event venue). Purchases made at a restaurant located within a hotel may be recognized as a purchase at a hotel, not a restaurant.

You will receive 4 additional points (for a total of 6 points) for each U.S. dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card when charged directly with participating Starwood properties, stand-alone Starwood retail establishments, and Starwood online stores that, in each case, are wholly owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC (a subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc.), and its affiliates. You will also receive 4 additional points (for a total of 6 points) from American Express for each U.S. dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card when charged directly with hotels participating in Marriott Rewards, stand-alone Marriott-branded retail establishments, and Marriott-branded online stores (including online purchases of Marriott-branded gift cards) that, in each case, are owned by Marriott International, Inc., and its affiliates.

Eligible purchases means purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of traveler's checks, person-to-person payments, the purchase or reloading of prepaid cards, and purchases of other cash equivalents. Additional terms and restrictions apply. Points received from your Card will be posted to your loyalty member account up to 12 weeks after the end of each month. To be eligible to receive points, Card Member’s account must not be cancelled or in default at the time of bonus fulfillment. 

Merchants are assigned codes based on what they primarily sell. A purchase will not earn additional points if the merchant’s code is not eligible. Purchases made through a third-party payment account or on an online marketplace (with multiple retailers) will not earn additional points. A purchase may not earn additional points if the merchant submits the purchase using a mobile or wireless card reader or if you use a mobile or digital wallet.

3During each year of your Card Membership (“reward year”), you are eligible to receive up to $300 total in statement credits on your Card Account for eligible purchases made directly at participating SPG or Marriott Rewards hotels on your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card during that reward year. Your first reward year begins on your account opening date. Each subsequent reward year begins on the anniversary of your account opening date. Eligible SPG or Marriott Rewards property purchases must be made directly with the participating SPG or Marriott Rewards property and charged to your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card account for the benefit to apply. Incidental charges (including charges made at restaurants, spas and other establishments within the hotel property) must be charged to your room and paid for with your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card at checkout in order to be recognized as SPG or Marriott Rewards purchases. Visit *spg.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]* for the list of participating SPG properties, or *Marriott.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]* for the list of participating Marriott Rewards properties. Purchases made by both the Basic and Additional Card Members on the eligible Card Account are eligible for statement credits. However, each Card Account is eligible for up to a total of $300 per renewal year in statement credits across all Cards on the Card Account. Please allow 8–12 weeks after the eligible SPG or Marriott purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the Account. Please call the number on the back of your Card if statement credits have not posted after 12 weeks from the date of purchase. Card Members remain responsible for timely payment of all charges.

4Each year, after renewal of your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card, you will receive one Free Night Award from Starwood Preferred Guest. The Free Night Award can be redeemed for a one-night stay inclusive of room rate and applicable taxes at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels with a redemption level at or under 50,000 points. The Card Member may be responsible for payment of additional mandatory resort fees at properties where resort fees are applicable, and is responsible for all incidental charges. This benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member on the Card Account. The Free Night Award will be automatically deposited into your loyalty member account within 8−12 weeks after your Card Account anniversary date in the form of an e-certificate. You will receive an email from SPG to the email address listed on your loyalty member account confirming that the Free Night Award e-certificate has been deposited into your loyalty member account. The email will also provide instructions on how to redeem your Free Night Award e-certificate. To redeem the Free Night Award e-certificate, you must log into your loyalty member account and apply the e-certificate during booking. The Free Night Award e-certificate will expire after 1 year from issuance. E-certificates may not be transferred, extended beyond the expiration date, or recredited for points. To qualify for the Free Night Award, your account must be open and not in default at the time of the Free Night Award e-certificate issuance. Please visit *spg.com/cert [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]* for a list of participating properties. American Express is not responsible for fulfillment of Free Night Award e-certificate redemptions. Redemptions are subject to the terms and conditions of the loyalty program.

5You will receive complimentary Gold Elite status with your Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card. This complimentary Gold Elite status benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member. If your Card is cancelled for any reason, your complimentary Gold Elite status provided with the Card will be cancelled. For more information about Gold Elite status and complete Terms and Conditions, visit *members.marriott.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]*.

In order to receive Gold Elite status benefits at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels, you will need to combine your loyalty member accounts online prior to arrival at the hotel. Log into *spg.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]* and follow the prompts in order to combine your accounts.

If, in any calendar year of Card Membership, your total eligible purchases on your Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card account reach $75,000, you (the Basic Card Member) will be enrolled in Platinum Elite status. This upgrade to Platinum Elite status benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member; however, eligible purchases made by Additional Card Members will contribute to the purchase requirement. Eligible purchases means purchases for goods and services minus returns and other credits. Eligible purchases do NOT include fees or interest charges, balance transfers, cash advances, purchases of traveler's checks, purchases of gift cards, person-to-person payments, the purchase or reloading of prepaid cards, and purchases of other cash equivalents.

A calendar year is from January 1 to December 31 regardless of when you open your Card Account. Allow 12–16 weeks from the time your total eligible purchases reach $75,000 for your enrollment in Platinum Elite status to become effective.

Your upgrade to Platinum Elite status is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was earned and the subsequent calendar year. Your enrollment will expire after that subsequent calendar year unless your eligible purchases during the next calendar year again qualifies you for enrollment, or you qualify for Platinum Elite status under the loyalty program terms.

You cannot receive enrollment in Platinum Elite status through this reward program if you are already enrolled at Platinum Elite status or any higher status.

For more information about Platinum Elite status and complete Terms and Conditions, visit *members.marriott.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]*.

In order to receive Platinum Elite status benefits at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels, you will need to combine your loyalty member accounts online prior to arrival at the hotel. Log into *spg.com [t.e.starwoodhotelsemail.com]* and follow the prompts in order to combine your accounts.

©2018 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Starpoints, SPG, Preferred Guest, Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Le Méridien, Design Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Element, Aloft, Four Points and their respective logos are trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.


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## ann824 (Aug 27, 2018)

I just prepaid $300 worth of maintenance fees on the SPG luxury card.  I will let everyone know if I get the $300 credit.  I hope it works.


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## janej (Aug 31, 2018)

I got the 15,000 points for upgrade offer in the email


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## VacationForever (Aug 31, 2018)

janej said:


> I got the 15,000 points for upgrade offer in the email


I have 50K offer when I log into the CC account.  I don't think I will bite.  My Amex SPG card only costs $65 per year.


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## Ken555 (Aug 31, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I have 50K offer when I log into the CC account.  I don't think I will bite.  My Amex SPG card only costs $65 per year.



They increased the rate to $95 on mine a year or two ago. Yours wasn’t increased?


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## VacationForever (Aug 31, 2018)

Ken555 said:


> They increased the rate to $95 on mine a year or two ago. Yours wasn’t increased?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Nope, I guess it is because I put $60K to $100K per year on it.


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## Ken555 (Aug 31, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Nope, I guess it is because I put $60K to $100K per year on it.



Perhaps. It started out at $45, then $65 IIRC and now $95. I recall a thread on TUG when that happened.


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## VacationForever (Aug 31, 2018)

Ken555 said:


> Perhaps. It started out at $45, then $65 IIRC and now $95. I recall a thread on TUG when that happened.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Yes, when they increased it to $95 and they sent a mail out.  A couple of weeks later I received an apology in mail indicating that they were not going to increase my fee and that it would be kept at $65.  Who knows!?  They may increase my fee back to $95 next year when my spending goes down.  I am spreading around my charges since they dropped the everyday spending down to 2X instead of 3X.  Add that to the now devalued Marriott travel packages, I end up using United or CSR cc to get the miles directly instead of going the long way via Marriott points.


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## CalGalTraveler (Aug 31, 2018)

DH just got an offer for $100k upgrade to Luxury    100k points will come in handy for extending a stay in Maui next year especially since we don't use up a credit pull and account number is the same with an upgrade.

Is the Amex SPG consumer card expected to be discontinued next year when Chase takes over consumer? We hope to be able to downgrade back to Ascend if we cannot easily apply the $300 credit or the card doesn't provide sufficient value for the MF.  Don't want to be grandfathered out and stuck with this card as the only option.


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## Robotpedlr (Sep 1, 2018)

There is also a base SPG AMEX for 100k but it is a business version.

I just got it (100k points after 5k spend) and there is no fee the first year.  So if you already have another card with the same perks (airport lounge access, TSA fee, etc) it may be a good option.  You technically dont need a "business" to qualify.  You can just list as a sole proprietor and say you do some retail (etc eBay, craigslist...but they dont ask for that level of detail).

https://creditcard.americanexpress....bn6NRyUv6w5lP2f0LCj2sqD149EZD1RBoC8gwQAvD_BwE


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## ann824 (Sep 1, 2018)

ann824 said:


> I just prepaid $300 worth of maintenance fees on the SPG luxury card.  I will let everyone know if I get the $300 credit.  I hope it works.



I just received the $300 credit.  So it seems to work for Marriott and Vistana maintenance fees.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 1, 2018)

ann824 said:


> I just received the $300 credit.  So it seems to work for Marriott and Vistana maintenance fees.



That's an interesting data point. Makes the card a lot more attractive because that is money you were going to spend anyway plus you get a free night at a nicer property to extend your stay or elsewhere for $150.

Did you get 6x SPG/MR points for the spend?


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## Robotpedlr (Sep 1, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> plus you get a free night at a nicer property to extend your stay or elsewhere for $150.



I dont think you get the free night until the anniversary, so not until you pay the following year's 450.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 1, 2018)

Robotpedlr said:


> I dont think you get the free night until the anniversary, so not until you pay the following year's 450.



True. However, if you are upgrading the SPG card it keeps your existing anniversary date. i.e. you only pay the prorated rate for the remaining months, meaning that you can get a $300 credit but your prorated AF could be less than that if you have 6 months or less to your anniversary (and you would get the free anniversary room sooner - but would need to pay the $450 sooner too.) Plus you could get 2 - 3 nights out of 100,000 MR points bonus.


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## frank808 (Sep 2, 2018)

Ascend is a hilton honors card.  Did you upgrade to hh aspire card?





CalGalTraveler said:


> DH just got an offer for $100k upgrade to Luxury    100k points will come in handy for extending a stay in Maui next year especially since we don't use up a credit pull and account number is the same with an upgrade.
> 
> Is the Amex Ascend consumer card expected to be discontinued next year when Chase takes over consumer? We hope to be able to downgrade back to Ascend if we cannot easily apply the $300 credit or the card doesn't provide sufficient value for the MF.  Don't want to be grandfathered out and stuck with this card as the only option.



Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 2, 2018)

frank808 said:


> Ascend is a hilton honors card.  Did you upgrade to hh aspire card?
> 
> Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk



Ooops my bad!  I meant upgrade the SPG personal card to Luxury.

We also have the Ascend card but no upgrade. I will correct the post.

Still wondering if the AMEX *SPG* consumer card will be discontinued next year when Chase takes over the low end consumer biz.  Don't want to be locked into the luxury card with no downgrade options.


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## ann824 (Sep 2, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> That's an interesting data point. Makes the card a lot more attractive because that is money you were going to spend anyway plus you get a free night at a nicer property to extend your stay or elsewhere for $150.
> 
> Did you get 6x SPG/MR points for the spend?


It hasn't closed yet.  I will post when it does.


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## regatta333 (Sep 3, 2018)

Seaport104 said:


> My husband received a targeted offer for $125k bonus points for this card on Friday, August 24th.



Any theory as to why he received this offer while others have lesser or no offers to upgrade?


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 3, 2018)

Banks have what are called "targeted offers." This is why some are getting 15k upgrades and others 100k.

BTW...You can get close to the 125 point deal if your spouse refers for 20k and then you sign up for a new card with 100k points (total 120k).

We are going to forgo this additional 20k offer and sign up for the 100k upgrade to avoid a hard pull on credit and 5/24 (want to get another set of SWA cards next year for companion pass in 2020 Hawaii). Also get prorated AF so $300 MF credit is more than prorated AF, and to keep it simpler with same account number.

The other consideration is coordinating card anniversary dates for the free nights. If you and your spouse's card (or business card) have anniversaries in similar timeframes, it makes it easier to book a weekend with several free nights with expiration in the same month.


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## LisaRex (Sep 4, 2018)

CalGalTraveler, I'm not so sure that they don't do another hard pull on credit when you upgrade.  You might want to check on that.


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## VacationForever (Sep 4, 2018)

When I accepted the Marriott Visa Premier Plus upgrade, there was not a pull / check on my credit history.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 4, 2018)

Thanks for mentioning LisaRex. The article below indicates that AMEX doesn't typically do a hard pull but we will double-check the specific terms of this offer to confirm.

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/everything-want-know-american-express-upgrade-offers/

BTW...onerous terms below. Looks like we won't be able to downgrade or cancel if it doesn't work for us until after the second anniversary. Hope the AMEX SPG $95 card will still be around to downgrade; hope this is not a one way upgrade:

_"If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome offer in any way or that you intend to do so (for example, if you applied for one or more cards to obtain a welcome offer(s) that we did not intend for you; if you cancel or downgrade your account within 12 months after acquiring it; or if you cancel or return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount), we may not credit bonus points to your account. We may also cancel this Card account and other Card accounts you may have with us."_


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 4, 2018)

One other consideration: 50k points "luxury" anniversary night is a strange number.  You get Category 7 off season but only category 5 Peak because there is no Cat 6 50k peak redemption. What this means is that it is only "luxury" off-peak; no Ritz Carlton Maui unless you are off season.  Residence Inn or Courtyard are cat 5 peak.

The 35k SPG personal ann night gets you cat 5 off-season and cat 4 peak. So cannot stay on Maui with the free night to extend your stay during peak unless you have the Lux card and want to stay at the Residence or Courtyard Airport.


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## Ken555 (Sep 4, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks for mentioning LisaRex. The article below indicates that AMEX doesn't typically do a hard pull but we will double-check the specific terms of this offer to confirm.
> 
> https://www.doctorofcredit.com/everything-want-know-american-express-upgrade-offers/
> 
> ...



That's not onerous! It's reasonable. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Maui_ed (Sep 4, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks for mentioning LisaRex. The article below indicates that AMEX doesn't typically do a hard pull but we will double-check the specific terms of this offer to confirm.
> 
> https://www.doctorofcredit.com/everything-want-know-american-express-upgrade-offers/
> 
> ...



The only part about this that MIGHT be deemed onerous, IMO, is the part about "in our sole discretion ...".  The rest of it seems reasonable to me - if customers adhere to the rules, they receive benefits; if they break the rules, they get punished.


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## grrrah (Sep 4, 2018)

I'm not sure if its targeted or not, but on the updated SPG ap on my iphone, I get the 100k upgrade offer. I'm a relatively new SPG card owner and I've only used it for vistana payments so its not like I'm a big customer for this card.

related to the topic, I think after my  anniversary (and free night), I'm probably gonna cancel and go for the lower Marriott card after 90 days if they are still offering 75k point bonus for their $95 card since they both do 6x points (I think).  I don't/won't use these cards for regular spend and frequently stay at lower category places on short trips, so the lower AF is more attractive.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 4, 2018)

What's onerous is that they can change their policies at any time, and you could be locked into the card AF of $450 for at least 2 anniversaries (up to $900 total).

Yes it could be net $150 each year if it works on MF which is money we would spend anyway. However if Marriott/Amex change their mind or it doesn't work, then we are in a situation of having to pay incremental $ for hotel rooms; net $900+ for 2 "luxury" 50k rooms during off season or basic hotels during peak - that's $450 a night which may or may not be good value depending on the hotel and whether you can effectively utilize a single free night given all the limitations. It's complicated and I am sure works to Marriott's benefit.

We'll take the risk and give it a try but it could be an expensive upgrade if it doesn't work on MF payments.  There could also be a limited downgrade path and lock-in if the SPG Amex personal is eliminated next year. I expect AMEX would provide a different card to replace, however Citi did not offer us a different card when they transitioned Hilton to Amex because they sold the customers. Depends on what AMEX negotiates with Chase for the consumer SPG card.

This card seems riskier in terms of generating value when compared to the Hilton Aspire.


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## ann824 (Sep 5, 2018)

It does work for maintenance fees I have already gotten a $300 credit.  Works for Marriott and Vistana.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 5, 2018)

ann824 said:


> It does work for maintenance fees I have already gotten a $300 credit.  Works for Marriott and Vistana.



Thanks. Hopefully they won't change this capability. If they do, the $450 card will not be worth keeping because we don't use hotel rooms much anymore and usually pay with points so the $300 credit would be incremental spend we do not need.


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## nanette0269 (Sep 5, 2018)

Great to hear on the $300 credit, but will be curious to hear if you get the 6X points as well!


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## controller1 (Sep 5, 2018)

nanette0269 said:


> Great to hear on the $300 credit, but will be curious to hear if you get the 6X points as well!



I can't imagine not getting the 6X points on the Luxury Card.  I received 6X points on the regular SPG Amex for a small Vistana MF payment I made in August.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 5, 2018)

controller1 said:


> I can't imagine not getting the 6X points on the Luxury Card.  I received 6X points on the regular SPG Amex for a small Vistana MF payment I made in August.



Congrats on a good move. Wish I was astute enough to have prepaid MF and gotten 3x SPG before the devaluation.


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## controller1 (Sep 5, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Congrats on a good move. Wish I was astute enough to have prepaid MF and gotten 3x SPG before the devaluation.



This was in August. Amex instituted the "devaluation" August 1.  So what I'm saying is that there appears to be no devaluation on paying Vistana MFs even with the general overall SPG Amex devaluation. I made only a small prepayment to test the waters and see if I would receive the 6X points and I did.


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## Helios (Sep 5, 2018)

nanette0269 said:


> Great to hear on the $300 credit, but will be curious to hear if you get the 6X points as well!


that's just greedy...just being sarcastic...I may need to get this cc...


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## frank808 (Sep 6, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Congrats on a good move. Wish I was astute enough to have prepaid MF and gotten 3x SPG before the devaluation.


If I remember correctly I got 2x spg points for every dollar of paying marriott maintenance fees.  Multiply each spg point by 3 and you get 6 Marriott reward points.  It is the same now as you get 6x Marriott points (2x spg) for paying maintenance fee.  

Did you get 3 spg points for every dollar of maintenance fee?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 6, 2018)

It was my understanding that if you paid Starwood MF with an SPG card that it would count as 6 Starpoints per $1 prior to Aug 1 2018 because it was considered an SPG hotel purchase. That would have translated to 6 x 3 = 18 Marriott Rewards.  Currently people are reporting that one would get 1/3 of that = 6 Marriott Rewards. That's a 2/3 devaluation = massive.

Note: We are new to Vistana/Westin so this will be our first year paying maintenance fees via the portal, so my understanding of this could be incorrect. YMMV.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 6, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> It was my understanding that if you paid Starwood MF with an SPG card that it would count as 6 Starpoints per $1 prior to Aug 1 2018 because it was considered an SPG hotel purchase. That would have translated to 6 x 3 = 18 Marriott Rewards.  Currently people are reporting that one would get 1/3 of that = 6 Marriott Rewards. That's a 2/3 devaluation = massive.
> 
> Note: We are new to Vistana/Westin so this will be our first year paying maintenance fees via the portal, so my understanding of this could be incorrect. YMMV.


That is not correct. Prior to August 2018, the SPG card earned 2x SPG points for Vistana (and also Marriott) MFs and Starwood spending. 1 point for all other spending. So when those 2x points were converted to MR points, it was 6 per dollar. This was a tad better than using the Chase Marriott Rewards card that earned 5x per dollar on Marriott spending and Marriott MFs. Keep in mind that the conversion to get 6 points per dollar started only after Marriott announced the acquisition of Starwood.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 6, 2018)

Thanks for clarifying @dioxide45. It sounded rather high to me as well. I referenced the article below and the embedded ad must have been updated to the new MR terms even though they called it Starpoints:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/maximize-starpoints-before-marriott-spg-combine/

Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels and 2 points on all other eligible purchases."
It's nice to know that this aspect of the card has not been devalued. Plus my SPG business card now gives 4 points for restaurants, gas, wireless and shipping. I believe this was only 1 point SP = 3 points MR prior to Aug 1.


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## controller1 (Sep 6, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks for clarifying @dioxide45. It sounded rather high to me as well. I referenced the article below and the embedded ad must have been updated to the new MR terms even though they called it Starpoints:
> 
> https://thepointsguy.com/news/maximize-starpoints-before-marriott-spg-combine/
> 
> ...



Always remember when the word "points" is used it references the new Marriott points.  If referencing the older SPG points, the reference is to "Starpoints". I never remember seeing anything from Starwood/SPG just referencing "points" when Starpoints was the currency.


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## grrrah (Sep 6, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Thanks for clarifying @dioxide45. It sounded rather high to me as well. I referenced the article below and the embedded ad must have been updated to the new MR terms even though they called it Starpoints:
> 
> https://thepointsguy.com/news/maximize-starpoints-before-marriott-spg-combine/
> 
> ...


the devaluation came from the regular spend.  While the 2x Starpoints changed to 6x Marriott points, the 1x SP to 2x MP for the regular spg card is where the devaluation occurred.  The 4x for the business card is nice.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 6, 2018)

grrrah said:


> the devaluation came from the regular spend.  While the 2x Starpoints changed to 6x Marriott points, the 1x SP to 2x MP for the regular spg card is where the devaluation occurred.  The 4x for the business card is nice.



Given the MF points are the same as consumer card and the business card has better bonuses, we would not be upgrading if my DH didn't get the 100,000 pt. bonus.  If they don't pony up more value or bonus points to the Luxury card, there will be a lot of downgrades and cancellations in about 1.5 - 2 years after the initial bonus period is up because you can get most of the same benefits on the $95 cards.


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## Moparman42 (Sep 6, 2018)

the 300.00 credit for our maintenance fees and the upgraded free night are a plus for the luxury card as well.   The lounge access and TSA precheck also add value.   PLUS, the luxury card give 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants while the $95 card only gives 2.


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## Ken555 (Sep 6, 2018)

Even without the ability to pay MF with the $300, I'd be surprised if many of us who frequent Vistana timeshares don't spend more than $300 in incidental expenses in a year while at the resorts.

For myself, I don't see the advantage (yet) in this card vs the ones I have (the 15,000 annual extra points for a night isn't worth the extra cost alone, at least not yet).


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## LisaRex (Sep 6, 2018)

Ken555 said:


> Even without the ability to pay MF with the $300, I'd be surprised if many of us who frequent Vistana timeshares don't spend more than $300 in incidental expenses in a year while at the resorts.



Heck, I've spent more than that just on Tropical Monkeys!


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 6, 2018)

Moparman42 said:


> the 300.00 credit for our maintenance fees and the upgraded free night are a plus for the luxury card as well.   The lounge access and TSA precheck also add value.   PLUS, the luxury card give 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants while the $95 card only gives 2.



The SPG $95 business card gives 4x for restaurants plus 4x gas, wireless and shipping. Better than the 3x on the $450 luxury card.

Currently there are some amazing AMEX offers on the SPG business card but not on our personal card. 10% off Exxon up to $1000 spend ($100 benefit which stacks with the 4x gas) until Nov 30, 10% off Lowes up to $1000, 10% off Staples etc.

We'll have to see how the Luxury card offers compare.  If those are similar, then benefit might be worth more than the AF.


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## Ken555 (Sep 7, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> The SPG $95 business card gives 4x for restaurants plus 4x gas, wireless and shipping. Better than the 3x on the $450 luxury card.
> 
> Currently there are some amazing AMEX offers on the SPG business card but not on our personal card. 10% off Exxon up to $1000 spend ($100 benefit which stacks with the 4x gas) until Nov 30, 10% off Lowes up to $1000, 10% off Staples etc.
> 
> We'll have to see how the Luxury card offers compare.  If those are similar, then benefit might be worth more than the AF.



These offers you reference must be targeted, at least somewhat, since I do not have those for my business card.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 7, 2018)

@Ken555 I find that these AMEX offers cycle across my various Amex cards. So it might show up on your card next round. 

However bloggers have reported clawbacks and abuse by people setting themselves up as an AU for their own card and using these 10% offers on multiple cards by slightly changing their name; this ruins it for everyone.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 7, 2018)

As timeshare owners here on TUG, what in the world are you going to do with the points?  I have a lot of points now that I combined them.  My favorite spend was 12K per night at Swan and Dolphin, and now those night are 50K points.  I would be crazy to spend 50K points on a room that costs $250 with taxes included.  I am NOT HAPPY.


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 7, 2018)

Corrected calculation:

Was that 12k Starpoints i.e. 36k MR pesos (12 x 3)? That's an increase of 14K MR or 4666 Starpoints (devaluation again).

50k * .009 MR value = $450 / night so you are correct. You would be better off with the cash rate.

Will likely use our points for expensive cash nights e.g. ski weekends, international city, and 1 - 2 night extensions with TS and airport.
However won't actively collect MR pesos from everyday spend. We are shifting to Chase Rewards because they are much more flexible and get much higher value at Hyatt etc.

You could also book Dolphin and Swan via Chase portal with points and the associated points would be based on the cash rate (much less than MR points). Plus it counts toward cash stays and you get elite perks and MR points.  Works great when cash rates are low, but not so good when cash rates are high.


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## Henry M. (Sep 7, 2018)

12 x 3 = 36, not 48!


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## CalGalTraveler (Sep 7, 2018)

Corrected. Need to have my coffee first before posting!


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## controller1 (Sep 7, 2018)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Was that 12k Starpoints i.e. 48k MR pesos (12 x 3)? If so, that doesn't sound much different when compared to 50k points.
> 
> 50k * .009 MR value = $450 / night so you are correct. You would be better off with the cash rate.
> 
> Will likely use our points for expensive cash nights e.g. ski weekends, international city, and 1 - 2 night extensions with TS and airport.





emuyshondt said:


> 12 x 3 = 36, not 48!





rickandcindy23 said:


> As timeshare owners here on TUG, what in the world are you going to do with the points?  I have a lot of points now that I combined them.  My favorite spend was 12K per night at Swan and Dolphin, and now those night are 50K points.  I would be crazy to spend 50K points on a room that costs $250 with taxes included.  I am NOT HAPPY.



Yes, it was an increase (38%) but it does no one good by distorting the amounts by claiming 12K vs 50K when the two currencies are different.

The 12K of Starpoints is the current equivalent of 36K of Marriott Points. So the comparison should be 36K vs 50K.

Once again, we should have seen this coming since Marriott prices award nights on how popular a property is based on number of award nights redeemed.  Starwood priced award nights based on a property's ADR (average daily rate) which caused a better correlation to the award night points requirement vs the cash cost (on average) of a night.

There are properties where the award nights cost decreased. Of course, that would be Boise or Sioux Falls.


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## JudyS (Sep 8, 2018)

ann824 said:


> It does work for maintenance fees I have already gotten a $300 credit.  Works for Marriott and Vistana.


Thanks for looking into this, Ann. Just what I was hoping to hear.


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## beachlynn (Sep 15, 2018)

I signed up for the luxury card maybe 2 weeks ago. It was an offer that presented itself online on my SPG AMEX online acct. I got my approval right away. I still haven't received the card but my 100,000 points have already posted to my SPG acct. I was shocked. I had to make a few large purchases one being a VRBO booking which I hope counts as travel. I was worried that until I had the physical card in hand I wouldn't be able to rack up points. I had gotten a notice saying that due to overwhelming applications they didn't have the cards which does seem odd. However, they said that any spending would count. Today I just got the Priority Pass card in the mail. I am psyched. I was going to pay my Vistana fees early to make sure I could get my points but now I don't have to pay early. Woo Hoo. Now I need to go get my global entry. I have my Pre-TSA already and don't have an international flight planned but I want to lock it down.


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## VacationForever (Sep 15, 2018)

beachlynn said:


> I signed up for the luxury card maybe 2 weeks ago. It was an offer that presented itself online on my SPG AMEX online acct. I got my approval right away. I still haven't received the card but my 100,000 points have already posted to my SPG acct. I was shocked. I had to make a few large purchases one being a VRBO booking which I hope counts as travel. I was worried that until I had the physical card in hand I wouldn't be able to rack up points. I had gotten a notice saying that due to overwhelming applications they didn't have the cards which does seem odd. However, they said that any spending would count. Today I just got the Priority Pass card in the mail. I am psyched. I was going to pay my Vistana fees early to make sure I could get my points but now I don't have to pay early. Woo Hoo. Now I need to go get my global entry. I have my Pre-TSA already and don't have an international flight planned but I want to lock it down.


This is this for an upgrade?  It is weird that you got the bonus points even before you met spending requirements.


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## J&JFamily (Sep 15, 2018)

beachlynn said:


> I signed up for the luxury card maybe 2 weeks ago. It was an offer that presented itself online on my SPG AMEX online acct. I got my approval right away. I still haven't received the card but my 100,000 points have already posted to my SPG acct. I was shocked. I had to make a few large purchases one being a VRBO booking which I hope counts as travel. I was worried that until I had the physical card in hand I wouldn't be able to rack up points. I had gotten a notice saying that due to overwhelming applications they didn't have the cards which does seem odd. However, they said that any spending would count. Today I just got the Priority Pass card in the mail. I am psyched. I was going to pay my Vistana fees early to make sure I could get my points but now I don't have to pay early. Woo Hoo. Now I need to go get my global entry. I have my Pre-TSA already and don't have an international flight planned but I want to lock it down.



Thanks for posting this info. I received the same notification about them not having the cards. I also thought that was odd, so I’m glad it wasn’t just me who got the notice. I was also worried about not getting the $ spent credited for the new account since I didn’t have the physical card, so I called the toll free number on the back of the card. The rep assured me that I was getting the credit toward my spending (to meet the $5,000 spend requirement and thus get the 100,000 points bonus). She even told me the date that the spending toward that requirement took effect.


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## J&JFamily (Sep 15, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> This is this for an upgrade?  It is weird that you got the bonus points even before you met spending requirements.



I believe that beachlynn did meet the spending requirement. They stated that they “had to make a few large purchases” so I assumed that those put them over the spending requirement. I highly doubt that they would be given the points prior to meeting the requirement.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 15, 2018)

controller1 said:


> Yes, it was an increase (38%) but it does no one good by distorting the amounts by claiming 12K vs 50K when the two currencies are different.
> 
> The 12K of Starpoints is the current equivalent of 36K of Marriott Points. So the comparison should be 36K vs 50K.
> 
> ...


Yes, I know the currencies are different.  I got 3X for my Starpoints, so 100K = 300K Marriott-SPG combined.  So why is the Swan and Dolphin NOT 36K points per night?  That would be more in keeping with the $$ value we had before. 

And seriously, I am only using that SPG card to get the free night every year, and I will do nothing else with that card.  I see no point in this system at all.  This is just too many points for one I always booked for 12K (36K), and now it's 50K.  That is a huge devaluation.

And the credit card now only gets 2X points for everyday spend.  1X points before, multiplied X 3 was better than 2X and no multiplier.  

People on Flyertalk and other forums are outraged.  It's making me crazy, that's for sure.  I don't know what to do with my points.


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## dioxide45 (Sep 15, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> This is this for an upgrade?  It is weird that you got the bonus points even before you met spending requirements.


When you upgrade, your spend toward the new requirement starts almost immediately, you don't need the newer card to start earning the credit toward the spend requirement. At least this was the experience my wife had when she upgraded her Chase Visa.


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## controller1 (Sep 15, 2018)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Yes, I know the currencies are different.  I got 3X for my Starpoints, so 100K = 300K Marriott-SPG combined.  So why is the Swan and Dolphin NOT 36K points per night?  That would be more in keeping with the $$ value we had before.
> 
> And seriously, I am only using that SPG card to get the free night every year, and I will do nothing else with that card.  I see no point in this system at all.  This is just too many points for one I always booked for 12K (36K), and now it's 50K.  That is a huge devaluation.
> 
> ...



My post which you quoted answers your question of "So why is the Swan and Dolphin NOT 36K points per night?  That would be more in keeping with the $$ value we had before."

As I stated, this was known beforehand. Since you mention FlyerTalk, it was discussed on FlyerTalk for months prior to becoming effective.  I feel for you in that it appears you used your points exclusively at the Swan and Dolphin.


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## frank808 (Sep 16, 2018)

Just want to report.  Got the $300 credit for each of our cards 3 days after paying our MVC maintenance fees.  

Does anyone know if that $300 will credit toward the $5k spend for the 100k bonus points?

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## Kimberly614 (Sep 20, 2018)

Also wanted to update...used the card for $300 in Vistana maintenance fees and received the $300 credit.


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## carpie99 (Sep 21, 2018)

Kimberly614 said:


> Also wanted to update...used the card for $300 in Vistana maintenance fees and received the $300 credit.



Ooooh good to know!


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## ann824 (Sep 21, 2018)

My Starwood Amex luxury card 100,000 points posted as soon as I passed the spend threshold.  I am still waiting on my Chase Marriott, they seem to be really slow when giving you the bonus.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 24, 2018)

So who has received 6X on MF's?  That might be worthwhile for me.  I am trying to figure this out.  It's a lot of thinking, and my brain is overheating.  I just need that answer.  Did anyone pay SBP, SDO, or any other Vistana generic resort maintenance fee on the old Starwood card and get 6x?  

I have asked this on different threads.  Someone may have answered me before.


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## controller1 (Sep 24, 2018)

rickandcindy23 said:


> So who has received 6X on MF's?  That might be worthwhile for me.  I am trying to figure this out.  It's a lot of thinking, and my brain is overheating.  I just need that answer.  Did anyone pay SBP, SDO, or any other Vistana generic resort maintenance fee on the old Starwood card and get 6x?
> 
> I have asked this on different threads.  Someone may have answered me before.



Yes, I paid Vistana MFs on the old SPG Amex card and received 6x points.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 29, 2018)

Our SPG preferred credit card annual fee posted in July.  I guess I don't get a free night.  I see nothing at all in my account.  That might require a phone call.


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## tschwa2 (Sep 29, 2018)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Our SPG preferred credit card annual fee posted in July.  I guess I don't get a free night.  I see nothing at all in my account.  That might require a phone call.


You only get points the first year provided you meet the spending limit.  The free night doesn't kick in until after the first anniversary.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 29, 2018)

tschwa2 said:


> You only get points the first year provided you meet the spending limit.  The free night doesn't kick in until after the first anniversary.


I have had this card for at least 7 years.  I don't see a free night in my account, so I assume I don't get one.   

This downgrade of benefits and the lack of my free night for this year are going to make it easy to walk away from this card.  I think I will have to wait another year to get my free night.  I have been paying on this card for years $80K this past year, just to transfer points and miles to airlines and Amtrak.  

My points transferred to Alaska used to be great, but Alaska's award seats for First Class have disappeared (40K one way level), so I stopped doing that.  

What a waste of $95, in my opinion.


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## luv_maui (Oct 2, 2018)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I have had this card for at least 7 years.  I don't see a free night in my account, so I assume I don't get one.
> 
> This downgrade of benefits and the lack of my free night for this year are going to make it easy to walk away from this card.  I think I will have to wait another year to get my free night.  I have been paying on this card for years $80K this past year, just to transfer points and miles to airlines and Amtrak.
> 
> ...


We were able to cancel thru an automated phone line, very surprised we didn’t get a live person to try and convince us to stay.


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## LisaRex (Oct 4, 2018)

ann824 said:


> My Starwood Amex luxury card 100,000 points posted as soon as I passed the spend threshold.  I am still waiting on my Chase Marriott, they seem to be really slow when giving you the bonus.



Yeah, I'm still waiting on my Marriott bonus even though we met the spending bonus during the first month.  I also did not receive my stay credit and points for August stay at CourtYard Bloomington.  Booked via the Marriott site, so they definitely had my MR number.  I submitted a Missing Stay credit form 3 weeks ago, and still nothing, though there is a disclaimer that it's taking them awhile to process them.  

I hope that they're not going to pull shenanigans.  I only got the MR card for the free night and it's a $95 annual fee.  So while I'm not losing any money on the annual fee, it's close to breaking even.  And the MR program takes an eternity to build up enough points got get a free night, so it's definitely not where I want to concentrate my spending.


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## VacationForever (Oct 4, 2018)

LisaRex said:


> Yeah, I'm still waiting on my Marriott bonus even though we met the spending bonus during the first month.  I also did not receive my stay credit and points for August stay at CourtYard Bloomington.  Booked via the Marriott site, so they definitely had my MR number.  I submitted a Missing Stay credit form 3 weeks ago, and still nothing, though there is a disclaimer that it's taking them awhile to process them.
> 
> I hope that they're not going to pull shenanigans.  I only got the MR card for the free night and it's a $95 annual fee.  So while I'm not losing any money on the annual fee, it's close to breaking even.  And the MR program takes an eternity to build up enough points got get a free night, so it's definitely not where I want to concentrate my spending.


Same thing with my husband's account.  He met his $5K spending two months ago with the Chase Premier Plus (or whatever that is called) and 100K MRs have not shown up.  We called Chase and they confirmed that he did meet the $5K requirement and to wait for another 2 statements for the points to be credited.  He is also close to spending his $5K on his SPG Luxury card and we are expecting 125K bonus on that card.


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## frank808 (Oct 4, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> Same thing with my husband's account.  He met his $5K spending two months ago with the Chase Premier Plus (or whatever that is called) and 100K MRs have not shown up.  We called Chase and they confirmed that he did meet the $5K requirement and to wait for another 2 statements for the points to be credited.  He is also close to spending his $5K on his SPG Luxury card and we are expecting 125K bonus on that card.


Amex is very quick to post points.  The day after I met the 5k spending the points posted to my account.  Chase on the other hand takes a while.  I still have not gotten it and it has been over a month.  

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## Robotpedlr (Oct 4, 2018)

i just got a targeted 125k point Amex SPG Lux card offer in the mail... so I applied and got instant approval. Will use the card to pay VSN maint fees for the $300 credit.  So the Net of $150 for 125k points seemed like a no brainer.  

Plus I got the 100k Business Amex SPG card ($95 first year waived) a couple of months ago.  So that's 225k points for the 2 cards plus the points from the spend for a total Net cost of $150.  NO MORE card offers please...lol


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## triangulum33 (Mar 7, 2019)

I'm thinking of switching to a cash back card.
This Citi card has a 2% cash back on everything, with no annual fee.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/...h Back Credit Cards&trk_vertical=Credit Cards


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## taterhed (Mar 8, 2019)

The biggest question to ask is simple: 

Can I use/transfer the points to the program/airline I like....
Is the Centurion lounge (or priority) what I like/need?
Obviously, you need to be able to make the high annual fee convert to useful spending (TSA/Marriott/Global etc...)


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## VacationForever (Mar 8, 2019)

We both have a $450 per year card, me - Sapphire reserve with my husband as a supplemental card holder, and my husband has the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant.  It does not make financial sense for me to upgrade to the Brilliant card just to get the 100K bonus.  I intend to keep my Amex Marriott Bonvoy card for a long time and membership fee on that card is cheap.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 8, 2019)

triangulum33 said:


> I'm thinking of switching to a cash back card.
> This Citi card has a 2% cash back on everything, with no annual fee.
> https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/citi-double-cash?trk_channel=web&trk_element=hyperlink&trk_location=product-card&trk_nldt=Decide&trk_pagetype=roundup&trk_topic=Cash Back Credit Cards&trk_vertical=Credit Cards



The more the Marriott program devalues points, the more we prefer cash back as an option. We have a lot of points from the SPG card and will burn through them. Not sure it is worth collecting more at this point. Cash is king.

Biggest question is whether you can downgrade a Brilliant card back to the mid-tier card for 35k room after the AF is due in about a year to collect the bonus.  Would love to see datapoints because DH has this card.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 8, 2019)

Don't overlook that Priority Pass Lounge benefit.  You probably think it's a throwaway benefit you will not use, but you might be surprised.  

We use the lounges whenever they are convenient.  We won't walk to another concourse, or try to enter a lounge in an international terminal at an airport with only one lounge, but we always visit a lounge that is somewhat close.  

At SJC, the lounge is extremely nice and has a lot of great snacks, beverages and a full-service bar, for those of you who love your drink. Many of the snacks are perfect for grabbing to take on the plane, if you are traveling economy.  We flew Southwest in/out of SJC and were able to grab some crackers and cheese packets for the flight, plus we ate some salad while there.  We also filled our cups with some ice tea.  The coffee with that machine was also incredible.  

At the Denver airport, there is a lounge in concourse C, right at the top of the escalator, you don't have to walk far at all.  So you just go to the train to concourse C, then up the stairs.  Whatever concourse you are flying out of, you are less than five minutes from the restaurant.  It is a restaurant.  $27 per person X up to 3 people with the membership you get with the Luxury card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.  We just took Mom there on our way to Maui.  So impressive.  Great burgers, fries and cheesecake, all free.  All we pay is tip, not even sales tax.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 8, 2019)

Agree that the Priority Pass is a great benefit. We already receive the lounge benefit from our Sapphire Reserve cards and Hilton Aspire.  If this was our only card then that would be a great benefit.

The question is how many $450 cards does one need?  Our CSVs are keepers for their flexibility, and the Hilton Aspire gives us outsized value with the $250 resort credit which goes against our HGVC MF, and $250 airline fee reimbursement for SWA gift cards (effectively the card is a profit maker esp when you add in the unlimited annual free night and bonus points).


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## Negma (Mar 8, 2019)

We did upgrade to the Amex Brilliant card. At the top you get it all back with the $300 credit (yes it worked at WKORVN), and a free room every year. The rest is all gravy. Already paid for itself. Timing was good too, we put 5k of our upcoming cruise on it and the 100k points hit two days later.


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## VacationForever (Mar 8, 2019)

I just don't want to give up my $65 membership fee on my Amex Bonvoy card.  They did not raise my fee due to the amount I put on that card each year.  If I go with the $450 card and want to drop it back down after a couple of years I doubt they will keep my old $65 per year membership fee.  I don't always use the free night each year so a 50K per night vs. 35K per night does not make a difference to me.


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## triangulum33 (Mar 8, 2019)

CalGalTraveler said:


> The more the Marriott program devalues points, the more we prefer cash back as an option. We have a lot of points from the SPG card and will burn through them. Not sure it is worth collecting more at this point. Cash is king.



I agree 100%.  
Sure we get value from our AMEX card, but it looks to me like I can get about double value from the cash card I linked above.


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## bobpark56 (Mar 9, 2019)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Don't overlook that Priority Pass Lounge benefit.  You probably think it's a throwaway benefit you will not use, but you might be surprised.
> <snip>


We just tried to use our Priority Pass at the lounge at gate C-19 at Logan airport, Boston on Monday. We were turned away, though I could see several vacant seats. We were told they were being saved for "preferred" members. Seems like Priority pass is a bit of a fraud...at least at some airports.


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## cubigbird (Mar 9, 2019)

Delete - posted in wrong topic.


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## Henry M. (Mar 9, 2019)

I checked on the Priority Pass club in terminal D at DFW, since the Admiral‘s Club there is undergoing renovation. It looked ok, but was extremely full. I would not enjoy being there, and would likely just sit around in the terminal if I couldn’t access the Admiral‘s Club or the current temporary setup. It is just too crowded. There was a line out the door of people waiting to be let in. 

Essentially, if a luxury club stops being a luxury, it gets crowded and overrun by people. The new Bonvoy Brilliant card is essentially free if you account for the $300 credit and free night.


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## controller1 (Mar 9, 2019)

Henry M. said:


> The new Bonvoy Brilliant card is essentially free if you account for the $300 credit and free night.



That's the way I see it.  After the $300 credit and free night certificate, everything else one receives in benefits is pure bonus!


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## VacationForever (Mar 9, 2019)

The couple of lounges that we visited using the Chase Sapphire Reserve were less than impressive.  We don't even bother to look them up now.


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## controller1 (Mar 9, 2019)

VacationForever said:


> The couple of lounges that we visited using the Chase Sapphire Reserve were less than impressive.  We don't even bother to look them up now.



IMO, the Priority Pass card is best used at those few airport restaurants that accept the card.

Robert


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## VacationForever (Mar 9, 2019)

controller1 said:


> IMO, the Priority Pass card is best used at those few airport restaurants that accept the card.
> 
> Robert


I read about it from Cindy but we have yet to come across those.


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## Kildahl (Mar 9, 2019)

bobpark56 said:


> We just tried to use our Priority Pass at the lounge at gate C-19 at Logan airport, Boston on Monday. We were turned away, though I could see several vacant seats. We were told they were being saved for "preferred" members. Seems like Priority pass is a bit of a fraud...at least at some airports.



Some members apparently have more Priority that others.
I would call when you get home.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 9, 2019)

controller1 said:


> That's the way I see it.  After the $300 credit and free night certificate, everything else one receives in benefits is pure bonus!



Unless you can get good value from the other benefits, (which is a wash because we already get from other credit cards) the question is whether it is worth paying $150 for a hotel room every year and can get outsized value from it. The jury is out for us. YMMV


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## luv_maui (Mar 9, 2019)

bobpark56 said:


> We just tried to use our Priority Pass at the lounge at gate C-19 at Logan airport, Boston on Monday. We were turned away, though I could see several vacant seats. We were told they were being saved for "preferred" members. Seems like Priority pass is a bit of a fraud...at least at some airports.


This is so true.  At PDX, the Alaska airlines lounge is rarely available.  Just too many priority pass card holders so they are excluded at PDX Alaska airlines lounge unless very very slow.  Used it there once in maybe last 10 times, if that


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## frank808 (Mar 10, 2019)

controller1 said:


> IMO, the Priority Pass card is best used at those few airport restaurants that accept the card.
> 
> Robert


At SFO I use PP at the Giant Clubhouse.  You can even get your order to go.  Dont forget to order a large bottled water on your bill if you are under the $28 limit.  

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## frank808 (Mar 10, 2019)

luv_maui said:


> This is so true.  At PDX, the Alaska airlines lounge is rarely available.  Just too many priority pass card holders so they are excluded at PDX Alaska airlines lounge unless very very slow.  Used it there once in maybe last 10 times, if that


I hope to use PP in Anchorage when we fly from there to SFO.  Hope we dont get turned away in July as our flight does not leave till 330pm.  Will report back if we were turned away or not.  

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## frank808 (Mar 10, 2019)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Unless you can get good value from the other benefits, (which is a wash because we already get from other credit cards) the question is whether it is worth paying $150 for a hotel room every year and can get outsized value from it. The jury is out for us. YMMV


For us it is well worth it.  The $600 credit( wife and I both have card) for paying our yearly MF to MVC brings the net cost down to $150 each.  At this point the luxury card is only $55 more than the standard card.  We will find a local waikiki hotel to use it for a weekend. 

Plus we like the priority pass benefits.  Got to use PP 3 times last month on our trip to miami.  



Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 10, 2019)

frank808 said:


> For us it is well worth it.  The $600 credit( wife and I both have card) for paying our yearly MF to MVC brings the net cost down to $150 each.  At this point the luxury card is only $55 more than the standard card.  We will find a local waikiki hotel to use it for a weekend.
> 
> Plus we like the priority pass benefits.  Got to use PP 3 times last month on our trip to miami.
> 
> ...



The problem is many hotels that once would fit in the 50k free annual night category became ineligible for the annual free night due to the recent devaluation. In addition Marriott will be adding peak/non-peak later this year which will further devalue. I would only do if there were specific hotels in mind after the devaluation that you could not get with 35k points.

https://dealswelike.boardingarea.co...es-taking-place-tomorrow-book-your-hotel-now/

Although I will use the 35k free nights on the $95 cards to stay at mid tier hotels to visit our college kids, I dont relish the thought of staying at a Courtyard for a weekend getaway spending $150/night when I can pay for it in cash or use fewer Chase Sapphire points because of the lower rate or stay somewhere nicer.

Any recommendations for annual free night in a popular tourist location that is not a business hotel like Courtyard?


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 10, 2019)

Our son and daughter-in-law have the Bonvoy Amex and love it.  They are staying at a Marriott on Oahu, checking out today sometime.  They stayed there on the way to Maui, and now on the way back from Maui.  Amazing, according to our daughter-in-law.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 10, 2019)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Our son and daughter-in-law have the Bonvoy Amex and love it.  They are staying at a Marriott on Oahu, checking out today sometime.  They stayed there on the way to Maui, and now on the way back from Maui.  Amazing, according to our daughter-in-law.



If that is the Marriott Waikiki, that is now a category 6 which means that when peak/non peak is instituted later this year  it will become ineligible for peak stays when next 50k Anniversay Night is issued. Also affects a number of HI resorts used to extend stays such as the Maui Residence Inn.

Not sure which HI resorts will be useful for 50k peak in future other than courtyards by airport. Luxury??  Hmmm....

FYI below are a few ineligible 50k anniversary resorts during peak from devaluation last week.

Courtyard Waikiki Beach — moving from a category 5 to 6
Sheraton Waikiki — moving from a category 6 to 7
Sheraton Princess Kaiulani — moving from a category 5 to 6
Residence Inn Maui Wailea — moving from a category 5 to 6
Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, Autograph Collection  — moving from a category 6 to 7
Of course if you travel non-peak (we dont) then there is possible value. However should compare to non-peak cash rates to ensure there is > $150/night value and whether you would spend $150/night to go there if the card did not exist.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 10, 2019)

I have already been disappointed at the devaluing of our points for stays at Swan and Dolphin, Epcot.  12K points for old Starwood, 50K points for Marriott.  Big difference.  If you knew how many points we had left, you would be :O


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## VacationForever (Mar 10, 2019)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Our son and daughter-in-law have the Bonvoy Amex and love it.  They are staying at a Marriott on Oahu, checking out today sometime.  They stayed there on the way to Maui, and now on the way back from Maui.  Amazing, according to our daughter-in-law.


Ko Olina is our favorite resort in the Marriott system.  Oops... unless they are referring to the hotel which I know nothing about.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 10, 2019)

Ko Olina is cat 6 so no peak. However I have found that MVC avail from hotel site during peak to be nonexistent.


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## frank808 (Mar 10, 2019)

Easy for me to use on a weekend when I check out of MKO on a Friday and do not check back in until Sunday.  I can use the cert for a quick stay in waikiki.  I dont think you can find any of those hotels listed in waikiki for under $150 a night at anytime of the year.  Or i use the cert for a night before we check in on the mainland.  

I will see how it goes with the devaluation of hotels.  But cant get another card with PP access for $55 a year.  

Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk


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## controller1 (Mar 10, 2019)

CalGalTraveler said:


> Ko Olina is cat 6 so no peak. However I have found that MVC avail from hotel site during peak to be nonexistent.



I don't understand this statement.  According to the Hotel Redemption Chart, all categories will soon have a Peak Redemption.  Even the 35,000 point properties where you state you will use your 35K certificate will have a peak award cost 40,000.

Robert


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 10, 2019)

True. It also affects the 35k hotels. However we are more likely to use those off-peak during school year and get more than $95 value.

If we will need a 50k card to use the 35k during peak, That's a major devaluation of $95 hotel night to $150 to stay at a Courtyard. I would rather get the Hilton Aspire card where there are no limits and stay at the Waldorf down the street. Plus free breakfast, $250 resort and $250 SWA gift card. #Bonvoyed


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## Ken555 (Mar 10, 2019)

I’ve found that there’s not always a direct correlation between cost per night and award redemption cost. I always calculate the benefit on each specific reservation to determine if using the award, points, or cash (or another program and hotel altogether) before making a reservation. That said, I’ve found several nice properties overseas which I expect to use with my credit card awards.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## frank808 (Mar 11, 2019)

CalGalTraveler said:


> True. It also affects the 35k hotels. However we are more likely to use those off-peak during school year and get more than $95 value.
> 
> If we will need a 50k card to use the 35k during peak, That's a major devaluation of $95 hotel night to $150 to stay at a Courtyard. I would rather get the Hilton Aspire card where there are no limits and stay at the Waldorf down the street. Plus free breakfast, $250 resort and $250 SWA gift card. #Bonvoyed


Wife and I also have the aspire card to pay our hgvc mf and get those 14 points per maintenance dollar.  With the $250 for mf and $250 to use on united it is like we profit $50 for the paying the $450 annual fee .  And we get a free weekend to use at grand wailea where rates are in excess of $500 a night.  We get friday, Saturday and Sunday for free as we both have aspire and I also have the hilton ascend and charge exactly $15k non maintenance fee for the free weekend night.  Then from the hgvc mf and ascend spend HH points, we turn it into a week at grand wailea for almost free.  

We use the Marriott points for the 5 or 7 day travel certificates with United airline miles.  Use luxury card to pay for our Marriott mf.  

I cannot see how the chase sapphire reserve will net me more than the amex aspire and marriott luxury card for my mf and hotel payments. United card for all flights and Costco citi for the 4% gas, 3% travel and 2% at costco.   I use citi rewards for the 2% on anything else we dont get bonus on.  

Any one can help me get a better earning rate than I am doing with these cards?  As you can tell I try to squeeze every bonus I can out of these reward cards.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## Negma (Mar 11, 2019)

The points guy just did an evaluation of cards and perks and is a great way to start. He says a lot of good things about the Aspire card too. 
But I think you are doing it the right way. You are looking at your spend, your preferences and locations for travel, and what you see as value.
Some of this is based on how you live too. Some do not see any value in a free hotel night bacuse of the point level. Because of how we travel we can always use a free night somewhere, it is free. And we are not locked into prime travel seasons anymore.
Some do not value platinum vs gold (old school), but we have enjoyed our perks, do the dollars always match up to the perk, no, but it has been a lot of fun traveling that way. We use three cards for our spend now, and like many here, try to match the category to the card. I explain this to some friends and they think I am crazy, then they say, but how can you stay there? Or travel to there, or etc.
Ramble is over....


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## Ken555 (Mar 11, 2019)

CalGalTraveler said:


> FYI below are a few ineligible 50k anniversary resorts during peak from devaluation last week.
> 
> Courtyard Waikiki Beach — moving from a category 5 to 6
> Sheraton Waikiki — moving from a category 6 to 7
> ...



Just noticed that the Westin Milan increased to cat 6 as well. I had booked a night there for later this year using one of my cc award nights, and glad I did since now it’s too expensive. Of course, this annual increase/decrease is predictable, and we have a similar discussion every year.

ETA: I had also booked five nights at the AC Hotel in Istanbul later this year for my very first category 1 redemption rate, and now it’s a cat 2 hotel. 


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 11, 2019)

Negma said:


> The points guy just did an evaluation of cards and perks and is a great way to start. He says a lot of good things about the Aspire card too.
> But I think you are doing it the right way. You are looking at your spend, your preferences and locations for travel, and what you see as value.
> Some of this is based on how you live too. Some do not see any value in a free hotel night bacuse of the point level. Because of how we travel we can always use a free night somewhere, it is free. And we are not locked into prime travel seasons anymore.



Fully agree that YMMV and there will be value for some depending on where they want to stay.

My point is that the nights are NOT free i.e. you are pre-paying AF of $95, $125 (business), or $155 (Lux/Brilliant) for a "free" room night. The key is whether you can find a hotel with outsized value every year vs. paying cash/points or forgoing the room and pocketing the money ($95/$125/$155).

One should actually think of it as an additional annual MF for one night if there is no other monetary value gained from the other benefits. A key question is whether you would have bought this room anyway and can get a margin on the AF to market price (similar to how you would evaluate a timeshare), or whether you are you going out of your way to use a room because it is "free" and you paid the AF.

Tuggers are a savvy bunch and will analyze and maximize or they will cancel. Sadly many non-Tuggers won't and will lock themselves into an AF (aka MF) for a low value room night assuming it is "Free."

P.S. used the priority pass for a restaurant in the SWA terminal at LAX this weekend with our pass from our CSV card.  Great value at $56 savings but redundant with the Lux and Aspire card PP.


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 18, 2019)

One item I forgot to include in my analysis is the value of AMEX offers on the Bonvoy SPG cards. If the card (plus authorized user's) AMEX offers savings offset the $150 AF cost significantly, it can be beneficial to keep the card. AMEX offers may provide a leg up on the value of these cards over the Chase Marriott Bonvoy cards.


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## Helios (Mar 19, 2019)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I have already been disappointed at the devaluing of our points for stays at Swan and Dolphin, Epcot.  12K points for old Starwood, 50K points for Marriott.  Big difference.  If you knew how many points we had left, you would be :O


I feel like you have to say how many now...Personally I would be surprised past 10M.


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## frank808 (Mar 19, 2019)

Helios said:


> I feel like you have to say how many now...Personally I would be surprised past 10M.


I use my reward pointa as soon as I have enough for whatever I need them for.  One thing for sure in the point rewards game is the DEVALUATION that will occur.  So to me, it is best to spend rewards points, than try to save them and get hit by the eventual devaluation. 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


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## CalGalTraveler (Mar 19, 2019)

+1 @frank808 the devaluations keep coming faster and faster.  Best to spend them sooner vs. later.


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## ciscogizmo1 (Mar 30, 2019)

Okay I need some guidance.  I have the American Express SPG card, the Marriott Bonvoy Card and the old Marriott rewards card (the free one).   We will be empty nesters so now I'm thinking the luxury cards would be worth it.  We used the AE SPG card to get airfare on points to Hawaii every year for 17 years for 4 people.  I just used up my last batch today.  We have timeshares so we normally don't need hotel stays but use them occasionally.  We really prefer the airmiles the most.  Based on that which card would you upgrade to.  A cash card or AE Platinum card?  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card?  I've had over the last 17 years had a harder time using my Marriott reward points.  The best value I find are the airmiles/hotel packages (which I've used twice in Europe) which was a challenge to use but with the kids out of the house I think our lifestyle could work with this.  I tried to find out information on the AE Platinum rewards like how many points you need to redeem one night but I can't find much.  Any advice?


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## VacationForever (Mar 30, 2019)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Okay I need some guidance.  I have the American Express SPG card, the Marriott Bonvoy Card and the old Marriott rewards card (the free one).   We will be empty nesters so now I'm thinking the luxury cards would be worth it.  We used the AE SPG card to get airfare on points to Hawaii every year for 17 years for 4 people.  I just used up my last batch today.  We have timeshares so we normally don't need hotel stays but use them occasionally.  We really prefer the airmiles the most.  Based on that which card would you upgrade to.  A cash card or AE Platinum card?  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card?  I've had over the last 17 years had a harder time using my Marriott reward points.  The best value I find are the airmiles/hotel packages (which I've used twice in Europe) which was a challenge to use but with the kids out of the house I think our lifestyle could work with this.  I tried to find out information on the AE Platinum rewards like how many points you need to redeem one night but I can't find much.  Any advice?


I am rethinking use of Marriott Bonvoy (Amex and Visa) cards for airline redemption since travel packages are no longer as valuable as before.  In fact I am sitting on 2 5-night hotel certificates from prior travel package redemption which I have no plans for.   Straight airline miles redemption with Marriott points is of poor value.  Have you looked at Venture Capital One card?  I am relooking at it.  I think you get 2 miles for every dollar spent and you can redeem for airline tickets directly through them.


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## Ken555 (Mar 31, 2019)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Okay I need some guidance.  I have the American Express SPG card, the Marriott Bonvoy Card and the old Marriott rewards card (the free one).   We will be empty nesters so now I'm thinking the luxury cards would be worth it.  We used the AE SPG card to get airfare on points to Hawaii every year for 17 years for 4 people.  I just used up my last batch today.  We have timeshares so we normally don't need hotel stays but use them occasionally.  We really prefer the airmiles the most.  Based on that which card would you upgrade to.  A cash card or AE Platinum card?  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card?  I've had over the last 17 years had a harder time using my Marriott reward points.  The best value I find are the airmiles/hotel packages (which I've used twice in Europe) which was a challenge to use but with the kids out of the house I think our lifestyle could work with this.  I tried to find out information on the AE Platinum rewards like how many points you need to redeem one night but I can't find much.  Any advice?



Look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Barclaycard Arrivals Plus cards.


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## KACTravels (Apr 1, 2019)

I change the Chase Sapphire Reserve card for most purchases for the flexibility


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## ciscogizmo1 (Apr 4, 2019)

Thanks everyone I’ll check out your suggestions...


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## ciscogizmo1 (Apr 4, 2019)

Ken555 said:


> Look at the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Barclaycard Arrivals Plus cards.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Have you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to redeem airfare?   


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## VacationForever (Apr 4, 2019)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Have you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to redeem airfare?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I am not Ken but I have.  American Airlines first class one way was around $600, used CSR Ultimate rewards to book and it cost 40K URs.


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## Ken555 (Apr 4, 2019)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Have you used the Chase Sapphire Reserve to redeem airfare?



No, since I don't yet have the card. It's next on my list, and I'd like to get it soon. From everything I've read, and based on my expected future business expenses, it and the Chase Ink are on my short list. FWIW, the Ink card offers 3x points up to $150,000 on "travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising on social media site and search engines each year". Ink only offers 1.25 redemption value on their travel site, but if you also have the Reserve card then all your points may be used at the 1.5 rate. Effectively, this means that $150,000 per year (assuming you have the requisite spend in those categories) you'd get 450,000 points which would be worth $6,750 on their travel site. My business social media advertising is growing rapidly so this combo is very appealing to me.


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## Ken555 (Apr 4, 2019)

VacationForever said:


> I am not Ken but I have.  American Airlines first class one way was around $600, used CSR Ultimate rewards to book and it cost 40K URs.



That sounds like a one-way domestic first class ticket. I would almost never buy those, and when I have they've been much less expensive (in fact, I bought AA first class LAX-ORD for a flight earlier this year and it cost $350, which at the time of purchase was a good deal compared to economy). Or was your ticket roundtrip? If so, then it was a good deal.


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## VacationForever (Apr 4, 2019)

Ken555 said:


> That sounds like a one-way domestic first class ticket. I would almost never buy those, and when I have they've been much less expensive (in fact, I bought AA first class LAX-ORD for a flight earlier this year and it cost $350, which at the time of purchase was a good deal compared to economy). Or was your ticket roundtrip? If so, then it was a good deal.


One way.  LAS to MIA non-stop.  We always fly first class/business domestically and internationally unless it is on a short Southwest flight where there is no real first class.  My husband won't fly anything less than first class/domestically unless it is like a 1 hour short flight with Southwest.  I can tolerate discomfort more than him.  Yesterday I just booked a first class round trip on Delta to Charleston for this Sept for $1.3K per person.  Unfortunately we don't have enough Skymiles and we are building our UR points for when we want to fly business class on Singapore Airlines to Singapore in the next couple of years.


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## Helios (Apr 5, 2019)

VacationForever said:


> One way.  LAS to MIA non-stop.  We always fly first class/business domestically and internationally unless it is on a short Southwest flight where there is no real first class.  My husband won't fly anything less than first class/domestically unless it is like a 1 hour short flight with Southwest.  I can tolerate discomfort more than him.  Yesterday I just booked a first class round trip on Delta to Charleston for this Sept for $1.3K per person.  Unfortunately we don't have enough Skymiles and we are building our UR points for when we want to fly business class on Singapore Airlines to Singapore in the next couple of years.


That’s a nice way to burn some points.  The hard product is showing its age but it is still very impressive what they did 10+ years ago.  The SQ Biz A350 seats feel tight, the A380 is way better.  Haven’t flown in the 777.  

If you can afford the SQ A380 Suites go for it.  They are the best way to get a good night sleep on the long haul flights.


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## VacationForever (Apr 5, 2019)

Helios said:


> That’s a nice way to burn some points.  The hard product is showing its age but it is still very impressive what they did 10+ years ago.  The SQ Biz A350 seats feel tight, the A380 is way better.  Haven’t flown in the 777.
> 
> If you can afford the SQ A380 Suites go for it.  They are the best way to get a good night sleep on the long haul flights.


We just did the Business Class trip to Singapore on United (Polaris) this past December.  The seats on that Dreamliner were very narrrow and my husband was not happy.  United is supposed to be finally redoing the seats on their Dreamliner plans later this year.


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## Helios (Apr 7, 2019)

VacationForever said:


> We just did the Business Class trip to Singapore on United (Polaris) this past December.  The seats on that Dreamliner were very narrrow and my husband was not happy.  United is supposed to be finally redoing the seats on their Dreamliner plans later this year.


I’ve flown the 3 United 787 versions.  787-8 and 787-9 have their old seats and the 787-10 (just tried it last weekend).  They both are are narrow.  My wife and kids even said that the 787-10 felt claustrophobic.  The 8 and 9 are configured as 2-2-2 and the 10 is configured as 1-2-1.  It is nice that in the 10 all seats have direct access but the seats are staggered in a way that odd rows are farther away from the aisle and even rows are closer to the aisle.  Because the odd rows are father away from the aisle, you need to go through a very narrow entry into the seat (between the back of the seat in front of yours and your seat’s side table - even in row 1), this makes the seats very private.  Even rows are open like J seats in most airplanes.  However, if you are traveling in the middle seats with a companion you will be far away, relatively speaking.  I guess these are first world problems, but I think they could have done better with the new seats.  Tall or larger persons would probably not be very happy in long haul flights that cost a pretty penny.  Of course, they would be more comfortable than traveling in the back of the bus.

BTW - Nothing beats the smell of a new 787-10.


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## Helios (Apr 7, 2019)

VacationForever said:


> We just did the Business Class trip to Singapore on United (Polaris) this past December.  The seats on that Dreamliner were very narrrow and my husband was not happy.  United is supposed to be finally redoing the seats on their Dreamliner plans later this year.


Also, forgot to mention, we were in Singapore   for Christmas and then for New Years.  The City is very nice.  My kids loved the Pool at the Marina Bay Sands.  They also loved the Singapore Airlines Private Room at Changi and of course the SIngapore A380 F Suites.

I was just there in March and the Merlion was being repaired.  So my quest to take Merlion pictures in all four seasons of the year will include a picture with scaffolding and boards in spring.  Hopefully it is ready for the June picture.


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## VacationForever (Apr 7, 2019)

Helios said:


> Also, forgot to mention, we were in Singapore   for Christmas and then for New Years.  The City is very nice.  My kids loved the Pool at the Marina Bay Sands.  They also loved the Singapore Airlines Private Room at Changi and of course the SIngapore A380 F Suites.
> 
> I was just there in March and the Merlion was being repaired.  So my quest to take Merlion pictures in all four seasons of the year will include a picture with scaffolding and boards in spring.  Hopefully it is ready for the June picture.


You do travel there often!  I was there twice last year and embarked on a cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong in December.  I was borned and raised in Singapore and left about 20 years ago due to work postings.  It had always been nice but it continues to transform each time I go back.


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## Helios (Apr 7, 2019)

It really varies.  5 times between December 18 and October 19.  Probably two times in 2020.  It’s a beautiful City.  Just a little hot for me since I prefer cold weather.

BTW - If you go there frequently, you could try Emirates.  Their First Suites in the A380 are very nice, you can shower in flight, and you can go to the bar in the back of business.  The seats are spacious and the bed setting is very nice.


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