Author Topic: Starwood AMEX Master Thread  (Read 685832 times)

Offline AJK

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1460 on: July 24, 2014, 12:25:05 PM »
if I booked a regular room with my spg points do I automatically get upgraded to a club room?

No.
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Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1461 on: July 24, 2014, 08:28:21 PM »
If this is how you define settling-you seem to have one awesome life! Lol Btw how many more weeks until your done with your vacation? When it's all over, I am looking forward to reading the TR.
Was sarcastic. Although, it is settling compared to the pros here. :)

Back in the states now. Working on TR when I can.

Offline joey123

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1462 on: July 24, 2014, 08:43:25 PM »

Was sarcastic. Although, it is settling compared to the pros here. :)

Back in the states now. Working on TR when I can.
Looking forward to reading it!
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Offline bobthebuilder

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1463 on: July 28, 2014, 11:23:36 AM »
if I booked a regular room with my spg points do I automatically get upgraded to a club room?
are there special spg rooms?
If you're a gold member the guy at the counter may be nice and give it to you, nothing is automatic though
« Last Edit: July 28, 2014, 11:27:20 AM by bobthebuilder »

Offline MC

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1464 on: July 28, 2014, 06:21:39 PM »
Was there a DDMS post weighing the pros of keeping an SPG open and paying the annual fee?

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1465 on: July 29, 2014, 12:22:41 AM »

Was there a DDMS post weighing the pros of keeping an SPG open and paying the annual fee?

Mostly based on AUs and SBS.

A dash of purchase protections and good card for general spend.
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Offline JamesIV

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1466 on: July 30, 2014, 10:43:39 PM »
Just got a $20 off $20 at Amazon under my offers tab. Cool

Offline helpusout

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1467 on: July 31, 2014, 10:17:17 AM »
Hi, I am looking to book 4 nights in the St Regis in PR.
Any of you Starwood pros have any insight how to get it for cheaper than $500/ night, or at least get an upgrade?

Offline Jay s

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1468 on: July 31, 2014, 02:44:42 PM »
Hi, I am looking to book 4 nights in the St Regis in PR.
Any of you Starwood pros have any insight how to get it for cheaper than $500/ night, or at least get an upgrade?
Are you a gold member that might help for an upgrade .
Try asking for the rack rate and you could redeem 1k starpoints for 50% the rack rate.
Or there's a AAA rate on the Starwood site

Offline mercaz1

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1469 on: July 31, 2014, 03:38:55 PM »
If you're a gold member the guy at the counter may be nice and give it to you, nothing is automatic though

are you gold automatically when you get the 30k points from amex?

Offline bubble347

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1470 on: July 31, 2014, 03:39:40 PM »
are you gold automatically when you get the 30k points from amex?
From spending or sign up?
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Offline mercaz1

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1471 on: July 31, 2014, 03:49:07 PM »
I did the spending for the bonus
does that count

Offline bubble347

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1472 on: July 31, 2014, 04:02:06 PM »
I did the spending for the bonus
does that count
Yes, it counts towards gold status but that won't get you gold status until you spend $30k IIRC.
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Offline mercaz1

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1473 on: July 31, 2014, 04:07:06 PM »
thanks

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1474 on: July 31, 2014, 04:53:12 PM »
A short while ago, I asked how people have so many SPG points. When AMEX was in full swing, you could at maximum get 60-70K a year from the 2 CC's signup bonuses. Nowadays, you can at maximum get 30-35K for the consumer once and then another 30-35K for the biz every year. That's maybe 1-2 free nights a year - not at their top hotels.

Someone suggested MS on the cards - if you don't have a threshold to hit on a different card, why not spend your MS on this card? A few thousand dollars for free from AP maybe, but I assume that really meant MS from GC's. Here's my problem:

I just added it up. Even if you're one of the lucky few to find GC's for $3 a pop, that's $6 for every $1000 of MS - 1000 SPG points. The top SPG hotels start at 40K/night. That means $6 x 40 = $240 and for most of everyone here who pays $6/GC, that's $12 x 40 = $480 for 40,000 points to stay just one night at a fancy SPG hotel. To take an example, the Hotel Danieli in Venice costs $490/night next week.

How could MS possibly make sense here???

Offline EJB

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1475 on: July 31, 2014, 04:58:04 PM »
A short while ago, I asked how people have so many SPG points. When AMEX was in full swing, you could at maximum get 60-70K a year from the 2 CC's signup bonuses. Nowadays, you can at maximum get 30-35K for the consumer once and then another 30-35K for the biz every year. That's maybe 1-2 free nights a year - not at their top hotels.

Someone suggested MS on the cards - if you don't have a threshold to hit on a different card, why not spend your MS on this card? A few thousand dollars for free from AP maybe, but I assume that really meant MS from GC's. Here's my problem:

I just added it up. Even if you're one of the lucky few to find GC's for $3 a pop, that's $6 for every $1000 of MS - 1000 SPG points. The top SPG hotels start at 40K/night. That means $6 x 40 = $240 and for most of everyone here who pays $6/GC, that's $12 x 40 = $480 for 40,000 points to stay just one night at a fancy SPG hotel. To take an example, the Hotel Danieli in Venice costs $490/night next week.

How could MS possibly make sense here???

Most people here spend $6 a GC? And, as is the case with most rewards programs, not every redemption is a good deal. $.012/point for an SPG redemption is not considered good.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1476 on: July 31, 2014, 05:01:42 PM »
Most people here spend $6 a GC? And, as is the case with most rewards programs, not every redemption is a good deal. $.012/point for an SPG redemption is not considered good.
Read the BB or Serve thread, and yes, you'll see that most people don't know where to find $3 GC's.
I hear the math, but above I was told that people rack up SPG points via MS. I don't see how that's financially valuable.

Offline Joe4007

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1477 on: July 31, 2014, 05:02:46 PM »
A short while ago, I asked how people have so many SPG points. When AMEX was in full swing, you could at maximum get 60-70K a year from the 2 CC's signup bonuses. Nowadays, you can at maximum get 30-35K for the consumer once and then another 30-35K for the biz every year. That's maybe 1-2 free nights a year - not at their top hotels.
???
Someone suggested MS on the cards - if you don't have a threshold to hit on a different card, why not spend your MS on this card? A few thousand dollars for free from AP maybe, but I assume that really meant MS from GC's. Here's my problem:

I just added it up. Even if you're one of the lucky few to find GC's for $3 a pop, that's $6 for every $1000 of MS - 1000 SPG points. The top SPG hotels start at 40K/night. That means $6 x 40 = $240 and for most of everyone here who pays $6/GC, that's $12 x 40 = $480 for 40,000 points to stay just one night at a fancy SPG hotel. To take an example, the Hotel Danieli in Venice costs $490/night next week.

How could MS possibly make sense here???
Well, try this example; The St. Regis Bal Harbour = 30/35k per night or $900+.

ETA: Also, you might want to include the fifth night free in your calculations.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1478 on: July 31, 2014, 05:18:18 PM »
???

Well, try this example; The St. Regis Bal Harbour = 30/35k per night or $900+.

ETA: Also, you might want to include the fifth night free in your calculations.
You could churn each card every 12 months. If you got it at a regular offer, you could get 30K per card. If you got it at the higher offer, you could get 35K per card.

Even then, when it clearly has a larger value, how do people justify spending $400 on GC's to stay 1 night at a fancy hotel. $400 on GC's could be used to hit spend bonuses and gain hundreds of thousands of points in different currencies. I just don't get it.

Offline bubble347

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Re: Starwood AMEX Master Thread
« Reply #1479 on: July 31, 2014, 05:19:19 PM »
You could churn each card every 12 months. If you got it at a regular offer, you could get 30K per card. If you got it at the higher offer, you could get 35K per card.

Even then, when it clearly has a larger value, how do people justify spending $400 on GC's to stay 1 night at a fancy hotel. $400 on GC's could be used to hit spend bonuses and gain hundreds of thousands of points in different currencies. I just don't get it.
Apparently the box is bigger than ordinary MS.
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