Whoa! Is AMEX Member Rewards really THIS good?

[Mike_B03]

Is it pretty difficult to qualify for the SPG card?

[Open123]

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@Mike_B03 wrote:

Is it pretty difficult to qualify for the SPG card?

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It's a little harder than their charge cards.

However, I don't think it's any harder than their other revolvers.

[HiLine]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@Mike_B03 wrote:

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@Open123 wrote:

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@HiLine wrote:

You think the Member Rewards program is good? Check out the Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints program!

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+1

Hands down, the SPG card is Amex's best product.

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Tell me more.

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The SPG program is the most valuable and flexible of all the programs in the industry. 

1.  When redeemed for "cash + points" for hotel stays, they can be worth 3% - 4% return on spending.

2.  Easily, the most airline transfer partners 1:1 of any program with a 25% bonus.  At worst, the SPG is a 1.25 miles card on all spend with every arline, except US, of course.

3.  $65 is Amex's lowest fee structure.

4.  Even to the cash/GC crowd, 14,000 spg points redeems for $150 amzn giftcard.

5.  Seemless and hassle free and no fee transfer of spg points with anyone within the same household.

6.  Points least prone to devaluation because of high exlusivity and difficulty to earn.

Unlike most program points, there's almost no way to cheese them through portal bonuses, 5X spending, or any of the other ways people harvest points. They can only be earned via stays or spend on *one* card, the Amex SPG.

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6. is an interesting point - I never thought about it that way. But keep in mind that SPG has recently devalued their points for hotel redemption.

I'd like to add that recently Delta and SPG have opened a crossover reward program where you can earn extra SPG points on eligible Delta flights. Here's to hoping that SPG will open more joint ventures with other airline loyalty programs so it'll be easier to earn SPG points.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/benefits/delta/index.html

[w20031424]

Amex SPG can transfer to AAdvantage(one of the most valuable FFP) in 1:1.25 (including the bonus) ration.

This is simply unmatched. 

[Open123]

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@HiLine wrote:

I'd like to add that recently Delta and SPG have opened a crossover reward program where you can earn extra SPG points on eligible Delta flights. Here's to hoping that SPG will open more joint ventures with other airline loyalty programs so it'll be easier to earn SPG points.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/account/benefits/delta/index.html

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Wish Delta was more meaningful to me, but it isn't, unfortunately.

At least, with SPG, these partner programs are for gold and platinum only, unlike other programs who give them to anyone who merely signs up. I think most programs will give more thought to rewarding points more judiciously, otherwise massive devaluation will ensue more rapidly.

Only way I know of to reach SPG Gold is (1) Amex Platinum, (2) $30K spend on SPG card, (3) or 10 stays or 25 nights at their hotels.  At least, there's some barriers to entry, for now.  

PS - I'd like to see SQ, since Amex offers their card in Singapore.

[longtimelurker]

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@Open123 wrote:

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The SPG program is the most valuable and flexible of all the programs in the industry. 

1.  When redeemed for "cash + points" for hotel stays, they can be worth 3% - 4% return on spending.

2.  Easily, the most airline transfer partners 1:1 of any program with a 25% bonus.  At worst, the SPG is a 1.25 miles card on all spend with every arline, except US, of course.

3.  $65 is Amex's lowest fee structure.

4.  Even to the cash/GC crowd, 14,000 spg points redeems for $150 amzn giftcard.

5.  Seemless and hassle free and no fee transfer of spg points with anyone within the same household.

6.  Points least prone to devaluation because of high exlusivity and difficulty to earn.

Unlike most program points, there's almost no way to cheese them through portal bonuses, 5X spending, or any of the other ways people harvest points. They can only be earned via stays or spend on *one* card, the Amex SPG.

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Yes, it is the most valuable in terms of value for points.  But another way (and I would argue the right way!) of evaluaing programs is:

If I spend $X (category personalized for my spending patterns), what rewards do I get?

As open (and hiline) says, there are very few ways to build up large numbers of SPG points (one person's "cheesing" is another person's smart reward strategy) apart from spending or staying in the hotels.

So many may end up with a small number of valuable points which may (or may not!) be less useful than another program which gives a lot of less valuable points.

[Open123]

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@longtimelurker wrote:

As open (and hiline) says, there are very few ways to build up large numbers of SPG points (one person's "cheesing" is another person's smart reward strategy) apart from spending or staying in the hotels.

So many may end up with a small number of valuable points which may (or may not!) be less useful than another program which gives a lot of less valuable points.

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+1

Astute as always, 40K spg points though more valuable, still pales in comparison to 300Ks worth of "cheesed" Hilton points, especially with the 5X opportunities out there.