Starwood SPG Or Not?

BronzeTrader · ‎12-27-2016

SPG has had so much high rating. I have my eyes on it too. I just do not know if it is a keeper for me.

I mainly build around my Chase CSR+Freedom+Unlimited, and BofA Preferred Reward 1.5x Cash rewards. I do get pretty good rates.

As to my travel, I currently do not use SPG, or even Marriott that much. I mainly use IHG and Hilton. But I can certainly switch to SPG if I get it and there are good properties around my areas.

Want to hear what you think. Other than the signon bonus, I do not know if I want to build around the SPG. I need to build enough to justify the AF.

GeorgiaBulldog · ‎12-27-2016

A lot of SPG's value comes out of the airline transfer partners. Look at those and the ratios (most are 1:1, but if you transfer 20k SPG you get an extra 5k airline miles). Because of that transfer bonus, SPG often earns airline miles faster than airline CC's themselves. SPG has some bargains in terms of hotel redemptions too, though I mainly use it for airline miles.

Cool thing you can do right now: with Alaska and Virgin America merging, you can transfer 20k SPG to get 25k Virgin America points. Those will convert to 32.5k Alaska miles in early January.

Favorite cards: AMEX Morgan Stanley Platinum | BofA Alaska | Chase Hyatt | Citi AA Executive | FNBO Amtrak

NRB525 · ‎12-27-2016

If you mainly use the Chase group, the SPG is a bit outside that, and as with any branded travel card, it works best at that brand. Now that SPG is part of Marriott, there seems to be a window of opportunity to get good hotel earnings on the card. The transfers to other airlines are good. The transfers from SPG to United are not good, so it probably won't combine too well with transfers of UR to United. Other airlines could work such as Flying Blue.

Then again, the sign up bonus is currently available. After Marriott fully subsumes SPG in 2018 or 2019, who knows what happens to the AMEX SPG? First year no AF, and as with any card, you don't really know how it works for you unless you have the card and learn all the benefits and gotchas.

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BronzeTrader · ‎12-27-2016

@NRB525 wrote:
If you mainly use the Chase group, the SPG is a bit outside that, and as with any branded travel card, it works best at that brand. Now that SPG is part of Marriott, there seems to be a window of opportunity to get good hotel earnings on the card. The transfers to other airlines are good. The transfers from SPG to United are not good, so it probably won't combine too well with transfers of UR to United. Other airlines could work such as Flying Blue.

Then again, the sign up bonus is currently available. After Marriott fully subsumes SPG in 2018 or 2019, who knows what happens to the AMEX SPG? First year no AF, and as with any card, you don't really know how it works for you unless you have the card and learn all the benefits and gotchas.

The SPG point xfer is good. But CSR has it too. And Southwest is my focus. Even the Marriott+SPG can't outgun the IHG+Hilton.

It is a good point that, there is no gain from waiting. But with my recent CC activities, I have to be veryful careful about what I want. I just do not want to sacrify my UR to SPG or even MRs and get diminishing returns.

It is no brainer if I get plenty of Marriott or Sheraton close by my town.

Anonymous · ‎12-28-2016

By the looks of your cards, you seem to be on the Chase/UR side of the fence. Though I would recommend you to def take advantage of any bonus the SPG cards throws out (as them points are valuable) if you are heavy on Hilton/IHG then the card probably won't work for you in the long run. But hey... no AF the first year. Give it a test run... you might love it! ☺️

redpat · ‎12-28-2016

IMO, pass on SPG.

Yes, sign-up bonus is nice but after that why give up 1.50 ur points on FU for 1 SPG point.

Additionally, there could be big changes coming in 2018.

Stick w/ ur point system if it is working for you.

Personal Cards: Amex Plat | Amex Delta Res | CSR | Citi AA Exec Business Cards: Ink+ | Amex BGR

Anonymous · ‎12-28-2016

I am deeply invested in the UR program and find it the most useful and I also have the SPG that used to be my daily spend card before the FU and here are my takes.

#1 I only use it now when they are running a promo, which for me at least is decently often. I just completed a 5k bonus for spending 5k from oct- end of year. I only used it on non category spend so I effectively got 2 star points per dollar which I'll take over 1.5ur/$ any day. But now that's over and it's put away until next time.

#2 I have 4 Amex Cards and this one gets me BY FAR the best Amex offers, worth it alone just for that. (I recently got a $1250 Walmart gift card for $1000 and have saved over $900 just this calendar year on things I would have needed anyway between this and my au card)

#3 At least for now starpoints are a currency I only use for the stay 4 nights get the 5th free when using starpoints or for SPG moments. This gets me crazy $/point value that would be very difficult to get with any other points.

#4 I don't stay at SPG properties regularly but some of their high end properties and locations are some of the nicest you will find with points and that is why I play the points game, not to get a free night at some holiday inn that I could just pay for myself but to stay somewhere that I would never pay for if I was paying cash. (For example I'm almost to 120,000 starpoints which would get me 5 nights at the St Regis Aspen worth just over $6000)

Well worth the $95 if you ask me but you have to be willing to keep an eye on promos and Amex offers

BronzeTrader · ‎12-29-2016

Good to know.

We may apply it since now SPG+Marriott are together, even the Ritz. But right now, I'm still just half-hearted about it since we'll probably need to switch to SPG to justify the AF. I'll see.

Anonymous · ‎12-30-2016

@BronzeTrader wrote:
Good to know.

We may apply it since now SPG+Marriott are together, even the Ritz. But right now, I'm still just half-hearted about it since we'll probably need to switch to SPG to justify the AF. I'll see.

It doesn't take too many stays to rake in the points to make the card worth it, but it would help to focus more on SPG properties. Once I got my card, I pretty much avoided all other hotels. I've stayed at a Marriot one day this year (while also booked for a Westin at the same time) and a Holiday Inn Express two days. My other 50 nights/days have been all SPG

Anonymous · ‎12-30-2016

Any speculation on if the 35K signup bonus will come back? I've been eyeing the card for some time. I don't want to wait too long in case they discontinue it which is inevitable, but don't want to miss out on the best offer either.