Starwood Preferred Guest - 6000 AAdvantage Points for 3 Starwood Stays

Just got this in my electronic AAdvantage statement...almost clicked "delete" too soon.

Anybody know if these are in addition to Starwood points??? Terms and conditions say you must present your AA card at registration...makes me wonder.

Here are the details:

"Earn up to 6,000 AAdvantage miles and save 50% on two hotel stays!

Just stay at Starwood hotels in the U.S. or Canada, and arrive Sunday through Thursday between April 15 and July 15, 2003.

You'll earn 1,000 miles for your first stay, 2,000 for your second stay and 3,000 for your third stay -- a total of 6,000 AAdvantage miles. After your third stay, you'll also receive two certificates good for 50% off, redeemable at any participating Starwood hotel or resort throughout the world in 2003.

Choose from Westin® Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton® Hotels & Resorts, Four Points® by Sheraton, St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection® and W Hotels®."

Link might not work, but here it is"

http://209.98.208.1/starwood/q2/aa/aa3.cfm?mc=37

Yeah but is this for new spg members or everyone?

Thank you. It let me sign up.

This is a great offer... do we know how American is tracking this... are we supposed to be giving our AAdvantage number to Starwood?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by welookgood.com:
Yeah but is this for new spg members or everyone?</font>

I'm an existing Platinum, so I assume it's for everybody. Wierd thing is that the sign-up does NOT ask for your Starwood number. Seems like you just need to show your AAdvantage card at check-in...seems a little strange to me. Here are the complete promotion rules:

Terms & Conditions

Offer is valid for American Airlines® AAdvantage® members who register for this offer by July 15, 2003, and provide required contact information, including their AAdvantage number.

Guests may earn up to 6,000 miles in combined base and bonus earnings and up to two 50%-off leisure certificates by presenting their AAdvantage card at participating properties in the U.S. and Canada for eligible stays. Only one AAdvantage card may be presented per stay.

AAdvantage members must complete three eligible stays by July 15, 2003, in order to receive the 50%-off certificates.

An eligible stay is defined as one or more consecutive nights, with a Sunday through Thursday arrival date, that are spent in the same hotel, regardless of the number of check-ins and checkouts that occur, and are charged at a qualified rate. Multiple rooms charged to the same guest during the same stay will only count as one stay.

Miles will credit within 6-8 weeks of each qualifying stay. 50%-off certificates will be mailed after third stay.

All promotions associated with the AAdvantage program are subject to the general terms and conditions of the AAdvantage program and are subject to change without notice. Not responsible for omissions or typographical errors. Void where prohibited by law. Not to be combined with other offers or promotions.

American Airlines and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American
Airlines, Inc. American Airlines reserves the right to change AAdvantage
program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time
without notice, and to end the AAdvantage program with six months notice.
Any such changes may affect your ability to use the awards or mileage
credits that you have accumulated. American Airlines is not responsible for
products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete
details about the AAdvantage program, visit www.aa.com. (http://www.aa.com.)

After signing up for the promo, give your AA number at check-in instead of your Starwood number. You will therefore not get SPG credit for the stay.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL:
After signing up for the promo, give your AA number at check-in instead of your Starwood number. You will therefore not get SPG credit for the stay.</font>

I feared this would be the case, but I hope it's not true. Nowhere in the rules does it say you don't get the SPG points, but we'll see.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LAFlyer:
I feared this would be the case, but I hope it's not true. Nowhere in the rules does it say you don't get the SPG points, but we'll see.

</font>

Take it from me then. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

You can earn American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles or Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints, but not both.

Also, if you choose to participate in this promotion none of your stays will count toward promotions or elite re-qualification with Starwood Preferred Guest.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 04-07-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Starwood Lurker:
Take it from me then. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

You can earn American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles or Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints, but not both.

Also, if you choose to participate in this promotion none of your stays will count toward promotions or elite re-qualification with Starwood Preferred Guest.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

[This message has been edited by Starwood Lurker (edited 04-07-2003).]</font>

I guess that settles it. Too bad. Now...which one to do????

If its not going to count toward AAdvantage status (which it doesn't look like it would) it is all going to depend on how much you spend at Starwood... each of my upcoming stays would be at least $1500... therefore 4500 starpoints... at three stays that's 13,500 points... and with a 1:1 transfer that 13,500 miles for me... and i bet you anything those 50% off coupons are off RACK RATE!! If you are going to spend less than $2000 (as platinum/gold -- $3000 for anyone else) over your next three stays than that is the ONLY way this would be worth it... ASSUMING that it is in LIEU of the SPG points.


[This message has been edited by boston aa flyer (edited 04-07-2003).]

Can you get the *wood AMEX first year bonus points (for your first 10 stays) with this offer or do you need to get starpoints to get the bonus?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by nindobe:
Can you get the *wood AMEX first year bonus points (for your first 10 stays) with this offer or do you need to get starpoints to get the bonus?</font>

Technically, to get Amex Stay bonuses (most offers give out bonuses for the first eleven stays, the one in February offered bigger bonuses for the first four stays), you need to stay and earn starpoints.

However the reality is that AmEx is run by idiots so if you get any starwood property to bill something to your card as a Lodging charge, they will give you credit. Although it didn't matter in my case due to the number of stays I had after getting the card, I was receiving double credit for prepaid stays when a seperate charge would post to the card for incidentals.

I suspect at some properties dining in the restaurant will result in AmEx stay bonuses.

What is a qualifying rate? For example, does kama'aina rate qualify in Hawai'i? Also, if a SPG Platinum chooses to go with this promo, will s/he get the Platinum amenity, upgrade, etc.?

Lurker,

I received this offer yesterday as part of my AA monthly e-statement. I registered after carefully reading the details, but alas not before reading this thread. Nowhere in what I was given to read did it state that SPG stays would not be credited for status, etc.

So, how can I de-register? I wish my stays to remain on my SPG account and be credited towards status, etc.

I assume that if I do not present my AA card upon check in, I cannot be tracked for this promo, thus my SPG program benefits and stay credits will remain intact for those stays? [And of course, I will not get the bonuses of this promo.]

Would this be correct?

William, I'm in the same boat as Shareholder, and I'd like to either de-register, or just not participate at check in. How is this done?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Shareholder:
Lurker,
So, how can I de-register? I wish my stays to remain on my SPG account and be credited towards status, etc.

I assume that if I do not present my AA card upon check in, I cannot be tracked for this promo, thus my SPG program benefits and stay credits will remain intact for those stays? [And of course, I will not get the bonuses of this promo.]
Would this be correct?</font>

You don't have to de-register. Just don't use your AA number in the reservation.

By signing up on the AA website with your AA number, you will only get the AA bonuses when you use your AA number for point accural at check-in. AA has no way of knowing you stayed a Starwood hotel unless you specifically opt to earn AA points on a stay. So, if you use your SPG number, then you continue to earn SPG points and stay credit and AA has no clue whether you stay or not.

It's one or the other. This isn't HHonors with double-dipping. The concept has been discussed many times over here.

The one thing that the 6000 AA points do count towards is lifetime status in AAdvantage. Any points you accrue in your AAdvantage account, for that matter, count towards the 1MM and 2MM statuses. Having only flown about 20,000 total air miles on AA in my life, I've racked up 260,000 lifetime miles through various promotions, transfers, etc. - much like this one.

PHL has it right. Just be sure your Starwood Preferred Guest account number is on your reservation and don't confuse the issue by also presenting a frequent flyer account card at check in.

This promotion was meant to be an attraction to non-Starwood Preferred Guest members anyway. That is why it was advertised through frequent flyer account statements and not from anything coming from us.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

William, I take it that no Plt. amenities or upgrades would be available with this promo, is that right?

Also, what are qualifying rates? A kama'aina rate in Hawai'i? A non-refundable rate from spg.com?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by honu:
William, I take it that no Plt. amenities or upgrades would be available with this promo, is that right?

Also, what are qualifying rates? A kama'aina rate in Hawai'i? A non-refundable rate from spg.com?</font>

The first part is kind of a difficult question to answer. For one, if your Starwood Preferred Guest account number is on the reservation in advance, then the hotel is going to assume that you want to earn Starpoints, but you have the best shot at an upgrade and having a Platinum amenity card waiting for you at check-in. If you don't put your SPG number on the reservation and show up with both your frequent flyer card and your SPG card, then you run the risk of getting SPG credit instead of airline frequent flyer credit. Hard to say which would get the desired effect, but we would expect for elite benefits to be given even if you were asking for airline frequent flyer credit.

What do the Terms and Conditions of the offer say about staying at a qualifying rate? Does the kama'aina rate earn SPG credit under normal circumstances? Does an internet only pre-paid rate earn frequent flyer miles under normal circumstances? Frankly, I don't know, but they should since as of January 1st, the same rates that are qualified to earn Starpoints are also qualified to earn airline frequent flyer miles.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

William,

Are Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico included as part of the USA in this promo?

I too for a moment thought that I could get both the AA miles and a stay credit(and NOT SPG pts) but the Plat desk told me the other day its 1 or the other.
So my suggestion is do the math if you'll still qualify for Plat w/o these 3 stays and you'll earn less SPG pts than the 6000 total miles offered go for the AA miles. Myself although I could use the AA miles closing in on 2 Mil, Ill just keep it @ SPG pts, remember its 25 stays this year NOT 20 for renewing Plat.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LAFlyer:
Terms & Conditions:

&lt;snip&gt;

An eligible stay is defined as one or more consecutive nights, with a Sunday through Thursday arrival date, that are spent in the same hotel, regardless of the number of check-ins and checkouts that occur, and are charged at a qualified rate. </font>


Just in case you did not notice the Sun to Thur. rstriction....

not that I'm a game player, so I'll offer this as a thought experiment.

Would AA offer amount to greater mileage when you are the 2nd night at the same property? (or in the same geographic region) Clearly, you still lose the SPG points, but as afar as the requalification count for stays goes -- that's already been given up.

Naturally, your mileage may vary. Lurker's insights trump all other observations.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kawoh:
William,

Are Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico included as part of the USA in this promo?</font>

According to the marketing gurus, our hotels in Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico are included in this promotion.

Sincerely,

William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com