Yeah, as usual us Canadians are good at always getting ripped off; with either our high taxation and when paying 10K more for the same BMW than in the US; even if the Canadian dollar is at par or worth more...
Anyhow... I should get back to the main idea of this thread. Even if it's MBNA, it is hard to understand why we are not even getting 1 point per dollar spent at Starwood properties with the card...
Is it Starwood or American Express that gives the "Double Starpoints at participating Starwood hotels & resorts and select Starwood retail outlets"? I know that with MBNA card, the first stay bonus is from Starwood. If the "double starpoints" also come from Starwood, then maybe its a question for Starwood as to why they don't extend the same bonus to MBNA as well.
Is it Starwood or American Express that gives the "Double Starpoints at participating Starwood hotels & resorts and select Starwood retail outlets"? I know that with MBNA card, the first stay bonus is from Starwood. If the "double starpoints" also come from Starwood, then maybe its a question for Starwood as to why they don't extend the same bonus to MBNA as well.
As odd as it sounds, I'd rather have the Mastercard than the AMEX. Unless you stay at SPG facilities all the time, who cares about the double points? I figure over the years for all the points Ive lost on having to use my backup Visa or Mastercard, any bonuses I've gotten have been outweighed by the lost opportunities to accrue points by using merchants that don't accept AMEX.
As odd as it sounds, I'd rather have the Mastercard than the AMEX. Unless you stay at SPG facilities all the time, who cares about the double points? I figure over the years for all the points Ive lost on having to use my backup Visa or Mastercard, any bonuses I've gotten have been outweighed by the lost opportunities to accrue points by using merchants that don't accept AMEX.
Actually, I would prefer to have both - but the Amex affinity card is not available in Canada. I'd even be willing to pay an annual fee
Even if it's MBNA, it is hard to understand why we are not even getting 1 point per dollar spent at Starwood properties with the card...
If you spend ~$30k on the card annually, it works out to be $1 / 1 point (factoring in the 5K bonuses for every $10k of spending). At no annual fee and with platinum benefits attached (not sure if it's a platinum card anymore), at least MBNA give you the opportunity to get to the $1/1point ratio. Other no fee loyalty program credit cards (AMEX or Mosaik Airmiles cards come to mind) force you to fork out an annual fee just to get to a better $$/point ratio.
And I echo the benefit that you can use it at more retailers than your AMEX...
Programs: MR Silver, Avis, SPG Gold, Hertz, Airmiles, HHonors Blue
Posts: 938
Quote:
Originally Posted by a330marcus
If you spend ~$30k on the card annually, it works out to be $1 / 1 point (factoring in the 5K bonuses for every $10k of spending). At no annual fee and with platinum benefits attached (not sure if it's a platinum card anymore), at least MBNA give you the opportunity to get to the $1/1point ratio. Other no fee loyalty program credit cards (AMEX or Mosaik Airmiles cards come to mind) force you to fork out an annual fee just to get to a better $$/point ratio.
And I echo the benefit that you can use it at more retailers than your AMEX...
I spend around a 100K in a year on the card so 30K is gone in the first few months. I just wish we could get 1:1 or at least some bonus when we use it at Starwood properties.
__________________
NBSPGMEMBER-New Brunswick, Canada VANCOUVER 2010 - 14 Golds! More than anyone! Gold Canada!
Programs: AC*E, SPG Plat, HH Silver and dropping (ex Gold)
Posts: 4,585
Quote:
Originally Posted by NBSPGMEMBER
I spend around a 100K in a year on the card so 30K is gone in the first few months. I just wish we could get 1:1 or at least some bonus when we use it at Starwood properties.
I spend around a 100K in a year on the card so 30K is gone in the first few months. I just wish we could get 1:1 or at least some bonus when we use it at Starwood properties.
Programs: SPG Gold, Priority Club Platinum, Marriott Gold, Airmiles Gold, AC Fly-Free-Forever Winner
Posts: 141
Quote:
Originally Posted by jplus
In this case, I believe a person may have two or more MBNA SPG Mastercards.
It doesn't work anymore. I used to have couple MBNA SPG cards so I can spend up to $60,000 annually to get additional 30,000 bonus points. It worked until next last. Last August, SPG started to combine my points to one SPG number and locked me out on the secondary SPG account. That means my max. bonus points is back to 15,000 annually.
Programs: AC*E, SPG Plat, HH Silver and dropping (ex Gold)
Posts: 4,585
Quote:
Originally Posted by NBSPGMEMBER
Quote:
Originally Posted by Braindrain
You do cycle between family members, right?
Huh?
As some others have alluded to, I mean signing up your wife, son, daughter, dog, goldfish, etc, for a separate MBNA SPG MC with a separate SPG acct number. (You can include a free supplementary card in your own name so you can still use each "other" card.)
SPG allows pooling between people with the same mailing address.
That way, you can spend your $100K and still get your $1:1 point ratio.
The MBNA SPG MC... this is obviously not available in the US, right? I'd kill for a MC or VISA card that ties into SPG points. Why is it seemingly only for Canadians? I went to the website to sign up but the only address possibilities are merely Canadian territories. Drag...
VANCOUVER 2010 - 14 Golds! More than anyone! Gold Canada! 
