Sneaky Expiration of Starwood Points?
Apr 4, 2011, 3:24 pm
#31
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Europe now, used to be NA
Programs: SPG LTP
Posts: 154
It doesn't even take that much.
Still, I've seen various accounts with more than 300,000 SPG points almost get hit by expiration -- if it weren't for (sometimes rather creative) intervention, they'd go up in smoke. Losing that many points or even less than 10% of that amount can be a rather dramatic surprise for some.
Still, I've seen various accounts with more than 300,000 SPG points almost get hit by expiration -- if it weren't for (sometimes rather creative) intervention, they'd go up in smoke. Losing that many points or even less than 10% of that amount can be a rather dramatic surprise for some.
Would you be happy if your airline asks you for one (1) measly flight a year?
The majority of FF and hotel programs allow you keep your account, even with some points or miles expiring after a certain period. There are reasonable ways to extend or prevent expiration, such as using some of their partners offer, buying points, etc.
The only exceptions I know are : A-Club (Accor) and SPG. At least A-Club clearly states it in their T&C and they consistently remove the points after 1 year of inactivity.
The majority of FF and hotel programs allow you keep your account, even with some points or miles expiring after a certain period. There are reasonable ways to extend or prevent expiration, such as using some of their partners offer, buying points, etc.
The only exceptions I know are : A-Club (Accor) and SPG. At least A-Club clearly states it in their T&C and they consistently remove the points after 1 year of inactivity.
In my personal opinion (feel free to disagree): yes, I think it would reasonable for my airline as well ... and if you don't mind explicit quoting: it's actually in your wording - how would it be 'my' airline if I didn't even fly it once a year ?
For the record: lost my Aeroplan when moving to Europe (fine, transferred points to one of their causes in time), and actually was upset at KLM (they basically messed up my account with the AF merger, and that I didn't anticipate).
... as for someone coming close to let 300K *points slip away, I'm kinda baffled (does this mean I've been a good FT student ?
Nov 17, 2011, 4:09 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: AAdvantage Plat+, FoundersCard, Amex Plat, TR Diamond, Marriott Gold, Wyndham Dia, HH Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 785
Is there a way on the SPG site to see older transactions so that I can tell what date they have attached to my last CC points?
And if my points expire, but I use my Amex within the 6-month "grace" period, will everything automatically come back to life?
thanks...
Jan 13, 2016, 11:07 am
#33
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 19
In the mid 90's I was staying 150 nights a year for about 2 years at a Sheraton in NJ. SPG wiped out my account with no notice whatsoever. I would have thought I would have been the highest level and they would not do that.
Jan 13, 2016, 12:59 pm
#34
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Not sure why "elite level" has to do with anything the situation. If and individual has not had any activity in 18 months, you're most likely, no longer "loyal" for whatever reason.
Based solely on what you've written, without knowing you. Thinking that SPG wouldn't delete you account or because you're a high elite level is very "DYKWIA?", considering what is written in the T&Cs.
Jan 13, 2016, 2:33 pm
#35
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicago
Programs: Hyatt Glob; UA 1K; BonVoyage LTT (RIP SPG); HH Dia; JX Insighter
Posts: 1,642
Starwood didn't even acquire the Sheraton brand until 1998 (assuming you mean '94-'97 when you say "mid-90s"). Did SPG as a defined program exist at that time? Did Starpoints? Way before my time!
Jan 13, 2016, 3:53 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 30,986
Reviving a 4-yr old thread to talk about something that happened 20 years ago?
Jan 13, 2016, 4:38 pm
#37
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: IHG Spire, Marriott
Posts: 574
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
Jan 13, 2016, 6:43 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: UA 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 678
Actually, SPG does consider status as an important factor when deactivating accounts, one would go from
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
Jan 13, 2016, 7:02 pm
#39
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,368
Actually, SPG does consider status as an important factor when deactivating accounts, one would go from
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
Jan 13, 2016, 9:32 pm
#40
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Actually, SPG does consider status as an important factor when deactivating accounts, one would go from
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
February: Plat -> Gold
12 months later: Gold -> Preferred
12 months later: Preferred -> Inactive
So he's not being a DYKWIA, SPG does give considerable time for elites to come back.
Can you post a link to this in the T&Cs or another thread, that discusses what you describe above?
I am very well aware SPG provides soft landings for people, who don't requalify as Platinum. However, that has nothing to do with account "inactivity". I do not understanding how an individual who has had no activity, therefore not loyal, should be given a "grace period"?
Jan 22, 2016, 7:36 pm
#41
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1
Lack of Courtesy
It may be in the T&Cs but points disappearing without warning leaves a
bad taste. Try Hyatt, for years their points didn't expire and now that
they've instituted an expiration policy, they have the courtesy to send repeated emails alerting you.
bad taste. Try Hyatt, for years their points didn't expire and now that
they've instituted an expiration policy, they have the courtesy to send repeated emails alerting you.
Jan 22, 2016, 9:55 pm
#42
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,120
Jan 22, 2016, 10:22 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,742
Feb 23, 2016, 6:28 pm
#44
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 36
My husband just had all of his Starpoints expire (or perhaps forfeited is the right word) because of "inactivity" on his account - although the stay that he had a few weeks ago did appear on this account.
When we got married a few years ago, he cancelled his SPG credit card because he became a secondary cardholder on mine. And over the past few year, he's stayed multiple times at Starwood properties, but never received credit for them, either because I booked them for us (in fact we were responsible for booking a block of TEN rooms at the Nines in Portland last year for a family wedding!), and they appeared in my name, or he traveled through work and a producer booked a block of rooms for the team.
What's irritating is that we were just about to call and have SPG transfer his points to my account (something that SPG offers to married couples) so we could redeem them all for a 5 night stay - but I guess we were a few weeks too late.
He's made a few calls, and though it looked promising at first, they are saying that the points cannot be reinstated. This feels pretty terrible given that we have been 100% loyal to SPG, staying solely at SPG properties when we have the choice and using the credit card almost exclusively.
Any advice or hope for getting these points reinstated?
When we got married a few years ago, he cancelled his SPG credit card because he became a secondary cardholder on mine. And over the past few year, he's stayed multiple times at Starwood properties, but never received credit for them, either because I booked them for us (in fact we were responsible for booking a block of TEN rooms at the Nines in Portland last year for a family wedding!), and they appeared in my name, or he traveled through work and a producer booked a block of rooms for the team.
What's irritating is that we were just about to call and have SPG transfer his points to my account (something that SPG offers to married couples) so we could redeem them all for a 5 night stay - but I guess we were a few weeks too late.
He's made a few calls, and though it looked promising at first, they are saying that the points cannot be reinstated. This feels pretty terrible given that we have been 100% loyal to SPG, staying solely at SPG properties when we have the choice and using the credit card almost exclusively.
Any advice or hope for getting these points reinstated?
Feb 23, 2016, 7:16 pm
#45
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
My husband just had all of his Starpoints expire (or perhaps forfeited is the right word) because of "inactivity" on his account - although the stay that he had a few weeks ago did appear on this account.
When we got married a few years ago, he cancelled his SPG credit card because he became a secondary cardholder on mine. And over the past few year, he's stayed multiple times at Starwood properties, but never received credit for them, either because I booked them for us (in fact we were responsible for booking a block of TEN rooms at the Nines in Portland last year for a family wedding!), and they appeared in my name, or he traveled through work and a producer booked a block of rooms for the team.
What's irritating is that we were just about to call and have SPG transfer his points to my account (something that SPG offers to married couples) so we could redeem them all for a 5 night stay - but I guess we were a few weeks too late.
He's made a few calls, and though it looked promising at first, they are saying that the points cannot be reinstated. This feels pretty terrible given that we have been 100% loyal to SPG, staying solely at SPG properties when we have the choice and using the credit card almost exclusively.
Any advice or hope for getting these points reinstated?
When we got married a few years ago, he cancelled his SPG credit card because he became a secondary cardholder on mine. And over the past few year, he's stayed multiple times at Starwood properties, but never received credit for them, either because I booked them for us (in fact we were responsible for booking a block of TEN rooms at the Nines in Portland last year for a family wedding!), and they appeared in my name, or he traveled through work and a producer booked a block of rooms for the team.
What's irritating is that we were just about to call and have SPG transfer his points to my account (something that SPG offers to married couples) so we could redeem them all for a 5 night stay - but I guess we were a few weeks too late.
He's made a few calls, and though it looked promising at first, they are saying that the points cannot be reinstated. This feels pretty terrible given that we have been 100% loyal to SPG, staying solely at SPG properties when we have the choice and using the credit card almost exclusively.
Any advice or hope for getting these points reinstated?
If your husbands company booked rooms in block, the rooms were most likely not eligible for points due to being a negotiated rate.
In reality, based on what you wrote, your husband account was inactive.
At any time did you inquire with SPG (the research department) as to why no stay credit or points were posted to the account?? You say you called SPG, what was said? That information is important to this post.
