ldsant

Folks:

Going through the threads as of late, it appears that there are a LOT of questions re: status and what the categories are, the best way to get status, and what you earn once you have status.

Our thought is to create a sticky regarding this so that newbies (and some others who have been around for awhile) have a one-stop shop for gathering this information. The sticky could also be updated as changes may be made.

To ensure it's the best information possible, could we ask you to please post here what you view as the "burning questions" regarding status and what the appropriate answer would be? We'll compile them and make a sticky going forward. Thanks!

ldsant & AZ Travels the World
*wood Co-Moderators

BlissWorld

1. Do elites receive benefits (upgrades, amenity) on points/award stays?
-Yes, elites receive the exact same benefits on an award stays vs. paid stays.

2. Are elites eligible to receive benefits if booked via any third party websites (priceline, travelocity, expedia)?
-The following items are not eligible:.

• (a) pre-paid rooms where the booking is made by an agent or third party and you pay for that booking directly to such third party, such as tour or tour operators, and pre-paid channels, including, but not limited to priceline.com, expedia.com, hotels.com, hrn.com, hotwire.com, lastminute.com, site59.com, orbitz.com, travelocity.com, cheaptickets.com, quickbook.com, travelweb.com, lodging.com, yahootravel.com, and msntravel.com;
  
• (b) room rates for group commercial or group leisure bookings (where rooms are booked as part of a conference or organized tour or where the bookings for six or more rooms are linked);
  
• (c) room rates for airline crews where rooms are pre-booked and paid for by an airline;
  
• (d) room rates that are master billed or paid at tour operator rates, wholesaler rates, including WFNR, travel industry staff rates, TAED rates, and crew room rates;
  
• (e) employee rates; and
  
• (f) complimentary rooms (including, but not limited to, any Free Night Awards earned through the Program or otherwise).

3. What are my chances of scoring an upgrade as a Gold? Will contacting the hotel before my stay help my chances?
-As stated in the terms and condition, SPG Gold members are eligible to receive an upgrade to preferred rooms (corner, higher floors, view, SPG floors) when available. Upgrades to suites are rare for Golds but they do occur. Contacting a hotel prior to your stay will not gurantee you better odds at upgrades, but YMMV.

3. What are my chances of scoring an upgrade as a Platinum? Will contacting the hotel before my stay help my chances?
The same goes for Platinums except you are eligible to receive an upgrade to the best available room including select standard suites.

4. What is a Platinum Amenity?
-Depending on each property, the choices of platinum amenity in the United States often include but not limited to:

• Beer and popcorn
• $10 mini bar credit
• complimentary in room movie
• Starpoints (500 at all brands except Four Points, where 250 points are given. Four Points New York Chelsea gives 600 points)

5. What are the different levels of Starwood Preferred Guest?

• General Member (free enrollment)
  Two starpoints per dollar spent, occasional upgrades to preferred rooms
• Preferred Plus (sponsored enrollment: AAA, AMEX, etc)
  Two starpoints per dollar spent, occasional upgrades to preferred rooms, 4pm late check out* when available
• Corporate Preferred (corporate sponsored enrollment)
  Two starpoints per dollar spent, occasional upgrades to preferred rooms, 4pm late check out* when available
• Gold (10 stays or 25 nights in a calendar year or sponsored enrollment: AMEX Centurion, Platinum, Airline comp, other promotional sponsorship)
  Three starpoints per dollar spent, upgrade to preferred rooms, 4pm late check out* when available
• Platinum (25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year)
  Three starpoints per dollar spent, upgrade to best available rooms including select standard suites at check in, 4pm late check out*, guranteed room availability with 72+ hours advance notice*, Executive club lounge and gym access, Platinum Concierge, Platinum amenity upon arrival
• VIP (invitation only, limited details)
  Same benefits as Platinum except upgrades are confirmed in advance

*Does not apply to resort locations

wma

Do you earn points and/or stays using an SPG50?
Yes

If you cancel your award stay prior to cancellation terms is there a charge?
No, the points are re-deposited into your account immediately.

How long does it take to transfer miles to an airline?
Officially the SPG web site states two weeks but YMMV.

sc flier

Q: Do back-to-back stays in the same city count?
A: Yes. But back-to-back stays in the same hotel do not count. In addition, there are a few hotel pairs that share the same reservation system and might not automatically give stay credit for switching between the two properties. (Potential for this problem might be Sheraton Manhattan/NYTowers or the Westin/Sheraton Grand Bahama Island.) However, SPG can probably correct such errors.

Q: Can elite status be earned easier if I stay at more expensive properties?
A: No. SPG Platinum elite status is only earned by stays or by nights -- no matter what the average room price is. However, in October 2006, the SPG AmEx card began a new feature that can give Gold status based on total annual AmEx spending. "Your Card gives you access to Gold Preferred status when you spend $30,000 or more on the Card in a calendar year."

Q: Do stays over New Years Eve ( December 31 NYE ) count in the old year or the new year? What about the nights?
A: Section 4B2 in the SPG T&Cs:
"An "Eligible Stay" is one or more consecutive nights at the same Participating Property, whether or not you checked-out and checked back in, during which you paid an Eligible Rate and presented your Preferred Guest number at registration. An "Eligible Night" is each night during an Eligible Stay. All stays are deemed to occur on the date of arrival; however, nights within a stay belong to the month in which they occur." So the stay will count in the old year. If the stay and night credits fail to credit according to the T&C's description for some reason and you want them to do so, file a Customer Service complaint to get them corrected.

Q: Do stays that check out after the end of a DOUBLE CREDIT PROMOTION period count during the promotion? What about the nights? Example: a quarterly promotion for double elite qualification credit.
A: Very similar to the NYE answer. The STAY will credit on the day you check in. So if you check in before the promo period begins, you'd only get a regular stay credit even if you stay ends within the promo period. But if you check in during the promo period or even on the last day of the promo, then the stay should get doubled. Each NIGHT credit will be issued for the night in which it occurs. Nights within the promo period will get doubled. Nights after the promo period would be treated as normal nights (not doubled). If you check in before the promo starts but have several nights within the promo period, I'm not sure what happens. This part in particular might vary per promo. If someone else knows the normal policy here, PM me to update this part. (DISCLAIMER: This answer is based on the most common rules. It's best to read the promotion's T&Cs to see if they have a different policy.)

emoney1978

Probably worth noting that the points are only re-deposited immediately if you cancel via phone. If you cancel via the web site, it usually takes a couple of days.

MilesTalk

Actually - third party stays booked via GDS or by travel agent - i.e. Post Paid stays - are eligible. For instance on our site if you select "Other rooms and rates" - to pass over the prepaid rates - you can get any standard rate such as AAA or some SPG promo rates. Those will be eligible (based on personal stay experience) as they are post-paid.


Also, I'd add a new Q/A to the FAQ:

Q: Will my award stay earn stay/night credits or points.
A: You will not earn stay credits on award stays but you will receive elite benefits and Starpoints for eligible incidental charges such as room service.

BlissWorld

Let me clarify. Per SPG terms and condition:
The follow items are NOT ELIGIBLE:

sc flier

Q: Do Cash & Points stays count toward elite status?
A: No. "Guest will not receive Starpoints or airline miles for their reservation; therefore, a Cash & Points stay does not qualify as an eligible stay toward earning elite level or toward any promotions requiring nights or stays."

Q: Do stays booked through AladdinCasino.com / PlanetHollywoodResort.com or booked directly with the Aladdin / Planet Hollywood hotel considered qualifying stays?
New A for 2010: No, the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino is no longer associated with Starwood.
Old A: Yes. Even stays booked on a casino rate are qualified stays. Comped rooms are NOT qualifying stays, though.

Q: What are the rules for keeping sponsored, comped Gold status? (For example, Gold status provided as a result of holding a Delta AmEx.)
(See answer by daveland below.)

Q: Platinums are eligible for upgrades to select standard suites. What are "select standard suites?"
A: Each hotel categorizes their own rooms, so there can be some inconsistency from one property to another. However, standard suites generally do not include suites with more than one bedroom.

Q: Can I share my elite status with my spouse when my spouse travels without me?
A: Officially, no. YMMV. See the SPG T&Cs. However, it is allowed to call SPG to transfer points from your spouse's SPG account to yours. This offers several benefits. For example, it essentially doubles the maximum amount of points that you can purchase each year. And it means that your non-elite spouse's points can be transferred into your account in order to reserve award stays with your elite benefits.

Q: When does my status expire? What are the rules for being comped Plat status? If I am comped Plat status as a status match, when will it expire? Is there a best time of year to request a status match?(If someone else will answer these, then I'll remove this Q from this post.)

Q: Are there any special awards just for elites?
Update for 2010: No, the Aspirational Awards offer is no longer offered.
Old answer (before 2010): Yes! See the Aspirational Awards webpages. (1/31/2008 Note: The participating properties for the European Holiday and Caribbean Vacation offers are likely to change as hotel categories change, but the list might not be updated on the offer's webpage.) (Related Q: Are these offers a good value? A: I think that the European Holiday is IF you need 7 consecutive nights at Starwood properties. I don't think that the current Caribbean Vacation offer provides good value because it is essentially selling you a $300 in-hotel credit for a redemption value of only 1.5 cents/point. I'm not sure about the Scotland Golf Retreat offer.)

MilesTalk

- You keep any Gold status provided by AMEX Centurion or Platinum Charge cards as long as you have the card (and the benefit is offered). If you cancel the card you'd lose the status at the end of the next program year.

- You don't get Gold status by having a Delta or any other Amex (even an SPG Amex - which awards Preferred Plus status).

- If you get comped Gold status by an airline (often offered to elite airline members) you wind up on Direct Deposit where all spending at hotels is auto-converted to miles and transferred without ever going through your SPG account. Changing to point earning voids (immediately) the Gold status.

**I'm not sure if this is for as long as you keep the Direct Deposit or for one program year from the start**.

The Caribbean award isn't very good. The European one (7 nights at up to 3 properties) saves you 5,000 points and *also* allows you to get a fifth night free night as well even though you won't likely be at any single property 5 nights. SO it's more like a 17,000 point savings off of booking, for example, a 3 night, 2 night and 2 night award separately.

wma

Can I transfer points to a family member or friend?
You can transfer points to any member of your "household" as long as they have the same address. They do not have to have the same surname.

sc flier

Q: Are there hotels where I get additional elite benefits beyond what is documented in the SPG T&Cs?
A: Yes!
2010 Update: Planet Hollywood is no longer with Starwood. Old answer follows: Aladdin (eventually to become Planet Hollywood): 1) Gold and Plat members can show their SPG card at the Spice Market Buffet and Zanzibar Cafe to bypass the line. 2) Upgrades are often pre-blocked by the hotel at this property. (For more details, see the Aladdin Master Thread.)
St Regis Aspen: Free breakfast in Olives for Plats. (2010 Update: The hotel restaurant is no longer called Olives.)
Westin Las Vegas: Sometimes a box of chocolates or another gift in your room upon arrival for Plats.
Sheraton NY: VIP check-in desk and concierge on the 44th floor. (I think this is for both Gold and Plats.)

Q: Do elites get free breakfast?
A: Not necessarily. A few hotels do give free breakfast in their restaurant to elites, but not many. If a hotel has a Club Lounge, then it generally is open for breakfast. Some Club Lounges are better than others. Most are basic continental breakfast or a little better. Some offer something that qualifies as a full breakfast.

Q: If a property doesn't have a Club Lounge or if the Club Lounge is closed, what do I get in its place?
A: Some properties don't have a Club Lounge at all. In fact, MOST don't. Even some hotels with a Club Level don't have a Club Lounge. If a hotel does not have a Club Lounge, they are not required to offer any other benefit in its absence. In addition, if the Club Lounge is closed for any reason, the hotel is not required to offer any other benefit in its absence. (Some do anyway, though.) Some Club Lounges are closed on weekends. Some may be closed seasonally.

Q: Are drinks free in the Club Lounge during happy hour?
A: This varies depending on the hotel. Some have free drinks. Some sell drinks on the honor system. Some charge upfront for drinks.

Q: As an elite, is there any way to get a Coke instead of a Pepsi in a Starwood hotel's Club Lounge?
A: Unfortunately, I've only had much luck with this by bringing my own Coke. (This might not be true in Atlanta. Edit: Regretfully, this is true at the Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter. Pepsi only.)

Q: Are Club Lounges open on the weekends, in the off season, etc.?
A: Varies depending on the hotel.

Lefty

What about other sponsored agreements such as with Ameritrade? A little over a year ago, I got an email from Ameritrade that said any Ameritrade Apex account holders were eligible for SPG Gold. I simply called the number cited on the email, gave my Apex account info, and was instantly upgraded to Gold. Will I maintain my Gold membership year after year, as long as I have an Apex account at Ameritrade? The email never said anything about being a one-time deal, but instead made it sound like Apex account holders also get SPG Gold status as a regular benefit. Then again these types of agreements change all the time.

If it was just a one-time upgrade, then I guess I'll find out in a couple weeks when the spg status calendar rolls over.

Land-of-Miles

You must have an Amex Plat Charge Card (not credit card) which comes with a fee Ł300 - here in the UK. I also think this arrangement is country specific so may not be open to all Amex Platinum Chargecard holders, so far as I know both UK and US Plats receive SPG Gold. The invitation to SPG Gold is contained in the Amex Plat Welcome Pack (and the recent replacement issued in the UK). This gives full directions on how to apply/upgrade for SPG Gold. In all likelihhod at the end of your first year your Gold Status will expire, you will then have a great deal of difficulty finding anyone at Starwood or Amex who knows how to reinstate your Golds Status (from my own experience).

MilesTalk

You should be auto upgraded to Preferred Plus status. Gold is not a benefit of the SPG Amex.

MilesTalk

I had thought the Apex benefit was for Preferred Plus. If you got an offer Gold it may well have been one year only but I'd have to see the fine print in the email you originally got to know for sure....