It is now possible to redeem Starwood points directly for airline tickets on hundreds of airlines worldwide — with no blackout dates — even during peak periods such as holidays or for last-minute flights. Click on the SPG Flights Starpoint Chart link near the bottom of the page to see how many points you need to get your flight.

I like the flexibility of this, but be sure to do the math to see if you are better off with this offer or by transferring points to miles on a specific airline. The chart shows a not bad conversion rate, but it all depends on whether or not Starwood's travel agent has access to the least expensive tickets.

Perhaps some would care to try for specific tickets just to see the price in order to compare it to the best online price.

Other comments?