Originally Posted by
businessguy
for the SPG card what is the best use of points? if used for hotel stays what are the additional taxes and fees? Lots of blackout dates? What is the referral bonus?
Is there anyway to achieve lifetime status for a reputable program? That may be best to do now then switch to another.
Travelling is usually a write off for me so paying cash is fine but it is nice to get good perks if the % back is still good.
One good use of SPG points is Cash + Points bookings for hotel stays. Another is transferring 20K points to a FF program, which will be credited as 25K miles (some exceptions to this rule). The latter is especially good if you can redeem for premium cabin awards.
As for lifetime status, I think only AA counts CC spend (or transfers into the program, like through SPG points) towards lifetime status. In fact, they count all sources (CC bonuses, rental car, e-shopping, hotels, etc.)