should i go from Platinum to spg?
 

i have the Platinum card currently and am debating if i should cancel and get the spg card. can somebody please give me some advice? i have tried to use the plat benefits, free airline tix prices were a joke, ive called at least 5 times for reservations for restaurants in nyc on their list and didnt get anything, the fhr program is ok but i only stay at these places maybe once a year if that.can i get the same airline xfer options with the spg card that my plat has? what does the plat really give me that the spg cant and vice versa for the spg card. thanks for the help.

You get SPG Gold and CO/NW/DL lounge access (only when flying on that carrier that day). If you don't use those, save yourself the few hundred $$ and switch.

If you are planning to switch, make sure that you have a plan for your MR points.

S.

that was going to be my next question...i cant switch them over? what happens to them?

Actually you get 1.25 transfer points per dollar spent with the SPG card.

If you use Platinum lounge benefits and the SPG Gold, keep it and get the Starwood Card. It only costs $30 per year. Do all your charging there. If you do not use your platinum benefits, change to a cheaper card like the green or gold to preserve your MR points until you can use them. Still, get the Starwood card.

You need to ask yourself what Plat benefits you use and whether it's worth the money to keep the card. I wholeheartedly agree with Mshaikun. Our family has the Starwood Card which we use for major charges, but we still keep the AMEX Platinum for Airline Lounge Use, Starwood Gold and the Fine Hotel Program. If you don't use the lounges, the SPG Gold or the FHR, then maybe you can dump AMEX PLAT. However, if you use one or all of these then you need to do a cost/benefit analysis of whether it is worth keeping the Plat Card. In our family's case, the main account and three additional Platinum cards are worth every penny. (even though the bulk of our charges are on *wood AMEX).

Don't forget the no-fee foreign currency conversion overseas and the free travelers cheques. Those can be really helpful if you are going overseas often.

on the spg card, do you not earn MR points? what is it spg points? can i xfer my MR point to spg points. what would happen to them if i closed the plat and got the *wood?

SPG AMEX charges do not go into the MR program. They go straight into the Starwood Hotel program as Starpoints.

As I understand, MR points transfer into Starwood at an extremely disadvantageous rate.

If you want to cancel AMEX Platinum, you basically have to cash out of MR before you cancel your card to be sure you benefit from the points.

The Starwood program is an advantage compared to MR because it can be cashed into more airline miles programs than MR has relationships with and as I understand, you receive an automatic 25% bonus when you transfer at least 20,000 starpoints into an airline program. (Thus, $20,000 in AMEX SPG charges would transfer as 25,000 NW Worldperks miles.) The major downer is that Starpoints transfer I believe into United at a 2 points for 1 mile rate.

In terms of United in this comparison, it's not a major downer as MR can't be transferred to UA at all!

Starwood card does not participate in Membership Rewards. $1 charged = 1 Starpoint; 1 Starpoint = 1 mile in a couple dozen airline programs, but Starwood adds a 5,000 miles bonus when you transfer a block of 20,000 = 25,000 miles. However, Starwood does not offer double points for supermarket, pharmacy, gasoline, cellphone or postage. This means you may end up with fewer miles, even with the 5,000 mile bonuses, depending on your spending pattern and which airlines you wish to use.

I suggest you read this thread for a thorough comparison of the two programs...

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=523503

...in my estimation it isn't a choice, they are both valuable, but Platinum is not the best card for earning MR points.

dennis

thanks for the help. i ended up getting the spg and im going to keep the plat too.