SPG AMEX or ??
 

So I'd like to start working towards a nice trip for my dad and I in 2017. I don't have a great rewards card at the moment, so trying to decide my best option to go with.

Right now I have nothing significant in any of the loyalty programs for hotels or airlines. Some in VX and some in AA. Based in LAX right now, but other options would be BDL or BOS.

We have a mini vacation in January to Florida and I figure between everything I can rack up an easy $5K at least along with some MS in the in the months leading up to it. I don't want to put too much into MS yet though since I'm new to it, is doing $1-5K MS even worth it?

Trying to read as many threads as I can and the SPG seems to come out on top most of the time. Any thoughts?

SPG AMEX or ??
 

you'd likely end up with about 30,000 points from SPG Amex after spending $5k. 25,000 bonus points and points for your spend. That is worth about $900 in redemption for hotels (depending on when/where you redeem). Subtract the $95 annual fee from that and you end up with about $800 in value. SPG Amex also allows you to transfer to airlines with a 25% bonus. So you'd have an option for that if you didn't redeem for hotels.

Where are you thinking of taking your Dad in 2017? If it doesn't have an SPG property in Cat 3 or 4 that you like I'd look at an alternate card.

If you get the spg,get the business version as you get lounge access. If not, if you up for getting multiple cards, you can probably get 2 to 3 cards with that 5k spend.

Also note there are 3k spend offers out there for both biz and personal. I can direct you to those if you want. I don't recall seeing them in my personal account. Someone referred me to their 3k link for biz verson.

To clarify, this refers to lounge access at Sheraton hotels, not airport lounge access.

If you have not held personal AMEX cards historically, I would check cardmatch.com to see if you are eligible for 100k MR points on the platinum card before making a decision. B/t that and the PRG I generated 150k points in short order. It really comes down to what you value and your intended use of the points (premium int'l travel, hotels, lounge access, etc).

Starpoints are almost inarguably considered the most valuable points currency, but are harder to accrue based on limited sign-up bonues and bonus spend categories (unless of course you spend a considerable amount at Starwood properties). As a newbie myself, my focus is on AMEX, Chase, Citi, & AAdvantage miles for the time being...and I'm sure I'll add SPG sometime down the road:D

So that's my biggest issue, not sure yet. Told me last year he doesn't wanna do the beach anymore haha, so I was thinking doing somewhere in Europe, we're both huge history buffs. Rome possibly?

I would be very interested in that, still researching, but can't hurt!

Thanks for the site tip, hadn't seen that yet! I did have an Amex when I was a student, took a look, offer was for 60K after 3K spend, so not quite that good, but better than the offer on the site (40K/3K).

Where?
IME it's difficult to get more than 2-2.5 cents of value per point, and often it's under 2c. Sure, good opportunities exist, but it's usually when you do fifth night free at a highly seasonable hotel when rates are unusually high.

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