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Originally Posted by Boraxo
(Post 30820519)
Well it depends on your alternative ROI and your personal need for more Marriott points.
For us this is a good offer as we never have enough Marriott points and will need even more thanks to this year's major devaluation (esp. for former SPG Cat 5-7 properties). We have enjoyed many peak season family vacations at SPG and JW resorts here and abroad. So how do we get more points? Until August we spent $30k+ per year on SPG Amex. After August our spend dropped to almost nil. I am sure this was the case on many accounts and hence the bonus offer. So what is the alternative for $25k spend? We could earn 25k Chase points which I value at 2+ cents when used for business class TATL or TPAC (the same points would net only 25k Marriott points). We could earn 2% cash back = $500. Personally I concur with blogger valuation of .006-.007 for Marriott points, which brings a value of $450-525 for 75k points. By this calculation we would be better off with cash back after considering the AF? Perhaps (assuming AF is not already a sunk cost) . But when combined with points I earn from business travel, we may be able to find a 5 night deal that brings a value of .01 per point or more. I'm willing to take that gamble but certainly not worth it for those who earn a million MR points annually. As of March, 75k points won't even buy 1 night at the top St. Regis properties so maybe better off with cash to buy lodging unless you have other ways to earn. |
(1) Much obliged on the point about card activation.
(2) So, I keep seeing "Please upgrade to the luxury card!" promos but nothing about the 25k/$25k bonus that I can tell...and I'm not big on getting the $450 card unless I can stack another free night on it. The SPG Amex is fine as-is ($95 for a free night is usually worth having) but heaping more cost on there isn't something I feel like doing... Then again, I also haven't upgraded my Hyatt card for a similar reason (I keep it for the free night, and paying an extra $20 for that free night on a card I won't consider using for enough everyday spend to trip a second free night doesn't seem worthwhile). |
Originally Posted by GrayAnderson
(Post 30824856)
(1) Much obliged on the point about card activation.
(2) So, I keep seeing "Please upgrade to the luxury card!" promos but nothing about the 25k/$25k bonus that I can tell...and I'm not big on getting the $450 card unless I can stack another free night on it. The SPG Amex is fine as-is ($95 for a free night is usually worth having) but heaping more cost on there isn't something I feel like doing... |
So, after the link was (still) not working, I called in and got the offer activated yesterday. It seems to be more of an Amex IT issue than an eligibility/targeting issue.
I also got bothered to upgrade to the replacement for the Luxury card. Sigh. The nagging there is getting old. |
The $25kx4 25points is a public offer for the card. I believe its open to everyone that holds the card. It was in the public announcement about the name changes to the Chase and AmEx cards. |
Not Happy with Marriot Bonvoy
I have been a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) member for over 15 years. We have a timeshare in Maui and have used our SPG American Express credit card, coupled with our Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard to earn enough air miles to pay for our flights to/from Maui. Both credit cards earn 1 mile for every dollar spent.
Marriott has bought our Starwood and everything has now changed. I checked to see how many points we would need for our next flight, and transferred those from our newly branded Marriott Bonvoy American Express account into our HawaiianMiles account. Not only did this transfer take two weeks instead of the normal two days, the number of points transferred was only a third of what it should have been. As it turns out, the new Marriott Bonvoy card only earns 1 mile for very $3 dollars spent, yet I still pay a high annual fee. In other words, it’s useless. I am halting all purchases on our Marriott Bonvoy American Express, and I’ll be dropping it completely before the next annual renewal. Our Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard still earns 1 mile per dollar, so we will be using that exclusively from now on. |
Originally Posted by ImissSPG
(Post 30862943)
I have been a Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) member for over 15 years. We have a timeshare in Maui and have used our SPG American Express credit card, coupled with our Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard to earn enough air miles to pay for our flights to/from Maui. Both credit cards earn 1 mile for every dollar spent.
Marriott has bought our Starwood and everything has now changed. I checked to see how many points we would need for our next flight, and transferred those from our newly branded Marriott Bonvoy American Express account into our HawaiianMiles account. Not only did this transfer take two weeks instead of the normal two days, the number of points transferred was only a third of what it should have been. As it turns out, the new Marriott Bonvoy card only earns 1 mile for very $3 dollars spent, yet I still pay a high annual fee. In other words, it’s useless. I am halting all purchases on our Marriott Bonvoy American Express, and I’ll be dropping it completely before the next annual renewal. Our Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard still earns 1 mile per dollar, so we will be using that exclusively from now on. There is a current AmEx offer to earn the old 1 mile per $1 spend. But you'll have to spend a block of $25k.... Your question should belong to AmEx Marriott credit card section, not on Marriott hotel side. |
I'm not thrilled with the new earnings, but the situation isn't as bad as you state.
The Amex Bonvoy card earns 6 points/$ at Marriott properties, 3 points per $ in restaurants and airlines, and 2 points per $ everywhere else. Your transfer to Hawaiian is 3:1 Marriott:Hawaiian. So, at worst, you're transferring $1.5 in spend to get 1 Hawaiian mile. You're also getting 5k bonus miles for a 60k mile transfer. Yes, it isn't as good as it used to be. I personally keep the Amex for the elite night credits, free night certificate, and 6x Marriott points. |
And for what it is worth you will now get nights credit for every night you stay in your Timeshare, something that didn't happen with SPG.
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I'm supremely annoyed, too. My renewal date last year was April 25. So I'll get hit with the increase next month. My free night won't post until after I need it (June 1-3). I'm going to probably cancel. I'll be interested to see what the retention offers are though, if any. I paid the annual fee last year ONLY to get the free night. UGH!!
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Originally Posted by RedSun
(Post 30862965)
The old SPG cards earn 1 mile for each $1 spend. Now you earn 2 miles for $3 spend. It is down 1/3. You still get the transfer bonus I think. I do not do this.
There is a current AmEx offer to earn the old 1 mile per $1 spend. But you'll have to spend a block of $25k.... Your question should belong to AmEx Marriott credit card section, not on Marriott hotel side. I love Amex so I called them and asked if they offered a better rewards card. The rep told me they have been getting a lot of calls from former SPG members. She admitted the Marriot rewards card benefits fell short compared to the old SPG card. She told me the regular Amex Gold card offers a 1:1 points to air miles transfer ratio into most major airline clubs. The drawbacks are that there are no transfer bonuses and the annual renewal fee is $250. Thinking this over. In the meantime, I will have to pay cash for part of my air travel, thanks to Marriott. |
Originally Posted by ImissSPG
(Post 30864074)
.... that means I’m only netting 1/3 of my original points..
To earn 100,000 BoyVoy points you would spend $50,000. To earn 100,000 Starpoints you would have spent $100,000. |
IMissSPG, Your old SPG points were converted at the rate of 3x into Marriott points. The total Hawaiian miles you got in the end is the same. What has changed is any points you now earn from credit card spending. It’s 1/3 less than before for most everyday purchases. That’s the part sucks. |
When I called retention last April for my SPG biz, I didn't get any offers. But I was told repeatedly that with the conversion to Marriott I would get a free night, so I renewed for $95, with the assumption that that $95 would be worth a free night. Flawed thinking, I realize, as I won't get the free night until AFTER I pay the $125 AF for this year, which will be due late April. I really want to cancel it at this point if there are no significant retention offers. Wondering when folks will start posting those since the conversion.
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Called retention. No offer. Not surprised as I've spent very little. Transferred credit and canceled.
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