Bravo,Marysunshine!!

------------------
If you stick your head in the noose, be prepared to hang!

Fiscally challenged? I think you should meet my financial advisor, who rolls her eyes every times she gets a look at my finances. (I pay strictly by the hour; she gets a visit from me every couple of years as a sanity check to make sure I'm not doing anything foolish overall; I determine the specifics of all my investments.) She has a son my age and the comparison isn't pretty.

I agree with those who have said that your posting seems rather snobbish in tone. Over my life time, I've done slightly more leisure travel than business travel, and more often than not, I stay with the friends or family that I'm visiting, so my leisure travel expenses are rather low. Those whose travel may be 100% leisure are still entitled to be a contributing member of this community, even if they're not high spenders.

That said, I'll also note that it is entirely possible to do a lot of corporate travel and still not put a lot of money on a personal C/C. When I racked up 60 round trips in 1999, it was with a company which required that all travel be ticketed through the company travel office, or no reimbursement. Because there was so much travel to the same location, we had a corporate apartment at the destination which was billed to the company directly. I paid for a hotel room less than 20 nights; at an average of $150/night, that's $3,000. With car rental and incidental expenses at about an average of $100/day, and average of 2 days per trip, that's $12,000. That's a pretty darn heavy travel pattern, but still short of that $20,000. Did I charge the $15,000 I actually spent that year to a C/C which earned me something? Heck yes. But assuming that everybody matches your pattern of >$48,000 per year is unreasonable. Even if I had gotten to charge my own tickets, with Alaska, United Shuttle, and Southwest battling it out on West Coast routes, that would have added $9,000. If we hadn't had a corporate apartment, that would add another $6,000. Hypothetical total $30,000, still significantly less than your total.

You don't have to spend $20K on the card to get 20K miles in your Starwood account (thereby earning the 5K bonus). And I am constantly amazed at the attitude around here. Worse than a bunch of spoiled brats. Shut up and move on.

The charges do not have to be on travel. I charge my company advertising, doctor bills,gasoline, and on line purchases to my Starwood card. I think there is some form of a $60,000 yearly limit, or there was such a limit when I joined Shearton card.

outoftown was not very gracious or eloquent, but outoftown's point is semi-valid.

The point is you don't have to be a BIG spender to rack up lots of points on the Starpoints card, but you have to be a FOCUSED SPENDER!

That means you use the card to pay for everything! the only time you don't use it is when they only take Visa and M/C and you avoid those places.

You only buy groceries at places that take AMEX. Same for gas, clothes, personal necessities. What about your phone bill: use the card! Same for long distance, cell phone, auto repair. Restaurants, doctor bills, $1 and $2 purchases. Everything!!!

Don't even tempt yourself by carrying cash! Leave you checks at home! FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!!!!

And that way you don't have to spend big.

Mac

------------------
Via con Dios!

I concur. I have as many bills as possible charged to a mile earning card. Then pay it off every month. And in my wallet is the Sheraton AmEx for EVERYTHING. This really does add up believe it.

Although the 20K = 25K is good, there are a few problems:

1) you still have to charge 20K to get to this

2) It's only on 20K point transfer.

The thing with 2 is I prefer getting 1 for 1 from AMEX and DC then having the flexibility of transfering in any amount that I need to top an account off for an award. That flexibility more than makes up for the slightly lower earning rate in my opinion.

You could also get the 20K SPG points from just stayng at Starwood properties!

And welcome to Starwood Platinum as a result!

Many FlyerTalkers here have touted how the Amex Sheraton can give you 25000 frequent flyer points for 20000 dollars spent on the card. But, some fine print makes me wonder.

I just got the card and was looking over the enclosed brochure and fine print, and found this footnote: "25,000 frequent flyer miles on any participating airline award can only be redeemed with Starpoints earned at Starwood Hotels & Resorts or Preferred Guest earnings partners. Starpoint bonus based on a 1-to-1 ratio. Equivalent bonus will be awarded in accordance with other conversion rates."

It seems possible to interpret this as saying that the points I earn from non-Starwood hotel charges to the card are not eligible for the 1:25 exchange rate.

So my question is, has anyone actually done the transfer yet with starpoints earned from regular non-Starwood purchases on the card?


[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 12-27-2000).]

AnthonyAnthony -

Don't worry. The Starwood Amex is a "Preferred Guest earnings partner." I've transferred Amex-earned points, as well as ClickRewards points, to airline programs and got the bonus.

Charlie

I guess the intent of that little footnote is to say that those points transferred into the program from other airline programs will not be eligible for the 25000 mile award. That would keep people from moving their points in a circle, earning an extra 5000 points each time they moved it through SPG.

Thanks for the reply, chazas.

I don't understand. You don't need to transfer Starpoints in increments of 20K unless you want the bonus. If you transfer less it's still 1-to-1. How could AX or DC be better than this in any way?

Since you cannot transfer from airline programs to Starwood, this comment makes no sense at all.

QuietLion's point is well taken. You can still transfer in amounts of less than 20K to top off accounts, etc., you just don't get the 5K bonus. And since this Starwood/Sheraton AMEX is FREE, it's a no-brainer for me. (I did, however, get the Delta Platinum to get the 15,000 sign-up, and the 50,000 bonus for spending $10,000 in the first year. Don't know if I will keep it after that, although the double miles is an attractive feature.)

Djlawman

One thing to keep in mind with the Delta Amex 50K promo is that the $10,000 must be charged by May 31st of 2001. Not a full year.