AMEX Sheraton Super Value
 

I always run the math when getting involved in any program. This credit card gives 1 point to one mile, but once reaching 20,000 points you get 25,000 frequent flyer miles. Why would carry an airline card if it takes 25,000 when you get 25,000 miles for only charging 20,000. Another way to do the math, is if your enrolled in AMEX Membership points they only give you .33 for every point. ( I have both cards I am drastically avoived using it when the Sheraton card gives one to one versus 1 to .33. Basically that means they value Starwood points as worth 3 times the value is this correct? YES 25,000 frequent flyer miles is worth a free ticket or maybe $350. Charge 25,000 dollars on the Sheraton card and you will have 6 nights in Cancun value worth over $1200. Give it some thought.

Hi Milesrus
I notice you mention "25,000 dollars on the Sheraton card and you will have 6 nights in Cancun value worth over $1200".
Could you explain how this is possible? Is there some travel package offered by Starwood that will get you airline tix and a hotel room for 6 nights in Cancun for 25000 points? I have nearly that many points in my Starwood account and have been thinking of cashing in so that 6 night deal in Cancun sounds awesome. Pls explain how that is possible with 25,000 pts. Thnx.!

I think he was saying that you could just get 6 nights hotel in Cancun for 25,000 miles. I can't imagine that airfare from the US would be thrown in for that too... But I could be wrong!

I too was using my Sheraton card as often as possible until the recent Delta promotion. You get 10,000 bonus miles if you charge $25,000 in one year plus double miles for groc. and gas. I also got 10,000 miles for signing up. I heard on one of these boards that if you were one of the first 10,000(?) to apply they would also match up to 50,000 points from any other frequent flyerprogram. I have not yet heard if I was one of the 10,000 but your post reminded me to call and find out!

Sorry If I mislead you, you only get the lodging. I was comparing the value of this card to an airline frequent credit card. My wife and I have a Citibank Visa with Advantage. It takes $25,000 to get a ticket with the Visa card.Once I charge $20,000 on the Sheraton I can convert it 25,000 or better yet convert it to hotel nights. Good Luck!

You are absolutley right, the Sheraton card is one of the best deals around. It's unfortunate that it is not recognized as a general travel card like the AMEX Membership Rewards program or Diners Club. All those airline options . . . and it's FREE! The real beauty, though, are the hotels. Two weekend nights in Atlantic City -- 6,000 points, weeklong vacations for 24,000 points.

One reason: I don't expect to charge anywhere near $20,000 on a C/C, it would take multiple years. Therefore, the exchange ratio available for high spenders isn't of interest to me.

To be a ff, you have to be a high spender. How do you expect to be interested in this board unless you fly frequently and stay in hotels frequently? My airline, hotel and car rental charges alone on my corporate Diner's Club add up to about $4000 per month and I think that is probably low, since I buy only cheap nonref. US travel only tickets. My home phone bill, wireless bill, groceries, gas, state car registration, everything are all paid by C/C. If you don't spend at least $20,000 by C/C, it either because you are using too much cash or checks or you are fiscally challenged http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif.

do the miles that you get on this card get deposited directly into your ff account for you to use later, or must you take those 20k points and immediately exchange them for an actual ticket?

if it's the former, it's great for those of us who are saving, say, for first class to australia for two people

if it's the latter, it's useless for any looking to exchange credit card points for miles to go anywhere except domestic us destinations

or am i confused? i know the larger point is you're better off using the points for hotel stays, but i'd still like to know about whether those 20k hotel points equal 25k airline points in your actual airline account

Miles are deposited in your frequent flyer account. So, yes, you can save them for big ticket awards. However, Starwood has a maximum number of miles they will transfer to frequent flyer accounts. This limit varies by airline. For info check at http://www.preferredguest.com

20,000 Starpoints= 25,000 miles??? I thought the point conversion is alot less than that according to the Starpoint membership guide.

Al

20000 points = 25000 miles is correct, with a few restrictions on where the 20000 points come from, which we're not really sure are enforced since nobody's ever reported a turn-down on the transfer based on the restrictions. There are threads in the Amex and Starwood forums which delve into this in excruciating detail.

Oops!


[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 12-17-2000).]

This is a response to "outoftown". What a snob!!! Some of us have lots of fun just flying for vacations or family visits. We also value ways to get miles and I personally have about 12 free tickets that I've earned via credit cards (which I pay immediately) partners, etc. To imply that those of us who aren't platinum or whatever don't have a place in this website is selfish and disgusting.

Couldn't have said it better, Marysunshine.

Bravo,Marysunshine!!

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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. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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

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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! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

And welcome to Starwood Platinum as a result! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

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.

As for an AMEX I agree this seems the way to go,and I'll switch once my free year with the DELTA card is up. But I still feel that the best deal is DINERS,especially if they keep up with 1pt = 1mile with BA every summer for the past few yrs. More important their CDW is primary so you need not imform your insurance if you had an accident with the rental,not the case with all others since they will pay only after your insurance has so you must imform them.

I believe the $10,000 spending on the Delta card for the 50,000 points must be within 6 months of card issuance but no later than May 31, 2001. Only applies to the first 10,000 approved applicants who have never had a Delta Skymiles Optima Card before.

Hehe, I should check my details before I post my assumptions about fine print footnotes in award programs. Sometimes my brain goes into analytical overdrive when trying to figure out the intent of the small little letters at the bottom of brochures http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I am apt to jump to wild conclusions that assume the worst in my attempts to figure the fine print out http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by anthonyanthony (edited 12-28-2000).]