How to keep SPG points from expiring after 12 months of account inactivity
 

I was just looking at the current SPG Terms and Conditions, and section 4.2 jumped out at me. It sounds like any points activity, earning or redeeming, will now count as activity and extend the life of your account. Am I reading that correctly?

This definitely looks like new language.

I've pasted the relevant section below:

4.2 Forfeiting Starpoints. Except for SVO Owners to whom the obligations in Section 9 apply, Starpoints earned or otherwise obtained by an SPG Member will forfeit without notice if the SPG Member becomes Inactive, even if the SPG Member has achieved SPG Lifetime Gold or SPG Lifetime Platinum status. An SPG Member is considered "Inactive" if during a 12 month period: (a) the SPG Member has not had an Eligible Stay at an SPG Participating Hotel; (b) the SPG Member has not earned or redeemed any Starpoints, or (c) the SPG Member's account has been cancelled.

Based on the quoted text, OP's conclusion doesn't follow.

It says a member is considered inactive if (a), (b), or (c) applies. Just reading the rule, it means that any SPG Member who has not had an eligible stay at a participating hotel "during a 12 month period" will forfeit all points without notice.

Whether this rule is enforced as written remains to be seen, but either way, that's what it means. Not a consumer-friendly or.

If SPG is listening and didn't intend the rule as written, I would suggest this modification:

Just to clarify, it should be read as being a) or b) or c). Any Starpoints activity resulting from earning or redeeming will now count towards keeping an account active.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Great news! This makes maintaining my account much simpler.

Thank you for the official word. I recognized there was some ambiguity in how it was written, which is why I posed the question.

Great news!!!! This will save me some work if family members don't end up staying within a year. Previously we would have to go to dinner at a SPG hotel, fax the receipts into SPG, etc. Now we can just burn an award night from the acct and be good to go!!! Well done to the OP for catching this change in language!!!! ^

I appreciate it, but I think that we should all be thanking Starwood for relaxing their previous policy.

While we are clarifying this point, we might as well get to who a) applies to. It applies to members who do not have elite status such as Gold or Platinum.

As you all know, SPG soft-lands anyone who is elite, but does not retain it. So, a Platinum soft-lands to Gold and a Gold soft-lands to Preferred, Preferred Plus or Corporate, depending upon which status is most appropriate.

This means that a Platinum member could downgrade to Gold and then to Preferred, but the 12-month inactivity clock will not begin until they reach Preferred.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Wow, I didn't know that. Great news. I always assumed even an SPG Plats pts were in jeopardy if they didn't have recent acct activity. The new customer friendly policy is quite nice, thanks for confirming it!!!!

Yes, but the language is inclusive of LT PLT and GLD, so doesn't that contradict your statement?

The language in the T&C's is above my pay grade. I can make suggestions to have them amended, but I can't wave a magic wand or hit a couple of clicks of a mouse and keyboard to make them happen. Based on prior input I gave them from here, this is what they came up with. If it sounds contradictory, I can assure you that it isn't.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

I appreciate your reply, Lurker, but your second statement doesn't follow from the first.

I think we are reading this to say: "You can keep your account active as long as you don't do (a) or (b) or (c)"

However, in reality it still says (and your statement confirms): "If you do (a) or (b) or (c), your account will become inactive."

That said, it sounds like it's going to be interpreted to mean the former rather than the latter.

Hi,

I am not looking to bust chops here. I just think the entire paragraph is poorly worded because you are telling me that this doesn't apply to elites, but this paragraph says that the policy is inclusive of persons with LT elite status. Are LT elites not full elites as well?

Emphasis mine.

As for cleaning up 4.2, is there any way to have an "Eligible Stay" that does not result in (or from) "earning or redeeming Starpoints"? If there is not, that makes item A superfluous, and it could be removed.

A stay that's set up for Direct Deposit to airline miles. (Although internally it does tend to post as earning 500-or-whatever points and then immediately deducting them as it turns them into miles, to the average person who doesn't look at it that closely it may seem like they never earned points at all.)

Also, an award stay using a free night cert.