Starpoints vs. CPlus points
Jul 17, 1999, 7:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 8,564
Starpoints vs. CPlus points
Yesterday was an excellent one for important mail. I got my CPlus Gold package, Marriott Rewards statement with 8 weeks' Residence Inn stays credited at 10pt/$ (done after I phoned to complain they were missed 
, and the Starwood triple-miles-in-Canada promotion. I realize the triple-miles are only in Canada.
But they also say that if I choose "Airline Direct Deposit" with SPG, I get "a minimum" of 1000 points per stay.
Does that mean that with the ADD option, I get 3pt/$ (SPG Gold) with a 1000pt minimum? It seems a reasonable bonus since switching to ADD will guarantee my points go to CPlus.
The reason I ask, is I'm staying at the Westin on my next Long Beach trip (time for a change. At ~$100/night, six nights will earn 1800 Starpoints, which I can transfer to 1800 CPlus points later. Waving my CPlus card gets me a flat 1000 points, so Starpoints is the way to go.
Now the situation that week is one only a FT member could love. I'm staying Sunday-Saturday, but they're sold out on Wednesday. So I've got _two_ stays of three and two days! That translates to $300 and $200, or 900 and 600 Starpoints respectively. In this scenario, the flat 1000 CPlus points is the way to go, but then my five nights don't count towards Free Fridays and my two stays don't count towards gold status.
The question is, how does "Airline Direct Deposit" affect this? Does ADD (to CPlus) give me the best of both worlds, both the 1000 CPlus points per stay, _and_ a record of my stays with SPG? Or do I have to pick one over the other?
Of course, if a room is freed up for Wed. night, this becomes an academic exercise. Despite what my non-FT friends think, but as most regulars here would (I hope) agree, none of us is likely to check out for one night and then back again, _just_ for 1000 points! (But if I have to do it, I'll make it worthwhile, at the Renaissance across the street if possible, or the Marriott or the Hilton or somewhere else I get points!)
andrew
, and the Starwood triple-miles-in-Canada promotion. I realize the triple-miles are only in Canada. But they also say that if I choose "Airline Direct Deposit" with SPG, I get "a minimum" of 1000 points per stay.
Does that mean that with the ADD option, I get 3pt/$ (SPG Gold) with a 1000pt minimum? It seems a reasonable bonus since switching to ADD will guarantee my points go to CPlus.
The reason I ask, is I'm staying at the Westin on my next Long Beach trip (time for a change
. At ~$100/night, six nights will earn 1800 Starpoints, which I can transfer to 1800 CPlus points later. Waving my CPlus card gets me a flat 1000 points, so Starpoints is the way to go.Now the situation that week is one only a FT member could love. I'm staying Sunday-Saturday, but they're sold out on Wednesday. So I've got _two_ stays of three and two days! That translates to $300 and $200, or 900 and 600 Starpoints respectively. In this scenario, the flat 1000 CPlus points is the way to go, but then my five nights don't count towards Free Fridays and my two stays don't count towards gold status.
The question is, how does "Airline Direct Deposit" affect this? Does ADD (to CPlus) give me the best of both worlds, both the 1000 CPlus points per stay, _and_ a record of my stays with SPG? Or do I have to pick one over the other?
Of course, if a room is freed up for Wed. night, this becomes an academic exercise. Despite what my non-FT friends think, but as most regulars here would (I hope) agree, none of us is likely to check out for one night and then back again, _just_ for 1000 points! (But if I have to do it, I'll make it worthwhile, at the Renaissance across the street if possible, or the Marriott or the Hilton or somewhere else I get points!)
andrew
Jul 17, 1999, 10:50 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Reno, NV (RNO)
Programs: AA Platinum, AS, UA, DL, HHonors Gold, Marriott LTP, Hyatt, IHG Platinum
Posts: 4,707
What is the Starwood triple-miles-in-Canada promotion? When does this run, how do you sign up, what are the qualifications? Do you have to be a Canadian resident or only staying in a Canadian Starwood? I haven't seen or heard anything about this.
Jul 18, 1999, 7:08 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 8,564
Oops, sloppy editing on my part screwed this up a little.
It's a Canadian Plus promotion of triple Canadian Plus points at Westin, Sheraton, and Four Points in Canada (15/7/99-31/12/99). That's a minimum of 3000 in the first two, 1500 in the latter. Earned either by presenting your CPlus card, or setting your Starwoods account to Airline Direct Deposit with Canadian.
Hope this is clearer than my first post.
andrew
It's a Canadian Plus promotion of triple Canadian Plus points at Westin, Sheraton, and Four Points in Canada (15/7/99-31/12/99). That's a minimum of 3000 in the first two, 1500 in the latter. Earned either by presenting your CPlus card, or setting your Starwoods account to Airline Direct Deposit with Canadian.
Hope this is clearer than my first post.
andrew
Jul 19, 1999, 12:38 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 8,564
I just called Starwood to change over to Airline Direct Deposit (Canadian Plus).
I used the promotion code "L9" described in the current CP newsletter, which gives double Starwood points until September 6th (and that's in the U.S., while the triple points is just in Canada). It turns out that as a Starwood Gold member, I get _6_ points per U$! (I thought I'd read that somewhere, but all I could find was that "double" meant four and I was expecting to get only four).
Further, the 1000pt minimum CPlus points does apply when using ADD, so I get 3pt/$ (normally for Gold) with the 1000pt minimum. Only drawback is I'll be earning CPlus points which I probably can't use for the hotel stays. I might switch away from ADD (if allowed) after the promotion, and accumulate pure Starpoints any time I'm spending at least U$333. That's assuming I can abandon ADD.
Hope this is useful.
andrew
I used the promotion code "L9" described in the current CP newsletter, which gives double Starwood points until September 6th (and that's in the U.S., while the triple points is just in Canada). It turns out that as a Starwood Gold member, I get _6_ points per U$! (I thought I'd read that somewhere, but all I could find was that "double" meant four and I was expecting to get only four).
Further, the 1000pt minimum CPlus points does apply when using ADD, so I get 3pt/$ (normally for Gold) with the 1000pt minimum. Only drawback is I'll be earning CPlus points which I probably can't use for the hotel stays. I might switch away from ADD (if allowed) after the promotion, and accumulate pure Starpoints any time I'm spending at least U$333. That's assuming I can abandon ADD.
Hope this is useful.
andrew
Feb 23, 2000, 2:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC, CANADA
Programs: AC SE, SPG P
Posts: 759
If I read this correctly, if I wave my CP card, I get the 1000 points as well as the Starwood points!
Or am I wrong?
Or am I wrong?
Feb 23, 2000, 5:11 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Austin
Posts: 59
That would be wrong - no double dipping at Starwood.