So I mentioned the two credit card offers from Starwood a few months ago - sign up and spend $1000 in the first 3 months on each card for a 30000 Starwood sign-up point bonus each - total 60000 Starwood points. One was a Business card, the other personal. If you are new - it's easy to spend $1000 without actually buying anything - search for US Mint in the blog and you'll find lots of info...me, I just paid tuition with both cards, which quickly fulfilled the requirement...oh, and ever the travelbandit, I am getting most of the money refunded by my company! :) :) :)
Well, I already had both cards before so I thought I either get nothing or the famous "incremental" difference to my previously awarded bonus (e.g.: I already received 10000 a year ago for the same card before canceling it) and thus only getting 20000pts.
Well after spending the required $1000 the wait began and it's now over. I received 20000 (incremental) for the personal card and a full 30000 for the business card. Yeepee. That's a a lot of hotel nights... :) I am not going to fight with them for the missing 10000, that would be an uphill battle and AMEX has been known to take it all back if you push too hard. :)
What can you do with 50000 extra startwood points...well you can transfer them to a bunch of airlines creating 25000 miles for each 20000 pts. transferred for example (20000 pts + 5000 pts. Starwood bonus).
Or, more traditionally, you can use it for 4 or 5 nights in a very nice Westin, Sheraton, W, Meridien....
I decided to use some of it for our Christmas vacation in Europe. I rarely use hotel points in bulk - I prefer the points + cash option from Starwood. That's how we got the Palace Hotel in Madrid (5-star) for $90 night this summer- normally $300-400/night....
This Christmas I am using pts+cash in Paris - at the Meridien Montparnasse ($60 night+2400pts). Splurge in Berlin with a free night for 10000 pts at the Westin Grande, a stones throw away from Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate.
Of course everyone has their own comfort zone for hotel prices. I don't mind paying 80 Euros for 1 night in Dresden at a nice Holiday Inn Express for example because I know we'll get breakfast and lots of points. Paying 150 or 250 Euros hurts so I try to get points+cash or just points....
Basically, it's nice to have options to choose from so go after any promotion or possibility to make pts and miles and then sit on your accumulated wealth until you need it.
It takes a lot of stress out of planning trips when you know you have pts & miles that can offset some or even most of the costs! :(
