Tag Archives | travel rewards

Review of the American Express Membership Rewards Program

By on January 12, 2010 in credit card rewards

American Express Membership Rewards ® is a loyalty program that rewards you for using your American Express Card. If you are enrolled, you can earn one point for virtually every US dollar or euro spent. To earn rewards just use your Amex Card for purchases. You can redeem your points for flights, hotels, car hire, charity and merchandise rewards. You can also use your points to pay your annual Card and Membership Rewards® fee.

You can enroll in the Amex Membership Rewards Program if you have one of the following cards: Basic Personal Card, Gold Card , Platinum Card, Centurion®Card and Small Business Cardmembers (with account numbers beginning 3745 or 3743). To participate in the program there is an annual fee of $30 to $35. There is no fee for the Program for Gold, Platinum and Centurion® cards. Basic Cardmembers may enroll all their American Express Card accounts of the types listed above in the Program.

Earn Points
Once enrolled in the program, you will accrue one point in your program account for every dollar charged. Any points accrued in your program account for any given year will be carried forward on the enrollment date anniversary as long as all conditions have been met. One such condition is that you don’t earn your points until a charge is billed to your account and paid. Points are not awarded for the following transactions: dash advances services fees and Interest, express cash charges for dishonoured checks, finance charges, travellers cheques, late payment and referral charges, cash advances, foreign exchange.

Once you have earned your points, you have several options (listed below) to redeem your points. There are travel rewards, shopping rewards, and entertainment rewards you can cash your points in for. Points never expire and there is no limit to the number of points you earn.

Use Points

  • Travel Rewards: The Membership Rewards Program can work great for people who frequently travel. There are a wide variety of options for redeeming your rewards points whether it be for airline tickets or hotel stays. You also have the option of transferring your Amex reward points into a frequent flier program of your choice or redeem your reward points for an airline ticket certificate. In addition, you can also choose to redeem your points for rental cars.
  • Shopping Rewards: The program has a significant number of retail partners. This allows members to get discounts by shopping at the retailers who are affiliated with Amex. These retailers includes categories like apparel, electronics, beauty, sports and more. You can choose to redeem your reward points for gifts or gift certificates from many of the retailers. The program offers incentives for shopping with the featured retailers. From time to time, American Express will offer enrollees the opportunity to accrue extra Points for charges made at particular merchants which accept American Express Cards or during a specific period of time or in connection with offers and marketing initiatives performed with participating merchants and/or companies of the American Express Group.
  • Entertainment Rewards: The entertainment rewards the program offers are one of a kind. There are seven different categories under entertainment for American Express Membership Rewards Program. One such category is the ‘Experience Category’ which allows you the option to redeem your reward points for some of the coolest experiences. You can choose between various options including a day trip to Wonderland in Canada, or a hot air balloon trip. Even experiences as incredible as a sub-orbital space flight and a zero gravity flight are also available with your points.

How To Enroll
The Membership Rewards program is a built-in feature of most American Express® Cards — you may already be enrolled. If your Card is not enrolled, log in to your account, select the “Points Summary” link, and then the enroll button.

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Review of the Mariott Rewards Credit Cards

By on January 11, 2010 in travel rewards

The rewards cards offered by Mariott allow you to choose between points, air miles and rewards certificates. The program offers three levels of Elite Membership: Platinum, Gold, and Silver. This article highlights some of the benefits of each of the three cards offered by Marriott and compares the cards to other travel rewards cards such as: the Amex Starwood, Discover Miles, and Chase Sapphire. With this information you can see how they stack up against each other and hopefully make an informed decision on which card or cards will work best for you.

Marriott Rewards Credit Card

The Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card is a rewards card that offers 22,500 bonus points after your first purchase. Once you are approved for the card you will receive a free night stay at category 1-4 hotels. Members also receive 10 nights credit towards Elite status. You can qualify for the anniversary 10 nights Elite status credit, as long as your account is open and not in default on your account anniversary date. The card offers 3 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations and 1 point per $1 spent everywhere else. The rate for purchases and balance transfer 9.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee waived for the first year and $30 thereafter.

Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card

The Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Signature Card offers 30,000 bonus points after your first purchase. Once approved as a member you will receive a free night at any category 1-4 hotels. You will also receive a free night stay EVERY YEAR upon account anniversary at any category 1-5hotels and 15 nights credit toward Elite status. For every $1 spent at Marriott locations you will earn 5 points, 2 points per $1 spent on airline, dining and rental car purchases and $1 spent everywhere else. The card offers a purchase and balance transfer APR of 10.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee is waived the first year and is $30 thereafter.

Marriott Rewards Business Card

The Marriott Rewards Business Card offers 22,500 bonus points after your first purchase. Once approved for an account you will receive a free night stay at any category 1-4 hotels. Account holders also receive 10 night credit toward Elite status. You will earn 3 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations and 1 point per $1 everywhere else. You can get cards for key employees at no additional cost, consolidated monthly billing statements and quarterly management reports. The purchase and balance transfer APR is 9.99% plus the prime rate. The annual fee is waived the first year and is $30 thereafter.

How Do They Match Up

We’ve always been partial to the Starwood Preferred Guest card from American Express. It offers great bonus Starpoints, you can accumulate Starpoints quickly, and they can be used for hotel stays or flights. But each card listed below has pros and cons.

Interest RatesIntro RatesBonus OffersAnnual Fees

Mariott Rewards Visa		9.9% + prime rateN/A22,500 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
Mariott Premier Visa10.9% + prime rateN/A30,000 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
Mariott Rewards Business Visa9.9% + prime rateN/A22,500 points & free hotel stay$30 - waived 1st year
American Express Starwood11.99% + prime rate2.9% for 6 months25,000 points$45 - waived 1st year
Discover Miles8.74% + prime rate0% for 6 months12,000 miles$0
Chase Sapphire(SM)Prime Rate + 8.99%N/A10,000 points$0

Of the five cards listed the Discover Miles Card offers a low APR at a rate of 8.74% plus the prime rate. All three of the Mariott Rewards Cards offer low rates as well at 9.99% plus the prime rate. The Mariott Cards do not offer any special introductory rates like the Amex Starwood Card, Discover Miles Card, and the Chase Sapphire(SM). However, the bonus offers appear to be on the generous side for the Mariott Cards with all three cards offering bonus points after your first purchase and a free hotel stay once you are approved for the card. The cards also requires an annual fee of $30 that is waived the first year, as does the Amex Starwood Card with a fee of $45. The cards that offer no annual fee are the Discover Miles, and Chase Sapphire cards.

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How to Use Starwood Starpoints for Free Hotel Stays

By on January 6, 2010 in credit card rewards

The Starwood Preferred Guest Program offers multiple ways for you to redeem your Starpoints for free hotel stays. This article will review the different options for cashing in your Starpoints and it will review some of the rules and regulations of the program. As you are reviewing the information, keep in mind there are ways for you to get extra Starpoints if you need, and the American Express Starwood Preferred card is the best way to get bonus Starpoints and Starpoints for on everyday purchases.

The table below shows you the different options and the corresponding amount of Starpoints it take to participate. The numbers across the top represent the Starwood hotel categories, with category 7 representing the most exclusive Starwood hotels available.

Starpoints Requirements

1234567
Free Nights-Weekdays3,0004,,0007,00010,00012,000-16,00020,000-25,00030,000-35,000
Free Nights - Weekends2,0003,0007,00010,00012,000-16,00020,000-25,00030,000-35,000
Cash and Points1,200 +$251,600 + $302,800 + $454,000 + $604,800 + $908,000 + $150N/A
5th Night FreeN/AN/A28,00040,00048,000 - 64,00080,000 - 100,000120,000 - 140,000
Room Upgrades1,000 - 1,5001,000 - 1,5001,000 - 1,5001,000 - 1,5001,500 - 2,7501,500 - 2,7501,500 - 2,750
Suite Upgrades3,0004,0007,00010,00012,000 - 16,00020,000 - 25,00030,000 - 35,000
50% off Regular Rack Rates1,0001,0001,0001,0001,0001,0001,000
Nights and FlightsN/AN/A60,00070,000N/AN/AN/A

Free Night – Weekdays
The Starwood Preferred Guest® program allows you to redeem Starpoints® for Free Night Awards without blackout dates or extra point charges on standard rooms–regardless of your membership level. You will need 3,000 Starpoints for a free night during the week at a Category 1 hotel.

Free Night – Weekends
You can save 1,000 Starpoints per night when you redeem weekend nights at Category 1 and 2 hotels. The minimum of 2,000 Starpoints is needed to redeem for a free weekend night in a standard room at a Category 1 hotel. The number of Starpoints needed for a free night in a standard room varies by hotel category. During the peak seasons, some properties will charge higher Starpoints rates. To find the optimal time to redeem, take a look at peak season date ranges for Category 5, Category 6 and Category 7. You will need 2,000 Starpoints® for a free weekend night.

Fifth Night Free
The free night offered with any Fifth Night Free Award applies only to the fifth consecutive night within the same stay for which that award was ordered. There will be no Starpoints refund or free night credit for any unused portion of a Fifth Night Free Award. The Fifth Night Free Award is available for category 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 hotels.

Cash And Points
Starwood Preferred Guest® allows you to redeem free nights using a combination of cash and Starpoints®. The cash components of this award that are confirmed in non-USD will be adjusted, as needed, to reflect the USD equivalent of the award before being posted in local currency to the customer’s bill during the hotel stay.

Room Upgrade
With 1,000 Starpoints® you can get a room upgrade at any of the participating Starwood hotels or resorts. You can arrange for an upgrade within five days of arrival to a Specialty, Specialty Select Room, or Suite on reservations booked at RACK, COR, SET, or BAR. You may upgrade from any category of room on an eligible rate paid reservation. The upgrade Starpoint amounts noted are per room/per night. Upgrade types may include larger rooms, a Club Room, Westin Guest Office, Corporate Club Room, Smart Room, a room on a floor that may include Club Lounge Services or Concierge Services, suites, or a room based on type of view or floor within the hotel. Each type of upgrade room is not available at all properties.

50% Off Regular Rates
You can redeem 1,000 Starpoints® for a certificate offering 50% off regular rack rates for a stay of up to five nights. Unlike the Free Nights Awards, 50% Off Regular Rack Rates awards are subject to availability.

Nights and Flights
You can use your Starpoints to pay for your entire vacation which would include your hotel stay and airfare. The Nights & Flights offer allows you to redeem 60,000 Starpoints for 50,000 airline miles and five free nights at a Category 3 hotel or resort. With Nights & Flights II, you can redeem 70,000 Starpoints and receive 50,000 airline miles and five free nights at a Category 4 hotel or resort. This Award is only offered with airlines with a 1 Starpoint to 1 Airline mile transfer ratio. The maximum transfer to the airline offered in this award is 50,000 miles, so it is each member’s responsibility to verify with their desired airline the value of these miles for air travel awards. Any additional miles required are the responsibility of the member.

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How to Use Starwood Starpoints for Free Air Travel

By on January 4, 2010 in credit card rewards

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) was the first hotel loyalty program to allow members to use points for booking an airline ticket on virtually any available flight with their SPG Flights redemption option. And SPG actually offers two different ways to use StarPoints for air travel. First, you can transfer your Starpoints to miles on just about any airline. And second, you can use Starpoints directly to purchase your flight through SPG Flights. Both of these options have pros and cons depending on your specific situation. Let’s take a look at each option.

Note: The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express is a great way to earn Starpoints, including up to 25,000 bonus StarPoints for new card members.

Transfer Starpoints to Airline Miles Programs

You can convert Starpoints to airline miles. Starwood Preferred Guests can transfer up to 79,999 Starpoints per transaction per program to the frequent flyer programs. Plus, for every 20,000 Starpoints transferred within the same transaction, Starwood will automatically add another 5,000 Starpoints. This means that up to 94,999 Starpoints can be transferred into your frequent flyer account, with most airlines, making a free flight that much closer. In fact, for those airlines that require 25,000 miles for a ticket, the 5,000 bonus Starpoints make a ticket attainable with just 20,000 Starpoints.

Transfer maximums are based on a combination of member Starpoints and the Starwood Preferred Guest airline transfer transaction bonus. Only one airline transfer transaction per member per program per 24 hour period is allowed; multiple transfer transactions within the same 24 hour period will be rejected. Both the Starwood Preferred Guest and airline frequent flyer program accounts must have identical member names in order to complete this request.

Here is a table showing the airline miles programs you can transfer Starpoints to, along with the transfer ratio:

Frequent Flyer Program Exchange Ratio (Starpoints : Miles)
Aeroplan/Air Canada 1:1
Air Berlin 1:1
Air China Companion 1:1
Air New Zealand & Air Points 65:1
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan 1:1
Alitalia MilleMiglia 1:1
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club 1:1
American Airlines AAdvantage 1:1
Asia Miles 1:1
Asiana Airlines 1:1
British Airways Executive Club 1:1
Continental Airlines(R) OnePass 2:1
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles 1:1
El Al Israel Airlines No Transfer Option
Emirates Skywards 1:1
Flying Blue 1:1
Hawaiian Airlines 1:1
Iberia Plus No Transfer Option
Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank 1:1
LAN LANPASS 1:2
Mexicana Frecuenta 1:1
Miles and More 1:1
Qatar Airways 1:1
Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan 1:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer 2:1
Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus 1:1
US Airways Dividend Miles 1:1
United Mileage Plus 2:1
VARIG Smiles 2:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club 1:1

Transferring Starpoints to airline miles can be really handy when you have some airline miles, but not quite enough for a free ticket. You can use Starpoints to top off your airline miles account for a free flight or upgrade.

Redeem Starpoints for Flights
With this option you redeem Starpoints directly for your airline ticket. Tickets are available for more airlines than those currently listed as Starwood Preferred Guest airline transfer partners. You still have the option to transfer Starpoints to an airline and receive miles with Starwood Preferred Guest transfer partners; however, SPG Flights allows you to skip the transfer step, expands your flight options to include more airlines, and eliminates blackout dates and other restrictions found with many airline mile redemption programs. You can redeem Starpoints in three simple steps.

  1. Go to www.spg.com/flights to search for flights
  2. Select your flight
  3. Redeem Starpoints for an airline ticket

Your Starpoints will be deducted from your account and you will receive email itinerary confirmation. The premise of SPG flights is that you can search for any flight directly from spgflights.com and book it with your Starpoints. Starwood then pays the airline for the flight and you still earn miles for the flight. See the table below to get an idea of the purchase price of the flights. If you need more information check out the SPG Flights Terms and Conditions page.

Ticket Price Starpoints
up to $150 10,000
$150-$215 15,000
$215-$280 20,000
$280-$345 25,000
$345-$410 30,000
$410-$475 35,000
$475-$540 40,000
$540-$605 45,000
$605-$670 50,000
$670-$735 55,000
$735-$800 60,000
$800-$865 65,000
$865-$930 70,000
$930-$995 75,000
$995-$1060 80,000


Buying More Points
One nice feature is that Starwood let’s members purchase up to 20,000 additional Starpoints per calendar year as long as you have been an SPG member for at least one month. You can buy 500 Starpoints for $17.50. The Starpoint Purchase Plan is for members who need a few extra points to top off your balance so you can get your free ticket. There is no minimum Starpoint transfer requirement for Platinum members. Gold members have a minimum transfer requirement of 1,500 Starpoints, and Preferred members have a minimum transfer requirement of 2,500 Starpoints.

Which Is The Best Option
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to go about purchasing your flight. Each situation is unique, and members must consider all factors, such as: flight times and availability, booking fees, number of Starpoints or airline miles available to them, convenience, etc. to best determine whether or not it is more advantageous to redeem Starpoints than airline miles for a flight. Please note that SPG Flights is a new redemption option created to offer Starwood Preferred Guest members greater versatility for using their Starpoints. It was not created to compete with airline frequency programs, although in some situations, there may be better value redeeming Starpoints for a flight.

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American Express Blue Review

By on January 2, 2010 in Credit Card Offers

Review of the American Express Blue Credit Cards–Blue, Blue Cash, and Blue Sky

While perhaps best known for its charge cards, American Express also as an award winning line of credit cards called American Express Blue. There are three cards offered: Blue, Blue Cash, and Blue Sky. Each card is designed with different rewards, depending on what you want from your credit card. Will review each, with links to the official americanexpress.com website that has more information on each card and an online application. To begin, here is a quick comparison of the cards:

Blue Sky from American ExpressSMBlue Cash® from American ExpressBlue from American Express®
SummaryEarn free travel fast with no annual fee and no blackout dates or restrictions.
More Details
Use points for flights on any airline, stays at any hotel, and car rentals with any company.		Earn up to 5% cash back with no annual fee and cash rewards.
More Details
Track your cash back and get tips for earning more with Cash Tracker tools.		Earn great rewards without an annual fee.
More Details
Transfer Membership Rewards® points to more than 20 frequent flyer and guest programs.
Good ForFree travel with zero restrictions and no annual feeUnlimited cash rewards with no annual feeRewards and no annual fee
Rewards ProgramPoints from Blue SkyCash back rewardsMembership Rewards Express® program
How You Earn Points or MilesEarn 1 point for every eligible dollar you spend.Earn up to 5% cash back at supermarkets, gas stations and drugstores, plus up to 1.25% cash back for all other eligible purchases1 point for every eligible dollar. 2X points at the American Express Travel website. 2X - 10X with select partners
Using Points or Miles for Rewards
Redeem 7,500 points for $100 off virtually any travel purchase including airlines (with no blackout dates), hotels, cruises and car rentals Receive your annual rebate as a credit on your statement one month following your Card Anniversary dateUse points for rewards from over 500 brands

Blue from American Express®

Blue from American Express is a points card that offers 0% APR for 6 months with no annual fee. Cardholders earn points virtually every time they use the card, and 2X points when the card is used to shop online at the American Express Bonus Points Mall®. And Amex awards 3X points when you shop with select online retailers like Apple, Barnes & Noble at the Bonus Points Mail®. Once earned, points can be used to buy merchandise or to pay for travel with no blackout dates.

American Express Blue Sky

Blue Sky is a travel rewards credit card especially designed for frequent flyers. The card awards 1 point for virtually every $1 spent. The key benefit of this card, however, is in its redemption rewards. Blue Sky points are worth 33% more than many other points programs. With Blue Sky, it takes just 7,500 points to earn a $100 statement credit for any travel purchase. As with the Blue card, Blue Sky offers 0% APR for 6 months and has no annual fee.

American Express Blue Cash

Amex Blue Cash is one of the few 5% cash back cards. Here’s how it works. For each 12 billing cycle period, purchases up to a total of $6,500 earn 1.0% if they are for groceries, drug stores, or gas, and 0.5% on everything else. Once you’ve spent a total of $6,500 on the card, the cash back rewards jump to 5% for groceries, drug stores, and gas, and 1.25% on everything else. the card also offers 0% APR for 6 months with no annual fee.

Blue Cash EverydaySM Card from American Express
Blue Cash Everyday<sup>SM</sup> Card from American Express
Apply Now...
  • Earn $100 cash back after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Cardmembership
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, flexibility to pay over time
  • Get 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • No spend minimum, No enrollment, and No rotating rewards categories
  • Get a $25 Referral Bonus for each friend or family member who is approved for the Card
  • No annual fee, flexibility to pay over time
Intro APR Intro APR
Period		 Regular
APR		 Annual
Fee		 Balance
Transfer		 Credit
Needed
0.00%* 12 months on purchases* 17.24-22.24% (Variable)* $0.00* No Excellent Credit*

Blue Sky from American Express®
Blue Sky from American Express®
Apply Now...
  • 7,500 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within 3 months - redeemable for a $100 statement credit.
  • No annual fee.
  • Travel rewards with no blackout dates or travel restrictions. Redeem with any airline, any car rental, any hotel - anytime.
  • Pay your bill all at once, or over time. It's up to you.
  • Blue Savings Program®: big deals on big brands, all the time.
  • Get a decision in as little as 60 seconds.
Intro APR Intro APR
Period		 Regular
APR		 Annual
Fee		 Balance
Transfer		 Credit
Needed
0.00%* 12 months on purchases* 17.24-22.24% (Variable)* $0.00* No Excellent Credit*

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