One of my all time favorite credit cards is the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card. It’s great because Starwood hotel redemptions are among the most favorable in the industry, but the option to convert Starpoints into airline miles often at a 1:1 ratio offers another tremendous avenue to value. To top it all off, if you convert 20,000 Starpoints to airline miles, you get a 5,000 mile bonus, which means you are getting a 1:1.25 conversion ratio. Pretty darn outstanding, especially considering that most airline credit cards only earn 1 mile per $1 spent.
How Do I Apply For The Starwood Amex Card?
Right now you can earn 25,000 Starwood points by signing up. Just follow this link to apply for the Starwood American Express Card. You will earn 10,000 bonus points after your first purchase, and an additional 15,000 points after spending $5,000 on the card within 6 months of opening your account. Remember that the annual fee on the card is $65, however the annual fee is waived for the first year for new card members.
Benefits of the Starwood Amex Card
- Earn 2 points per dollar for purchases at Starwood hotels and resorts
- Earn 1 point per dollar for all other purchases
- Redeem points to save on special awards like the Starwood 5th Night Free award
- Convert Starpoints to airline miles (rate varies by airline, but most airlines are 1:1)
- Get 5,000 bonus Starwood points if you convert 20,000 Starwood points to airline miles. This equates to a 1 to 1.2 earning rate for airline miles, which often exceeds standard co-branded airline cards like the MileagePlus Explorer card and Citi American AAdvantage card.
- Purchase protection for up to 90 days after purchase
- Extended warranty (get one extra year of warranty for all items with a warranty up to 5 years)
- Return protection for up to 90 days after purchase
- Low $65 annual fee
In addition, as a cardholder you can participate in the great American Express promotions like Small Business Saturday and Amex Sync bonuses.
Bottom Line
The Starwood Amex Card is a fantastic card that offers the ability to earn points for both free hotel stays and airline miles. At a 1 : 1.2 earning rate for airline miles, this card can be a more effective way to earn free flights than signing up for the airline’s own credit card. The $65 annual fee is also rather low compared to other travel related credit cards that come with fees of $85 or more. The American Express Starwood card is simply a great all-around card to have in your wallet for everyday purchases, and even better if you are a loyal Starwood hotels customer.
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