Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points

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Did you know you can save cash on Broadway shows with Starwood points?  It’s often a good deal!

In addition to award stays at Starwood hotels, flights on ~30 airline partners, Cash & Points, and Nights & Flights – you can use Starwood points to see Broadway shows in 6 cities!

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
Use Starwood Points to Get Tickets to Dozens of Broadway Shows in Cities Including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York!

I’ll explain how this unique way to use Starwood points works!

About the AMEX Starwood Card

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express

Link:   My Review of the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Starwood hotels include AloftElementFour PointsLe MeridienSheratonSt RegisThe Luxury CollectionWestin and W brand hotels.

The sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood card (personal and small business) is usually 25,000 Starwood points after meeting minimum spending requirements.

But through September 14, 2015, you can earn 30,000 Starwood points.  That’s a big deal because with 5,000 extra Starwood points you can get:

Check out my top picks for Starwood award stays here in the US (including The St. Regis New York), top US beaches, the Caribbean and Mexico, Europe, Central and South America, and Asia and Australia!

What’s the Deal?

Link:   Redeem Starwood Points for Broadway Shows

I’ve written about how to redeem Starwood points for award stays.

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
Stay on Broadway at the W New York – Times Square and See a Broadway Show. You Can Redeem Starwood Points for Both!

If you enjoy live theater, consider using Starwood points to see Broadway shows with Audience Rewards.  You could even see a show AND stay at a Starwood hotel, like the W New York – Times Square, for a truly memorable vacation!

Currently, you can book tickets for performances in these cities:

  • Chicago
  • Charlotte
  • Durham
  • New York
  • Los Angeles
  • San Jose

Starwood says:

Through SPG’s exclusive partnership with Audience Rewards – the official loyalty program of Broadway – you can earn, redeem or use a combination of Cash & Starpoints for tickets to dozens of Broadway shows.

So you can earn Starwood points when you pay for tickets.  Or you can use them to buy tickets in 2 ways:

  • Use Starwood points to cover the entire cost of the show
  • Use a combination of Starwood points and cash to pay for a show

This can be a great way to save money when you’re visiting a big city for vacation with the family, or away on a romantic trip.  And folks who love Broadway might be tempted to see 1 more show during their travels!

Be sure to read my tips about how to get Big Travel with Small Money in New York!

How Does It Work?

Link:   Audience Rewards

Get started by browsing the selection of available tickets.

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
Pick The City Where You Want to See a Play, Then Click “Start Browsing Shows”

Select your city, then click “Start Browsing Shows.”

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
Orchestra and Mezzanine Tickets to “Les Miserables” in September Are $106 Each

I picked “Les Miserables.”  Tickets in the orchestra and front mezzanine are going for $106 each in September.

Click “Awards for this Show” to see how many Starwood points it costs for a ticket.

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
You Can Choose Your Seat, and Whether to Pay the Whole Cost With Starwood Points or a Combination of Points and Cash

An orchestra side seat for “Les Miserables” costs only 3,000 Starwood points.  So each point is worth ~3.5 cents, which is a great deal.  That’s because most award redemptions tend to be around 2 cents per point.  Anything more is a great way to use your points!

Or you can pay a combination of Starwood points and cash.  For example, when you pay 1,000 Starwood points for the same ticket, your cash co-pay is only $20.  That means the 1,000 Starwood points covers the remaining balance, which is $86 ($106 – $20 cash co-pay).  In that case, your Starwood points are worth nearly 9 cents each!

When you find a ticket you want, sign-in to Audience Rewards to link up your Starwood account.  After you check-out, your ticket will arrive via email.

Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points
Who Says You Can Only Get Value From Starwood Points on Travel? You Can Save Lots of Money If You Love Broadway Shows, but Be Selective Because Not All of Them Are Amazing Deals

But not every play has these great values for your Starwood points.

Some shows cost 10,000+ Starwood points for tickets you can buy out-of-pocket for ~$150.  In that case, your points are worth ~1.5 cents each.

You’ll save more money when each point is worth at least 2 cents, so you can do better with other shows, or other Starwood awards, like Cash & Points or Nights & Flights.

If you love Broadway shows and want to save cash, you can get a great deal with Starwood points!

Other Options for Discounts to Broadway Shows

There are other ways to get tickets to shows on Broadway, like StubHub.com or visiting a TKTS booth (in New York).  Like with the Starwood points option, you can get a good deal – or a not-so-good deal.

Factors like price, convenience, and types of seats available are all considerations, especially for folks who want a certain experience, like being near the stage or enjoying a particular vantage point.  And they can vary from day to day, or by performance.

As always, run the numbers and choose what’s best for you!

Don’t Live Near New York (or Another Audience Rewards City)? Get There for Cheap!

You can use your miles or points to get to New York (or Charlotte, Chicago, Durham, Los Angeles, and San Jose) for close to free!

Here are a few ways you can get there:

Don’t forget, you can get to the other cities with Audience Rewards options using the ways listed above!

Bottom Line

Folks love Starwood points because there are several ways to redeem them, including for Big Broadway Travel experiences when you don’t want to pay cash.

Starwood partners with Audience Rewards, which means you can use Starwood points, or a combination of Starwood points and cash, to see dozens of Broadway shows in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

Your points can save you more cash than an award stay or flight (depending on the show you choose) when you redeem Starwood points this way, which is perfect for a family vacation or spontaneous getaway.

Don’t forget you can also use Starwood points for award stays at Starwood hotels and flights on ~30 airline partners!

Would you use Starwood points to see a show on Broadway?

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