Earn Bonus Starwood Points for Broadway Show Tickets, Redeem for Unforgettable Experiences

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Did you know you can earn lots of Starwood points by booking your show tickets through Audience Rewards?  In some cases, you can earn up to ~18 points per $1!

And you can use the Starwood points you’ve earned for award stays at Starwood hotels, flights on ~30 airline partners, Cash & Points, and Nights & Flights.  And for once-in-a-lifetime experiences with a Starwood program called SPG Moments.

I’ll show you how to earn more Starwood points with Audience Rewards, and get some great bargains with SPG Moments.

Earning Starwood Points With Audience Rewards

Link:   Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points

Link:   Audience Rewards

Audience Rewards is like a frequent-flyer program for Broadway shows!  Because they’re partners with Starwood, you can earn and redeem Starwood points for tickets to Broadway shows in 7 cities:

• Chicago
• Durham
• Los Angeles
• New York
• San Diego
• San Jose
• Tucson

You can earn lots of Starwood points by buying your Broadway tickets via Audience Rewards.  And to get even more bonus points, check the special offers and see if the show you want is listed.

When you click “See more offers,” the link will take you to the page listing the current bonus deals.

In the example above, you’ll earn 2,500 Starwood points when you buy a ticket for ~$137 or ~$147.  That works out to ~17 or ~18 Starwood points per $1 (2,500 Starwood points / ~$147 or $137 price of ticket).

This is huge!  A single ticket would get you a weekend night in a category 1 hotel (2,000 Starwood points), and 3 tickets would get you a night at a category 3 hotel (7,000 Starwood points) with a few hundred Starwood points to spare.

Not all offers are so great, but there are many good ones!

But Check the Terms of the Deal!

When you see an offer you like, always check the Terms and Conditions.  Because you’ll often earn bonus points only for specific dates or times.

For example, you can earn 1,900 Starwood points for buying a ~$133+ ticket for Chicago.  That equals ~14 Starwood points per $1 (1,900 Starwood points / $133 price of ticket).

However, not every ticket for the performance will get you the same earning rate.  In this example, you’ll earn 1,900 Starwood points per ticket for a weekend matinee performance.  If you’d rather go to an evening show, the earning rate drops to 700 Starwood points per ticket.

According to the terms:

Earn 1,900 Starpoints per ticket for Saturday and Sunday matinee performances priced at $133 and up.  Or, earn 700 Starpoints per ticket for all evening performances priced at $139 and up.

So always read the Terms and Conditions carefully to avoid nasty surprises.

Double Dip to Earn More Starwood Points

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

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

Link:   My Review of the Best-Ever AMEX Starwood Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Want to double dip and earn even more Starwood points?  Buy your tickets with AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest personal or small business card, and you’ll earn 1 additional Starwood point per $1.

And right now, AMEX Starwood cards have highest bonus ever.  Through April 5, 2017, you’ll earn a total of 35,000 Starwood points after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements with either the personal or small business version of the card.

Remember, AMEX will only give you the sign-up bonus for each card ONCE per lifetime.

You can read my review of the improved sign-up bonus here.

Redeeming Starwood Points for Unforgettable Experiences With SPG Moments

Link:   Use Your Starwood Points for Unforgettable Experiences With SPG Moments

SPG Moments is a great program that allows you to redeem Starwood points on experiences you might not be able to get any other way.  Some of the experiences have a fixed price and others are up for bidding.

There are four categories of SPG Moments:

• Culinary Moments
• Culture Moments
• Music Moments
• Sports Moments

The events take place all over the world.  These Culinary Moments, for example, take place in Chicago, Tokyo, and New York.

Culture moments can include exclusive access to performers.  For example, if you win this bid, you will meet the cast of School of Rock after enjoying the show.

Music Moments currently include some fantastic shows at the famed London O2 – “the world’s number one music and entertainment venue in London.”  For only 15,000 Starwood points you can enjoy concerts from Kiss and Iron Maiden.  All in a private suite for 2, fully stocked with snacks and drinks.

When you see a show you like, act quickly because tickets can sell out in no time!

Sports moments can be especially exciting.  Folks can enjoy major games at Madison Square Garden in New York or Staples Center in Los Angeles – and enjoy their free food and drink in the SPG luxury suite!

You can buy 2 tickets to a hockey game at Staples Center for 25,000 Starwood points.

And folks on Flyertalk describe “snacks” more like a full meal, including roast chicken, meatballs, potatoes, and salads.

Folks living in New York or visiting during a big game might want to start checking the SPG Moments website a few weeks before going.  If you’re a sports fan, you can enjoy a game from your Event Level Suite VIP seats with access to the SPG luxury suite at Madison Square Garden.

Starwood usually sells basketball game tickets for 40,000 to 45,000 Starwood points and hockey tickets for 45,000 to 55,000 points.  It’s the same deal – a luxury suite with nice snacks, beer, and wine is included, and the price is for 2 people.

Here’s a package for an upcoming hockey game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers.

And another for a New York Knicks versus Washington Wizards basketball game.

You can’t see the game from your suite at the Garden, but it’s just a few seconds’ walk to the Event Level Suite, which has some of the best seats in house.

These packages could be a fantastic deal for folks celebrating a special occasion, like a birthday or anniversary.  Or if you have a date you really want to impress!

Is It Worth It?

The cost of a good ticket to a major game at Madison Square Garden can easily exceed $1,000, and even the cheapest suites at the Garden go for $5,000.

Here is what a good ticket to New York Knicks versus Washington Wizards can cost.

With an SPG Moments deal, you get 2 tickets.  And you get a luxury suite!

Spending 40,000 or even 55,000 Starwood points on 2 tickets to a great game with your own suite access that includes wine, beer, and food is a fantastic deal – but only if you value the experience.

Bottom Line

Buying Broadway show tickets via Audience Rewards can be a fantastic way to earn Starwood points.

Always check the specials, because in some cases you can earn 10 or more Starwood points per $1.  But don’t forget to read the fine print.  Sometimes, buying a cheaper ticket for the same show can get you a better earning rate.  Don’t overspend just to get more points.

SPG Moments can be a fantastic way to redeem Starwood points on once-in-a-lifetime experiences.  You can even attend a concert or a major sporting event in the comfort of your own suite.  Check the SPG Moments website often, because events get added all the time.

However, if you don’t value Broadway shows and special events highly enough, there are plenty of terrific ways to redeem Starwood points, like award stays at Starwood hotels, flights on ~30 airline partners, Cash & Points, and Nights & Flights.