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We are an independent publisher. Our reporters create honest, accurate, and objective content to help you make decisions. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Next” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.
This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (“advertiser listing”); and general information about credit card products (“editorial content”). Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a “Apply Now” button or “Learn More” button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuer’s website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Each advertiser is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its ad offer details, but we attempt to verify those offer details. We have partnerships with advertisers such as Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo and Discover. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Some of that content may also contain ads, including links to advertisers’ sites, and we may be paid on those ads or links.
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UPDATE: The Starwood American Express credit card offers in this post are no longer available, but check Hot Deals for the latest offers!
Did you know you can save cash on Broadway shows with Starwood points? It’s often a good deal!
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:
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!
Pick The City Where You Want to See a Play, Then Click “Start Browsing Shows”
Select your city, then click “Start Browsing Shows.”
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.
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.
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!
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.
Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)
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