Get Big Broadway Travel Experiences With Starwood Points

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!

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

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:

• 2 weekend nights at a Category 1 hotel
• 1 night at a Category 2 hotel
• 1 night at a Category 4 hotel when you add $75 using Cash & Points (This includes hotels like the The Westin Grand Vancouver and Walt Disney World Swan!)

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

• United Airlines – There are lots of ways to earn United Airlines miles.  Including transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United Airlines.  If you need help with booking a United Airlines award flight, check out my post on how to use United Airlines miles.

• Southwest – If you need more Southwest points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest.  Plus, if you have the Southwest Companion Pass, a friend can fly with you for (almost) free!

• British Airways – If you’re a short flight away from New York (or the other cities on the list), you can save miles by using British Airways Avios points to book an award flight on American Airlines.   Chase Ultimate Rewards points , American Express Membership Rewards points, and Starwood Preferred Guest points transfer to British Airways.

• Amtrak –  You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Amtrak and travel from cities like Boston and Washington, DC.  Here’s how to book Amtrak with points.

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