How to Get 2 Round-Trips (or 4 One-Ways) to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and in US With Starwood Card Bonus [OFFER EXPIRED]

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

Visit beautiful beaches, take a partner on a romantic getaway, or go hiking in the mountains to spot wildlife.

You can use your Starwood points to get 2 round-trip off-peak coach flights (or 4 one-ways) to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, on American Airlines when you book award flights.

I’ll show you how to get there with 50,000 American Airlines miles.  And how you’ll have enough with the current 35,000 point offers on the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express personal and small business cards!

Earn 35,000 Starwood Points With the AMEX Starwood Cards

Link:   Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

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

Link:   How to Fill Out an American Express Business Card Application

Link:   How to Use Starwood Points

Apply before March 30, 2016, to earn the increased bonus on both cards.  You’ll get:

• 35,000 Starwood points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account (personal card), OR
• 35,000 Starwood points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account (small business card)
• 2 points per $1 you spend at Starwood hotels (includes Aloft, Design Hotels, Element, Four Points, Le Meridien, Sheraton, St Regis, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Westin and W brand hotels)
• 1 Starwood point per $1 you spend on everything else
• Unlimited use of Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots (excluding in-flight)
• For small business cardholders, access to Sheraton Club lounges (free breakfast and hors d’oeuvres) for cardholder and 1 guest staying in the same room (3rd party bookings are excluded).
• 2 stay credits or 5 night credits toward Starwood Elite Status
• $95 annual fee, waived for the 1st year
• No foreign transaction fees
• Terms & limitations apply

Note:   American Express only allows folks to get the sign-up bonus ONCE per person, per lifetime on ALL their cards.

Get 2 Round-Trip Flights or 4 One-Ways on American Airlines With 35,000 Starwood Points

Link:   Book American Airlines Award Flights Like a Pro

Starwood points transfer to ~30 airline partners, including American Airlines.

When you transfer 20,000 Starwood points to an airline with a 1:1 ratio with Starwood (like American Airlines), you’ll get 5,000 bonus miles.  So your 20,000 Starwood points become 25,000 American Airlines miles!

You’ll have at least 38,000 OR 40,000 Starwood points after completing the minimum spending requirements, depending on which version of the card you get.

When you transfer 40,000 Starwood points, you’ll end up with 50,000 American Airlines miles (with the 5,000 mile bonus for every 20,000 Starwood points you transfer).  That’s enough for a 2 round-trip coach award tickets:

• To the Caribbean
• To Mexico
• To Central America
• Within the US

Off-peak dates to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America are September 7, through November 14.  And April 27, through May 20.  If you travel during those windows, you can get a round-trip coach award ticket for 25,000 American Airlines miles (or 12,500 American Airlines miles each way).

Other times of the year, flights cost 15,000 American Airlines miles each way.

For example, I found lots of great flights from Chicago to Managua, Nicaragua.  The seats I found will cost 12,500 American Airlines miles each way now that American Airlines has  updated its award chart.  Flights to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, are decreasing in price!

You can start your travels from any point in the continental US for NO additional miles!  And, you can also travel to the Caribbean or Mexico for the same number of miles.

For example, I found award seats from Seattle to Aruba for the same off-peak price.

You can also fly to any airport served by American Airlines within the mainland US, like Flagstaff, Arizona.  From there, you can visit Sedona.  Or even drive to Grand Canyon National Park, which is only an hour away, for a family vacation!

American Airlines also has service near lots of other National Parks, including Yellowstone and Glacier National Park!

Need More American Airlines Miles?

35,000 Starwood points is the highest sign-up bonus ever for the AMEX Starwood Preferred Guest personal or small business cards.

You’ll end up with at least 38,000 OR 40,000 Starwood points, depending on which card you get, after completing the minimum spending requirements.

Every time you transfer 20,000 Starwood points to American Airlines, you’ll get 5,000 bonus miles.  So 40,000 Starwood points is worth 50,000 American Airlines miles!

That’s enough for a 2 round-trip coach award flights (or 4 one-way flights) to the Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America, during off-peak periods when you book after March 22, 2016! Off-peak dates are September 7, through November 14.  And April 27, through May 20. 50,000 American Airlines miles is also enough for 2 round-trip award flights anywhere in the mainland US! You can apply for both AMEX Starwood cards, or open an American Airlines credit card, like the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card, to boost your American Airlines balance.

Where in the Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America, would you visit?