
The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card® from American Express (personal or ) is actually a better option for many purchases!
I’ll explain why!
Earn Starwood Points With AMEX Starwood Cards
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
Link: How to Fill Out an American Express Business Credit Card Application
Until September 14, 2015, there’s an increased sign-up bonus on the AMEX Starwood cards. You’ll get:- 30,000 Starwood points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account (personal card), or
- 30,000 Starwood points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account (small business card)
- 2X Starwood points per $1 you spend at Starwood hotels (includes Aloft, Element, Four Points, Le Meridien, Sheraton, St Regis, The Luxury Collection, Westin and W brand hotels)
- 1X 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
With the sign-up bonus of 30,000 Starwood points, you can get Starwood hotel stays or transfer them to ~30 airline partners.
Get Bonus Miles When You Transfer Starwood Points to Airlines
Link: Redeem Starwood Points for Travel
For every 20,000 Starwood points you transfer to airline partners (with a 1:1 transfer ratio), you’ll earn 5,000 bonus miles.
That means every $1 spent on the AMEX Starwood cards are worth up to 1.25 airline miles!

You’ll earn 25% more American Airlines miles or British Airways Avios points for regular spending on the AMEX Starwood cards than on their own credit cards!
For example, the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select and Chase British Airways cards both earn 1 mile or point per $1 spent on regular purchases that are NOT in a bonus category. And both of them have the same $95 annual fee as the AMEX Starwood cards. The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Plus with Starwood points, you’ll have the flexibility of redeeming your Starwood points for award stays at Starwood hotels, or transferring them to ~30 airline partners.
Or stretch your points by booking Nights & Flights or Cash & Points awards!Great Ways to Use Starwood Points for Flights
American Airlines
Link: American Airlines Award Chart
Link: American Airlines oneworld and Partner Award Chart
Link: My Series on Booking American Airlines Award Flights Like a Pro
You can use American Airlines miles for flights on American Airlines, oneworld partner airlines (like Cathay Pacific, Japan Air Lines, and Qantas), and other airline partners like Etihad.

American Airlines also has off-peak awards to:
- Mexico and the Caribbean for 12,500 American Airlines miles each way
- Central America and northern South America for 15,000 American Airlines miles each way
- Hawaii for 17,500 American Airlines miles each way
- Southern South America for 20,000 American Airlines miles each way
- Parts of Asia for 25,000 American Airlines miles each way
Be sure to check out my series about how to book award flights with American Airlines miles!
British Airways
Link: Wandering Aramean’s Avios Map
Link: British Airways Award Flight Calculator
Link: My Series on Booking British Airways Award Flights Like a Pro
British Airways Avios is a distance-based program, and any coach flight under 650 miles is only 4,500 points 1-way.
When you transfer 20,000 Starwood points to British Airways, you’ll get 25,000 British Airways Avios points, which is more than enough for 5 one-way award flights under 650 miles.

This is a great way to get to Europe or visit the Caribbean. And folks on the West Coast can visit Hawaii for 12,500 British Airways Avios points each way!
You can book flights on airline partners Air Berlin or Aer Lingus to save miles – and money! – with British Airways Avios points.
Read my series about how to book award flights with British Airways Avios points for more ideas!
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