Starwood Amex 30,000 Point Offers Are Back
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
This past weekend Amex announced a limited-time, increased bonus offer for the Starwood American Express personal and business OPEN credit cards. The signup bonus for this card is typically 25,000 points, but through June 30, 2014, new cardmembers can earn 30,000 Starwood points after spending $5,000 in the first 6 months.
Here are the details:
- 30,000 points - 10,000 after your first purchase, and an additional 20,000 when you spend $5,000 within 6 months.
- Get up to 5 Starpoints for every $1 of eligible spend charged directly with Starwood hotels & resorts – that's 2 Starpoints per dollar spent on the Card in addition to the Starpoints you get as a Starwood Preferred Guest member.
- Get 1 Starpoint for every dollar of eligible purchases.
- $65 annual fee, waived for the first year.
For the last several years, SPG has been my top hotel program because the points are extremely valuable and Starwood has a lot of aspirational properties that I love- like the St. Regis Princeville and the W Paris Opera, where I just stayed a few weeks ago.
While an extra 5,000 points may not seem like a monumental increase, I value Starpoints at 2.1 cents a piece, so those 5,000 points is a nice little bump in value- especially since the annual fee is waived the first year.
Flexibility
That added value comes not only from pure hotel redemptions, but also from the flexibility to book with points and cash. Starwood points also transfer to 32 airline partners, including many that give a 25% bonus for transfers of 20,000 points.
Key partners: American Airlines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines
Others: Aeromexico, Aeroplan (Air Canada), Air Berlin, Air China, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, ANA, Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific), Asiana, British Airways, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Flying Blue (Air France, KLM, Air Europa), GOL, Hainan, Hawaiian Airlines, LAN, Lufthansa, JAL, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, United, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia.
Double Bonus + Referrals
I have both the Personal SPG Amex and Business SPG Amex cards, and current cardholders can refer friends for a 5,000 Starpoint bonus. I applied for both in 2012 and was able to get both bonuses after a relatively painless process.
Other Benefits
- 2 stays and 5 nights towards elite status per card- so if you have both personal and business cards, you start the year with 4 stays/10 nights.
- Gold status with $30,000 in spend per calendar year
- Chip and Signature technology for better acceptance abroad
- Starwood allows families living at the same address to pool points in one central account for free
Key Negatives
Sadly, this card still charges foreign transaction fees, which bewilders me- especially since Amex lifted these bogus fees from the Delta cards in May of this year. I suspect the same will happen to these cards, but until then I do not recommend using them for any foreign transactions. I leave mine safely locked up when I travel abroad and I use my Sapphire Preferred, even at Starwood properties, because I still get 2x points, plus a 7% yearly dividend, making it a 2.14 point per dollar spent haul on all travel and dining.
The other key downside to this card is that airline transfers can take weeks to process. So in this day and age of award availability coming and going in the blink of an eye and many airlines restricting their award hold policies, it is really annoying that you need to transfer your SPG to airline miles in advance of booking an award in many circumstances. I really hope they change this, but until then, the utility of these transferable points takes a hit, especially compared to the instantaneous transferability of most American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.
Who Is Eligible?
In terms of qualification, Amex specifies that the welcome bonus is not available to applicants who have or have had this product in the past. This is a pretty blanket policy and is in line with what we heard about American Express not allowing for multiple bonuses on the same card products as of May 1, 2014. However, you are still eligible if you've never had the personal, but have had the business or vice versa.
The Ultimate Guide To Starwood Preferred Guest Airline Transfer Partners
Starwood "Enhances" Cash & Points Awards
Major Starwood Preferred Guest Elite Enhancements
Spotlight on Starwood Preferred Guest Elite Status and Why I Continue To Qualify For Platinum
Maximizing Starwood Preferred Guest Airline Transfers
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees