Redeeming Miles and Points for Auctions and Experiences
I just had lunch the other day with a good friend of mine who redeemed 5,000 SPG points for tickets to see Madonna in Milan where tickets were going for well over $200, so he got at least 4 cents per point. I've redeemed in the past with SPG Moments and have generally gotten excellent seats and received the tickets in the mail soon after redeeming the points.
That being said, generally using points and miles for auctions is a poor redemption value compared to simply redeeming for airline or free hotel night awards. Of course, as with all things miles and points, you should do the math and calculate the value of the experience and see whether it makes sense for you. If redeeming for one of these experiences would greatly enhance your life, then go for it! Just promise not to buy a toaster with 100,000 of your valuable credit card points!
Here's a quick rundown of some of the auction programs out there. Feel free to comment on your experience with any of them.
Redeem your Starpoints for concerts, sporting events, and even movie premieres.
SPG Moments
VIP Access at the PGA Championship: 20,000 SPG points
Two VIP tickets to attend the 2012 PGA Championship at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, SC, on Friday, August 10, 2012
Access to the SPG Skybox, which overlooks the 17th Hole and serves complimentary food and beverages
Shuttle service is provided from the Sheraton Charleston Airport Hotel to the course and back
Dinner at The Lambs Club with Geoffrey Zakarian: Starting bid 1,500 Starpoints
Two tickets to an exclusive dinner at The Lambs Club with Chef Geoffrey Zakarian on July 31, 2012
Tour of the kitchen
Meet and greet with Chef Geoffrey Zakarian.
Coldplay VIP Concert and Meet and Greet with the Band in The Hague: Starting bid 1,000 SPG points
Two general admission tickets to see Coldplay at the Malieveld in The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Meet and greet, plus a photo op, with the band on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Saltimbanco by Cirque du Soleil in Doha: 5,000 SPG points
Two premium tickets to Saltimbanco by Cirque du Soleil on Thursday, July 5, 2012, at Aspire Arena in Doha, Qatar
A meet and greet with a Cirque du Soleil artist
Reserved parking for one car
Delta Skymiles can be used for more than just booking flights.
Delta Skymiles Online Auction
PAWN STARS TV Set Visit: Opening Bid 30,000 Delta Skymiles
Access to the set of PAWN STARS to watch the taping of an episode in Las Vegas, NV on Thursday, July 12, 2012
Meet and take photos with the PAWN STARS
PAWN STARS memorabilia
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Movie Premiere: Opening Bid 30,000 Skymiles
Two tickets to attend the World Premiere Screening of Warner Bros. Pictures' THE DARK KNIGHT RISES on Monday, July 16, 2012 at the AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 IMAX Theater in New York, NY
One THE DARK KNIGHT RISES movie poster
NASCAR Pure Michigan 400 with a Pace Car Ride & Winning Driver Photo: Opening bid 30,000 Skymiles
Two suite tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI
Two rides in a pace car which includes approximately two laps around the Michigan International Speedway
One parking pass
Two pre-race 'cold' pit passes and garage passes
Two Gatorade Victory Lane passes
One photo with the winning driver of the Pure Michigan 400
Use your United miles to bid on adventures.
Mileage Plus Auction
Costa Rica Luxury Vacation: Starting bid 50,000 miles
Roundtrip, economy airfare for two (2) to Liberia, Costa Rica, for July 14-19, 2012
Five-night stay at an Exclusive Resorts villa in Peninsula Papagayo
$400 gift card
Rental car
Lincoln Center Festival Season Pass Starting bid 5,000 miles
Two tickets to four shows at Lincoln Center for the Lincoln Center Festival Season
Los Angeles Dodgers First Pitch Experience - 7/16/12: Starting bid 10,000 miles
Four Dugout Club Seats, Section 3, Row CC, Seats 1-4, at Dodger Stadium
Early arrival to watch Dodgers batting practice
Photo with current Dodgers player or coach
Opportunity to participate in first pitch ceremony
Stadium Club access
Food and non-alcoholic beverages
Press Box tour and parking passes
The American Airlines AAdvantage Auction site.
American AAdvanage Auction
Bourne Legacy Movie Premiere: Starting bid 20,000 miles (Up to 250,000 miles now)
Be there in person at the official U.S. Premiere of The Bourne Legacy in New York City on July 30, 2012
Essence Music Festival- VIP Access: Starting bid 20,000 miles
Exclusive Essence Music Festival Gold Circle Tickets for Friday, July 6-Sunday, July 8
Two VIP Wristbands, for access to the daily Empowerment Seminars
Take a seat at the table with Gospel Recording Artist Kirk Franklin, one of the most dynamic and successful performers in gospel music history
Winner will enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner with Mr. Franklin
Some other auction sites include Priority Club Rewards Auction and Alaska Airlines Auctions.
While some of these can be good deals such as the SPG concert tickets for only 5,000 Starpoints, others are horrible such as the Bourne Legacy movie premiere for 250,000 miles. When looking, just make sure it makes sense to redeem for an experience or if it is better to hold your miles to redeem an award ticket that is a better value for you. Most of these sites are updated often with new auctions, so keep checking back if you don't see something you like now.
[card card-name='Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card – Bonus Point Offer' card-id='22145660' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month