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The SPG–Amtrak partnership will officially dissolve on August 1, 2018, when SPG formally merges with Marriott. This means that July 31, 2018, will be the last day to transfer SPG Starpoints – valued at 2.7 cents apiece, as of TPG’s June 2018 valuations – to Amtrak, currently valued at 2.5 cents apiece. No formal announcement was made regarding the partnership termination. Rather, the notification only appears within the Starwood member portal under “transfer points to travel partners.”
While TPG is mostly known for air travel, we also appreciate a good Amtrak itinerary (especially with recent program changes designed to mimic airline travel), and have offered up a number of Amtrak points-maximizing strategies in the past despite recent news of devaluation this past March.
While we’ve hashed out a number of the SPG/Marriott merger details, we don’t yet know if members will later be able to transfer Marriott points to Amtrak. We’ve reached out to Marriott for information, and will update if and when we receive a response.
Featured photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
With great travel benefits, 2x points on travel & dining and a 50,000 point sign up bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card for those looking to get into the points and miles game. Here are the top 5 reasons it should be in your wallet, or read our definitive review for more details.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred named "Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption" - Kiplinger's Personal Finance, June 2018
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel
- No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
