SPG Transfer to AGR

[Shanghai]

I saw a comment here that if you transfer points from SPG (Starwood) to AGR, you get a 5,000 mile bonus. If this is true, can you tell me how it works? Are there limits to the number of points one can transfer?

 

[ralfp]

I saw a comment here that if you transfer points from SPG (Starwood) to AGR, you get a 5,000 mile bonus. If this is true, can you tell me how it works?

That would be me. I don't know if it's true; I think I read it on FlyerTalk (AGR forum). Generally the SPG 5k bonus is applied for every 20,000 *pts transferred:

transfer min-19,999-> no bonus

transfer 20,000 - 39,999 > 5k bonus

transfer 40,000 - 59,999 > 10k bonus

and so on.

I think you have to pay a small fee to transfer points. I've never actually transferred *pts out of SPG.

 

[yarrow]

don't know about the point bonus but transferring points from starwood to agr is easy. it has to be done in 5,000 point multiples. all it takes is a phone call to spg and the points show up in your agr account in a very few days.

 

[Ispolkom]

I saw a comment here that if you transfer points from SPG (Starwood) to AGR, you get a 5,000 mile bonus. If this is true, can you tell me how it works?

That would be me. I don't know if it's true; I think I read it on FlyerTalk (AGR forum). Generally the SPG 5k bonus is applied for every 20,000 *pts transferred:

transfer min-19,999-> no bonus

transfer 20,000 - 39,999 > 5k bonus

transfer 40,000 - 59,999 > 10k bonus

and so on.

I think you have to pay a small fee to transfer points. I've never actually transferred *pts out of SPG.

All exactly right except for the fee. I just transferred 10,000 points last month without a fee.

 

[ralfp]

All exactly right except for the fee. I just transferred 10,000 points last month without a fee.

Ooops; I think the fee is charged by Amex for MR points. Diner's Club also charges a small fee (supposedly taxes?) for points transfers.

 

[sechs]

I saw a comment here that if you transfer points from SPG (Starwood) to AGR, you get a 5,000 mile bonus. If this is true, can you tell me how it works? Are there limits to the number of points one can transfer?

Here's what my recent transfer of "25000" points looks like:

Earn  	+5000  	 AIRLINE TRANSFER BONUS
Redeem 	-30000 	 AMTRAK TRANSFER

 

[DivMiler]

Diner's Club also charges a small fee (supposedly taxes?) for points transfers.

I believe Diner's Club only charges a fee for transfers to airline frequent travel programs. I have transferred points from Diner's Club to Amtrak Guest Rewards (the latest in March 2008). I was not charged a fee.

 

[RRrich]

So that means that for everyday use, my SPG card is better than my AGR card. After I earn and transfer 20,000 SPG points, I get an additional 5,000 points (SPG or AGR??) Naturally for spending ON AMTRAK the AGR card is the one to use.

Is my understanding correct?

 

[Ispolkom]

So that means that for everyday use, my SPG card is better than my AGR card. After I earn and transfer 20,000 SPG points, I get an additional 5,000 points (SPG or AGR??) Naturally for spending ON AMTRAK the AGR card is the one to use.
Is my understanding correct?

Yes, except for two things:

1) Transfer privileges from program to program change over time. You're taking some risk (probably not large, but I really don't know) that you'll have points marooned in SPG.

2) The SPG AmEx card costs $49 a year, though this is waived for the first year.

 

[RRrich]

So that means that for everyday use, my SPG card is better than my AGR card. After I earn and transfer 20,000 SPG points, I get an additional 5,000 points (SPG or AGR??) Naturally for spending ON AMTRAK the AGR card is the one to use.
Is my understanding correct?

Yes, except for two things:

1) Transfer privileges from program to program change over time. You're taking some risk (probably not large, but I really don't know) that you'll have points marooned in SPG.

2) The SPG AmEx card costs $49 a year, though this is waived for the first year.

Your point one is valid - just have to be watchful

Point 2 - the SPG card costs $50 per annum - and if you do only one 20,000 point transfer pa you get 5,000 points for which you paid $50 or $0.01 per point. At present AGR charges $0.0275 per point - often with a transaction fee. Its looking to me like the SPG card is a GOOD card to use - but NOT on Amtrak.

 

[sechs]

Now that people have decided to crunch numbers, we have to make sure that they have the correct ones.

First, the annual fee for the card is $45, not $49 or $50. The first year is free.

Under the current generally available offer, you receive 10,000 bonus SPG points after first spend.

After the end of this year there will be a $15 service charge for buying AGR points, which will naturally raise the per-point cost of purchasing them. Additionally, there is a per-account limit on purchased points received.

There is no apparent limit on transferring points from SPG to AGR, although they must be moved in chunks of 5k. There is no fee for moving the points.

Please note that, in any case, $0.01<$0.0275, which would, it seems to me, make the SPG AmEx a *better* choice, as long as you spend and transfer the 20k each year.

One must also realise that there are ways other than using a credit card to earn Starwood points....

 

[RRrich]

One must also realise that there are ways other than using a credit card to earn Starwood points....

If you have any other ways to earn Starpoints that I/we may have overlooked, You have an appreciative audience waiting to hear

 

[PRR 60]

One must also realise that there are ways other than using a credit card to earn Starwood points....

If you have any other ways to earn Starpoints that I/we may have overlooked, You have an appreciative audience waiting to hear

You could actually stay in a Starwood Hotel (Sheraton, Westin). That would be a unique way to earn Starwood points. :lol:

 

[RRrich]

You could actually stay in a Starwood Hotel (Sheraton, Westin). That would be a unique way to earn Starwood points. :lol:

Gee, I never would have thought of that.

In fact, I expected Sechs to have an idea that was just a tad more sub-tile!

 

[sechs]

I think that everyone here can read the SPG.com website for themselves to see additional earning possibilities. However, staying at a hotel is a fairly lucrative activity.

All SPG members earn two points for every dollar spent at the hotel (including incidentals). If you charge that to the SPG AmEx, you will earn two more points per dollar (Starwood purchases receive double points, even if it's not a hotel stay). If you spend $30000 on the card in a calendar year, you will receive SPG Gold status; this awards a 50% point bonus on stays. So, a $100 single night at a Starwood hotel will net 500 points without any furthur effort.

Sadly, American Express closed the loophole that allowed one to purchase travelers checks for no fee and earn points. So, no free and easy points.