This is the main card we use for spending amongst all our credit cards.
The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Personal Card, has an annual fee of $120 but it comes with a bonus 20,000 Starwood points which you can use towards hotels, flights, etc. Each Starwood point is worth at least $0.02, giving you a value of $400 - $120 annual fee.
Here are some of the benefits of the card:
- Earn 20,000 bonus Starpoints® after you charge $500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership
- Earn 1 Starpoint for every $1 in purchases charged to the Card
- Enjoy a Free Weekend Night Award when you reach $40,000 in purchases each year
- Experience Starwood Gold Preferred Guest status when you reach $30,000 in purchases each year
In my opinion the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Personal Card is the best credit card(s) for earning Air Canada Aeroplan miles, which offer one SPG point per dollar spent on all purchases, and two SPG points per dollar spent at SPG properties.
Starwood has the most airline partners of any transferrable currency, which is partly why it is very flexible. This signup bonus will also get you one or more free nights at any Starwood hotel up to Category 6.
Points can be transferred to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, and for every 20,000 points transferred you get a 5,000 point bonus, meaning you’re essentially earning 1.25 Aeroplan miles per dollar spent.
I like to transfer to Alaska Airlines or other programs like Avios where I can get 3 flights to Seattle from Victoria!
The hotel redemptions are great as well. One hotel I stay often is the Vancouver Wall Center YVR (close to the Canada Line). Each night is worth close to $160 usually but this bonus gives you almost 3 free nights with no blackout dates!
That is what puts Starwood points ahead of other hotel points - no blackout dates.
Here is the link to get the Starwood American Express Card with the 20,000 bonus Starwood points.