35k Offer on SPG Business Amex: Ends Tonight!

The 35k offer on the SPG Business card only lasts through today, March 28, 2018. If you're interested, it's time to pull the trigger.

Q & A Email to a Friend: Amex Cards, Eligibility, & Application Advice

Last month my good friend and CPA wrote to me with various  questions regarding the hobby. He touches on a few pertinent topics that I think are worth sharing with you guys.

My response is in normal font and his original questions are in italics. Anything I added to the email to better explain something to you guys is in blue and in parentheses.

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Hey Vinnie!
Hope India was great. We're freezing our a$$es off in Maryland. The United States is miserably cold right now. Man.

Status Update on Marriott & SPG Merger

As time carries on Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest are slowly altering their loyalty programs to prepare for integration. This morning Marriott announced a few new changes that will affect both Marriott and SPG members.
A Brief Catch-Up
Marriott and Starwood Preferred Guest have been in the process of merging since September 2016 when Marriott announced the purchase of SPG. We were given the ability to link accounts and transfer points between programs (3 Marriott points to 1 SPG Point and vice versa) and elite status match with impressive speed, immediately following the purchase.

Marriott: Buy Two Get One Free

Register here for Marriott's latest Megabonus promotion by November 30 to earn a free night at any Category 1 through 5 Marriott after completing two paid stays between tomorrow (September 12) and January 15, 2018.
How Marriott is Defining a Stay
For the purpose of the Megabonus promotion, a qualifying stay is consecutive nights at the same hotel.

Buy SPG Points With a 35% Discount! Sale Extended Through Tomorrow

Through July 14, 2017 (tomorrow), you can buy up to 30,000 Starpoints with up to a 35% discount on the normal purchase price.

Hotel Points to Etihad Guest 20% Transfer Bonus

Through April 30, 2017, transfers from hotel partners to Etihad Guest will earn a 20% bonus.

Your best transfer options are probably between Starwood Preferred Guest and Etihad, or purchasing a Marriott Hotel + Air Travel Package that contains Etihad miles.

Normally, 20,000 SPG points = 25,000 Etihad miles (thanks to the everyday 5k bonus you get on transferring in increments of 20k), so with the current transfer bonus, 20,000 SPG points = 30,000 Etihad miles.
As One Mile at a Time pointed out, normally for Marriott Hotel + Air Package 2, you'd pay 270,000

Ends in Two Days: Get SPG Cards Now to Book Europe in Business Class This Summer

The 35,000 point bonuses on the SPG personal and business cards end Wednesday (April 5, 2017.) This is the highest sign up bonus we’ve ever seen on the cards, tied with the same bonus that was offered last year at this time.

Credit card links have been removed from posts and added to the menu bar at the top of every page of MileValue under the heading Top Travel Credit Cards.

Meet the spending requirements on both the personal and business SPG cards, and you'll have 83,000 SPG points, which can be transferred to 249,000 Marriott points

How to Link SPG & Marriott Accounts Step-by-Step

Thanks to Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott's merger, SPG members can choose to link their account to either Marriott Rewards or Ritz Carlton Rewards.

Last September when this shift occurred, One Mile at a Time wrote a post about which account to link your SPG account to. It depends on your preferences.

Chinese Insurance Company and Marriott Go Back and Forth with Bids to Buy Starwood

The Chinese insurance company Anbang has topped Marriott's latest bid for Starwood, the company that manages these hotel brands.

This soap opera has been ongoing since November when Marriott offered $72.08 per share for Starwood. Anbang and Marriott have gone back and forth with the latest Anbang offer worth $82.75 per share.

I haven't been covering the twists and turns and won't cover them again until a sale is completed.

Marriott to Buy Starwood Hotels

Marriott has announced a deal to buy Starwood Hotels. The deal still has to get shareholder and regulatory approval, so this is not a done deal, but I thought I'd offer some preliminary thoughts.

Marriott buying Starwood is bad for miles and points enthusiasts.

Starwood has a far more lucrative program, SPG.