Official Marriott & SPG Merger August 18: How to Prepare

We have been watching the merger of Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott, and the details of what that merger will mean for both of those loyalty programs' members, unfold for a long time now. We first thought the merger would happen August 1, and then Marriott changed the wording of all their marketing/press releases to a more ambiguous "August". But now we have a hard date.

Book Top Tier SPG Properties Between August & December 2018

Update 7/6/18: The most expensive, off the award chart all-suite SPG properties will actually be bookable for 60k Marriott Rewards in August. Read New Marriott Award Category Assignments & Strategy Moving Forward for further info. 

In August of this year, SPG and Marriott are merging their loyalty programs.

Easy 250 SPG Points for Every Mobile Check-In

For the next six weeks you'll earn 250 SPG points each time you check in for your stay at a St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridien, Tribute Portfolio, Four Points, or other participating Marriott/SPG hotel through SPG's mobile app.

There is not a cap to how many points you can earn through this promotion, but only check-ins through June 15, 2018 that you booked directly with SPG on its website or in the app will count.

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.

************************************************************************

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.

Extended to End of October: Up to 62.5% Transfer Bonus from SPG to AAdvantage

Update 10/22/17: This transfer bonus was supposed to end October 15 but has been extended through October 31, 2017.

Until October 15, 2017, you can get up to a 62.5% bonus when transferring your SPG points to American Airlines AAdvantage. Previous SPG to AAdvantage transfer bonuses have offered a maximum of a 20% bonus.

Rake in Tons of Marriott Points for Doing Almost Nothing

Yesterday Marriott Rewards offered 1,000 bonus points for answering an NFL trivia question via replying to their Tweet.

Where is the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Answer with #RewardsPoints before 8pm EDT on 10/15 and score 1,000 points if you get it right.

Pay With MasterCard & Get 3rd Night Free at SPG Properties

If you book a participating Starwood Preferred Guest hotel or resort on your MasterCard by October 31, 2017, you can get the third night free on reservations of three nights or more.

Use promo code Z3H for Starwood hotels
Use promo code Z3R for Starwood resorts

Here's the link to the promo or you can call Starwood Preferred Guest Reservations (1-866-716-8147) and feed the rep the appropriate code.

Variations of this same promotion have been offered before, so it seems like it's not a bad idea to try your luck with the promo code any time you're booking a paid

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.

Turn 83k Marriott Points Into 25k+ Of Almost Any Mile

When you're shut out from the majority of Chase cards, you loose access to tons of rewards and reward earning opportunities due to what everyone calls the Chase 5/24 rule. If you've opened more than five credit cards from any bank (with the exception of most business cards) in the last 24 months, then Chase will deny you for almost all of their cards (with the exception of these).