New & Refreshed SPG Amex Cards Coming This August

American Express announced New & Refreshed SPG Amex Cards coming this August, the exciting changes to the Starwood Preferred Guest® Card portfolio are in line with the broader changes to the Marriott loyalty program also announced. The changes, debuting August 2018, provide Card Members with even more travel benefits and ways to earn Marriott Rewards.

AMEX and Marriott announced the details of the new value-rich Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card and the refreshed Starwood Preferred Guest® Consumer and Business Credit Cards. Debuting in August 2018 alongside Marriott International’s newly unified loyalty programs, which will offer one set of benefits for all members, the Cards will offer travelers and businesses more travel benefits and ways to earn points that can be used across nearly 6,500 hotels in 127 countries and territories, across 29 brands, as well as across the expanded Moments platform. Additionally, on August 1, 2018, Starpoint balances in SPG loyalty member accounts will convert to points within Marriott International’s loyalty program at a 1:3 ratio, and the loyalty program will be making corresponding changes to the number of points required for redemptions.

Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card

Designed for premium customers, the brand new Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card will have an annual fee of $450† and feature complimentary Gold Elite Status, no-fee additional Cards, and a statement credit of up to $300 for purchases on the Card at participating hotels worldwide.

The full suite of benefits includes:

• For each dollar of eligible purchases charged to your Card, you can earn:

  • 6X points at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels

  • 3X points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines

  • 2X points on other eligible purchases

• Up to $300 in statement credits each Card renewal year for purchases at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels

• Annual Night Award (redemption level at or under 50,000 points) every year after your Card account anniversary

• Automatic Gold Elite Status and the ability to earn Platinum Elite Status after spending $75,000 on the Card in a calendar year

• $100 Global Entry or $85 TSA Precheck fee credit

• Priority Pass Select membership to allow Card Members to enroll and access the 1,000+ airport lounges across the globe within the Priority Pass network

• Complimentary Boingo Wi-Fi

• No foreign transaction fees

New Card Members will also get access to a rich welcome bonus (some restrictions apply), and starting today, Card Members can sign up here to be amongst the first to learn about the new Card when it launches in August.

Starwood Preferred Guest® Card from American Express will Offer More Benefits

In August 2018, the $95 Starwood Preferred Guest® Consumer Credit Card from American Express will be refreshed and the benefits will include:

• For each dollar of eligible purchases charged to your Card, you can earn:

  • 6X points at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels

  • 2X points on other eligible purchases

• Annual Night Award (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) every year after your Card account anniversary

• Automatic Silver Elite Status; and the ability to earn Gold Elite Status after spending $30,000 on the Card in a calendar year. Note: effective January 1, 2019, Card Members will earn Gold Elite Status after spending $35,000 on the Card in a calendar year.

• No foreign transaction fees

Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Card from American Express will Offer More Benefits

The refreshed benefits for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express include:

• For each dollar of eligible purchases charged to your Card, you can earn:

  • 4X points on everyday business purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. shipping purchases

  • 6X points at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels

  • 2X points on other eligible purchases

• Annual Night Award (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) every year after your Card account anniversary

• Automatic Silver Elite Status; and the ability to earn Gold Elite Status after $30,000 in annual spend on the Card. Note: effective January 1, 2019, Card Members will earn Gold Elite Status after spending $35,000 on the Card in a calendar year.

One benefit that is taken away from the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business card is complimentary access to club lounges at Sheraton Hotels. I really enjoyed this benefit and sad to see it taken away. However, I guess the annual night award – even tho capped at redemption level of 35,000 points – is a nice addition to the card and makes it worth the $95 annual fee

All three of the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Cards from American Express are linked to Marriott’s award-winning guest-loyalty programs, Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®, providing Card Members with the choice to redeem at a portfolio of nearly 6,500 participating hotels across 29 brands around the globe.

As an added Card Member benefit, beginning in early 2019 all Marriott loyalty program co-brand Card Members will earn 15 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Elite status, and annually every calendar year thereafter. Limit one 15 Elite Night Credit per Marriott Loyalty Program member. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.