Please note that I will always try to post the best sign-up bonus, but you should also do your own research!

Card:  American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card

Normally, this card rewards you with 25,000 points for spending $3,000 in 90 days. Every year, the bonus goes to 30,000 points for about a month, but 35,000 points is the highest this bonus has ever been. This is a limited time offer, so if you’re going to apply, make sure to do it before April!

This card has been on my radar for a while, because Starpoints are such a fascinating currency. You could book a category 1 Starwood property for 2,000-3,000 points a night (that’s 11-17 nights!), or 3 nights at a category 4 (Hello Québec City!). Additionally, Starpoints can be converted into many airline miles on a 1:1 basis, and when you convert 20,000 points, you get a 25% bonus, which means you get 25,000 miles on your preferred airline.

Some of the other benefits?

• 2-5 points per dollar on Starwood purchases, 1 point on everything else
• No foreign transition fees
• Two elite qualifying stays/five elite qualifying nights towards elite status every year you have the card open

Note:  Marriott hotels is in talks to acquire Starwood, so this will probably be the highest this bonus will ever be, as this credit card will likely go away when the merger is completed.

Knowing all this, I applied for the card and was instantly approved. My plan currently is to spend ~$5,000 on this card ($3,000 to meet the spending requirement, $2,000 to get to 40,000 points) and turn the points into 50,000 airline miles (40,000 x 1.25 = 50,000). Previously, we’ve seen how far 50,000 miles can go (65,000 Delta SkyMiles got Nick and me from NYC to Hawaii!).

Nothing is ever set in stone, and maybe I’ll use the 40,000 points for a hotel stay–we’ve been looking at going to Austin for Columbus Day weekend, and the Sheraton Austin Capitol is 10,000 points a night, so I’d have enough points for a four-night long weekend.

So there you have it:  either 40,000 hotel points or 50,000 airline miles, and for a limited time only! Where will you be going with this bonus?