This past weekend I met reader Carberrie in Shanghai, and among our topics of conversation were… miles and points (shocker, I know). Anyway, one of the topics that came up was American’s OneWorld distance based award chart, and while I’ve mentioned it many times in the past (including in this TravelSort article), I do think it’s worth highlighting what an amazing value it can be one more time, especially in business class for further distances.

American’s all partner award chart doesn’t allow any stopovers except at the international gateway, so it really limits the number of destinations you can visit on a single trip. However, American also has a OneWorld award chart, which is a distance based chart, with the following costs:

There are a couple of interest things to note about the chart. First of all, it’s interesting how the premium for business class over coach is minimal, while the premium for first class over business class is substantial, especially as you go further down the award chart.

I think the real value in the award chart comes with the zone 6 and zone 7 awards. Let’s look at the zone 6 award, for example. You can fly between 14,001 and 20,000 miles in business class for a total of 130,000 miles. A simple roundtrip business class award to Australia would usually cost you 125,000 miles, and you couldn’t include any stopovers (except at the US gateway airport). Instead, for a premium of only 5,000 miles, you could fly business class from Los Angeles to Brisbane to Melbourne to Sydney to Auckland to Los Angeles, stopping at each airport, and still have nearly 4,000 miles of travel to spare. Alternatively, you could fly from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Melbourne to Sydney to Los Angeles on a zone 6 award, stopping at each airport. Those are just a couple of examples, as the possibilities are endless.

If you go up to a zone 7 award for only 150,000 miles in business class, you can really thoroughly explore both Asia and Australia (or Europe and Asia). For example, you could fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo to Hong Kong to Bangkok to Singapore to Melbourne to Sydney to Auckland to Los Angeles, stopping at each airport, and still have nearly 4,000 miles of travel to spare.

In some instances you can even save miles by using a OneWorld award over a partner award. For example, American usually charges 135,000 miles for business class to the Middle East, while you can almost always get there in fewer than 20,000 miles, which would only cost you 130,000 miles on a OneWorld award.

Anyway, if you have a lot of time on your hands and want to visit lots of destinations, the value of a OneWorld award can’t be beat.

The basic restrictions are as follows:

• A maximum of 16 segments are permitted
• You need to fly at least two OneWorld airlines
• Can’t connect in any city more than twice

It seems like Ritz Carlton is running the closest thing to Hyatt’s former “faster free nights” promotion this quarter. Ritz Carlton is offering one free night at any tier 1-3 hotel (you can see a listing of hotel tiers here) after every two stays between February 1 and April 15, 2012.

Registration is required by March 1, 2012, and members can earn a maximum of two free nights which will be valid for one year. Furthermore, only those that are members of Ritz Carlton Rewards as of January 13, 2012 qualify, as well as new members that were not previously members of Marriott Rewards.

If you enjoy staying at Ritz Carlton hotels (who doesn’t?), this really is a spectacular deal. Just as an example, the Ritz Carlton Cleveland goes for $239 per night most weekends, and if you book through Virtuoso or American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts you’ll get free breakfast and dinner. So two stays there can earn you a stay credit that can be used at any of a number of $600+ per night Ritz Carlton properties. While this promotion probably isn’t worth “mattress running” for, it is a great opportunity to get a lot of extra value out of your Ritz Carlton stays.

(Tip of the hat to The Points Guy)

A couple of weeks ago I needed to spend a night in San Francisco in order to get my Chinese visa, and unfortunately hotels were outrageously expensive. After looking at all of the options I ended up booking Le Meridien for $269 per night through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts. By booking through Fine Hotels & Resorts I received a $100 food and beverage credit, complimentary continental breakfast, a room upgrade, and 4PM late check-out. As was the case with my stay at the Westin Grand Frankfurt, the food and beverage credit are incredibly valuable to me, while the room upgrade and 4PM late check-out benefit aren’t worth much to me, since I get those anyway as a Starwood Platinum member.

I made it to the hotel at 3PM and was promptly helped at check-in. All of the Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits were explained, and the agent commented that I would be getting a great room upgrade with “more room than [I'll] know what to do with.”

Lobby

Sure enough I did get an upgrade to a “named” suite on the 18th floor, the “Villa Magna Suite.” Starwood technically excludes “named” suites from Platinum upgrades, so this was the first Starwood stay I’ve ever had where I got a suite upgrade without asking, let alone an upgrade to a suite I wasn’t technically entitled to. So kudos to the hotel for that.

Room entrance

And the room was indeed massive. It wasn’t a traditional two-room suite but rather a huge single room with a small divider in the center.

Bed and desk

The divider in the center of the room had a flat screen TV facing the bed, and then on the other side was the living room.

TV

Desk and seat with ottoman

The living room was huge with a three piece sofa set.

Living room

Living room

The room boasted views of nearby buildings in the Financial District.

View from room

The bathroom featured a single sink, shower/tub, and toilet.

Bathroom

Sink

Shower

Since I had a $100 food and beverage credit and was alone, I decided to order room service. I had some crab cakes and mushroom ravioli. Both were good, though neither great. I wouldn’t order either without a food and beverage credit.

Room service

The following morning I had my “continental breakfast” in the restaurant, Park Grill. While the restaurant was decorated nicely, I was surprised to find out that “continental breakfast” consisted of coffee, juice, and a croissant OR toast. Instead of getting into a discussion of that here, see my previous post on the subject to chime in.

Park Grill

Continental breakfast

Overall I was very pleased with the upgrade I received, and compared to the rates the competition were charging, I think I got a fairly good deal. That being said, there was some element of “shabbiness” to this hotel that I can’t quite put my finger on. I love Le Meridien as a brand, but this hotel didn’t quite live up to the other great hotels they have, in my opinion (I loved my stay at Le Meridien Vienna, just as a comparison). In San Francisco my go to hotel remains the InterContinental, and I’ll continue to stay there whenever possible. But with a decent rate (<$150) I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this hotel as being a good value.

Last night I posted about Starwood adding several Platinum benefits as of March 1, and it appears they’re now official. Not only that, but they’ve also added some Gold benefits. I think it’s fair to say this is a massive overhaul to the program, in some ways for the better and some ways for the worse (at least for some).

The new benefits are as follows:

Lifetime Gold and Platinum status

Starting March 1
SPG Lifetime Gold

You’re golden. Enjoy Gold membership status for life when you achieve 250 eligible nights total and any five years of elite SPG status since joining the program. If you’re currently Platinum, don’t worry — your Platinum benefits are still intact. Likewise, as an SPG Lifetime Gold member, you can still earn Platinum status each year. Just enjoy the comfort of knowing that the benefits of Gold status are yours, even if you have a light travel year.

Starting March 1
SPG Lifetime Platinum

It doesn’t get any better than this. Enjoy Platinum membership status for life when you achieve 500 eligible nights total and any 10 years of Platinum SPG status since joining the program. Yes, it’s quite an accomplishment — and one that deserves to be recognized for life.

There’s no doubt this is a huge improvement to the program, and the thresholds are surprisingly low, much lower than the competition. The Gold threshold is especially low, but then again, it’s not like Gold status comes with all that many benefits.

Elite Amenities

Starting March 1
Gold Welcome Gift

Check in, and check out your new Gold welcome gift options. Choose one with each stay — you’ve earned it.

Bonus Starpoints. Get to the points. Receive 250 bonus Starpoints® per eligible stay at St. Regis®, Luxury Collection®, W®, Le Méridien®, Westin® and Sheraton® and 125 Starpoints per stay at AloftSM, ElementSM and Four Points® by Sheraton.

In-Room Internet Access. Online. On us. Surf, stream and stay connected in the convenience of your guest room with free
in-room Internet access for your entire stay.

Complimentary Beverage. Cheers. Sit back and relax with your favorite cocktail in the hotel’s restaurant or bar.

The best option there for most will probably be free internet, which puts Starwood Gold ahead of Hyatt Platinum in my book.

Starting March 1
Platinum Continental Breakfast

Enjoy continental breakfast, bonus Starpoints or local amenities as your Platinum welcome gift. You and a guest staying on your reservation can start each day with juice, coffee, pastries, cereal, yogurt and more when you choose continental breakfast — along with our thanks for being one of our best members.

I’m happy to see that the continental breakfast appears to be daily for two guests. I was worried it would only be for one day during the stay, given that the Platinum welcome amenity is only given once per stay. That being said, I’m somewhat afraid continental breakfast will translate to a croissant and coffee. Interestingly, though, Sheraton hotels with club lounges are excluded, as Platinum members have to choose one of the other amenities. I’m not sure I understand the reasoning there. Furthermore, it appears Platinum members will have the option of upgrading to a full breakfast for the price difference between the continental and full breakfast.

And then the most interesting/controversial changes have to be their new nights benefits.

SPG Nights Benefits

Starting March 1
SPG® 50 Nights Benefit

Suite life. Stay with us at least 50 eligible nights in a calendar year and receive 10 Suite Night Awards™ to be used for confirmable room upgrades to a suite or premium room. Use them for the times that matter most — from a honeymoon in Bali to a family vacation in Florida. The choice is yours.

It’s interesting to note that this is retroactive, so if you spent 50 nights at SPG properties last year you’ll receive the suite upgrades in a few weeks. Starwood is really creating two tiers of Platinum members here — those that qualify on 25 stays, and those that qualify on 50 nights, making this a very interesting move. I’m surprised they didn’t instead offer one suite night for every five nights, for example, so that those Platinum members qualifying on stays aren’t at a disadvantage.

And the most interesting of all has to be the new benefits for those staying 75 nights:

Starting March 1
SPG 75 Nights Benefits

Four. It’s the new three. Complete 75 eligible nights in a calendar year and earn four Starpoints® for every eligible U.S. dollar spent. That’s the richest elite benefit in the industry — and a 100% bonus over Preferred membership.

Time on your side. Also get access to our new Your24™ benefit, which allows you the flexibility to choose your check in time. For example, if you check in at 9 p.m., check out at 9 p.m.

So if you complete 75 nights you get four points per dollar spent plus 24 hour stays for the remainder of the year and the entire following year. I’m curious if those with 75 nights will get some sort of designation making them “super-Platinums,” putting them first in line for upgrades.

In the end I’d say this is probably a wash for Platinum members qualifying on stays. While they now have the option of continental breakfast, upgrades may very well be a bit tougher to come by without any suite night awards. Gold members come out ahead, since they now get either bonus points or free internet.

Starwood Platinum members qualifying on points definitely come out ahead here, with those 10 suite night awards. And I think it goes without saying that those with 75+ nights come out way ahead here, since they’ll finally get added benefits for their incremental loyalty.

What do you guys thing? Excited? Indifferent? Angry? I’m curious to hear, and please also let me know your status and how you usually qualify for status (nights or stays) to add a bit of perspective.

I should’ve taken the clue from the agent checking me in at the American counter in Shanghai last night. After printing out my boarding passes he had a concerned look on his face and called over another agent. I asked if anything was wrong, and he responded with “computer go crazy and print five boarding passes.” I quickly responded with “oh no, that’s correct, I have four connections.” He giggled and commented how he had never printed so many boarding passes before.

And so started a very, very long day which I’m still in the middle of. I’m headed from Shanghai to Tampa via Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Miami, with long layovers and no hotels along the way. What on earth made me think this was a good idea? Oh, that’s right, the miles. But sadly as I sit on this redeye (my second redeye in a row) a few thousand extra miles doesn’t seem nearly as pleasant as my comfortable bed at home.

Anyway, just a quick recap of my flights thus far. Much like the outbound, my flight from Shanghai to Los Angeles was E-M-P-T-Y up front. There were at most a dozen people in business class, half of which were mileage runners. The flight was super quick at just under 10 hours, and we arrived nearly two hours early. That’s a record for me! Unfortunately the flight attendant working my aisle, Charmayne, seemed to have some “headwinds,” cause she took her sweet time.

On the plus side, I managed to get about six hours of sleep on the flight, thanks in no small part to the five pillows and blankets I was able to steal from unoccupied seats to make my “bed” a bit more comfortable.

The most puzzling part of the flight? The pre-arrival meal is labeled as “brunch,” and they offer you breakfast breads and juice with either a shrimp salad or bacon sandwich. That’s right orange juice, a croissant, and shrimp salad. I realize that a bacon sandwich could be considered “brunch,” but a shrimp salad…?

The rest of my travels have been rather uneventful, though I did run into a lot of mileage runners along the way. Now the easy part is behind me and tough part still ahead of me, as I battle to stay awake. The nicest thing about being back in the US? No doubt it’s being able to Tweet. I love you Twitter.

Anyway, goodnight world. Goodnight American double elite qualifying miles promotion. You’ll be missed!