Starwood Preferred Guest has become more lenient with its points expiration policy. Previously, members had to complete a Starwood stay, make a purchase with their SPG AMEX credit card or purchase a meal ($10 minimum) at a SPG hotel property every 12 months to keep their account active and retain their points. SPG has amended the policy so that all point earning and redeeming activity will extend the life of your account and points. And there are many earn and burn options, such as redeeming points for a hotel stay, room upgrade or massage during your stay, donating points to UNICEF or the American Red Cross, transferring points into airline miles or redeeming points for a gift card. On the earn side, you can buy points or transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points or Diner’s Club Rewards points into SPG points, purchase Hartmann luggage or Broadway theater tickets with Audience Rewards. You can even create account activity for free by signing up for Audience Rewards at http://www.audiencerewards.com/spgonbroadway and answering trivia questions to earn a few points.