Credit card holders can now opt for a new American Express card launched in association with Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

The credit card is linked to the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty programme and offers frequent travellers deals across Le Meridian, St Regis, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, W, The Luxury Collection, Aloft and Element and Westin hotels.

Customers opting for the credit card will be automatically enrolled into the Starwood Preferred Guest programme. For every £1 spent using the card, the holder is entitled to one Starpoint. Customers can earn an extra 10,000 points by spending £1,000 in the first three months of owning the card. After spending £15,000 card members are automatically upgraded to the Gold status which allows them to earn 50 per cent more points when visiting the participating hotels and resorts.

After earning 1,000 to 1,500 points, card holders can opt for room upgrades at a number of properties including the Le Meridian at Vienna, Austria. Reaching the 15,000 points mark entitles members to airline ticket worth £98 to £141 pounds. Card members who have gathered 32,000 Starpoints can enjoy a stay for two nights during the week at the Luxury Collection Resort at Scotland or similar properties. Meanwhile, those who have earned 50,000 points can enjoy two complimentary weekend nights at hotels such as the W in New York.

Katrina Cliffe, head of consumer cards at American Express, said: "This is an ideal card for today's discerning travellers, particularly those who have an existing affinity to the Starwood Preferred Guest programme and want to be able to earn Starpoints for all of the spending on their plastic."

Credit card holders have been advised to be careful about their card details, with recent data published by the British Crime Survey showing that 6.4 per cent of card owners had been victims of plastic fraud in the last year compared to 4.7 per cent in 2007-08.