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HHonors points increase

toontoy

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I just noticed today that many places now require more HHonors points. They snuck in an increase it appears.
 

Tamaradarann

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I just noticed today that many places now require more HHonors points. They snuck in an increase it appears.
Where and when are you looking to book? A few years ago Hilton announced that, at times, they would be using a demand/availability driven system for the amount of points that would be needed for reservations. Therefore, when you say that the snuck in an increase it is very possible that you are trying to reserve rooms at times when hotels are already almost full therefore, they are going to charge a high amount.

I just checked Honolulu during Christmas a New Years week, which is a prime time period to a prime location that I have used Hilton Honors points for hotel stays to get less expensive flights to Honolulu before my timeshare stays. They are the same amount of points as usual.
 

Talent312

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Hilton is still my preferred chain and I still collect HH points, but...
IMHO, point-values are just not high enuff to stick with one brand.

I stopped using AmEx Hilton to add on HH-pesos a few years ago.
I switched to a Chase Sapphire that, IMHO, offers a better benefit.
 

Tamaradarann

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Hilton is still my preferred chain and I still collect HH points, but...
IMHO, point-values are just not high enuff to stick with one brand.

I stopped using AmEx Hilton to add on HH-pesos a few years ago.
I switched to a Chase Sapphire that, IMHO, offers a better benefit.

I don't use my Hilton Aspire Credit Card for all purchases; only the ones which give me bonuses. Getting the standard 3 HH points per dollar is not that good. However, I use the Aspire Card to get the 11 Bonus points per dollar on Hilton Brand expenditure like my Reservation and Maintenance Fees, Hawaii Occupancy Tax, and Resort Room Charges, and 4 Bonus points per dollar for Restaurants, Airlines, and Car Rentals.

For other charges I use a 2% cash back card
 

VacationForever

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Recently I received an offer to upgrade my Hilton Amex card to Hilton Amex Ascend card with 150K bonus. I thought it was a good deal after reading the point valuation on points guy as .6 cent per point. After I received the card, I went online and did a few mock booking... nope 150K is worth just about not much. I called them back to cancel the new card and reverted back to my no fee Hilton Amex card. I only use Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Bonvoy for my regular travel and other spending.
 

brp

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Hilton is still my preferred chain and I still collect HH points, but...
IMHO, point-values are just not high enuff to stick with one brand.

I stopped using AmEx Hilton to add on HH-pesos a few years ago.
I switched to a Chase Sapphire that, IMHO, offers a better benefit.

Yup. Hilton are great for international travel. Some very nice lounges and we've gotten some fabulous multi-room upgrades. Domestically they're OK. We certainly use our free nights.

We also both have Hyatt cards that get a free night and mrs. brp uses it as a primary spend card so that we can get Explorist status. We like the Hyatt offerings.

We use Bonvoy less, but I have two cards so we get two free nights.

Minimal brand loyalty (unlike airlines where we have a lot of loyalty), except for Hilton abroad.

Chase Sapphire is my main spender (once I get the $4K for the 150K HH pesos for my new Aspire). I do use Amex Platinum for airlines for the 5X points.

Most of this goes to BA Avios for upgrades.

Cheers.
 

Tamaradarann

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Recently I received an offer to upgrade my Hilton Amex card to Hilton Amex Ascend card with 150K bonus. I thought it was a good deal after reading the point valuation on points guy as .6 cent per point. After I received the card, I went online and did a few mock booking... nope 150K is worth just about not much. I called them back to cancel the new card and reverted back to my no fee Hilton Amex card. I only use Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Bonvoy for my regular travel and other spending.

I don't know what you thought you were getting for the free sign up bonus, but I can get 3 free nights in Honolulu for that and for an additional 50,000 points which I have I can turn that 150,000 points into 5 free nights in Honolulu. Maybe you will not use or value the other benefits of the Aspire Card. The $250 airline and resort credits pay for the card + $50. The free weekend night is easily worth $250-$300. Getting 14 points per dollar instead of 6 for Hilton expenditures is worth at least another free night at my spending rate which is worth another $250-$300. To sum it up in addition to the sign up bonus I get more than $1000 in value from the $450 cost of the card.
 

brp

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I don't know what you thought you were getting for the free sign up bonus, but I can get 3 free nights in Honolulu for that and for an additional 50,000 points which I have I can turn that 150,000 points into 5 free nights in Honolulu. Maybe you will not use or value the other benefits of the Aspire Card. The $250 airline and resort credits pay for the card + $50. The free weekend night is easily worth $250-$300. Getting 14 points per dollar instead of 6 for Hilton expenditures is worth at least another free night at my spending rate which is worth another $250-$300. To sum it up in addition to the sign up bonus I get more than $1000 in value from the $450 cost of the card.

I agree with this, for the most part. We don't use our Hilton cards for primary spend, so the 14x points don't add up. But all the rest (+$50 after airline and resort, free night) definitely do. This is why we both have this now - because it makes back more than it costs.

Cheers.
 

Tamaradarann

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I agree with this, for the most part. We don't use our Hilton cards for primary spend, so the 14x points don't add up. But all the rest (+$50 after airline and resort, free night) definitely do. This is why we both have this now - because it makes back more than it costs.

Cheers.
We don't use the Hilton Card for primary spend either. If we did we wouldn't get the 14x points per dollar on most expenditures. You only get them on Hilton Brand expenditures.
 

natarajanv

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I just noticed today that many places now require more HHonors points. They snuck in an increase it appears.


Conrad Bora Bora just went up to 89000 for a standard room. Used to be 80000
 

hurnik

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Yes, there was an article on OMAT and TPG about the "stealth" increase on some hotels. This is the mileage/points game we play. We use the credit card bonuses to rack up United Miles, and United goes to Dynamic pricing on awards (still to be determined if it'll be as nasty as Delta). AA will follow suit soon. Rack up Marriott/Hilton points, new "award" charts come into play.

As long as one is willing to play the game, it's all good.

https://onemileatatime.com/hilton-honors-devaluation/
 

ccwu

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We have Amex Ascend card and recently got a AMEX Aspire card. We are very happy with the Aspire card. We had permanent HHonor Diamond status for years and was not interested in Aspire card offering free Hilton Diamond status. But after we got the card, we received $450 statement credit ($200 Hilton hotel expense, $250 room charges credit or other purchases) that was enough to cover the annual $450 fee. We got free Priority Select (not a big deal since we had it with free airport lounge access with Ascend card), we got 240,000 HHonor points in the first two months also plus a free weekend night (we saved it for a Waldorf night) we are also going to have $250 toward airline incidental charges. I will say the card will pay itself and more. I will cancel my Amex Ascend card when the annual dye comes up and just keep the Aspire card.

We are going to Asia in Fall and planing to use the HHonor points to book all the hotels with executive lounge to stay 5 nights each places (buy 4 get the 5th free).
 

jestme

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Where and when are you looking to book? A few years ago Hilton announced that, at times, they would be using a demand/availability driven system for the amount of points that would be needed for reservations. Therefore, when you say that the snuck in an increase it is very possible that you are trying to reserve rooms at times when hotels are already almost full therefore, they are going to charge a high amount.

I just checked Honolulu during Christmas a New Years week, which is a prime time period to a prime location that I have used Hilton Honors points for hotel stays to get less expensive flights to Honolulu before my timeshare stays. They are the same amount of points as usual.
Unfortunately, they dont reward you with more usage points with the demand/availability driven system at the same percentage increase as using points cost increase.
 

Sandy VDH

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I noticed too, I was thinking of changing hotels for an upcoming stay, but the standard room is now 10K more per night. I guess I will keep my current hotel choice.

Just got the Aspire Card specifically for the trip too. I will end up getting the $250 resort credit back and will earn the bonus points of 150K for the initial 4K spend (which I will cover with planned expenditures over the next 3 months) and the 14X on the Resorts Spend as well as on an upcoming HGVC Stay. Diamond Status might help me score a good upgrade I hope too.

I will also start to use the Airline Credit up, but I have to decide airline still. I assume I will get back more than I spend on the annual card fee. But I guess only time will tell that.
 

Tamaradarann

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Unfortunately, they dont reward you with more usage points with the demand/availability driven system at the same percentage increase as using points cost increase.

The demand/availability driven system is intended to get you to primarily use your points in hotels that are not nearly sold out or they feel with not sell out so they can sell for cash rooms in the resorts that are or they feel will be at full occupancy. When resorts sell out they, of course, want to maximize the number of cash paying guests; that is why the company is in business. If hotels are not full letting you use your points for vacant rooms is a low to no cost expense to the hotel. That is where they want you to use your points.

In a sense they are giving you more usage points in the hotels that cost a higher points/night. In general the hotels that require the higher the number of Honors points to stay are also at the hotels that have increased the price/night rates. Therefore, if you have the Aspire Card and get 14X points/dollar and a room is $100/night more, if you pay with cash you are getting 1400 points/night more.
 

GT75

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I just booked in Nashville overnight at our usually Hilton prior to one of our upcoming trips. I have noticed a 10K hilton honors point increase. But I think that the hotel prices look like they have also increased.
 

Tamaradarann

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I just booked in Nashville overnight at our usually Hilton prior to one of our upcoming trips. I have noticed a 10K hilton honors point increase. But I think that the hotel prices look like they have also increased.

I use 20,000 points versus $100 price as a guide to whether it is worth using points or paying for nights. You do need to add taxes and any resort fees to whatever the per night price that is quoted. Most of the time I use points. However, when I needed a night in Tarrytown a few years ago I paid $138 with my Hilton Honors Card instead of using 30,000 points. At that time I had the Surpass Card so I also received 12X points per dollar for that expenditure which I value at about $10.
 
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