Amex Hilton Changes

[ernststarhemberg]

If I am understanding this properly the Aspire card provides you with Diamond status which provides the meal credit. Could you use the meal credits if you are staying at the hotel using timeshare points instead of Hilton honor points?

Hilton Honors Diamond status: Top benefits and how to earn - The Points Guy

Hilton's top-tier Diamond elite status offers some great perks, including complimentary suite upgrades, higher earning rates on stays and hotel lounge access.

thepointsguy.com

You and up to one additional registered guest enjoy a complimentary $10 to $25 food and beverage credit per night at most brands in the United States. This often isn't enough for an entire meal, but it can help offset the price of breakfast, drinks or dinner. Unfortunately, most Hilton properties do not allow you to use the food and beverage credit cumulatively. So, for a four-night stay, you must use the credit daily rather than redeeming four nights' worth of food and beverage credits on one charge.

Alternatively, if staying at a listed "resort" using HGV points, you'd receive the $250 resort credit every six months. So using the Aspire card as the room payment card and charging resort meals/drinks to your room should trigger the credit at "resort" properties, which include most (not all) HGV locations:

Hilton Resorts – Our Best Leisure Hotels

The perfect leisure vacation can be found at a resort from Hilton. Our resort hotels provide the best accommodations in unforgettable destinations.

www.hilton.com

 

[HuskerATL]

Alternatively, if staying at a listed "resort" using HGV points, you'd receive the $250 resort credit every six months. So using the Aspire card as the room payment card and charging resort meals/drinks to your room should trigger the credit at "resort" properties, which include most (not all) HGV locations:

Hilton Resorts – Our Best Leisure Hotels

The perfect leisure vacation can be found at a resort from Hilton. Our resort hotels provide the best accommodations in unforgettable destinations.

www.hilton.com

even this isn't guaranteed. I still think something is wrong with the Hilton/Amex connection. A person on FB reported that she only received 3x at a Hilton property that is on the list (I looked it up and it is). I suggested that she report it to Amex that it should be 14x. Something changed on the website/backend data that has messed this up.

 

[ernststarhemberg]

Definitely keep an eye on it. If the credit fails to come through for whatever reason, a call the Amex helpdesk should get it fixed as long as the property shows up on the Hilton Resorts list. My resort credits for Elara and Valdoro posted quickly in 2023, but there may be something getting jumbled up with the revamping of the cobranded cards in recent weeks.

 

[HuskerATL]

Definitely keep an eye on it. If the credit fails to come through for whatever reason, a call the Amex helpdesk should get it fixed as long as the property shows up on the Hilton Resorts list. My resort credits for Elara and Valdoro posted quickly in 2023, but there may be something getting jumbled up with the revamping of the cobranded cards in recent weeks.

Our Blvd received the 14x and the resort credit but Craig Lodges didn't. They did receive it earlier this year and prior that though because I bought more weeks and paid MFs on the ones with a 2023 week available. I did reach out to Craig about the name difference and they reached out to Amex to correct it so we will see if that changes it or not.

 

[Eric B]

If I am understanding this properly the Aspire card provides you with Diamond status which provides the meal credit. Could you use the meal credits if you are staying at the hotel using timeshare points instead of Hilton honor points?

Hilton Honors Diamond status: Top benefits and how to earn - The Points Guy

Hilton's top-tier Diamond elite status offers some great perks, including complimentary suite upgrades, higher earning rates on stays and hotel lounge access.

thepointsguy.com

You and up to one additional registered guest enjoy a complimentary $10 to $25 food and beverage credit per night at most brands in the United States. This often isn't enough for an entire meal, but it can help offset the price of breakfast, drinks or dinner. Unfortunately, most Hilton properties do not allow you to use the food and beverage credit cumulatively. So, for a four-night stay, you must use the credit daily rather than redeeming four nights' worth of food and beverage credits on one charge.

If you look at the list of brands that provide the food & beverage credit, you’ll see that none of them are timeshares — the list doesn’t include Hilton Grand Vacations or Hilton Club. As a result, you can’t really book a stay at a property providing F&B credit with “timeshare points”; you would have to convert them to Hilton Honors points. Once you have converted your Club points or by Hilton Club points (“timeshare points”) they are the same as any other HH points and you could get F&B credit with them when booking a stay at a property that provides it.

 

[ljmiii]

A person on FB reported that she only received 3x at a Hilton property that is on the list (I looked it up and it is). I suggested that she report it to Amex that it should be 14x. Something changed on the website/backend data that has messed this up.

I can add that MFs billed as "HILTON GV HVVS HOA HHONOLULU HI" (Hilton Hawaii Village) show as 14x points on my new Aspire card (though still no resort credit for the Nov 1st charge).

 

[Zenichiro]

Going to buy a $50 gift card with Surpass. Have seen several posts of statement credit posting using buyhiltongiftcards.com. Will update when I know more

Assuming since I’m gettin 12x I’ll get the $50 refund on Surpass soon. Which is great way to use this credit quarterly

 

[raddoc]

Assuming since I’m gettin 12x I’ll get the $50 refund on Surpass soon. Which is great way to use this credit quarterly

Will purchasing a gift card trigger the Aspire credit?

 

[Zenichiro]

Will purchasing a gift card trigger the Aspire credit?

Not sure but don’t think so since it’s resort credit only. Surpass is hotel credit and seeming to code as hotel based upon the 12x points I’m seeing. Still waiting on the credit to post though

 

[gggllm]

I can add that MFs billed as "HILTON GV HVVS HOA HHONOLULU HI" (Hilton Hawaii Village) show as 14x points on my new Aspire card (though still no resort credit for the Nov 1st charge).

resort credit before the changes are per anniversary

 

[HuskerATL]

well, the $50 surpass resort credit worked. our son has the card so I had him pay $50 toward our Blvd MFs on Nov 1 and it credited on the 5th. will have him do it again in jan.

 

[Zenichiro]

well, the $50 surpass resort credit worked. our son has the card so I had him pay $50 toward our Blvd MFs on Nov 1 and it credited on the 5th. will have him do it again in jan.

That is awesome to know!

 

[HuskerATL]

That is awesome to know!

I probably should have had him chip in more since he has been free loading at HGVC properties for 20 years....

 

[Monkeyboy]

We mainly fly Hawaiian. If we use the Amex card for the $50.00 credit I figure I lose the free luggage that we normally get for using the Hawaiian card?

 

[Zenichiro]

We mainly fly Hawaiian. If we use the Amex card for the $50.00 credit I figure I lose the free luggage that we normally get for using the Hawaiian card?

Not sure on this but doesn’t just having the Hawaiian airlines card give you free bags?

 

[ernststarhemberg]

Surpass - eBay purchases qualify for 4x.

 

[letsgobobby]

We mainly fly Hawaiian. If we use the Amex card for the $50.00 credit I figure I lose the free luggage that we normally get for using the Hawaiian card?

that was the dilemma with the old credit. we fly almost exclusively alaska and we have two alaska cc and i have elite status as well as free lounge access with the Citi MC Elite AA card. it's very hard to spend $50 cash with them, now that i can get airfare credit it is easier for me because i have elite; but otherwise it would create its own set of problems (and i don't always make elite)

 

[1Kflyerguy]

We mainly fly Hawaiian. If we use the Amex card for the $50.00 credit I figure I lose the free luggage that we normally get for using the Hawaiian card?

I also have the HA Barclays card, and yes the free bags only apply when you use that card for the ticket purchase. Technically incidental charges are not supposed to work, but it seems like some charges look like a flight and work. I know Hawaiian has a gift card program, and you can deposit money with them over time to use for a future flight. Its possible that might trigger the credit depending on how Hawaiian processes that charge.

I have not heard one way or another if this works with Hawaiian, and since they are a smaller airline, online chatter about them is pretty limited. If you already have this card then you could make test purchase to see if it works.

I mostly fly United, and use their Travel bank program like this, but we also fly Hawaiian depending on the island we visit.

 

[Monkeyboy]

I also have the HA Barclays card, and yes the free bags only apply when you use that card for the ticket purchase. Technically incidental charges are not supposed to work, but it seems like some charges look like a flight and work. I know Hawaiian has a gift card program, and you can deposit money with them over time to use for a future flight. Its possible that might trigger the credit depending on how Hawaiian processes that charge.

I have not heard one way or another if this works with Hawaiian, and since they are a smaller airline, online chatter about them is pretty limited. If you already have this card then you could make test purchase to see if it works.

I mostly fly United, and use their Travel bank program like this, but we also fly Hawaiian depending on the island we visit

that was the dilemma with the old credit. we fly almost exclusively alaska and we have two alaska cc and i have elite status as well as free lounge access with the Citi MC Elite AA card. it's very hard to spend $50 cash with them, now that i can get airfare credit it is easier for me because i have elite; but otherwise it would create its own set of problems (and i don't always make elite)

Been thinking about this and figured out that Hawaiian offers 2 checked bags with purchase which is exactly what we checkin. So I will buy 1 ticket with the Hawaiian card and the other ticket with the aspire card. Thanks for the reply.

 

[brp]

For us it's harder as we fly primarily AA (where we have top status) and AS (which partners with AA and the status benefits transfer). We don't check bags (except for long trips) and upgrades are free. Also, when buying tickets we like to use our AA cards and AA and AS cards for AS. I can always buy cheap tickets, cancel and bank the funds.

We do have an upcoming trip on DL, so I booked a cheap fare that I'm planning to cancel for credit to use on that. Doing it quarterly is a little more of a pain that one swell foop, but so be it.

Cheers.

 

[hurnik]

For us it's harder as we fly primarily AA (where we have top status) and AS (which partners with AA and the status benefits transfer). We don't check bags (except for long trips) and upgrades are free. Also, when buying tickets we like to use our AA cards and AA and AS cards for AS. I can always buy cheap tickets, cancel and bank the funds.

We do have an upcoming trip on DL, so I booked a cheap fare that I'm planning to cancel for credit to use on that. Doing it quarterly is a little more of a pain that one swell foop, but so be it.

Cheers.

Yeah, AA seems a little more tricky to get the credit.
In case others are interested as to what/how works:

Airline fee $250/$200 reimbursement reports: AA only (2022-23) - FlyerTalk Forums

American Express | Membership Rewards - Airline fee $250/$200 reimbursement reports: AA only (2022-23) - Originally Posted by JJeffrey I have found that small additional fare collections (under about $50) trigger the credit. With this in mind I got creative last year and turned my $450 in Amex...

www.flyertalk.com

 

[brp]

Yeah, AA seems a little more tricky to get the credit.
In case others are interested as to what/how works:

Airline fee $250/$200 reimbursement reports: AA only (2022-23) - FlyerTalk Forums

American Express | Membership Rewards - Airline fee $250/$200 reimbursement reports: AA only (2022-23) - Originally Posted by JJeffrey I have found that small additional fare collections (under about $50) trigger the credit. With this in mind I got creative last year and turned my $450 in Amex...

www.flyertalk.com

Thanks. This is for the old credit where it was really hard, as you say. I'm thinking about the credit going forward where it would be easier, in general.

Cheers.

 

[hurnik]

Thanks. This is for the old credit where it was really hard, as you say. I'm thinking about the credit going forward where it would be easier, in general.

Cheers.

Until we get data points, that's probably the best "master" thread anywhere as to what triggers the credits via Amex. there may be more info over in reddit in the r/churning but the search engine over there leaves much to be desired.

I don't think I've seen much (you can look at the last few pages) with the new credit as to what triggers it. I only glanced at the last 3 pages of the thread though.

 

[brp]

Until we get data points, that's probably the best "master" thread anywhere as to what triggers the credits via Amex. there may be more info over in reddit in the r/churning but the search engine over there leaves much to be desired.

I don't think I've seen much (you can look at the last few pages) with the new credit as to what triggers it. I only glanced at the last 3 pages of the thread though.

Well, the T&Cs explicitly say that it's for airfare, and I'm fairly sure I saw folks who reported getting it this quarter for airfare. So I think it's a safe bet that this will be a straight airfare thing. I just tried one and I'll see in a few days. But I'm sure I saw reports somewhere (here or FT).

Found the thread. Long thread, but examples of simple airfare working with this credit.

Hilton AMEX Card Redesign; Higher Annual Fee; New Benefits - FlyerTalk Forums

Hilton | Hilton Honors - Hilton AMEX Card Redesign; Higher Annual Fee; New Benefits - Originally Posted by mbluecpa It was an add/collect related to an air ticket. So I'm guessing it came through as an airfare with the ticket number showing for the charge. I was asking because I'm thinking that...

www.flyertalk.com

Cheers.

 

[hurnik]

Well, the T&Cs explicitly say that it's for airfare, and I'm fairly sure I saw folks who reported getting it this quarter for airfare. So I think it's a safe bet that this will be a straight airfare thing. I just tried one and I'll see in a few days. But I'm sure I saw reports somewhere (here or FT).

Found the thread. Long thread, but examples of simple airfare working with this credit.

Hilton AMEX Card Redesign; Higher Annual Fee; New Benefits - FlyerTalk Forums

Hilton | Hilton Honors - Hilton AMEX Card Redesign; Higher Annual Fee; New Benefits - Originally Posted by mbluecpa It was an add/collect related to an air ticket. So I'm guessing it came through as an airfare with the ticket number showing for the charge. I was asking because I'm thinking that...

www.flyertalk.com

Cheers.

Yeah it's segmented since someone introduced the thread under the Hilton Hotels sub-forum (which technically it shouldn't be there, since it's really nothing to do with Hilton Honors).
You'll see multiple reports for say, the UA travel bank on both spots now.

I may ask the moderates to shift or move over to the Amex forum where (IMO), it belongs.