Amex Hilton Changes

[HuskerATL]

Hilton Surpass and Aspire card changes 2023: Revamped benefits and higher annual fees - The Points Guy

American Express has refreshed the Hilton Surpass Card and the Hilton Aspire Card. Whether you find value in the new perks, benefits or earning categories, one thing is certain — there are increased annual fees for both cards. Let's see how the changes affect you.

thepointsguy.com

 

[HuskerATL]

Not related to the Amex but interesting. Delta just sent out the updates for their program and this one is good for me since I am a 1 million miler....currently I have lifetime Silver status which is worth about as much as me going shopping with my wife and her asking my opinion of outfits... Gold actually does have value for boarding and lounge access with KLM...which I fly through AMS often so that is great. Also, here are the lounge updates. Those of us who have the Platinum card now get 10 visits instead of 6...which, prior to that, was unlimited.

 

[Sandy VDH]

It looks like the $50 per quarter flight credit is already showing up. Although the $200 per semi annually resort credit is listed, but does not start until January.

So It looks like you should be able to get an extra $50 in travel this year, as I have already gotten the $250. I see the Carrier selection is now gone. I have a flight to book anyway.

With the $200 resort credit semi annually, I guess I will change my payment times. This year I will pay all of it in January, but in 2025 MF I will pay half in Dec 24 and the rest in Jan 25..

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Just need to figure out how to space out the MF payments...may be tricky this upcoming year but next year would be easier.

Seems pretty "untricky" to me. Use whatever you have left in 2023 and then charge $200 on Jan 1, 2024 and then another $200 when the MF bills come out at the end of the year.

 

[raddoc]

I'm not a fan of the $50/quarter flight credit. I also have the Amex Platinum which give 5x points on airfare. This means that I would have to charge four flights/year to the Aspire and lose out on the 5x points on the Platinum. In the past I have not received 5x points on my Platinum if I did not charge the entire flight on the card, I would assume that would hold true if I charged $50 to the Aspire and the rest to the Amex Platinum.

I usually group together my flight purchases (I try to buy tickets for multiple upcoming trips at the same time), this means that I would be forced to purchase them every quarter instead of well ahead of time when airfares tend to be cheaper.

I hope that purchases for the United Travel Bank still trigger the flight credit, that would simplify things.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We have a small amount of flight and and larger amount of Hilton resort credits remaining on our 2 Aspire cards that renewed in may of this year. Do we still get those credits plus the new flight and hotel credits? or are those prior credits wiped out?

 

[fishwithwater]

Hopefully the new Surpass quarterly $50 will be reimbursable for hgvc reservation fee, that will be major improvement for me

 

[HuskerATL]

We have a small amount of flight and and larger amount of Hilton resort credits remaining on our 2 Aspire cards that renewed in may of this year. Do we still get those credits plus the new flight and hotel credits? or are those prior credits wiped out?

btw, in the new rules, it looks like the Aspire flight credit is for airfare.....that would stink since we typically use them for seat upgrades or luggage

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

We have a small amount of flight and and larger amount of Hilton resort credits remaining on our 2 Aspire cards that renewed in may of this year. Do we still get those credits plus the new flight and hotel credits? or are those prior credits wiped out?

I believe both are still valid through the end of the year and will reset to the new limits/timings on both. The good thing is that the Resort Credit won't be tied to your anniversary date any longer, and will now be $200 every 6 months.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

A quick summary from what I have seen so far:

Resort Credit: $400 (No problem to use)

Free Night: Est $300 (No problem to use)

Airline Credit: $200 (Easily use $100-$150, maybe even the full $200)

Clear Credit: $189 (Pretty useless to me at this point as my home airport doesn’t participate. A few of the airports that do are ones we do travel to, but it seems to me that I’m through PreCheck quick enough while I watch people get delayed going through Clear)

National Executive: $0 value…I have become a total free agent on rental cars with no loyalty to any of them.


Even with the increased fee, I am still “making” at least $250 per card x 2, with little effort. Could be as high as $350/year. I do like the fact that they are changing the resort credits to yearly cycles as the anniversary date is a pain to remember.

 

[HuskerATL]

If the airline credit is for airfare only, then I am not sure how useful that is for us but we will see. If they go to a calendar year for the resort credit, then it will be nice because I just received the $250 credit when we bought more Craig so it would give us another $200 for this year's MFs...then later in the year next year to pay some before Jan 1, 2025.

We get Clear through the platinum...and it is nice. ATL has a line for Clear, a line for TSA pre-check, and another line for people with both....that is our line.

National executive zero use...we get Avis/Hertz via Platinum.

Of course the free night is usable and the free night with the $60k spend...which we typically get.

I just checked the website and the new program is already on the benefits page but it used to have a spend tracker for the free night. I don't see it. Now it just has the flight credit and clear credit.

 

[FilthyForever]

A quick summary from what I have seen so far:

Resort Credit: $400 (No problem to use)

Free Night: Est $300 (No problem to use)

Airline Credit: $200 (Easily use $100-$150, maybe even the full $200)

Clear Credit: $189 (Pretty useless to me at this point as my home airport doesn’t participate. A few of the airports that do are ones we do travel to, but it seems to me that I’m through PreCheck quick enough while I watch people get delayed going through Clear)

National Executive: $0 value…I have become a total free agent on rental cars with no loyalty to any of them.


Even with the increased fee, I am still “making” at least $250 per card x 2, with little effort. Could be as high as $350/year. I do like the fact that they are changing the resort credits to yearly cycles as the anniversary date is a pain to remember.

Just avoid Hertz to avoid getting arrested

 

[Zenichiro]

I will miss the losing Priority Pass. The rest I can work with. Any suggestions on travel cards that include Priority Pass?

Ritz has the

 

[Zenichiro]

Sorry should have said the Chase Ritz has the better priority pass.

 

[Zenichiro]

Will take another $50 United travel bank this year too.

 

[HuskerATL]

Ritz has the

the Amex Platinum does also

 

[HuskerATL]

Just avoid Hertz to avoid getting arrested

are there arrest issues with Hertz renters?

 

[raddoc]

are there arrest issues with Hertz renters?

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140998674/hertz-false-accusation-stealing-cars-settlement

 

[HuskerATL]

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140998674/hertz-false-accusation-stealing-cars-settlement

what in the what? I am not sure how I missed that story but that is ridiculous....

 

[raddoc]

What I don't like is going from a larger single annual credit to smaller periodic credits. Obviously that is done so consumers are less likely to benefit from the whole credit but promotions still tout the entire amount.

Biannual resort credits on Aspire. Quarterly airline credits on Aspire. Biannual Saks credits on the Platinum. Biannual Dell credits on the Platinum Business. Monthly Uber credits on the Platinum. All of these are use it or lose it. Keeping track of all these is like death by a thousand cuts!

 

[ernststarhemberg]

With the bump in the Aspire perks I'm having to seriously contemplate whether it's worth it to keep the Amex Platinum anymore.

They dropped Audible from the digital entertainment credit, so I don't utilize all of that anymore, nor do I utilize the Uber credit as often as I used to. The only benefits I use that are offered by the Platinum card are the 5x Amex points on airfare, the global entry credit, and access to the SkyClub (now 10 times per year, up from six in the previous new rules).

I don't fly as much as I did pre-Covid so the 5x Amex points isn't as appealing. The Global Entry credit is negligible ($20/yr). And I find I never used the SkyClub much, either (just twice in the past several years), and I almost never fly through an airport with a Centurion Lounge. The Wal-Mart+ membership is cool but I could easily live without it. Not sure if the $695 is really worth it anymore.

 

[HuskerATL]

With the bump in the Aspire perks I'm having to seriously contemplate whether it's worth it to keep the Amex Platinum anymore.

They dropped Audible from the digital entertainment credit, so I don't utilize all of that anymore, nor do I utilize the Uber credit as often as I used to. The only benefits I use that are offered by the Platinum card are the 5x Amex points on airfare, the global entry credit, and access to the SkyClub (now 10 times per year, up from six in the previous new rules).

I don't fly as much as I did pre-Covid so the 5x Amex points isn't as appealing. The Global Entry credit is negligible ($20/yr). And I find I never used the SkyClub much, either (just twice in the past several years), and I almost never fly through an airport with a Centurion Lounge. The Wal-Mart+ membership is cool but I could easily live without it. Not sure if the $695 is really worth it anymore.

We use the Delta lounge access, hotel credit ($200), airline fee credit ($200), digital entertainment credit ($240 - we use it for the Disney +/ESPN+/Hulu bundle and Peacock but the ad versions so that we can get them all of the $20/month credit), Walmart + really for free Paramont + ($12.95/month), 5x flights, priority pass when in a location with a Delta lounge, the $200 Uber cash but usually for Uber Eats, $100 Saks credit, $189 Clear, Global Entry, rental cars, and purchase protection.....the covers our cost so far. Heck one year, I had just bought a new phone and it was stolen in Barcelona, filed a police report and Amex credited our account the full amount. Then we bought a Moroccan light, $500, and it showed up damaged...Amex credited us. They are easy to work with when you need it. We are kicking around going to the US Open next year, which Amex has a lounge/seats. We just don't take advantage of the Private Jet Program as much as I would like...

 

[ljmiii]

btw, in the new rules, it looks like the Aspire flight credit is for airfare.....that would stink since we typically use them for seat upgrades or luggage

Oh...man. The Aspire airline credit is now almost completely useless to me. I can count the number of times I've flown someone else besides United, Delta, or American in the past five years on the fingers of one hand. So much for putting that $200 in my United Travelbank.

$200 Flight Credit​

Basic Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Members can receive up to a total of $50 in statement credits each calendar quarter (January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December), for up to $200 annually for eligible purchases of airfare made directly with an airline or through amextravel.com. To be eligible for this benefit, an airfare purchase must be for a scheduled flight on a passenger carrier and purchased directly from the airline or through amextravel.com.

 

[letsgobobby]

we are checking into MarBrisa today.

Do you think we can start getting semi-annual resort credits now even if we got the $250 early in the CY?

 

[HuskerATL]

we are checking into MarBrisa today.

Do you think we can start getting quarterly resort credits now even if we got the $250 early in the CY?

semi-annually but it starts Jan 1st: