Amex Hilton Changes

[raddoc]

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?

Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members approved prior to October 19, 2023 will receive up to $250 in statement credits per membership year for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts through December 31, 2023. Starting January 1, 2024, Card Members can receive up to a total of $200 in statement credits semi-annually (January through June; and July through December), for up to $400 back annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on their Card Account.

Don't think you can get the quarterly resort credit now, looks like that is going to kick in on January 1st.

 

[Nowaker]

Looks like Surpass card became a total piece of crap? Previously $95 AF and FNC at $15K spend, now $150 AF and no FNC at all. Can someone confirm?

 

[Nowaker]

+$60 in Clear as mrs. brp can get her own for free

I had CLEAR covered with Amex Plat already. And if you link your CLEAR account with Delta account, the yearly price drops by $40 I believe. And since additional user costs only $70, and you got $40 off, it's like $30 extra value. Not much.

 

[HuskerATL]

Looks like Surpass card became a total piece of crap? Previously $95 AF and FNC at $15K spend, now $150 AF and no FNC at all. Can someone confirm?

I can't see where they mention it at all for the Surpass but the Aspire added an third possible one.

 

[ljmiii]

Looks like Surpass card became a total piece of crap? Previously $95 AF and FNC at $15K spend, now $150 AF and no FNC at all. Can someone confirm?

The Free Night Reward (at $15K spend) shows for the new Surpass on both the Hilton and AMEX websites. On the Hilton website it's under stay perks and it's in the T&Cs on the AMEX website.

 

[Sandy VDH]

semi-annually but it starts Jan 1st:
View attachment 82698

no, it clearly states Jan 1st.

 

[Zenichiro]

Am I thinking of this wrong? If you have Surpass and Aspire you can get $500 off on MF?
Dec $200 Aspire resort credit + $50 Surpass. Jan 1st $200 Aspire resort credit + $50 Surpass.

For an annual fee of $700 you would reduce the cost to $200. You would still then have $100 in resort credit and $200 flight credit. Positive $100 and I didn’t factor the $189 clear or FNC(s)

 

[ernststarhemberg]

The trouble is not using up the Aspire resort credit at the Elara/Valdoro bar so that there is some leftover for MFs. Maybe having it broken out in two installments will help us

 

[Zenichiro]

The trouble is not using up the Aspire resort credit at the Elara/Valdoro bar so that there is some leftover for MFs. Maybe having it broken out in two installments will help us

Lol yea, very true

 

[Reddart]

Looks like Surpass card became a total piece of crap? Previously $95 AF and FNC at $15K spend, now $150 AF and no FNC at all. Can someone confirm?

Lighten up Francis, it’s still there.

 

[letsgobobby]

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..

only problem is you have to book Alaska flights with Alaska cc to get benefits: Group C boarding and free bags. So that's a problem for us. I'll be AS elite next year so I will be able to use the Amex for my flights and thr AS visa for family. But I don't always make elite.

 

[artringwald]

It seems that one could pay the MFs in two installments - use the latter semi-annual credit to pay part in December and the earlier installment to pay the rest in January. Thus, $400 in savings per year from MFs.

And the airline benefit is a definite plus for us as it seems it can now be used for airfare rather than "other" charges or conniving ways to use it on Southwest, who we rarely fly.

Cheers.

Exactly what I had in mind.

 

[artringwald]

Our Platinum is metal, which is cool when you first get it, and then a shrug later....and then a PIA later if you need to shred it...because you can't and need to ship it back to them or destroy it in another way. Or, you can sharpen the edges to make Amex throwing rectangles....

I had a Delta Skymiles Reserve card, but downgraded when I found out the benefits were very difficult to use. I didn't try to destroy the card because some of the metal in it came from a retired 747. It has the plane's info on the card, so I'll keep it as a souvenir.

 

[TheDude]

Has anyone ever tried to prepay MFs a year in advance (I would do a partial)? I have a EOY at The Boulevard that I won't have to pay until next year. My EY Elara MFs don't get the credit. I will have a $250 credit available in late Nov and then the $200 available in the first half of next year.

 

[brp]

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

Definitely some winner and some losers on this. We don't pay for baggage or seat upgrades and actually have no legitimate charges for this card. Well, I did use both the Platinum and Aspire for AS lounge access, but that was just to use it. We connived the Aspire on mrs. brp's card for a few WN airfares. But now we will have better options to use this on actual airfare.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

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.

By "we" I assume that there are at least two of you. In that case, Platinum only covers tha main registrant and it's an extra $60 for others. That was the case for us this year. Now. we can each get out own membership, so that will save $60 a year on Clear.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

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

As does Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

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!

Monthly dining credit on Bonvoy Brilliant. The list goes on

Cheers.

 

[brp]

I had CLEAR covered with Amex Plat already. And if you link your CLEAR account with Delta account, the yearly price drops by $40 I believe. And since additional user costs only $70, and you got $40 off, it's like $30 extra value. Not much.

I thought that one needed to have some status with Delta other than cardboard, which we have. I'd hate to think that it was for anyone and I missed out this year, but there are a lot of things to track.

In any event, since I have a Platinum and we each have Aspire, we can each have our own accounts and Clear is completely free with no linking required. So, I may just have been out the additional few bucks this year.

Edit: Just checked - normal rate for cardboard members, so no benefit. I prolly did check.

Cheers.

 

[brp]

only problem is you have to book Alaska flights with Alaska cc to get benefits: Group C boarding and free bags. So that's a problem for us. I'll be AS elite next year so I will be able to use the Amex for my flights and thr AS visa for family. But I don't always make elite.

AS let me split cards for a lounge membership by talking to a customer service team. I wonder if the same would work for flights. We have AA status so we get all these benefits on AS anyway, so we just use the AS card for more miles.

At present, we bought $5K worth of AS GCs at Costco for 10% off, so we will use that. I will call and try to book $50 on the card and the rest from the Waller each quarter.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

By "we" I assume that there are at least two of you. In that case, Platinum only covers tha main registrant and it's an extra $60 for others. That was the case for us this year. Now. we can each get out own membership, so that will save $60 a year on Clear.

Cheers.

we used the Delta discount and have both my wife and son on there with me. It was weird though because it initially cost us more than the credit but then later we were refunded more that we paid so I have no idea what happened but didn't complain. I did just get the renewal notification for the 3 of us and it say $249. I may need to split us now though and put two on the Plat and two an the Aspire. Need to figure that out.

Here is the Delta info:

CLEAR | Delta Air Lines

CLEAR is an expedited security initiative designed to help travelers enjoy a more convenient journey through the airport. Find more information at delta.com.

www.delta.com

 

[tah]

I did just get the renewal notification for the 3 of us and it say $249. I may need to split us now though and put two on the Plat and two an the Aspire. Need to figure that out.

1. You can temporarily "deactivate" family members. They stay listed on your account and all their biometrics are retained by Clear. Do that a day or two before renewal.
2. Renew with card 1
3. Change payment method to card 2 (maybe wait 1 day)
4. Reactivate the family members -- gets charged to the update payment method.

So there's definitely a way. Some notes: when you deactivate a family member you get a prorated credit -- that causes the previous reimbursement to reverse for the amount of the credit -- I have not paid close enough attention if the credit goes to the card used when the family members were enrolled or if it goes to the current payment method on file. Perhaps there's a step 0.5 to update payment method to card that does not have a Clear reimbursement. And the family member cannot use Clear for the couple of days that you're jumping through hoops.

The effort we go through to get rich $50 to $60 at a time.....

 

[tah]

And while looking at my Clear account to see the correct term for "deactivate", I noticed this:

"Add up to 3 adult family members for only $70/yr each." Seems it was $70/year when I renewed in July -- that probably changed when they eliminated the Delta/United discount for people without status. I find Clear to be less and less useful -- the time savings over just going to the TSA Precheck just isn't there anymore -- I imagine it's very airport/TOD dependent.

 

[HuskerATL]

Here is the airline discounts from the Clear page:

And the family plan...so we would need to move my wife and a kid off since they are both over 17 now.

 

[HuskerATL]

I am actually a bit confused by my renewal bill, it is $249 for me and two other people but if I am $149 and they are $70 each, that should be $289.