Hilton AmEx cards

[brp]

Another tip is to not add each other as authorized users. Just get a duplicate card to your spouse - when you order a new card

We don't currently have any any authorized user cards, although I will be getting mrs. brp such a card for Amex Platinum in 2023 for Centurion Lounge access.

I find it interesting that they don't change the code and invalidate the original card in a "damage" case. I'm not sure I'd trust this to hold universally and would rather just get a companion card for safety.

Cheers.

 

[Nowaker]

I'm not sure I'd trust this to hold universally

It holds universally. We have like 30 CCs per player. Four networks. Tens of issuers. Same story for each, except Discover, where the new card has a new sequence number, expiration and code, but both continue to work.

 

[brp]

It holds universally. We have like 30 CCs per player. Four networks. Tens of issuers. Same story for each, except Discover, where the new card has a new sequence number, expiration and code, but both continue to work.

Thanks. Surprising, but you have much data

Cheers.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

It holds universally. We have like 30 CCs per player. Four networks. Tens of issuers. Same story for each, except Discover, where the new card has a new sequence number, expiration and code, but both continue to work.

Wow that's a lot of cards to track. We play in 2 player mode but don't have that many cards. I see the free night certs as a way to stretch our TS $. Great for use at early morning airport flights or to extend a vacation.

There is one card in which we are going back to 1 player (+ auth user) is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Once I receive my annual $300 travel credit, I will downgrade my CSR card to a Freedom card. I then will get an authorized user card for $75 off of my DH's Sapphire Reserve to acquire the additional priority pass and travel benefits. This will save us $175 after the CSR fees rise to $550/year later this year. I may also apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred if the 100k points offer is still available. Still saves us $80 plus we gain an additional 100k Chase points.

 

[brp]

There is one card in which we are going back to 1 player (+ auth user) is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Once I receive my annual $300 travel credit, I will downgrade my CSR card to a Freedom card. I then will get an authorized user card for $75 off of my DH's Sapphire Reserve to acquire the additional priority pass and travel benefits. This will save us $175 after the CSR fees rise to $550/year later this year. I may also apply for a Chase Sapphire Preferred if the 100k points offer is still available. Still saves us $80 plus we gain an additional 100k Chase points.

Since we always travel together and the only advantage of the Chase PP versus Amex is restaurants, we've not seen a benefit to having an authorized user on mine. We've never seen a value in 2-player mode here.

Cheers.

 

[Nowaker]

We've never seen a value in 2-player mode here.

The value comes in signup bonuses. Why get a SUB once if you can get it twice.

I've made $10.6k since 2017 thanks to playing in tandem. Most in CC SUBs, a small fraction in checking/savings SUBs.

The most recent ones that I've gone for is to put $10k into a Citi savings and keep untouched for 3 months, and you'll get 20,000 AA miles. Did it for two players - now waiting one more month to get it.

 

[easyrider]

One thing I really like about the Hilton Amex is having access to the Hilton Honors program. Often times prices go up and inventory disappears on holidays but Hilton Honors often has a regular price and inventory.

Bill

 

[frank808]

Since we always travel together and the only advantage of the Chase PP versus Amex is restaurants, we've not seen a benefit to having an authorized user on mine. We've never seen a value in 2-player mode here.

Cheers.

If you stay at Marriott or have Marriott timeshare MF to pay, get the Ritz Carlton card. AF is $450 and you get $300 back for airline ancilliary purchases. In essence paying $150 for a Marriott 50K night certificate. Good for the Priority Pass benefit of restaurants and not the restricted Amex PP.

I could not justify the CSR $450 AF and definitely not with the increased $550 AF.

Have to get the Ritz card in a round about way now. Apply for the Chase Marriott card and then on 1yr anniversary product change to the Ritz Carlton card.



Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[brp]

If you stay at Marriott or have Marriott timeshare MF to pay, get the Ritz Carlton card. AF is $450 and you get $300 back for airline ancilliary purchases. In essence paying $150 for a Marriott 50K night certificate. Good for the Priority Pass benefit of restaurants and not the restricted Amex PP.

I could not justify the CSR $450 AF and definitely not with the increased $550 AF.

Have to get the Ritz card in a round about way now. Apply for the Chase Marriott card and then on 1yr anniversary product change to the Ritz Carlton card.

I have Marriott Bonvoy Brllliant (50K night, $300 credit) and the other one that gets 35K night. The $300 credit works on a Gift Card. Since we focus on Hyatt stays domestically, Marriott is a challenge, but the $300 GC can be used at restaurant/bar.

We have no ancillary airline spend at all. So the various Amex that allow WN tickets work for us. Anything that required ancillary spend would not.

Since CSR has an automatic $300 credit, that made it worth it at $450. At $550 it's a little more of a stretch.

If the Ritz card where $300 for Marriott spend, it might be worth it.

But I'm likely to drop all Marriott cards after this coming year. We get Marriott Gold with Amex Plat, same as with Bonvoy Brilliant, for the few Marriott stays. Hyatt Globalist is, IMO, far superior.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

Just to add, if you get the AMEX Platinum (not Hilton specific), you get free Gold status with HHonors, hotel credits, lounge access in airports, etc.

 

[brp]

Just to add, if you get the AMEX Platinum (not Hilton specific), you get free Gold status with HHonors, hotel credits, lounge access in airports, etc.

Yup. Since I have Amex Plat and we both have Aspire, we get Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond. Then we use spend for Hyatt Globalist.

But HHonors Gold is perfectly reasonable as a status and, as you say, comes along with the Amex Platinum.

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

We don't currently have any any authorized user cards, although I will be getting mrs. brp such a card for Amex Platinum in 2023 for Centurion Lounge access.

I find it interesting that they don't change the code and invalidate the original card in a "damage" case. I'm not sure I'd trust this to hold universally and would rather just get a companion card for safety.

Cheers.

I have the platinum card and then got additional cards for my wife and sons, mainly for lounge access while traveling, pre-COVID, but you pay for those cards. When COVID hit and we weren't traveling, I reduced theirs to the gold card, which is free. Interestingly, when my older son has traveled, the system still shows his card as platinum so he has continued to get lounge access (Delta which is free with the platinum card...again not the Hilton or Delta platinum but just the platinum card. The funny part is that my son's love the metal platinum card and were bummed when I took it away..

 

[Nowaker]

My wife and I, after draining multiple signup bonuses over the years for a total value of $1,850, are now stuck in popup jail for all (I'm guessing) Amex cards. Neither of us could pass the popup jail for any of the personal Hilton cards (HH, HH Surpass, HH Aspire) and it's heartbreaking to pass on 150k-ish HH pts. However, a Hilton business card, which is basically an equivalent of HH Surpass, went through just fine. No popup jail for 130k HH + 50k HH signup bonus in the application process. (Note, I do own a business.)

I should be getting my new deeds transferred under my name in a couple weeks... One deed already arrived at HGVC, another one is en route and arriving Friday, and another one will be signed and mailed tomorrow. The card will come in handy for the upcoming MFs. Excited for 2022 and my 34,000 points available to spend! (17k 2022 points + 17k saved points)

 

[brp]

You had to add it in offers. I do not know if it is still available to add. I got $20 free dining offer every month.

Was able to add it to one Hilton Aspire card, Marriott Brilliant Amex and the Amex SPG (though this card was only $10). I was not able to add the $20 to the second Aspire card in each of our accounts (once you add offer to first Aspire, it dissappears from second Aspire).

Since Jan or Feb we have been taking advantage of $100 a month in free dining courtesy of Amex.

Sent from my SM-T290 using Tapatalk

We've been getting $60 a month here (two Aspires - separate accounts and a Bonvoy Brilliant), and $15 from Uber Eats for Amex Platinum when we don't use Uber. The latter continues indefinitely.

Cheers.

 

[Sapper]

Not everyone loves SW, especially lately. I live close to Bush, it makes not sense to go all the way to Hobby.

SWA operates out of IAH now.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I wanted to get the Amex Platinum, but the fee is so high that it's hard to justify. I guess we would each need to have one to get into the lounge. There is a great lounge at Denver. It's pretty new, apparently.

I was thinking about which airline I would use for the Platinum card for incidentals and realized that would be tough to get back. The hotels I could get that $200 back probably, but I am unsure about the other benefits. Clear is included, but we do okay with Global Entry.

I did see that DEN added a lounge (restaurant) for Priority Pass in B concourse but Amex doesn't include the restaurant lounges.

 

[HuskerATL]

I wanted to get the Amex Platinum, but the fee is so high that it's hard to justify.

I normally travel internationally a lot but the last two years, none, so it has been harder to justify. I already have global entry and TSA PreCheck, don't use the credits for exercise or media/streaming since it is now only 4 options that we don't use. In the past they provided streaming credits period, it didn't matter what, so I used those (netflix, YouTube TV, etc). You get a $50 credit at Saks Fifth Avenue so my wife buys a $50ish thing every 6 months since it is free. We used the lounges a lot and when my family would travel with me, it justified the $175 extra for them to have it also but when the traveling stopped, it didn't so back to the free Gold for them.

The first year that I got it, I had just gotten a new phone and was in Barcelona where my phone was stolen in the metro. I had to get a police report and fill out their form but then they reimbursed the full price of the phone since I bought it on the card. That alone paid for more than that year's fee. Then a couple years later we had ordered a light from Morocco and it showed up dented. The company in Fez blamed FedEx, FedEx wouldn't take the blame, so I turned to Amex and they reimbursed me the cost which again was more than the annual fee. Between these incidents, the little credits here and there for stuff like Home Depot, Best Buy, Saks, streaming, now Walmart +, gold status for HH, Uber and Uber Eats credits, hotel credits, airline credits, etc., I have been able to get more out of it than I paid in the fee but the last couple of years I have had to work at it more.

I will say that I just booked HGV lodging in April for Hawaii and the card credited the $59 reservation fee and the $69 trip protection. I don't normally get the trip protection but who knows what will be happening in April so I got it this time and they ended up being free with the credit plus I booked my flights via the amex travel service where you get 5% back and it credited some for the cost of the flights. This year I have gotten $1,551.53 in statements credits so far, so more than the annual fee but again, I have had to try to use the benefits more than previous years when they just happened with travel. It is an expensive card and we do use the benefits but you have to be intentional, like buying the phone with the amex for the purchase protection or using Walmart +, which we had never done, but it is nice to get a quick delivery of items from there. Now if they would start delivering beer through it.....we would be set.......

 

[HuskerATL]

Saks Fifth Avenue so my wife buys a $50ish thing every 6 months since it is free.

Just to add, this Saks hook works great for Saks since my wife's $50ish free purchase is never about $50.....she sees it as a $50 credit toward much more....

 

[GT75]

she sees it as a $50 credit toward much more...

Yes, you are definitely saving money with that card.

 

[brp]

Just to add, this Saks hook works great for Saks since my wife's $50ish free purchase is never about $50.....she sees it as a $50 credit toward much more....

On trips to New York we've gone to Saks a couple of times, There is literally nothing either of us want there, even for free. Went to their cafe once only to find out that that doesn't count.

One other time I got 2 pair of underwear for $42. They are OK, but not worth $42, and not worth the effort to go there even for free.

So this one is a waste.

Lounges we use. In 2023, when I no longer get a guest, I'll get mrs. brp an auxiliary card for $175.

As for use, we get $200 of value on WN, so that one is easy. I get the NY Times, so that is now free. Free Walmart shipping (I don't really get much from them, but some stuff is quite nice).

As for Clear, we have Pre Check, but have found times when that line is quite long and Clear has saved a fair bit of time...more time for lounges

Cheers.

 

[HuskerATL]

As for Clear, we have Pre Check, but have found times when that line is quite long and Clear has saved a fair bit of time...more time for lounges

I have thought about getting Clear also, since the cost is included with the card. Centurion lounge is nice if you are in an airport that has it.

And to clarify my comment on Saks...I was meaning that it is good for Saks, the company,....not necessarily me because by using the credit you will probably spend more than that.

 

[brp]

I have thought about getting Clear also, since the cost is included with the card. Centurion lounge is nice if you are in an airport that has it.

Our frequeny airports are SFO (some along with SJC), LAX, DFW, MIA, JFk. Lesser for CLT and LAS, SEA. these are all Centurion airports, so this definitely works for us being AA-based.

Cheers.

 

[Nowaker]

My wife and I, after draining multiple signup bonuses over the years for a total value of $1,850, are now stuck in popup jail for all (I'm guessing) Amex cards. Neither of us could pass the popup jail for any of the personal Hilton cards (HH, HH Surpass, HH Aspire) and it's heartbreaking to pass on 150k-ish HH pts. However, a Hilton business card, which is basically an equivalent of HH Surpass, went through just fine. No popup jail for 130k HH + 50k HH signup bonus in the application process. (Note, I do own a business.)

I should be getting my new deeds transferred under my name in a couple weeks... One deed already arrived at HGVC, another one is en route and arriving Friday, and another one will be signed and mailed tomorrow. The card will come in handy for the upcoming MFs. Excited for 2022 and my 34,000 points available to spend! (17k 2022 points + 17k saved points)

Here's a very unexpected follow-up: after getting a Hilton Business card, and putting $2k spend on it for 130K HH SUB (already received), I just applied for Hilton Aspire ($450 AF) and... no popup jail. YAY!

Timeline:

• T - 4 weeks - tried opening all personal Hilton cards multiple times to no avail - always a dreaded popup jail
• T + 0 - opened a Hilton Business card because I read it's usually exempt from a popup jail - and it was.
• T + 1 week - plastic arrived in mail
• T + 2 weeks - got my 130K HH points SUB after spending $2k
• T + 4 weeks - just randomly tried my luck with Hilton Aspire ($450 MF) and got approved - **no popup jail**. Total spend on my Hilton Business card is $3,153.82 to date.

 

[letsgobobby]

is this the mega thread on amex, i thought there was another, even larger?

with three deeds soon it's time to join the party. i do see the credit won't count for W57th but 12-14x may still be worthwhile.

even with 2-4 cards, should be able to max any credit with our annual Lagoon.

 

[HuskerATL]

is this the mega thread on amex, i thought there was another, even larger?

with three deeds soon it's time to join the party. i do see the credit won't count for W57th but 12-14x may still be worthwhile.

even with 2-4 cards, should be able to max any credit with our annual Lagoon.

We use the Aspire for all our Hilton related activities including our Craig purchases and MFs that both counted for 14x and the resort credit.