American Express sent out good news today to Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire cardholders. We separately reported on the ability to earn 12X at grocery stores and the fact that the Hilton Aspire’s $250 resort credit can now be earned through restaurant spend. In this post, though, I’ll specifically point out the enhancements to the free weekend nights that can be earned with either card.
Enhancements to Free Weekend Night Rewards
Weekend night becomes anytime night
Unexpired and new Free Weekend Night rewards issued through December 31, 2020 can now be used any night of the week.
New free nights valid for 24 months
New weekend free night awards issued from May 1 to December 31 2020 will be valid for 24 months from the date of issuance (previously 12 months).
How to earn Free Weekend Night Rewards
As a reminder, each card makes it possible to earn Free Weekend Night Rewards, as follows:
- Hilton Aspire:
- Annual Weekend Night Reward upon approval and every year upon renewal
- Second free weekend night after $60K spend in calendar year
- Hilton Surpass:
- Free weekend night after $15K spend in calendar year
My take
In my opinion, these changes make earning Hilton free night awards this year far more valuable than usual. If you plan to earn a free night through spend, you may want to wait until December to complete that spend so that the free night is valid through all of 2021 and most of 2022.
Below you’ll find images of emails shared by members of our Frequent Miler Insiders Group (thanks everyone!):
Hilton Surpass:
Hilton Aspire:
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[…] earns a free weekend night at $15K calendar year spend (and that “weekend” night will be valid any night of the week if earned by the end of 2020) and the return on the Surpass card becomes more […]
[…] See also: Hilton free weekend nights become anytime nights valid for 2 years. […]
I have an update offer, does that count extended 6 month spending?
An upgrade offer, you mean? The answer is yes. From their FAQ:
Is my welcome offer for upgrading my Card account eligible for this extension?
Yes, welcome offers associated with upgrading a Card account are included.
Found here: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/notice/covid-19/#welcome-offers
[…] I said, banks are really trying to make us get and keep their cards! Hilton free weekend nights become anytime nights valid for 2 years. I may go for the premium Amex Hilton Aspire card later this year as this appears to be the final […]
Is there a limit on the 12x points at Grocery stores on the Hilton Surpass? I didn’t see one listed in the fine print, theoretically you could buy 30 500 VGC (15,000) at a cost of about 178 – 210, depending on your liquidation methods and earn 180,000 points and a free night.
Correct. No stated limit. Combine with a fuel point promo to make it profitable potentially.
Just beware that ramping up really quickly on that could be problematic.
I got an email from Amex yesterday that they lowered my credit limit on my Bonvoy Amex card after I bought 1 VGC on that and 1 on my Hilton yesterday. I have ridiculously low limits on my Amex cards compared to everything else.
Another reason to love HHonors. This is a super bene. Thanks for posting this info.
Like the changes I rxd in the email as above. I will be renewing later this year. But… no, won’t be using for spend at grocery stores…not with Chase Freedom bonus., etc…
When one compares what Hilton and AMEX have done compared to what Marriott has done — for Non-Asian members, their free nights have been extended to only 1/31/21 and separately Chase has offered a paltry points bonus on Supermarket purchases for a limited time, Hilton and Amex have together come out shining.
Moreover, it demonstrates that AMEX is stealing a march on Chase because at least with respect to the Amex Marriott Brilliance card the $300 hotel credit can be used towards restaurant purchases from 6/1/20 – 8/31/20 (similar to what AMEX had permitted with the Aspire card).
Compare that to Chase’s response in connection with its Marriott cards — a meager limited time bonus for supermarket purchases!
Hilton and AMEX really show they have listened to their membership!
Mine was issued July2 2019 with an expiration of June 30, 2020. I’m not sure if that falls into the extended expiration parameters. I hope it does because using it by June 30 won’t be that easy.
Since it wasn’t issued between May 1 and Dec 31 2020, I’d say that the answer is no. But it should be usable any day of the week.
You can check with Hilton, but I think these were already extended to Aug 31, 2021
All unexpired weekend nights as of March 11th are extended to August 31, 2021. Here’s the post you’re looking for:
https://frequentmiler.com/hilton-extending-free-night-certificates-to-august-31-2021/
(also: All newly issued certs issued between then and August 30th of this year are valid until August 31, 2020.)
Thank you. I called the Diamond line to confirm. That means I’ll have two certs to use once I hit my anniversary date.
My newest cert issue date is May 1st , and I have my upgrade cert from October. So I could wait and have three nights (or use two earlier)
What about free nights earned through spend ($15k) with the Hilton Business Card? Do they also enjoy the same enhancements?
OOps, just noticed that Hadley asked this below. Sorry.
And now it is answered! They will also be extended if issued post 5/1/20 – for 2 years!
Since when is GROCERY a bonus category for the ASPIRE card?
Since this morning: https://frequentmiler.com/amex-stay-at-home-perks/
Greg —
Thank you for pointing out what I have been saying elsewhere (DOC), etc.
However, what is left unanswered or not clarified is for how long “the any day of the week” applicability will last.
For example, as you pointed out above, certificates already issued expire on 8/31/21. Does the any day of the week outlast 12/31/20? Can any day of the week be used for these certificates up to and including 8/31/21? This is not clear and I’m sure we would all appreciate Hilton’s clarification of this.
So, too, are the new certificates to be issued from 5/1/20 – 12/31/20.
Since these new certificates have a 2 year expiration term, are the any day of the week applicability of these certificates only applicable thru 12/31/20? Thru 12/31/21? Or are they good thru the entire 2 year term of each certificate to be issued this year?
Finally, does Hilton intend to make the 2 year term for its certificates and/or good for any day of the week permanent or only applicable for this year, or a combination of either for the calendar year 2021. Answers to these additional questions would be most welcome, but unquestionably, Hilton, unlike Marriott has been truly responsive and helpful to its membership!.
Also, if you can ask, can you request information on whether the free night that can be earned from the HH BIZ AMEX card if you spend $15,000.00 in a calendar year, whether that free night certificate will also be subject to an extended 2 year termination date from its issuance, as well as being able to be applied to any day of the week?
So far, we have not received any information on this……
Great question about the business card. I’ll see if I can find out.
To me the answers are pretty clear from Hilton’s wording in the email. Here’s my understanding:
1) If you get a certificate before Jan 1 2021 then it can be used any day of the week even if you use it in 2021 or 2022.
2) Hilton clearly is NOT committing to changing the standard 1 year expiry of certificates. Only certificates that you get between May 1 2020 and Dec 31 2020 are valid for two years. It’s always possible that they’ll keep some of these enhancements past 2020, but they’re definitely not committing to them.
I asked the Hilton Twitter team as they agreed it was not clear what the answers could be.
Here is their response that answers everything:
“For our members who have the Surpass, Business or Aspire cards, unexpired and new Free Weekend Night Rewards issued through 12/31/20, can now be used any night of the week until it’s expiration date.
For Free Weekend Night Rewards issued from 5/1/20 through 12/31/20, will now be valid for 24 months from the date of issuance, can be used any night of the week until it’s expiration date.”
So, we have definitive answers and we are good to go!
Therefore, Free Nights issued prior to 5/1/20 will expire on 8/31/21 and can be used any day of the week up until and including 8/31/21.
Free Nights issued from 5/1/20 – 12/31/20 will expire 2 years after issuance and can be used any day of the week up until their expiration date (which is 2 years after issuance).
Small FYI — I received my annual cert on April 2 and I just checked and it has an expiration date of 8/31/2021. So, people who received them recently, but before today, should double check because it seems as though Amex was already doing some unannounced extensions albeit not quite 24 months.
@Larry: Not unannounced. They announced that back in March:
https://frequentmiler.com/hilton-extending-free-night-certificates-to-august-31-2021/
Is there an easy way to see what free nights have been deposited in your account and when it expires?
I would like to know the same. Hilton makes it so hard…
Not as far as I know. It’s a real pain. The subject like of the email has changed over time, too. The latest one has a subject line that says: “Your Reward has arrived!”. It’s so hard to find those emails. I forward them to myself to put into a separate folder. Very annoying.
All this on a Friday. You guys are going to need 3 hours for the podcast tonight.
Nice !!!