Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
Update 4/1/22: This offer has expired.
Today the offers have been updated on the Hilton Honors, Hilton Honors Surpass, and Hilton Honors Business cards. All of the cards now offer the chance to earn a Free Night Award after meeting minimum spending requirement. Given the current state of the world, I’m lukewarm on free night certificates, but these could certainly be a great deal for someone able to leverage a certificate to good use.
The Offers & Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
100K points ⓘ Affiliate 100K points after $2K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) (Offer Expires 1/8/2025)No Annual Fee After clicking through, be sure to choose the card you want on the landing page. Recent better offer: (Expired 7/31/24) 70K points + free night certificate after $2K spend within the first 6 months. FM Mini Review: This card isn't particularly rewarding, but it's good to keep primarily for targeted Amex upgrade offers to the Surpass card. Earning rate: ✦ 7X Hilton eligible Hilton purchases ✦ 5X US restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Gold elite status with $20K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ Free Silver status; Gold status with $20K spend. ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
165K points ⓘ Affiliate 165K points after $3K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Offer Expires 1/8/2025)$150 Annual Fee Recent better offer: (Expired 7/31/24) 130K points + free night certificate after $3K spend within the first 6 months. FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Those who want Diamond status may be better off with the Aspire card. Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 6X U.S. restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 4X U.S. Online Retail Purchases ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Base: 3X (1.44%) Dine: 6X (2.88%) Gas: 6X (2.88%) Grocery: 6X (2.88%) Shop: 4X (1.92%) Brand: 12X (5.76%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: ✦ Free night award after $15K spend in calendar year ✦ Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend ✦ Terms apply Noteworthy perks: Free Gold status. Diamond status w/ $40K spend. ✦ Up to $200 in Hilton credits ($50 per quarter) ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/0fb236dd-aecb-49ed-9f28-94aaf0efd9a2.png?w=300" alt="Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card" />)
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
175K Points ⓘ Affiliate 175K after $8K spend in first 6 months. Terms apply. (Offer Expires 1/8/2025)$195 Annual Fee Recent better offer: None FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Amex business cards do not count towards 5/24 status so will not hurt chances of applying for Chase cards. Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 5X on other eligible purchases (on the first $100K in purchases per calendar year, 3X thereafter). Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. Diamond status w/ $40K spend. ✦ Up to $240 in annual credits for Hilton purchases (Up to $60 per quarter) ✦ Complimentary National Car Rental(R) Emerald Club Executive(R) status (enroll through the link on your American Express online account) ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/a5e33401-8d6f-4ae8-b471-5da085075406.jpg?w=300" alt="The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card" />)
Quick Thoughts
While there were previously opportunities to score more total points with these cards, the new offers introduce reduced spending requirements and the chance to earn a bonus that could be even more valuable than the previous offers if you are able to leverage the Free Night Award.
The nice thing is that the offer terms clearly indicate that the Free Night Award you can earn upon meeting the minimum spending requirement is valid for double occupancy of a standard room any night of the week. In years past, Hilton Free Night Certificates were restricted to weekend use. Throughout the pandemic, Hilton has increased the flexibility of these awards to be valid any night of the week, so it’s great to see that continue.
Note that beginning today, free night certificates issued on these cards are valid for 12 months from date of issuance. That means you will have exactly one year to use it or lose it once a certificate is issued. I used to be very excited about free night awards like these since Hilton does not cap their use to a specific point level (you need to find a standard room available, but it can be at any category hotel with just a small handful of exceptions). However, given the uncertainty of travel over these past couple of years, you may not prefer to pick up certificates with hard expiration dates. That’ll surely vary with your personal circumstances.
If you can maximize the use of the Free Night Award, any of these three bonuses can be fantastic given the relatively low spend required to earn the welcome offers. Note that there has been no change to the Hilton Honors Aspire card, though that card already offers an incredibly generous bonus.
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boo hoo.
i tried applying for this last night, but amex site was partially down due to technical difficulties. 12 hrs later it is now working, but offer is back to the old one of 130k after $2k spend + bonus 50k after $10k.
Same issue here. Frustrated.
well they have been available since feb 2 or 3…too bad. picked up one here
Just a thought. Myself and P2 signed up for the business card. However, I have no intention of completing this spend until mid June. These certs have that limited life and depending on the speed of issuance, they may be issued as early as May (possibly sooner depending on people aggressiveness to hit the bonus). I am hoping that they are actually slow to issue and have them issues as late as July/August (but who knows) to have better coverage through NEXT summer where you can plan ahead and not fight the non-existent availability this summer.
“given the current state of the world”….what are you worried about?
Probably just having an aspirational hotel in mind, not being able to go because of travel restrictions or some other COVID-related reason, and then being stuck using the free night at a Hampton Inn.
Check Travel Off Path and the Travel Sherpa map.
Many countries – now 26 at least – open with no entry restrictions.
The world isn’t shutting down again. Some countries might continue to be paranoid / $cience loving. Though “covid” (Or the flu) will still strike more down. It’s mostly seasonal.
Hey…not all Hampton Inns are that bad! hahahaha. I think I’ve only stayed at 3 Hampton Inns in my life. A regular highway one in New Mexico, but also one in Panama City, Panam and another in Montevideo (Carrasco). The latter was new and quite nice. Had a view of an artificial lake.
Now, of course, no Hampton is worth a FNC…heheheheheheh
Can you have more than one card at the same time? I currently have the Aspire which I mistakenly “upgraded” thanks to Hilton and never received the bonus. Could I apply for one of these, get the bonus, cancel the Aspire and later reapply to get the bonus?
Every single card in AmEx’s portfolio is considered a separate product, eligible for its own sign up bonus. You are able to hold up to any 5 AmEx credit cards simultaneously. That total does not include charge cards like the regular Platinum and Gold cards but does include both personal and business cards. You are not limited by card families, meaning that you could all 4 Hilton cards simultaneously as long as you did not break AmEx’s 5 card limit between all your AmEx cards.
Unfortunately, the AmEx once per lifetime rule includes if you’ve ever even held the card before, so no, you will never be able to earn the welcome bonus on the Aspire ever again, even though you haven’t previously received a welcome bonus. There are reports that AmEx “forgets” that you’ve had a card after about 5-7 years, but the card must have been closed for at least that amount of time in order for it to be removed from AmEx’s system.
Never say never. Every card I have got from AMEX in the last 2 years I have had before.
Is the free night award yearly like on Marriott cards?
Only on the Aspire card. You can get an extra cert yearly by spending a bunch on the Surpass or the Aspire, but that spend could definitely be put to better use somewhere else.
Got the popup both through referral and Hilton website for the no fee card…aargh!
Where is the picture from?
Looks like the mini review on the no fee card needs an update (Surpass instead of Ascend).
not directly-related Q, on 2/1/22, my Aspire acct was charged $45.55 showing as renewal AF, which appears to be a partial amount of the $95 that Amex honored last yr; does that mean that the acct will be charged a full $450 fee by anniv date later this yr?
any folks had a similar partial AF charge? or recall that the AF would still be $95 for 2022, then a full $495 starting in 2023?
Nope. At your renewal time of around 8/15/22, you will be charged $95.
Then at 2/1/23, you will be refunded $45.55, and charged $450* 45.55 / 95.