No cap on the value of the Hilton free night award is amazing. I was not able to use my competitor free night certificates for a trip to NY due to their value being too low.
The one thing i always miss in your videos is that you do not explain how to use the card 2nd year onwards to get max benefit or is it even worth keeping the card for 2nd year.
I think cc companies lure you in with the promo bonuses and after that they get you with those annual fees and if you close the account you hurt your credit
@@ep411totally untrue. You get to read all the benefits and fees before applying. Top tier CCs pay for themselves. They are one of the best services to facilitate and maximize your travel/cashback.
I could see it being kept for year 2 and beyond...especially with a player 2 -- utilize the free nights/yearly with the spouse/partner at a resort and utilize the $250 fees then --- if you stay at any Hilton for 4+ nights beyond your free nights that has a lounge typically it would cost $50/night to get access but its included. So could be your break even point if you take 3x - 2night stays that have lounge access. Lounges typically have breakfast & Dinner served so way cheaper than most people can eat for $50/meal so gaining something on that front. plus the free coffee and other drinks and snacks. Some might have a cocktail bar not sure those are free but might be.
Well, every year you can fly to any city and stay 2 nights free, then if it's a resort you get $500 towards spa services, food or etc. He explained this.... Also you get free breakfast and possible upgrades because of the status you get from having the card. It just depends if you value these things. I know my wife could easily spend $500 on spa services. She would get a couples massage everyday or spend it all on herself getting pampered. You would need to see what services you like to use at the resort your trying to stay at. Hopefully this helps. He did show an example of getting a $600 room for free. Does this not provide value?
Plus I would almost wash out the annual fee because every stay you stay at that has executive lounge available is $50/night to add. Thats "pre-paying" but its a standard option on the Surpass card that you would have gotten for $95/year with gold status -- (Gold Status & Diamond Status allow for Lounge access) -- This is getting more and more intriguing to get as I stay at Hiltons at least 2-6 nights a year....
Thanks for this amazing new video John! 👍🏼 It will be so nice if you can do a video one day of your TOP 10 most luxurious hotels in the world that we can book with points (and a especially the ones where we can get the best value)! 💰🤩
@@johnsfinancetipsCan you please make an updated video for this Amex Hilton honors Aspire card with the new annual fee and if it’s still worth it. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
I feel like I have conquered these cards this year. First I got the normal $0 annual fee Hilton card for the 80k point bonus, then they had an offer for the Hilton surpass of some amount of points plus a free night. Then I only needed to spend like $11k more to hit the $15k spent in a year to earn a second free night. And then they just offered me an upgrade from my $0 annual fee card to the aspire. So now I have 3 free nights, 275k points, and I will downgrade the surpass card to the $0 annual fee one when the surpass annual fee hits the account. I still have 6 months to use the free nights and I believe I will use them at the Waldorf Astoria in Cabo which is like $1,700/night
there is also the 100 Waldorf and Conrad Property Credit, however, it is a bit of a hassle to apply for it because you have to first apply at a particular site or call a certain number before hand. Unfortunately stayed a the Conrad Manila two days ago and the Amex chat had no idea
FNC is limited to standard rooms, which does limit it to hotels with that availability. Standard rooms is somewhat misleading to a layperson, it’s not not just the base room for that hotel, it’s a limited amount of rooms available for these award stays so peak season and popular resorts will often be sold out. Plan accordingly.
John Maldives. Please include the East African coast in your destinations for aspirational travel. I literally made a video with you in mind stating why. Please watch the video and you will see why it is part of the aspirational travel conversation.
Question for ya what if im the one that has 3 Aspire cards that was apply on the same month different year could i then use 3 free night certs on the same year
I've been thinking about getting this card for a couple weeks. I want to dip an aspirational trip to the Maldives in the next year or two, and this card would be very helpful to do that. But my wife and I only travel two or three times a year and are not Hilton loyalists. Do you think it's worth getting this card just to do the Maldives and then cancel after (after the year, so they don't claw back their points)
Ideally as long as my points and free night certificates allow us to stay :-). If we can swing it, I'm trying to stay the 4 nights on rewards for the free night, and then getting the two free night certificates. This idea is still in its infancy, so right now just trying to gather information and opinions from others in the credit card/award game. Thanks for the input!!!
I'm not really loyal to any hotel chain. When we go away we usually just book the most convenient hotel in our price range that whatever guidebook I buy says . We don't usually stay in our hotel for much more than sleeping when we're away, so I never gave too much thought to it. But if we go to a resort place, then the hotel matters a lot more
This could be a good card for you to get for the first year you basically can get them for free plus the nice stays for the 4-5 nights (using points & certs.) - points don't expire unless no activity on the account but as long as you use the card for something during the year you should be fine. --- Plus then you got 2 free nights a year plus $250 in resort fees covered for $450/yr. -- Plus Gold & Diamond status on Hilton has lounge access at hotels with them. That comes with an included breakfast and dinner -- plus coffee and drinks and other snacks. usually would cost $50/night to add at most hotels. Could also look at hotels you are loyal to? or if your not find another card that also gives wouldn't Cancel the card so quick... but they wouldn't claw back the points they only close the account with lack of activity. - could downgrade to the Surpass card and at least have lounge access for $95/yr .
Man bad timing. You did a review of this card right before amex made major overhaul to the benefits. You are kinda late to party, because this card was supreme for many years, up til the benefit change making credits a little more difficult to use.
Thinking About upgrading from Hilton Honor to the either Hilton aspire or The Hilton Business card but need a down graded path incase I don’t like the card What would be a suggestion?
Good info. I'm trying to build points on a regular Chase card, and BILT per your recommendation. Can these points be transferred to Hilton? Planning a trip in the next year, so this would be great. Haven't really stayed in any destination hotels before.
To me, if you are traveling a few times a year, the Chase Reserve is worth having without a doubt. You get 3X back on "travel", (and Chase definition of travel is very broad: hotel, flight, rental car, but also parking, train, tolls...) and 3x on dining. Plus primary rental car insurance, which make you save money on each rental and all the travel perks/insurance. You get priority pass, the very few that includes restaurants as well. Having said that, you can also keep the venture X to get the 2x on general spending, also considering that you get $300 back each year, and 10k miles, with basically brings the annual fee down to zero
I hold VX, CSR, Ritz, AR, and several Platinums. If you travel enough it's worth. They have their own pros and cons. CSR is the best if I had to pick one
I have a question for anyone willing to humor me. Does opening a card for a 12 month period and then closing it eliminate your chances for reapplication in 4 years or (can it technically be done as many times as i please)
Can u make a video about bnpl . Been always thinking about it for a few yrs . For example sezzle does it work in any store not listed on there site ? And about there apr and Inrest and fees ….
This is good timing, I’ve been looking into this cars with my wife this week, and was hoping you’d have a video about it! Thanks!
No cap on the value of the Hilton free night award is amazing. I was not able to use my competitor free night certificates for a trip to NY due to their value being too low.
Great video John, thanks!
The one thing i always miss in your videos is that you do not explain how to use the card 2nd year onwards to get max benefit or is it even worth keeping the card for 2nd year.
I have also been curious on if it's worth it to keep cards after the promotions are over
I think cc companies lure you in with the promo bonuses and after that they get you with those annual fees and if you close the account you hurt your credit
@@ep411totally untrue. You get to read all the benefits and fees before applying. Top tier CCs pay for themselves. They are one of the best services to facilitate and maximize your travel/cashback.
I could see it being kept for year 2 and beyond...especially with a player 2 -- utilize the free nights/yearly with the spouse/partner at a resort and utilize the $250 fees then --- if you stay at any Hilton for 4+ nights beyond your free nights that has a lounge typically it would cost $50/night to get access but its included. So could be your break even point if you take 3x - 2night stays that have lounge access.
Lounges typically have breakfast & Dinner served so way cheaper than most people can eat for $50/meal so gaining something on that front. plus the free coffee and other drinks and snacks. Some might have a cocktail bar not sure those are free but might be.
Well, every year you can fly to any city and stay 2 nights free, then if it's a resort you get $500 towards spa services, food or etc. He explained this....
Also you get free breakfast and possible upgrades because of the status you get from having the card. It just depends if you value these things. I know my wife could easily spend $500 on spa services. She would get a couples massage everyday or spend it all on herself getting pampered. You would need to see what services you like to use at the resort your trying to stay at. Hopefully this helps.
He did show an example of getting a $600 room for free. Does this not provide value?
Plus I would almost wash out the annual fee because every stay you stay at that has executive lounge available is $50/night to add. Thats "pre-paying" but its a standard option on the Surpass card that you would have gotten for $95/year with gold status -- (Gold Status & Diamond Status allow for Lounge access) -- This is getting more and more intriguing to get as I stay at Hiltons at least 2-6 nights a year....
Thanks for this amazing new video John! 👍🏼
It will be so nice if you can do a video one day of your TOP 10 most luxurious hotels in the world that we can book with points (and a especially the ones where we can get the best value)! 💰🤩
That’d be a cool video actually. Just by nature of points I’ve been lucky to stay at a few pretty amazing ones
@@johnsfinancetipsCan you please make an updated video for this Amex Hilton honors Aspire card with the new annual fee and if it’s still worth it. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
You should also mention the $200 airline fee credit to offset the rest of the annual fee
I feel like I have conquered these cards this year. First I got the normal $0 annual fee Hilton card for the 80k point bonus, then they had an offer for the Hilton surpass of some amount of points plus a free night. Then I only needed to spend like $11k more to hit the $15k spent in a year to earn a second free night. And then they just offered me an upgrade from my $0 annual fee card to the aspire. So now I have 3 free nights, 275k points, and I will downgrade the surpass card to the $0 annual fee one when the surpass annual fee hits the account. I still have 6 months to use the free nights and I believe I will use them at the Waldorf Astoria in Cabo which is like $1,700/night
there is also the 100 Waldorf and Conrad Property Credit, however, it is a bit of a hassle to apply for it because you have to first apply at a particular site or call a certain number before hand. Unfortunately stayed a the Conrad Manila two days ago and the Amex chat had no idea
For the free night award there’s no limit? So can player use even for Waldorf Astoria ?
Hi John, thank you for the update on the Hilton card. Could I combine the personal and business to gain benefits?
good info. ty,. How could you book a flight to it? do you already have video for that or maybe make a video on the subject.
FNC is limited to standard rooms, which does limit it to hotels with that availability. Standard rooms is somewhat misleading to a layperson, it’s not not just the base room for that hotel, it’s a limited amount of rooms available for these award stays so peak season and popular resorts will often be sold out. Plan accordingly.
Good, call out Chris! Though compared to the other point programs I’d say Hilton is the most generous with their award use?
any updated video on the Aspire? new coupons & increased $550 AF
Is there a way to piggy back the 4 nights with points and get the 5th free and also use one or two of the free night certificates?
John Maldives. Please include the East African coast in your destinations for aspirational travel. I literally made a video with you in mind stating why. Please watch the video and you will see why it is part of the aspirational travel conversation.
Can you do a review on the Wells Fargo credit card
John, what if I already own the AMEX Gold and wanted to apply for this card? Would I be eligible to the sign on bonus?
yes - amex’s once in a lifetime signup bonus is card specific. if you close your gold and open it again later on you won’t have a signup bonus.
Reported as Spam@JohnLiangHelpline
Yep! You would still be eligible
Question for ya what if im the one that has 3 Aspire cards that was apply on the same month different year could i then use 3 free night certs on the same year
I've been thinking about getting this card for a couple weeks. I want to dip an aspirational trip to the Maldives in the next year or two, and this card would be very helpful to do that.
But my wife and I only travel two or three times a year and are not Hilton loyalists.
Do you think it's worth getting this card just to do the Maldives and then cancel after (after the year, so they don't claw back their points)
Yes. Just don't close your account
Ideally as long as my points and free night certificates allow us to stay :-). If we can swing it, I'm trying to stay the 4 nights on rewards for the free night, and then getting the two free night certificates.
This idea is still in its infancy, so right now just trying to gather information and opinions from others in the credit card/award game. Thanks for the input!!!
Why not get a card that is linked to the hotel branch you are loyal to?
I'm not really loyal to any hotel chain. When we go away we usually just book the most convenient hotel in our price range that whatever guidebook I buy says .
We don't usually stay in our hotel for much more than sleeping when we're away, so I never gave too much thought to it. But if we go to a resort place, then the hotel matters a lot more
This could be a good card for you to get for the first year you basically can get them for free plus the nice stays for the 4-5 nights (using points & certs.) - points don't expire unless no activity on the account but as long as you use the card for something during the year you should be fine. --- Plus then you got 2 free nights a year plus $250 in resort fees covered for $450/yr. -- Plus Gold & Diamond status on Hilton has lounge access at hotels with them. That comes with an included breakfast and dinner -- plus coffee and drinks and other snacks. usually would cost $50/night to add at most hotels.
Could also look at hotels you are loyal to? or if your not find another card that also gives
wouldn't Cancel the card so quick... but they wouldn't claw back the points they only close the account with lack of activity. - could downgrade to the Surpass card and at least have lounge access for $95/yr .
Have and love the card
How can I figure out which hotel is included with the resort credit? Just search and sort by resort?
I was able to use the free nt certificate by using their chat instead of calling. More convenient since I was doing it on behalf of my wife’s card 😉
oOo this is great info! Thanks for sharing that!
Man bad timing. You did a review of this card right before amex made major overhaul to the benefits. You are kinda late to party, because this card was supreme for many years, up til the benefit change making credits a little more difficult to use.
Thinking About upgrading from Hilton Honor to the either Hilton aspire or The Hilton Business card but need a down graded path incase I don’t like the card
What would be a suggestion?
Good info. I'm trying to build points on a regular Chase card, and BILT per your recommendation. Can these points be transferred to Hilton? Planning a trip in the next year, so this would be great. Haven't really stayed in any destination hotels before.
Bilt can not be transferred to Hilton. However, they can be transferred to Hyatt, which I would argue has better point value.
@@johnsfinancetips thank you
🤦🏽♂️ my Marriott pts expired had over 400 bucks worth of pts
I think you forgot to mention the $250 Airline Credit
NOBODY HAS MADE A VIDEO ON IS IT WORTH HOLDING BOTH THE VENTURE X AND CHASE RESERVE TOGETHER? PAY 2 YEARLY FEES AND STILL SEE BENEFIT? THANKS
To me, if you are traveling a few times a year, the Chase Reserve is worth having without a doubt. You get 3X back on "travel", (and Chase definition of travel is very broad: hotel, flight, rental car, but also parking, train, tolls...) and 3x on dining. Plus primary rental car insurance, which make you save money on each rental and all the travel perks/insurance. You get priority pass, the very few that includes restaurants as well.
Having said that, you can also keep the venture X to get the 2x on general spending, also considering that you get $300 back each year, and 10k miles, with basically brings the annual fee down to zero
Book 1 trip with the venture x $300 savings and than $300 on the Chase Reserve. Interesting ideas...@@Napalm79
I hold VX, CSR, Ritz, AR, and several Platinums. If you travel enough it's worth. They have their own pros and cons. CSR is the best if I had to pick one
THANKS WHY WOULD YOU RATE THE CSR THE BEST? Thanks in advance@@Re3iRtH
Had an issue at 5:55
"if theyre down" lol
I have a question for anyone willing to humor me. Does opening a card for a 12 month period and then closing it eliminate your chances for reapplication in 4 years or (can it technically be done as many times as i please)
@JohnLiangHelplinethank you ( what do you mean get in touch)
That profile is a scam
To answer your question, no, it does not
@@johnsfinancetips thank you very much for your input have an amazing day
The annual fee for this card is $550
I got a question would I be able to use this for like an AirBnB for instance n how would that work and what would the benefits be?
Can u make a video about bnpl . Been always thinking about it for a few yrs . For example sezzle does it work in any store not listed on there site ? And about there apr and Inrest and fees ….
Free? Still gotta get there and spend other money while there. Hardly free.
Great points! What’s your favorite non free award redemption?
@@johnsfinancetips flying economy around the world with 22 layovers over 53 days. Yours?