Originally Posted by
blackmamba
Start with the Amex Hilton HHonors Surpass Card -
http://www201.americanexpress.com/ge...Honors-Surpass
After receiving the card and getting the Hilton HHonors Points, call Amex and say you want to downgrade to the no fee Amex Hilton HHonors card. The law stipulates that Amex must give users a grace period of several days so you get to keep the Hilton HHonors Points you just earned and you don't need to pay a annual fee.
That sounds pretty enticing. A couple questions, though. Would I be undermining my chances of securing future Amex cards (e.g. SPG, Gold MR) with this kind of maneuver (I'm new to this so it's hard to tell if it's shady or common practice)? And wouldn't I stand a better chance of receiving the SPG Amex over the Hilton Surpass, which seems to be a higher-tier card?
Would the rest of you recommend getting the SPG Amex or the no-fee Hilton Amex (either upfront or downgrading from Surpass) as one's first Amex card? Thanks for all the advice so far!