Originally Posted by
Evo40
My best guesses:
* The $250 airline incidentals credit will work the same was it does for the AMEX Platinum or Gold. You'll have a to pick an airline each year and can only get reimbursed for non-airfare-ticket expenses like: baggage fees, in-flight dining, ticket change fees club/lounge memberships. Upgrades would be excluded; gifts cards, too (at least by the T&Cs, even if there are workarounds).
* I imagine resorts would be these properties:
http://www3.hilton.com/en/resorts/index.html. And it's a beach-heavy/hot-weather-heavy collection
Hmmm.
I definitely don't spend $250 on those kinds airline incidentals each year. I suppose I could look at it as $250 off a lounge membership, but if I have Priority Pass I can reasonably get by on that on most of my trips.
There are some nice hotels in that link, but I can't say I'm at one of those every year. If I'm feeling *forced* to stay at a Hilton beach-type hotel each year, then the benefit starts to feel like a burden. As it is, I have a hard time consuming all of my free hotel nights from credit cards each year from Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.
I might be content to stay at the Ascend level. Unless I get a very nice offer in early 2018 to up-gauge with some bonus points or a first-year-waived fee. Gold vs. Diamond doesn't mean a ton to me, as I don't spend enough total days in Hiltons with top-notch lounges.