Dec 30, 2014, 12:31 pm
Last edit by: mia
ALL Citi HHonors application links are now DEAD.
Citi's contract to issue Hilton co-branded cards ends December 31, 2017. Citi will sell most accounts to American Express. The criteria for determining which accounts are eligible to be sold are unpublished. Read Hilton FAQ: http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/e...-card-faq.html .
Citi's contract to issue Hilton co-branded cards ends December 31, 2017. Citi will sell most accounts to American Express. The criteria for determining which accounts are eligible to be sold are unpublished. Read Hilton FAQ: http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/e...-card-faq.html .
Citi Hilton Honors VISA (no annual fee version) [Ends Dec 2017]
Mar 23, 2015, 5:23 pm
#211
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: On strike
Posts: 8,135
Folks, this is not the place to argue over the value of HH points vis-à-vis AA miles as used to book hotel rooms. This thread is for discussing applications for/benefits of the Citi Hilton Visa.
Please continue your debate in a more appropriate thread. Thanks.
Please continue your debate in a more appropriate thread. Thanks.
Mar 23, 2015, 5:55 pm
#212
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
My Last post as this should be in another forum.
Mar 23, 2015, 7:54 pm
#213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Go here https://www.useaamiles.com/carhotel/ and log into your advantage account and select the city for your hotel. It will offer a lot of hotels after you hit search and then you can narrow it to Hilton if you like.
1) the booking is noncancellable.
2) you do not enjoy elite benefits when not booking directly with hotel chain.
And in some occasions, the point + cash booking if available, HHonors pts are quite good value. We just had 4 stays at Hilton properties in Istanbul with 12K + <$40 a night. Full Gold benefits, upgraded room (one to a junior suite, the other 2 to high floor, sea view) with lounge access, full buffet breakfast.
AA wants 13,300 miles for Conrad Istanbul (HHonors full pts 30K but 12K+<$40 was available). Booking with AA miles would lose the flexibility and all the benefits.
Just for the kick of it I looked at Barcelona where we would be in 1st week of May - Hilton Diagonal is 16600 AA miles (40K HHonors pts). Four Pt is 7K SPG pts but AA wants 10200. A Crowne Plaza is 30K IHG pts AA wants 19600. (one can get IHG pts anytime at 0.07 per pt as a comparison) Renaissance is a whopping 27500 AA miles. and get this, Le Meridian is a 12K SPG property AA wants 30100 miles...
Bottom line, HHonors or hotel pts have their places - it all depends on where you use them. There is no set formula and certainly not one size fits all.
In general I have found using miles for hotel stays are of poor value but of course there are exceptions so one should always check both places though I have yet succeeded in finding any good value using miles for hotel stays. Our AA miles are for the TPAC CX J/F flights which we do multiple times a year. I am thankful for the still churnable Citi HH card.
Now back to regular programming.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 23, 2015 at 8:19 pm
Mar 23, 2015, 8:54 pm
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
However, the Fast Track does count award stay as qualify stay so you could do award stay to renew your Gold, provided 1) you can find low level award, 2) you are willing to do one-night stay to minimize your point cost.
Our recent trip had us finish the last 4 days in Istanbul where we hopped among 3 Hilton properties so my husband's account would finish the Fast Track challenge to retain his Gold thru March 2017. Just confirmed with HHonors via email that as of Mar 17 his status was "upgraded" to Gold (despite he is still Gold thru Mar 2015 without the Challenge) and that is thru March 2017. Natural stays we needed, just a little bit extra work by changing hotels.
Mar 23, 2015, 9:38 pm
#215
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
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Citi could have stopped this churn years ago but chooses not to for some reason.
I found a small leak and got card # 19 five minutes ago.
I have had 19, my wife just got HH Visa #10.
One other thing about this awesome churn is that we have not had to use any Marriott, IHG or SPG points so those accounts are growing and will be ready when the churn ends and we run out of HH points. We just booked our March 2016 vacation and also have April 2015, July 2015 and November 2015 already booked using HH points.
We have also yet to get any of the Reserve Cards.
Citi could have stopped this churn years ago but chooses not to for some reason.
I found a small leak and got card # 19 five minutes ago.
I have had 19, my wife just got HH Visa #10.
One other thing about this awesome churn is that we have not had to use any Marriott, IHG or SPG points so those accounts are growing and will be ready when the churn ends and we run out of HH points. We just booked our March 2016 vacation and also have April 2015, July 2015 and November 2015 already booked using HH points.
We have also yet to get any of the Reserve Cards.
Mar 23, 2015, 9:55 pm
#216
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4,166
Amen. What WAS, is totally irrelevant to what IS now. I dont even get the point of why that was brought up.
However, the Fast Track does count award stay as qualify stay so you could do award stay to renew your Gold, provided 1) you can find low level award, 2) you are willing to do one-night stay to minimize your point cost.
Our recent trip had us finish the last 4 days in Istanbul where we hopped among 3 Hilton properties so my husband's account would finish the Fast Track challenge to retain his Gold thru March 2017. Just confirmed with HHonors via email that as of Mar 17 his status was "upgraded" to Gold (despite he is still Gold thru Mar 2015 without the Challenge) and that is thru March 2017. Natural stays we needed, just a little bit extra work by changing hotels.
However, the Fast Track does count award stay as qualify stay so you could do award stay to renew your Gold, provided 1) you can find low level award, 2) you are willing to do one-night stay to minimize your point cost.
Our recent trip had us finish the last 4 days in Istanbul where we hopped among 3 Hilton properties so my husband's account would finish the Fast Track challenge to retain his Gold thru March 2017. Just confirmed with HHonors via email that as of Mar 17 his status was "upgraded" to Gold (despite he is still Gold thru Mar 2015 without the Challenge) and that is thru March 2017. Natural stays we needed, just a little bit extra work by changing hotels.
Mar 23, 2015, 9:58 pm
#217
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
I have Gold through 3/31/16. I spread my apps out more, no exact science but more than the minimum time needed for sure.
I get other cards also, off the top of my head I got 7 cards in the past 12 months that were not Citi Visa's...........2 chase SW, 2 Barclay, IHG, SPG BUS, INK
I have an award stay in April, a paid (GASP, going to pay on Cap one card via points) stay in July already booked.
I could probably change some things around and do 2 other one night stays during my July vacation to CT, Boston and Newport, RI.
Last edited by flyer4512; Mar 23, 2015 at 10:08 pm
Mar 24, 2015, 1:59 am
#218
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 775
My citi pulls from oct 3 till march 17th --
not sure i am right with the rule of :
Day "0" first card -- 8 days 2nd card-- 65 days for 3rd card --73 days 4th card -130 days 5th card -- question is --6th card becomes 138 days??--7th becomes 195 days from ????
Is the next card i can get is about april25???( 65 days from feb 19)
history below i received citi cards :
6) march 17 =====6th card becomes 138 days
5) feb 19 ======130 days 5th card
4) jan 12 =====73 days 4th card
3) dec 16 ====65 days for 3rd card
2) oct 16 ====8 days 2nd card
1) oct 3 ====day "0" first card
not sure i am right with the rule of :
Day "0" first card -- 8 days 2nd card-- 65 days for 3rd card --73 days 4th card -130 days 5th card -- question is --6th card becomes 138 days??--7th becomes 195 days from ????
Is the next card i can get is about april25???( 65 days from feb 19)
history below i received citi cards :
6) march 17 =====6th card becomes 138 days
5) feb 19 ======130 days 5th card
4) jan 12 =====73 days 4th card
3) dec 16 ====65 days for 3rd card
2) oct 16 ====8 days 2nd card
1) oct 3 ====day "0" first card
Mar 25, 2015, 4:51 pm
#220
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Not sure the full pts stay but the P+C stays do count. Since award stays count for elite qualifying stays in the normal way, so they may very well count for the Fast Track also.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 26, 2015 at 5:54 pm
Mar 25, 2015, 5:00 pm
#221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
I have Gold through 3/31/16. I spread my apps out more, no exact science but more than the minimum time needed for sure.
I get other cards also, off the top of my head I got 7 cards in the past 12 months that were not Citi Visa's...........2 chase SW, 2 Barclay, IHG, SPG BUS, INK
Do you have a link to sign up ? Do pre existing reservations count ?
I have an award stay in April, a paid (GASP, going to pay on Cap one card via points) stay in July already booked.
I could probably change some things around and do 2 other one night stays during my July vacation to CT, Boston and Newport, RI.
I get other cards also, off the top of my head I got 7 cards in the past 12 months that were not Citi Visa's...........2 chase SW, 2 Barclay, IHG, SPG BUS, INK
Do you have a link to sign up ? Do pre existing reservations count ?
I have an award stay in April, a paid (GASP, going to pay on Cap one card via points) stay in July already booked.
I could probably change some things around and do 2 other one night stays during my July vacation to CT, Boston and Newport, RI.
The discussion thread is found in HHonors forum on FT. I dont have the thread or links bookmarked. Use Gold Fast Track as key words in the HHonors forum you should be able to find it. I knew that was how I found the thread.
If no links listed in the thread there, try google the Fast Track names mentioned in the thread (there are at least 2 different ones but they are essentially the same.) you should be able to find the links.
It counts the FINISHED stays during the 90 days period from the day you signed up, not the reservations. So you should be able to use those reservations.
Important thing, to me anyway, the sign up screen does not give you an email confirmation. So after signing up I emailed HHonors to make sure the sign up is processed properly. It did for my husband's account but not for my own account. HHonors rep fixed it.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 26, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Mar 25, 2015, 9:04 pm
#222
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,605
I rarely would have 4 stays in a 90 day period. I have April and then in July we are staying in CT, Newport, Boston and then coming back to CT again so I could split up the CT stays and possibly make it work.
For Boston we are staying at the W ( Over $500/night , thank IHG free cert) and in Newport we are staying at The Hyatt which is also over $500 thanks to the credit card certs and then paying "cash " at Homewood Suites. The CT stays are HGI type hotels so those may work.
I just read about the stays having to be cash and points to qualify, if that's case I would rather just get a Surpass or Reserve card to make Gold and grab the points/free nights that go with it
Last edited by flyer4512; Mar 25, 2015 at 9:20 pm
Mar 26, 2015, 1:11 am
#223
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
No, the qualifying stay can be pay stay, P+C and potentially pure pt stay, all would qualify for stay credit the normal way, therefore they should work with the Fast Track. Only that nobody has reported pure pt stay to qualify, but there are reports P+C work, hence we used P+C. Husband's account finished the challenge with 1 pay stay and 3 P+C stays.
Last edited by Happy; Mar 26, 2015 at 5:55 pm