Why am I have hard time letting go of my AMEX Hilton Surpass
Jul 26, 2017, 12:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
Why am I have hard time letting go of my AMEX Hilton Surpass
I am having a hard time with letting go of my AMEX Hilton Surpass card. Its seems like a no brainer as there are so many other rewards cards out there with incredible benefits and sign up bonus. I already have the Chase Sapphire Reserve and am kicking around getting the AMEX Platinum.
Last year I put about $135,000 on credit card spend per year and do not carry any balance on any of them
I spent approximately $45,000 on dining last year
I spent around $25,000 on hotel expense, about $17,000 at Hilton properties.
I have Lifetime Diamond so no need to qualify for that on spend.
We like travel to the Biltmore and Grand Wailea on award travel
That is the background folks.....Talk to me, should I keep or change
Last year I put about $135,000 on credit card spend per year and do not carry any balance on any of them
I spent approximately $45,000 on dining last year
I spent around $25,000 on hotel expense, about $17,000 at Hilton properties.
I have Lifetime Diamond so no need to qualify for that on spend.
We like travel to the Biltmore and Grand Wailea on award travel
That is the background folks.....Talk to me, should I keep or change
Jul 26, 2017, 12:35 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 406
No reason to keep it since you already have lifetime diamond. I am only keeping the card to maintain my Gold Status (Breakfast is well worth the annual fee).
Aside from that, nothing special about the card. I hate the fact that it has foreign transaction fees when most of the other hotel cards doesn't have it (IHG/Marriott/SPG).
Aside from that, nothing special about the card. I hate the fact that it has foreign transaction fees when most of the other hotel cards doesn't have it (IHG/Marriott/SPG).
Jul 26, 2017, 12:37 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
I do very, very, very minimal international travel but agree that is a miss by AMEX.
I have always loved the card but it just does not seem to warrant putting the spend on it
I have always loved the card but it just does not seem to warrant putting the spend on it
Jul 26, 2017, 1:04 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
204,000 Honors points on that spend vs 51,000 MR points on CSR
Jul 26, 2017, 1:23 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,433
It's good to know about that statement credit. I had just assumed there would be no retention incentive because the card worth the annual fee even for a low spender like me. I'll ask next year (and probably find out that there is no retention incentive because I'm a low spender).
UR points are worth more than Honors points, but perhaps not 4 times as much. The fifth night free on points stays at Hilton properties is an advantage, if one stays for five consecutive nights on points.
UR points are worth more than Honors points, but perhaps not 4 times as much. The fifth night free on points stays at Hilton properties is an advantage, if one stays for five consecutive nights on points.
Jul 26, 2017, 1:28 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
It's good to know about that statement credit. I had just assumed there would be no retention incentive because the card worth the annual fee even for a low spender like me. I'll ask next year (and probably find out that there is no retention incentive because I'm a low spender).
UR points are worth more than Honors points, but perhaps not 4 times as much. The fifth night free on points stays at Hilton properties is an advantage, if one stays for five consecutive nights on points.
UR points are worth more than Honors points, but perhaps not 4 times as much. The fifth night free on points stays at Hilton properties is an advantage, if one stays for five consecutive nights on points.
Now that is off season in AZ and not spring break.
However, I have reached out to hotels direct in the past, for instance Grand Wailea and gotten point reduced for award during peak season, Xmas and New Years. Getting harder though
Jul 26, 2017, 2:29 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 523
Dumped my Surpass when I got my CSR. Made no sense to keep it. The FX fees made it a poor product for me. Use my CSR for Hilton stays as I spend most of my nights outside the USA. Making Diamond the hard way is not a problem and I have lots HH points I am trying to burn.
Jul 26, 2017, 6:08 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Ohio
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, American Platinum, Southwest A-list
Posts: 98
I would keep the AMEX Surpass Card
Just depends. For instance just looked at a 7 night stay at the Arizona Biltmore later this month. 198,000 Hilton points vs $125 per night or $875. So that 17K in spend at Hilton on Surpass pays for the entire stay where on MR it would not.
Now that is off season in AZ and not spring break.
However, I have reached out to hotels direct in the past, for instance Grand Wailea and gotten point reduced for award during peak season, Xmas and New Years. Getting harder though
Now that is off season in AZ and not spring break.
However, I have reached out to hotels direct in the past, for instance Grand Wailea and gotten point reduced for award during peak season, Xmas and New Years. Getting harder though
Getting a one week stay at a hotel you want to visit, paid for entirely on points earned by $17,000 of HH spend on AMEX Surpass is, IMHO, a very good deal. Well worth the annual fee, especially if you can get a lower incentive fee.
Also, think of it as a 5% return on your $17,000 Surpass spend at HH properties. ($875 cash price for hotel/$17,000 HH Surpass spend = 0.051 or 5% return on Surpass spend.) Certainly not a shabby rate of return on your HH spend!
Jul 26, 2017, 6:17 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA/RIC
Programs: HH LTD, AA LTG
Posts: 1,015
Jul 26, 2017, 6:59 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,433
Especially if the $17,000 is for business travel.
Jul 31, 2017, 9:24 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: HHonors Lifetime Diamond, UA Million Miler Gold, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,142
I appreciate all those who replied. I value everyone opinion on the forum and it is great.
Going to keep Surpass for the Hilton spend. Going to test CSR for everything else until end of the year.
I am pulling my AMEX year end report from last year and running deep numbers on how that would translate.
Thanks again
Going to keep Surpass for the Hilton spend. Going to test CSR for everything else until end of the year.
I am pulling my AMEX year end report from last year and running deep numbers on how that would translate.
Thanks again
Jul 31, 2017, 11:09 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Connecticut
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Delta Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 342
No reason to keep it since you already have lifetime diamond. I am only keeping the card to maintain my Gold Status (Breakfast is well worth the annual fee).
Aside from that, nothing special about the card. I hate the fact that it has foreign transaction fees when most of the other hotel cards doesn't have it (IHG/Marriott/SPG).
Aside from that, nothing special about the card. I hate the fact that it has foreign transaction fees when most of the other hotel cards doesn't have it (IHG/Marriott/SPG).
Jul 31, 2017, 12:31 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,546
Have all of the details about the 2018 HH credit card(s) been announced yet?
It's still wait-and-see for me. I have both Citi and Amex HH cards now. What becomes of existing Citi Reserve cards in 2018? Does the 2018 Surpass card add any of the Citi benefits, like the $10k free night?
I'm also wait-and-see on the various Marriott and SPG cards, which I also have. I guess those may stay status quo for another year...
It's still wait-and-see for me. I have both Citi and Amex HH cards now. What becomes of existing Citi Reserve cards in 2018? Does the 2018 Surpass card add any of the Citi benefits, like the $10k free night?
I'm also wait-and-see on the various Marriott and SPG cards, which I also have. I guess those may stay status quo for another year...
