smmrfld

If this tracks with previous practice, such as with Lifetime Diamond, both holders of the Mutual Fund Account should receive identical status. I don't believe it is possible to split one account into two different status levels.

farnorthtrader

In my experience, they never do a hard pull for upgrades. Heck, they don't do a hard pull for new applications some of the time.

HawkeyeFlyer

I am finding it hard to imagine any scenario where Diamond status is not further devalued by this credit card. You can get the card for free (actually they pay you) after the credits
So basically anyone who want Diamond and has decent credit can get it

diver858

3 double-sided pages, explaining how the Surpass Card will become Ascend, annual "membership" increases to $95, effective February 2, 2018.

I am personally not a fan of the change:
1. Not worth spending $15k on the card for a free weekend night
2. 500 point bonus for booking with the card goes away - removes 15k+ points per year for those of us who earn Diamond on stays
3. Already have unlimited PP Select with Citi Prestige

Hoping for a generous upgrade offer to Aspire in the new year.

Seabilly

I have the Citi card so looks like I'll be getting the Ascend card in January.

Depending on how the 10 free Priority Pass Lounge passes work will depend on whether I keep the Ascend or cancel it immediately. If those are something only I can use, they are useless to me since I already have unlimited passes via another card. If I am able to share them I'll probably keep the card and give the passes to my team members who don't have any airport memberships.

As for the Aspire card, I already qualified for Diamond next year which will be my 6th year as Diamond. I'll evaluate whether to get the Aspire sometime the end of next year if I'm short for 2019 (or will take advantage of the one time Diamond bump whichever makes the most sense then).

sdsearch

IIRC, somewhere in thread I believe Lauren said Jan 18.

texmanufan

As a reference point I have three personal and was just approved applying for my third business card. Had a phone conversation with an AMEX rep about my concerns about being approved with so many AMEX cards already. She assured me that due to my usage and long history with a couple of my cards it would be no problem.
Edited to add: one business card is evidently a charge card.

Abidjan

This is a good plan. I was going to upgrade immediately, but there doesn't seem to be much rush with Diamond already secured for 2018.

elCheapoDeluxe

Bummer. I'll be on a trip until 1/10 where I actually could use the resort credit. Only take one of those every two or three years. Guess I'll be in no hurry.

Hilton Honors Ambassador

With the Ascend card, will additional cardholders be able to share the 10 annual Priority Passes, or are they only available for the primary cardholder? If they can be shared, must the primary cardholder be present at a PP Lounge, or can the additional cardholders use them on their own.
Ascend card members receive 10 free Priority Pass visits per year. The primary cardholder must be present and can use them with guests traveling. Once all ten are used up, each additional visit is $27.


I have a grandfathered Honors account that includes my spouse. If I upgrade to the Aspire card, will both of us receive the Diamond Status for traveling and use? I understand the other benefits are tied to the use of the card and I would need to use the card to obtain those benefits.
Diamond status with the Aspire card is given to the primary card member account.


For the: "For those of us who already have the Surpass Card do we get 10 free Priority Pass™Lounge passes to ease the airport experience? If so, when can we start using this perk? Yes, those will begin on January 18, 2018."
How will that happen? I will be traveling on Jan 18th and it would be useful to use. Will the priority pass automatically recognize that I now have this benefit?
The 10 passes are they for just myself or can I use 4 of them for companions at 1 visit?
If you are an existing Hilton Honors Surpass Card Member you will be able to start using your 10 complimentary lounge visits starting on January 18, 2018. You will not need to take any action to receive this benefit, and will receive the 10 complimentary visits with your existing Priority Pass membership card. All new Card Members (including those transferred from Citi) must enroll in the Priority Pass Select benefit, you can enroll in the new benefit on January 18th by logging into your Americanexpress.com account or by calling American Express.


The credit card reform act of 2009 prohibits a credit card company from raising an annual fee on a new credit card within that first year of having it. Even though the Aspire is offering a ore benefits than the Ascend, if someone has had the Ascend for less than a year American Express can't upgrade the card to an Aspire and the cardholder would have to apply for the Aspire card and then if approved and no longer wanted the Ascend close that out which means taking a hit on your FICO (which can be a big deal with Chase with their 5/24 rule).
If my Citi Reserve has been open for over a year and once the Ascend is issued by Am Ex will Am Ex consider the Ascend to be a new account with Am Ex thus making it ineligible to be upgraded to an Aspire for one year or will they consider they consider the date I opened the Reserve account to be the opening date (I tried calling Am Ex and they weren't sure and said I would have to wait until the new card was issued before they would have an answer). Also wondering if the date the Citi card was opened will show up on our credit reports after the takeover or if is going to show up as the Citi card being closed and the Am Ex card as being a new account.
I have the fee free Hilton Am Ex so I know I can easily convert that to an Aspire but I would rather have the Ascend card upgraded instead since I am a little nervous about the citi free night benefit not carrying over if I close the account out and I also have a lot more credit history with the Citi card than I do the Hilton Am Ex.
American Express will look at the date the Citi Hilton Honors account was opened to determine your upgrade eligibility. American Express will report the account to the credit bureaus using information provided by Citi and this is not expected to have an impact to your credit report.


Can you clarify the timing on how the certificates would work.
My Citi Reserve Anv. Month is August, and I will meet the spending requirement before the Amex Switch in January.
If I upgrade to the Aspire Card in January and get the extra Cert as you mentioned,
1. When will the Cert from the Citi card be issued? ~ January or not until August 2018?
2. When will the Amex Aspire Cert be issued? At time of Upgrade to the card (~ Late Jan) or my previous Citi Anv. Month (August)
3. Moving forward, for every year in the future will the Cert. issue date be the new Amex Date or my original Citi Anv. Date
If you meet the spending requirement for the Citi weekend night benefit before the account is transferred to American Express, you will receive the weekend night reward by March, if not sooner. As long as you have met the spending requirement before you upgrade to Aspire, you will still receive the Weekend Night Reward from your previous Card as long as your Hilton Honors account remains active. If you upgrade to Aspire before meeting the spending requirement for the Citi benefit, you will not receive the Weekend Night Reward from your previous Card.


Thank you,
Lauren

jamesteroh

Lauren,

I had a question concerning the free night with Am Ex.

It states in the package that if you spend $10K before you anniversary date your first year you receive a free night. Is the anniversary date considered the date you opened the account with Citi Reserve or the date in January AM EX takes control of the accounts? Does that mean if we spend $15K we get two nights the first year (the one for spending the $10K and the one for spending the $15K) or is Am Ex simply lowering the spend to match Citi the first year. If you can get two nights do you have to spend $25K total or $15K (wasn't sure if the counter for the $15K started over once the $10K spend was made or not). The language isn't very clear about how that works.

I'm also assuming that if I met my spend for the Reserve free night I will still get that free night in addition to the free night from Am Ex for meeting the $10K spend by my anniversary date.

Mikey

I did not ever activate it as I did not want to pay. Now that we get 10 gree I want to. How can I get a new activation code?

Hilton Honors Ambassador

I had a question concerning the free night with Am Ex. It states in the package that if you spend $10K before you anniversary date your first year you receive a free night. Is the anniversary date considered the date you opened the account with Citi Reserve or the date in January AM EX takes control of the accounts? Does that mean if we spend $15K we get two nights the first year (the one for spending the $10K and the one for spending the $15K) or is Am Ex simply lowering the spend to match Citi the first year. If you can get two nights do you have to spend $25K total or $15K (wasn't sure if the counter for the $15K started over once the $10K spend was made or not). The language isn't very clear about how that works.
I'm also assuming that if I met my spend for the Reserve free night I will still get that free night in addition to the free night from Am Ex for meeting the $10K spend by my anniversary date.
The anniversary date will remain as the date you opened your Citi Reserve account. You will be able to earn two weekend night rewards: one by spending $10K that you would have earned through Citi and then a second if you spend $15K with the new Ascend card. The clock starts ticking on the $15K spend threshold on January 30 when the Ascend account goes live. So if you've already spent $8k on your Citi Reserve card for your 2017-2018 “card year” January 30 - once you spend $2K more, you will receive the email from Hilton Honors with your Citi Reserve weekend night reward. That $2K counts toward the $15K required to get the Ascend card weekend night reward.


I lost my Priority Pass activation code. I did not ever activate it as I did not want to pay. Now that we get 10 free I want to. How can I get a new activation code?
Please contact Priority Pass directly to best assist with account questions specific to Priority Pass.


Thank you,
Lauren

Mikey

Thanks a lot. That works like a champ.

farnorthtrader

I must say, I am getting confused. I have seen these three answers from Lauren and can't figure out how all three can be correct:

1) If you meet the spending requirement for the Citi weekend night benefit before the account is transferred to American Express, you will receive the weekend night reward by March, if not sooner.
2) Citi Reserve cardmembers who have already spent the $10,000 should receive the email with the reward code in it within 6-8 weeks of the cardmember year. Your account must be open and current at the time the reward code is issued.
3) Citi Reserve cardmembers who have already spent the $10,000 should receive the email with the reward code in it on the anniversary date.

So can we get clarification whether they will arrive by March or sooner, on our anniversary date, or 6-8 weeks after our cardmember year?