Mar 14, 2019, 8:27 am
Last edit by: rrgg
Expiration: The 12 month expiration date on a certificate means you must reserve and complete the stay by the expiration date. You can't reserve something beyond the 12 month period. You can't extend the expiration date. (Some exceptions starting with this post.)
Eligible Dates: A certificate can be used for a Standard Room Award any day of the week. (Old policy limited them to Fri, Sat, Sun).
Other Notes:
Eligible Dates: A certificate can be used for a Standard Room Award any day of the week. (Old policy limited them to Fri, Sat, Sun).
Other Notes:
- If you earned a free night from a credit card and cancel the card, the free night certificate remains intact.
- If you cancel a reservation made with a free night certificate, the certificate becomes available right away.
- After making a reservation with a free night certificate, you'll get an email that says you booked a Standard Room Award. It will also show the points value, but no points will actually be deducted.
- The free night from the Aspire card arrives by email within 2 months of being approved and anniversary date, and the free night from spend on the Aspire/Business/Surpass arrives within a week or sooner of reaching the spending threshold. This is irrespective of your card statement date. If you upgrade from another Hilton Amex to the Aspire, the free night may post more quickly.
- Available, reserved and used certificates can be seen midway through the My Account page (https://www.hilton.com/en/hilton-hon...st/my-account/)
- If you're waiting for a free night certificate to arrive, Hilton reps say it does not help to make a points reservation and then swap it later. The reason is they have to cancel the old points reservation one and make a new reservation. The old one can't just be edited to change the payment to a FNC.
- From the Hilton email regarding a special 2020 policy on some certificates, "For all unexpired Weekend Night Rewards as of March 11, 2020, and all new ones issued until August 30, 2020, we are extending the expiration date through the end of next summer (August 31, 2021). There is no need for you to do anything, as your certificate(s) are being automatically updated in our systems. We hope this adjustment gives you some additional flexibility for your travels
Consolidated "Free Night Certificate Questions & Experiences" thread
Sep 8, 2023, 12:32 pm
#1081
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 346
Booked a 2 night stay day one FNC , my name + second night 95k, my son mentioned we has a FNC he can’t use so he booked the second night date adding my wife’s (his mother) name - of course same last name
I canceled the 95k room, we going to be ok?
To be safe he said he would give us his AX card to show if needed
I canceled the 95k room, we going to be ok?
To be safe he said he would give us his AX card to show if needed
Sep 21, 2023, 8:54 am
#1084
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
Diamond Benefits as 2nd person in room in wife's FNC
Wife and I are going to do a night in the Keys on her FNC. She's gold, I'm diamond. Going to call in today to book it - haven't done so yet. Is there a way to use it when I make the booking so that we can get the diamond benefits for the stay?
Sep 22, 2023, 6:28 am
#1085
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 308
Gold and diamond get the same breakfast benefits already. What else are you expecting? Better upgrade eligibility? That’s a big YMMV and expect nothing in the best of times.
Sep 22, 2023, 3:02 pm
#1086
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 79
Thanks. I've been Diamond for a while through Aspire and didn't even realize the food credit was also for Golds (wife newly has surpass so have never made a booking under her gold account). That was really the main thing I was looking for so we're fine. Upgrades are always nice but it's a one night stay and generally with Hilton my diamond upgrades are a slightly better view at best . . .
Oct 3, 2023, 11:46 pm
#1087
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: United Platinum, Marriott Platinum, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 221
I don't think there is a hard fast rule here. I can just tell you that in my personal experience (posted upthread) I was able to extend an Aspire certificate when I called to make a booking that I did not realize was about 9 or 10 days post expiration. The agent (I believe it was from the Diamond Desk) worked on it for a few minutes to see what she could do and then completed the reservation for the requested date. I then saw that they extended the certificate to 1 day past my reservation date. So I think that if you want to use it up until around 2 weeks post expiration and you have a reservation you want to book, it should be doable.
Oct 6, 2023, 8:50 am
#1088
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,349
Perhsps the key is to have a specific night you want to book on the spot rather than just asking for a general expiration date extension and to have an amenable agent that is ready to do it.
Nov 2, 2023, 1:07 pm
#1089
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,296
I know some people like to use an Aspire FNA for an expensive room, often just for 1 night. I dislike 1 night hotel stays, I prefer to use it for 1 night of a multi-night stay that I would do regardless of the FNA.
You might be correct.
Datapoint: Aspire anniversary FNC exp 11/3/23, paid reservation booked last night for a London Hilton 12/15/23 - 12/18/23 (3 nights). Called the number on the website to book a FNC, asked if it could be extended and used for 1 of the 3 nights. Was told sometimes for Diamonds it can be, I asked again, was told I had to speak to the Diamond Desk (DD). Transferred, same request, brief hold, mission accomplished.
While on the call, the DD agent separated the preexisting reservation to 2 reservations; 1 new reservation for 1st night using FNC with email confirmation received during the call stating “Total price for Stay 60,000, Please note that no Points will be deducted from your account for any night for which a Free Night Reward applies”, 1 preexisting reservation for 2nd and 3rd nights with same confirmation #, same room rate, same midnight day prior cancellation policy as preexisting reservation. I asked and she replied that if I had to cancel I would get the FNA back with an expiration date of 12/18/23.
Result: ~6 week extension.
Happy camper, thank you Hilton.
(Indicative of my overall skepticism about telephone representatives, the first agent spoke perfect English and I didn’t even think for a moment to HUCA to get someone more English proficient. The second (DD) agent had an accent indicative of English as a 2nd (or 3rd, 4th or 5th) language and upon her saying “hello” I reflexively thought to HUCA a second later. As written above, she was absolutely highly efficient and gracious and I’m quite happy I didn’t HUCA.)
Always ask, never hurts, give them an opportunity to say yes, the worst they can do is say no.
Datapoint: Aspire anniversary FNC exp 11/3/23, paid reservation booked last night for a London Hilton 12/15/23 - 12/18/23 (3 nights). Called the number on the website to book a FNC, asked if it could be extended and used for 1 of the 3 nights. Was told sometimes for Diamonds it can be, I asked again, was told I had to speak to the Diamond Desk (DD). Transferred, same request, brief hold, mission accomplished.
While on the call, the DD agent separated the preexisting reservation to 2 reservations; 1 new reservation for 1st night using FNC with email confirmation received during the call stating “Total price for Stay 60,000, Please note that no Points will be deducted from your account for any night for which a Free Night Reward applies”, 1 preexisting reservation for 2nd and 3rd nights with same confirmation #, same room rate, same midnight day prior cancellation policy as preexisting reservation. I asked and she replied that if I had to cancel I would get the FNA back with an expiration date of 12/18/23.
Result: ~6 week extension.
Happy camper, thank you Hilton.
(Indicative of my overall skepticism about telephone representatives, the first agent spoke perfect English and I didn’t even think for a moment to HUCA to get someone more English proficient. The second (DD) agent had an accent indicative of English as a 2nd (or 3rd, 4th or 5th) language and upon her saying “hello” I reflexively thought to HUCA a second later. As written above, she was absolutely highly efficient and gracious and I’m quite happy I didn’t HUCA.)
Always ask, never hurts, give them an opportunity to say yes, the worst they can do is say no.
Last edited by Dr Jabadski; Dec 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm Reason: typo correction
Nov 27, 2023, 7:42 pm
#1091
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: EK Platinum, AA EXP, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,148
Can I use the free night certificate as a part of another longer booking? Say I book 5 nights in cash at the Conrad Koh Samui in a non base room. Is it possible to use the certificate towards one of those nights?
Or is this mainly useful to 1 night stays in base rooms?
Or is this mainly useful to 1 night stays in base rooms?
Nov 27, 2023, 7:46 pm
#1092
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
It's not just "useful" to use for base rooms, it's necessary. The stipulation is "standard award rooms only". So in your case you could not use it for one of your non-base rooms.
Nov 27, 2023, 9:36 pm
#1093
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,349
Dec 1, 2023, 5:12 pm
#1094
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NYC suburbs
Programs: UA LT Gold (BIS), AA LT Plat (CC SUBs & BD), Hilton Dia (CC), Hyatt Glob (BIB), et. al.
Posts: 3,296
Datapoint: Aspire anniversary FNC exp 11/3/23, paid reservation booked last night for a London Hilton 12/15/23 - 12/18/23 (3 nights). Called the number on the website to book a FNC, asked if it could be extended and used for 1 of the 3 nights. …
While on the call, the DD agent separated the preexisting reservation to 2 reservations; 1 new reservation for 1st night using FNC with email confirmation received during the call stating “Total price for Stay 60,000, Please note that no Points will be deducted from your account for any night for which a Free Night Reward applies”, 1 preexisting reservation for 2nd and 3rd nights with same confirmation #, same room rate, same midnight day prior cancellation policy as preexisting reservation. I asked and she replied that if I had to cancel I would get the FNA back with an expiration date of 12/18/23…..
While on the call, the DD agent separated the preexisting reservation to 2 reservations; 1 new reservation for 1st night using FNC with email confirmation received during the call stating “Total price for Stay 60,000, Please note that no Points will be deducted from your account for any night for which a Free Night Reward applies”, 1 preexisting reservation for 2nd and 3rd nights with same confirmation #, same room rate, same midnight day prior cancellation policy as preexisting reservation. I asked and she replied that if I had to cancel I would get the FNA back with an expiration date of 12/18/23…..
Few days ago called Diamond Desk to ask if the FNC redemption could be moved up (closer) by exactly 1 week. No pushback, no agita, done in 2-3 minutes with cancellation of prior reservation and creation of new reservation. FNC still appears as “Valid until 12/18/2023” (even though the reservation is for a week earlier). Wasn’t my original intention beyond originally thinking I’d like to go earlier in the month but at the time paid rates (for the other 2 nights) earlier in the month were much higher, they’ve decreased since that time.
Might be a way to extend FNC expiration when the exact date (to be used) isn’t quite certain. Call prior to expiration and ask for as late a specific date as possible (45, 60 days ?), then call again once the date is decided.
Last edited by Dr Jabadski; Dec 1, 2023 at 5:23 pm Reason: clarification
Dec 4, 2023, 7:28 am
#1095
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 2,263
I had certificates that were supposed to expire on 12/1. I had them tied to a November reservation, but I wanted to book something in December that would have been a better value. So I called the diamond desk, didnt ask for any details, and said would 1/1 be a helpful extension date. I said yes, he moved it, and then I booked the new reservations. I didnt even need it extended that long, but he said with travel always changing around the holidays he would give me extra time just in case