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
Apr 18, 2019, 1:28 am
#106
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SIN/BNE
Posts: 816
Probably a waste to use it at any of these properties. Their going rates are often less than US$200. If you really wanna use it then use it at the Hilton Sydney. Melbourne and christchurch only has doubletrees.
Apr 18, 2019, 5:25 am
#107
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
Disregard price and use it to stay in the property that suits you best.
Apr 18, 2019, 6:51 am
#108
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,952
That's exactly what she told me. She said she attempted to book it on the Monday night & it wouldn't go through. And yea, it's not ideal. I guess I'll just use the Free night on my stopover in Hong Kong instead of at the Maldives like I wanted. Good value either way, I would just prefer to use it at the resort.
I'm sure everyone has the exact same complaint, it's weird that they only allow weekend nights for redemption of this. I was naive to think it was just a clever marketing idea or something and not actually only to be used on the weekends. I would think resorts value weekends higher than weekdays?? I'm sure there is a logistical reason for this. I just can't think of it off the top of my head.
I'm sure everyone has the exact same complaint, it's weird that they only allow weekend nights for redemption of this. I was naive to think it was just a clever marketing idea or something and not actually only to be used on the weekends. I would think resorts value weekends higher than weekdays?? I'm sure there is a logistical reason for this. I just can't think of it off the top of my head.
I imagine the reason for weekends only, is that those are lower occupancy nights in the more expensive hotels in large cities.
Apr 18, 2019, 6:59 am
#109
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,952
Not Hilton, but my Marriott AF posted in February and my certificate arrived April 4. I'm guessing this may be similar since they are both AmEx. I think they want to make sure you pay the AF before you get your free night.
Apr 18, 2019, 7:28 am
#110
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
I'm about two months into the wait myself. Funny though my tax payment on Monday pushed me over $15k spending ln my ascend and I received the email today saying I earned the free night.
Apr 18, 2019, 7:35 am
#111
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
I'm sure everyone has the exact same complaint, it's weird that they only allow weekend nights for redemption of this. I was naive to think it was just a clever marketing idea or something and not actually only to be used on the weekends. I would think resorts value weekends higher than weekdays?? I'm sure there is a logistical reason for this. I just can't think of it off the top of my head.
Seems lately that many people who agreed to terms and conditions decide later that they are inconvenient.
Apr 18, 2019, 10:17 am
#112
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,952
Yep. That one comes almost immediately. That's why I believe the wait is intentional by AmEx to make sure you pay your AF and can't get it refunded.
Apr 18, 2019, 10:48 am
#113
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: UA Mileage Plus, AAdvantage, Southwest, HHonors, National
Posts: 528
They can be used together and in conjunction with points. I'd advise to do it over the phone with a CSR, so that both are linked under one reservation. It hasn't happened to me but I've heard of instances where the hotel assigned different rooms to each of the cash/points & certificate reservations.
Apr 18, 2019, 12:46 pm
#114
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,073
Apr 18, 2019, 12:52 pm
#115
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 984
Actually I am perfectly fine with the requirement that weekend nights be used on weekends. Also ok that the resort credit be used at a resort and the airline credit being used for airline spending.
Seems lately that many people who agreed to terms and conditions decide later that they are inconvenient.
Seems lately that many people who agreed to terms and conditions decide later that they are inconvenient.
Apr 18, 2019, 1:30 pm
#116
Join Date: Jan 2019
Programs: AA, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 40
They can be used together and in conjunction with points. I'd advise to do it over the phone with a CSR, so that both are linked under one reservation. It hasn't happened to me but I've heard of instances where the hotel assigned different rooms to each of the cash/points & certificate reservations.
Apr 19, 2019, 6:08 am
#117
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
My experience has been that American Express gives you a prorated refund of your annual fee when you cancel a card. Since the airline and resort credit more than pay my annual fee I don't intend to try it.
Apr 22, 2019, 11:23 am
#118
Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 139
Actually I am perfectly fine with the requirement that weekend nights be used on weekends. Also ok that the resort credit be used at a resort and the airline credit being used for airline spending.
Seems lately that many people who agreed to terms and conditions decide later that they are inconvenient.
Seems lately that many people who agreed to terms and conditions decide later that they are inconvenient.
I reached out to twitter support, explained my predicament. They credited me 40,000 points to help pay for the 6th night on points & I got to keep my free weekend night. I further took advantage of the double points promotion & purchased the remaining 50k points needed for that 6th night for $250. However someone wants to spin it, someone at Hilton agreed it is a weird policy & they helped me out immensely with it. I think we can all agree that Hilton, nor any corp, would never willingly hand out 40k points if there wasn't some basis in my complaint.
Apr 25, 2019, 3:37 am
#119
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London / Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, BA Silver
Posts: 1,631
Just to confirm, is it still 100% the policy that not only must the stay be booked by the cert expiry date, but it also must be completed by that date? I have one expiring in early May so I need to complete the stay by then?
Apr 25, 2019, 11:50 pm
#120
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 41
Same boat here - waiting for the weekend night cert from the first anniversary. I was expecting it a few days ago, based on the date I received it last year. But I haven't even received the first of the two emails about it yet. Out of curiosity, when was your card anniversary date? And, perhaps more importantly, when did your second year AF post? I'm now more than 30 days since my second year AF posted, but still nothing...