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
Feb 11, 2022, 5:35 pm
#616
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
No, it's definitely current and definitely from my Aspire card (says so on the website). All others from last year have long, long been accounted for.
My husband recently got one from the $8K spend on his Surpass and his cert expiration date is 1/25/2023. So while odd it is just a month different, and as I said I'm sure I'll use it before the end of the year.
My husband recently got one from the $8K spend on his Surpass and his cert expiration date is 1/25/2023. So while odd it is just a month different, and as I said I'm sure I'll use it before the end of the year.
So I am still waiting on my Aspire renewal cert for "this" year which who knows how long it will take to arrive.
Feb 12, 2022, 1:49 am
#618
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: QF Platinum, HH Diamond
Posts: 389
Feb 13, 2022, 8:40 pm
#619
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,234
Yeah, there were a bunch of posts about this in this thread; seems status and certs were a related problem: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilt...nt-status.html
Feb 14, 2022, 1:37 pm
#621
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: Hilton credit card Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,653
Feb 14, 2022, 1:52 pm
#622
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,948
This thread may help -
How to tell if points or free night certificate was used for reservation?
How to tell if points or free night certificate was used for reservation?
Feb 15, 2022, 7:41 am
#623
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: AZ
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 200
On the first page after logging into my account, I can page down past the status info to the section regarding the FNC. Not only does it show how many FNC's I have and how many are ready to use but on the right side (under "Current Rewards") it shows the FNC is "Reserved for upcoming stay".
Feb 15, 2022, 8:45 am
#624
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,948
Now that the FNC's show in our accounts, there's an easier way to make sure.
On the first page after logging into my account, I can page down past the status info to the section regarding the FNC. Not only does it show how many FNC's I have and how many are ready to use but on the right side (under "Current Rewards") it shows the FNC is "Reserved for upcoming stay".
On the first page after logging into my account, I can page down past the status info to the section regarding the FNC. Not only does it show how many FNC's I have and how many are ready to use but on the right side (under "Current Rewards") it shows the FNC is "Reserved for upcoming stay".
Feb 15, 2022, 9:24 am
#625
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Mar 6, 2022, 1:15 pm
#626
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
It's getting annoying that these certs cannot be booked online. The annoyance is compounded by the fact that there is a 15-20 minute wait to talk to the diamond desk, and some diamond agents don't know how to combine a cert and points in the same reservation. While that's not a terrible wait, it makes HUCA annoying.
You'll rarely hear me say anything good about Marriott but booking their free night certs online is easy, clear, and efficient. On the other hand, Marriott is terrible and slow about redepositing certificates after a reservation is cancelled so maybe it evens out.
You'll rarely hear me say anything good about Marriott but booking their free night certs online is easy, clear, and efficient. On the other hand, Marriott is terrible and slow about redepositing certificates after a reservation is cancelled so maybe it evens out.
Mar 14, 2022, 12:23 pm
#628
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 13
The wiki says the FNC is unaffected if the HH card is closed. Is this still true once the $15k spending is complete (and before the 8-12 week waiting you have to wait for it to be in your HH account). Planning on finishing spend and closing the card if possible.
Mar 14, 2022, 4:28 pm
#629
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Norway, Maine
Programs: United Silver and HH Diamond
Posts: 1,474
I don't know who is waiting 8-12 weeks but my FNC is usually in my Hilton account with a couple of days of meeting the spending requirement.