[ARCHIVE to 2018] American Express Announces Two New Hilton Credit Cards
May 30, 2018, 10:17 am
#1336
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
I hate the Ascend card. Hate it. Loyal to Hilton; I guess that's the only reason I'm keeping it. Pay $95/year for the card; don't really have a use for Priority Pass (get lounge access through 1K status); don't see myself putting $15k on the card to get a free night; and earned Diamond last two years on nights- so, have no use for the Gold status that comes with the card.
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
May 31, 2018, 8:39 am
#1337
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,982
Aspire card is mailed out by usps, but ours was mailed out on Saturday (after Wed night approval), and arrived on Monday. Does anyone else noticed that bonus 100K points post even before the statement with min psend generates?
Last edited by LilZeppelin; May 31, 2018 at 8:42 am Reason: qstn
May 31, 2018, 9:01 am
#1338
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: New York
Programs: Navy A-4 Skyhawk, B727 FE/FO, S80 FO, B757/767 FO, B737 CA
Posts: 1,342
That's typical at Amex...most of the bonuses we've gotten (Delta, Hilton, and membership rewards) typically show up within a couple of days of the spending being met...not the statement being generated. It may not be true in all cases, but has been for us.
May 31, 2018, 3:07 pm
#1339
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,503
I hate the Ascend card. Hate it. Loyal to Hilton; I guess that's the only reason I'm keeping it. Pay $95/year for the card; don't really have a use for Priority Pass (get lounge access through 1K status); don't see myself putting $15k on the card to get a free night; and earned Diamond last two years on nights- so, have no use for the Gold status that comes with the card.
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
May 31, 2018, 3:24 pm
#1340
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 82
I hate the Ascend card. Hate it. Loyal to Hilton; I guess that's the only reason I'm keeping it. Pay $95/year for the card; don't really have a use for Priority Pass (get lounge access through 1K status); don't see myself putting $15k on the card to get a free night; and earned Diamond last two years on nights- so, have no use for the Gold status that comes with the card.
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
How is your Ascend already up for renewal? The card just came out like 4 months ago? I chatted with Amex the other day to try to get the free night promo they are currently having but was denied.
May 31, 2018, 4:33 pm
#1341
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
The previous Hilton Amex card was renamed Ascend with no change in renewal date.
May 31, 2018, 8:30 pm
#1342
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Virginia
Programs: HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott nobody
Posts: 470
I hate the Ascend card. Hate it. Loyal to Hilton; I guess that's the only reason I'm keeping it. Pay $95/year for the card; don't really have a use for Priority Pass (get lounge access through 1K status); don't see myself putting $15k on the card to get a free night; and earned Diamond last two years on nights- so, have no use for the Gold status that comes with the card.
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Jun 1, 2018, 10:41 am
#1343
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,273
No, I had the Citi Honors Reserve Visa. When Amex bought the portfolio from Citi, my card was converted into the Ascend card. Challenge is still that Amex is not accepted at as many places as Visa, especially overseas.
Jun 1, 2018, 11:36 am
#1344
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,897
I hate the Ascend card. Hate it. Loyal to Hilton; I guess that's the only reason I'm keeping it. Pay $95/year for the card; don't really have a use for Priority Pass (get lounge access through 1K status); don't see myself putting $15k on the card to get a free night; and earned Diamond last two years on nights- so, have no use for the Gold status that comes with the card.
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Called the customer service line as my annual fee is due. Agent wouldn't budge on waiving the fee. Only offered me 10,000 Honors points. She also offered to downgrade me to the fee-free Honors card, which I've already had since 2011.
Even if I cancelled the card, I wouldn't be eligible to get a sign-up bonus for it again. And, paying $450/year for the Aspire is not worth it to me.
Anyone offered decent retention offers from Amex to keep their Ascend cards open?
Jun 1, 2018, 12:11 pm
#1345
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,273
Jun 2, 2018, 8:29 am
#1346
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Virginia
Programs: HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott nobody
Posts: 470
Agreed, AMEX is harder to use. It just is not accepted in as many places. For that, I use CSR instead. I had the Citi Honors Reserve as well, but cancelled it in December before it got converted to AMEX. I applied for the Ascend and has gotten the 100,000 points in sign on bonus already.
Jun 5, 2018, 7:53 pm
#1349
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 413
I guess I have to plan my CC sign ups very carefully so that I can stack those nights up together.
Thanks for sharing again anyways.
Jun 14, 2018, 10:59 am
#1350
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: 52,575
Question on the timing of the Aspire Free Weekend night. I am taking advantage of the 100,000 point upgrade offer on my Ascend card. I already have my $15k Ascend free night in my account, received it in April. Will my Aspire free night drop immediately? (Say, within the first billing cycle of my upgraded card?) Looking to book a full weekend using both certs...
Doubt I will keep the Aspire card for my than 1 year, but for $450 I'll take 100k HH plus a free weekend night. The place I plan to use the free nights is also one of the listed Hilton Resorts, so I suppose if we run some incidentals there I'd get some credit for that too? (up to $250?).
Also - anyone know if Main Cabin Extra upgrades on AA count as a qualifying airline fee? I don't ever pay airline fees now, but if MCE at booking time counts, I suppose I'd get some value there. Can't count on MCE as an AA Gold - at least not good non-middle seats.
Doubt I will keep the Aspire card for my than 1 year, but for $450 I'll take 100k HH plus a free weekend night. The place I plan to use the free nights is also one of the listed Hilton Resorts, so I suppose if we run some incidentals there I'd get some credit for that too? (up to $250?).
Also - anyone know if Main Cabin Extra upgrades on AA count as a qualifying airline fee? I don't ever pay airline fees now, but if MCE at booking time counts, I suppose I'd get some value there. Can't count on MCE as an AA Gold - at least not good non-middle seats.
