The Definitive “How To Earn Hilton Honors Points” Thread
 

Ok--I am loball compared to you guys.Since I have found this site and read many past posts,have wondered what rock I have been under.I always thought these programs were for businessman only.I understand if you travel alot in business,of course you will build points at a much faster rate than I.To think I could have been building points for years---I could cry. snif snif.I have had a sw card for years,living in az,I am married with a grown daughter---kind of grown husband and a 13 year old son.Found this site after doing my first bump or bumps a couple weeks ago for $1300 delta dollars and WHAT a HIGH!!!!!We vacation prob 2 weeks a year and plan on hiltons from now on.By using my points and click awards,getting a hilton optima etc--will I be dead before I could ever hope to cash in say the hilton honors australia or africa safari vacation award.?Is there anyone out there who does not travel alot that has racked up lots of HHonors points.I am doing a wash dc. 10 day trip and a hawaii 10 day trip next year and am excitedly taking all the advice I have found here to help maximize points/miles etc.How hard is it to accumulate 300,000 points say.Can only a frequent businessman hope to acquire that many----Thanks----I need to find a way to buy groceries online for points---LOL

Welcome to the Board! Remember, 300,000 HHonors points is "only" $150,000 worth of spending on your Hilton AmEx card. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif Also, watch for promotions (extra points for buying gas and groceries, etc). You can convert "stray" miles from several airlines (DL, CO, TW, UA, MX, to name a few) into HHonors points. Also, you can apply for a "mutual fund" HHonors account so your husband's "stray" miles can be converted into it too.
E-Trade offers up to 50,000 HHonors points for opening up an account with them, so if trading stocks is in your blood, you can get points (and miles) to come with it.

Good luck!

Welcome Wannafly.

A year or so past, it was harder for leisure travelers to accrue points in HHonors. Now, with the changes to the program allowing most rates to qualify, it is much easier. Coupled with this, the inclusion of Hampton inns etc in the program open up more points earning opportunities. The promotion with United flights also bring further points.

Remember you can transfer most US airline miles into your account, so if you have a few K of miles not doing anything, move them into HHonors

If you don't already have a HHonors card, join on line (you get a 1000 or 2 for this), also update your email online, again a further 1000 miles or so bonus. You can also sign you husband up the same why, and then combine the accounts into a mutual account. This allows HHonors points earned by both of you to be combined.

The best way to earn big is with the promotions. In the past HHonors have run promos that could net you 50000 bonus miles. For example, I received a targeted mailing yesterday from Virgin Flying club that offered 50000 bonus miles and gold status after 4 stays. OK, the targeting was rather poor for me, as I'm already Diamond.

You can of course use your safeways club card to earn United miles (250usd = 125 miles) and then transfer to HHonors (125 miles = 250 HHonors points).

Getting to a 100k + shouldn’t take forever, but whether you're be dead first, who knows http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

And don't forget the tie-in with United Airlines through end of September - if you are a Mileage Plus member (it's free) you can cross-connect your Mileage Plus and Hilton Honors accounts so that when you fly on United you get the same number of HHonors points as the miles you fly, AND you get the United Milegae Plus miles as well.

Can you please explain the HH points equal to Mileage Plus promotion. I fly United a lot, and have not been getting this bonus. Thanks.

plenow -- check here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/001240.html

I believe it is still available.

wannafly,

here is another way of bumping up your HHonors balance: sign up with mypoints (www.mypoints.com) and you'll get a number of bonus points for a variety of web surfing activities (usually 5 to 10 points). If you'd like to know more about this program, there are endless threads about its merits and especially its flaws under the Buzz forum (and more recently the S.P.A.M. forum), starting from at least a year ago.

Anyway, every time you accrue 1000 points, you can transfer them electronically to HHonors at a 1-to-1 rate (and the transfer happens very quickly). This could help you build up your balance more quickly, especially if you have a joint account with your husband and he joins Mypoints as well.

Good luck.

WannaFly,

Did you get my lengthy e-mail on Am West, SWA and Hilton? I would have posted it to the board, but, it was too long.

Follow up?

I need 5000 more Hilton points
 

I only need 5000 more points to get two Universal 2 Day tickets and am looking for a way to get those without a hotel stay. I already have the credit card too. My sister has 10,000 pts in her account. Is there a way to transfer them to my account? Can we turn her points into something else (like air miles or something) and then turn them into Hilton points in my account? There must be a way!!! I have already updated my profile for the 2000 pts. too. If I get my husband a separate account from Hilton, can I get enough points on his right away and can they be transferred into my Hilton account?

Off the top of my head-
you could open a Hhonors account for your husband, get the signup bonus and the two profiles updates, and spend some Mypoints if you have them. Have him get his own Hhonors Amex also. Also, if you have any spare ailine miles in a frequent flyer account that is a Hilton reward exchange partner, you could transfer those miles over to an Hhonors account. After all these bonus points post to his account, contact Hhonors customer service and have them combine your two accounts into one married "mutual fund" hhonors account.

Here is an instant 6,000 and a possible 46,000 HHonors if you spend 10 more minutes! Enjoy.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum94/HTML/002427.html

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~ Glen ~

Need 3000 more points
 

Help guys... I am 3,000 points shy of 20,000 for the 3,500 mile transfer... I've already got both credit cards, updated my profile etc... Any quick ideas on how to get 3000 points fast (no hotel stays on the horizon either)... I need the miles bigtime and will take just the 1500 if i have to, but 20,000 seems so close! I can't do etrade either b/c i am going to do that to get the 5,000 ual miles...

Much appreciated!

SkyBoy

Call cusomer service and explain your needs. Very often they will extend a "courtesy" of additional points. I've had it done for me, so I know it is possible.

Find a friend with a Diners Club card. 2500 Diners Club points convert to 2000 HHonors points, and can be transferred into any account.

Did you updated your profile TWICE? Can you wait until April 1st to update it two times again?