gvaughn

My wife and I (mutual fund account) just received a letter recently stating that we are "now" gold from having spent more than $20K in a year on our HHonors Amex (actually we've been gold for quite a while - and are "lifetime" gold based on HGVC ownership). Honestly, I can't give you specifics of how long our gold status is for based on the $20K because of our "lifetime" status. Our cards now say 4/2007 (previously 4/2006 - though many posts on these forums indicate you can't trust the dates on the card). I can, however, confrim that we did recieve official notification that we were gold based on Amex spending...so the program does work though I can't be more helpful in regards to duration, etc....

Yeldarb

I decided to check my Dec. Statement only to find out:

Qual. Spend thru DEC 2005 statement 19,940.38

Can't get much closer. What a bummer.

Gold status would be great. Anyone know if they make exceptions? who would I contact? Amex?

pinniped

I do this periodically...I bust a couple of phone calls and ask around about the "rumors" about Diamond-level Amex spending. I'm about to embark on a couple of said phone calls, but was wondering if anyone here has any recent updates.

Beginning Jan 1, I tossed my SPG Amex in a drawer and began using HH Amex. When I hit $20k (by April or so), I'll probably switch back...unless there is a Diamond tease to keep me going with HH.

gvaughn

Call AMEX and ask to speak to a supervisor. Explain your situation. I would be surprised if they didn't go ahead and give it to you for $59.62 under the pre-set spending amount.

cactuspete

I received the same letter in mid-January, accompanied by a Gold card indicating an 04/07 expiration. Yesterday I received the same letter (again), accompanied by a Gold card indicating an 04/08 epiration. My first attempt with a CSR to confirm the expiration date was futile ( ), so I'll try again later.

I would assume that this statement is inaccurate vis-a-vis Gold earned through the AMEX spend.

hellmutt

Any luck on this? I have ~$40,000 spending last year on my Hilton Amex and am looking for effective ways to try to get Diamond.

pinniped

OK, here's my plan. I don't do enough revenue stay to earn Gold the "normal" way, and I don't think we can bank on backdoor promo codes and challenges to get there forever.

But...I do enough vacation stays at Hiltons that keeping Gold is worthwhile for me. So the easiest avenue to ongoing Gold status (for me) is via the HH Amex.

Tell me if this plan sounds right, timing-wise:

- Right now, I have a Gold card with exp. 4/2007.
- In April, I'll cross over $20k in spending on the HH Amex since Jan. 1.
- Therefore, in May or so, I should get a new HH Gold card stating a 4/2008 expiration date, right? Maybe June at the latest...I suppose it depends on my bill cycle date.

Then, I'd probably skip 2007 altogether as far as HH Amex goes.

- In January 2008, I start using the HH Amex again. Maybe hit $20k in April or so, then go through a potentially short downgrade period of Silver, and back up to Gold when the statements and points post, maybe by May/June '08.
- When that happens, I get an HH Gold card with a Apr 2010 exp. date.

Does that sound right?

Basically, I'm hoping to minimize the need to spend $20k on the HH card to every other year, sticking with SPG Amex exclusively in the odd years. Other than a couple of months of Silverness (simply due to the fact that I don't spend fast enough to hit $20k in February or March), this seems like it should yield near-perpetual Gold status.

Thoughts? Anyone have any hard information on how the Amex-based Gold upgrades are processed?

toomanybooks

I think your planning is sound.

I got Gold for the first time this year after doing the $20K spend for 2005, ending just a few days before New Years. Once I hit the $20K and paid the bill, it took 2-3 weeks as I recall to get the Gold notification online, although they told me "up to 8 weeks."

Then it took a few weeks to get the Gold card in the mail.

wbl-mn-flyer

you didn't say, what was the reason for the concern to use the SPG Amex after you had fulfilled your gold requirements on the HH amex? is there a similar "spend $x and get status y" offer there?

pinniped

SPG Amex yields 1 Starpoint per dollar.
HH Amex yields 3 HH points per dollar.
I value 'em at 4 to 1.

So, my plan is to use the HH card just enough to keep Gold going, then go back to SPG as my primary card.

Plus, I could always get more HH in a pinch because I have tons of AA. The only way I really build my Starpoints base is through the Amex, because I do all of my hotel stays at Marriott.

I like to keep healthy balances working in all three programs...helps out greatly when it comes time to look for awards.

wbl-mn-flyer

You earn 3/dollar with Hilton (don't forget, 5/dollar for some sorts of purchases now) and 1/dollar with SPG but you value their points 4/1 compared to Hilton. Fair enough, I have no idea what the starwood awards are like and how your personal preferences may color the valuation.

You do all your hotel stays at Marriott, I guess I understand that - they are supposed to have the most units so if you visit a lot of mom and pop locations they may be your best bet without having to resort to Best Western/Super 8/Motel 6/whatever...

How many hotel nights a year are you staying, and are they all cheap places? It might not be so hard to make diamond if you have either a lot of nights or a lot of high $ rooms. At the diamond level, Hilton pulls away from the pack if you ask me.

Anyway, interesting to hear different perspectives. Hope it all works out for you.

Evan!

I am confused. I just applied for the Platinum HH Amex card. Of the benefits promoted I did not see anything about spending $20K in any timeframe and getting HH Gold Status. Is this a perk only for certain HH Amex cards?

wbl-mn-flyer

http://hhonors.hilton.com/en/hhonors...editcard.jhtml


Upgrade to HHonors Gold VIP for one year when you make eligible charges of $20,000 or more annually to your Card (on a calendar basis).

which is easy to do, by the way. pay everything you can on the card, gas, groceries, $2 purchase at mc donald's, ...

singlemalt

No.

I'd be willing to bet a ton of money that it doesn't happen by June, even if you spend several hours on the phone bouncing between Amex and Hilton. Read the fine print: "...if during the calendar year your eligible purchases total $20,000 or more, you will be upgraded to the Gold VIP tier in the Hilton HHonors program for a one-year period beginning no later than April of the following year".

I think you got gold relatively quickly because you hit the $20K mark so close to year-end. I got the card at the end of April '05, hit $20K in June, didn't get gold until January '06.

pinniped

The ratio that a lot of FT'ers use is 1:3:4 for SPG:MR:HH. It's very similar to what Amex Membership Rewards and Diner's Club Rewards use. It says nothing about the quality of the programs...it's just a matter of how they chose to set the currency levels.

About 30 nights/yr on business - usually one short trip per month. Usually Marriott or Renaissance, occasional Westin or Hilton, avg. revenue with incidentals about $200/nt.

About 30 room-nights per year on vacation/family trips, but some of these are 2-room stays, so maybe 20 actual total nights. In 2005, this was 2/3rds Starwood award nights and 1/3rd cheap Marriott weekends using the 2-for-1 Elite Offers certificates or Premium Pounds certificates. So revenue on my vacation/family stays is almost nonexistent, although I realize I get qualifying nights when I do award stays at Hilton.

Agreed...from what I hear, Diamond kicks butt. Diamonds here seem happier than Plats at the other two.

It has crossed my mind to go totally gung-ho Hilton and try and hit Diamond. The problem is that some of my vacation/family trip nights are in places where there is no good Hilton option. (Next trip: PVR, where there are only Marriott and Starwood offerings.) And a lot of the business is in Seattle, where there is only one weak Hilton offering.

So...that takes me all the way back to simply trying to diversify as much as possible. Do stays at Marriott. Amex spend with Starwood. Do some spend with HH as well, but know that I can pull in AA miles as needed. Live with Gold level in all three programs - gets me lounge access at 2 of the 3, plus pleasant treatment and nice rooms at all of them. My goal is max free stays with good flexibility.

If my business travel picks up a lot, I'll reevaluate. If I were doing 40-50 nights on business, all at that $200/nt. level, I'd be making a run at Diamond. But even then, I think I'd still use SPG Amex except for the hotel stays themselves, to keep diversity in place to some extent.