Point Changes to Hilton Honors Amex Earning Structure
Dec 8, 2008, 1:31 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Wynnewood, PA USA
Posts: 2,325
Point Changes to Hilton Honors Amex Earning Structure
I noticed the following change to my agreement in my last statement.
Effective Jan. 1, 2009.
"Points Accumulation Agreement
We are replacing the first two paragraphs of the Points Accumulation Agreement with the following:
"You will receive three Hilton HHonors bonus points for each U.S. dollar of "Eligible Spending" (as defined below) on your Hilton HHonors
Card from American Express (the "Card").
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending at the following categories of merchants, excluding warehouse clubs and superstores: supermarkets; drug stores; stand-alone
gas stations; and home telephone, wireless, cable, satellite TV, and Internet service providers.
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending on the Card at any Hilton Family hotel worldwide (excluding Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare purchases and package sales).All points are accumulated subject to the terms set forth below and to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions.
Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Milesć, and redemption of points are subject to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions."
Effective Jan. 1, 2009.
"Points Accumulation Agreement
We are replacing the first two paragraphs of the Points Accumulation Agreement with the following:
"You will receive three Hilton HHonors bonus points for each U.S. dollar of "Eligible Spending" (as defined below) on your Hilton HHonors
Card from American Express (the "Card").
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending at the following categories of merchants, excluding warehouse clubs and superstores: supermarkets; drug stores; stand-alone
gas stations; and home telephone, wireless, cable, satellite TV, and Internet service providers.
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending on the Card at any Hilton Family hotel worldwide (excluding Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare purchases and package sales).All points are accumulated subject to the terms set forth below and to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions.
Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Milesć, and redemption of points are subject to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions."
Dec 8, 2008, 4:01 pm
#4
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Good news indeed - for some categories
Goodbye US Post Office. Goodbye restaurants :sob!: Hello SureWest*!
My choice now for restaurants will be between 1 AA mile or 3 HHonors points per dollar spent,m in addition to the AAdvantage Dining miles.
*My phone, HISA and TV provider.
Goodbye US Post Office. Goodbye restaurants :sob!: Hello SureWest*!
My choice now for restaurants will be between 1 AA mile or 3 HHonors points per dollar spent,m in addition to the AAdvantage Dining miles.
*My phone, HISA and TV provider.
Last edited by JDiver; Dec 8, 2008 at 6:10 pm Reason: edit
Dec 8, 2008, 4:18 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Washington DC
Programs: BA GLD, AA GLD 1MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,693
Shoot.. I guess that might work out better for some, but I have traditionally earned a lot of bonus points on restaurant spending through meals on the road with co-workers. This is disappointing news.
Dec 8, 2008, 4:49 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 310
I did not realize that restaurants were not in the new list anymore. That's not good. They're the most of my 5x spending. It was also easy to get plenty of points when going out to lunch with co-workers, taking the cash off the table and putting the whole tab on the card.
Dec 8, 2008, 5:13 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 2,026
The extra point is nice, but, losing the restaurants is a major bummer.
I have a better card for gas/groceries/pharmacies (5%), and my cable company doesn't even take AMEX.
Restaurants was definitely my BIG spending category for this card.
So, in my case, although I'm getting a better bonus, it's in categories I can't/won't use.
:/
Dec 8, 2008, 5:24 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: San Diego
Programs: IC Platinum Ambassador, UA Mileage Plus, SPG Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 852
I noticed on the American Express Website I currently cannot find any additional information on the Hilton Card or even see it listed in card side by side comparisons--possibly to update the listed changes in the thread and possibly more changes???
sdcarver
sdcarver
Dec 9, 2008, 6:44 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,174
This is going to encourage more HH spending for me in the new 6 HH point category for sure.
The Costco Amex (Business Card) gives 3% cashback on restaurants. Worth roughly what 5 HH points are, I'd say, and almost certainly better than 3.
It also give 5% cashback on gasoline and 2% at hotels/rental cars/airfares and a variety of other useful ~3-5% discounts for Hertz, FedEx, DL, Marriott, etc.
You do have to cash the annual check at a Costco.
The Costco Amex (Business Card) gives 3% cashback on restaurants. Worth roughly what 5 HH points are, I'd say, and almost certainly better than 3.
It also give 5% cashback on gasoline and 2% at hotels/rental cars/airfares and a variety of other useful ~3-5% discounts for Hertz, FedEx, DL, Marriott, etc.
You do have to cash the annual check at a Costco.
Dec 9, 2008, 7:04 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: CT/ Germany - Ich spreche deutsch
Programs: UA 1K, Bonvoy LTTE, HH Dia, HY Expl
Posts: 4,652
I specifically got the HH AMEX for the restaurant, grocery store and gas station bonus points so this really is a negative development for my spending patern. Now the card will only be used for the other two categories getting 6 pts. per $. Will now have to decide if my restaurant spending will go back to my SPG AMEX or which card I want to use moving forward. The one additional point for the other categories will definitely not make up for the loss of the restaurant bonus! 
