May 26, 2014, 3:09 pm
Last edit by: rrgg
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 155,000 points for spending $3,000 in 3 months; $95 annual fee. Offer Expires Apr. 17, 2024
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 170,000 points for spending $3,000 in 3 months; $95 annual fee. Expired Jan 17 2024
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 130,000 points for spending $4,000 in 4 months; $95 annual fee. OFFER EXPIRED AUG 28.
Hilton HHonors American Express Ascend card. 75,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months+ 25,000 points after additional $1000 in 6 months; $95 annual fee.
Note: For existing Surpass card holders, AMEX verbally confirmed that on or after 20 January 2018, card holders can call in and request cards be converted to Aspire - while maintaining the same credit card number, balance limits, PIN, etc.
Card features:
Check your application status
Linking AmexAscend Surpass to your Hilton Honors account.Many (most?) have reported that a new Hilton Honors number gets assigned by Amex even when they put their existing Hilton Honors number in the application, and it can take several weeks to get this worked out. However, the key to making things go smoothly seems to be an exact match of your name and address between Amex and Hilton, including adding your middle initial to your Hilton Honors account if you use it on your Amex. When everything matches, an Amex rep should be able to update the account number, it should "go through" immediately, and the correct Hilton account number will be reflected on the Amex website in about 2 days.
Is the AmexAscend Surpass churnable?As of May 1, 2014, Amex will not give a signup bonus to card applicants who have held the card in the past ~7 years, even if the applicant has never earned a previous signup bonus for it. However, it is still possible to upgrade an existing Hilton Amex to the Ascend Surpass card to earn a bonus (and reportedly to do this more than once by later downgrading & then upgrading again). The best strategy is to earn a Ascend Surpass signup bonus first, and only afterward pursue the upgrade bonus(es).
For information on other Hilton-branded credit cards, see the wiki at Ongoing offers for Hilton cards issued by Amex or Citi
- Important limitation on this offer: "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product."
Note: For existing Surpass card holders, AMEX verbally confirmed that on or after 20 January 2018, card holders can call in and request cards be converted to Aspire - while maintaining the same credit card number, balance limits, PIN, etc.
Card features:
- Annual fee:
$95$150, no first-year waiver. - Earning: 12 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend; 6 points/$ at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets & gas stations; 4 points for online retail purchases (as of 2023); and 3 points/$ on everything else.
- Elite status: Hilton Gold status for as long as you have the card and Diamond status after $40,000 in annual spend.
- Booking bonus: 500 bonus points for every stay (including award stays) booked directly with Hilton & guaranteed with the card
Check your application status
Linking Amex
Is the Amex
For information on other Hilton-branded credit cards, see the wiki at Ongoing offers for Hilton cards issued by Amex or Citi
The Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express (formerly called Ascend)
Oct 3, 2017, 2:35 pm
#406
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
A free night certificate easily gets you a $300-$400 hotel room, or more at a place like Boca Beach Club. The 100,000 points can easily get you 2 nights on points where you would have paid $400-$500 out of pocket. For instance, I am looking at Hilton Santa Fe Plaza for 50,000 points per night instead of $250 on my dates and Doubletree Flagstaff for 40,000 instead of $225. My dates are fairly high demand and these hotels are usually cheaper, so using the points is very helpful. Gold that comes with the card has always been useful for free breakfast and I managed Diamond on a status match, so that means Club Lounge always instead of just sometimes. It is easy to earn Hilton points on paid stays with the 12x on Hilton brands and the promotions they run all the time.
Oct 9, 2017, 2:49 pm
#407
Join Date: May 2011
Location: CMH
Programs: w/+1: AS MVPG; IHG/Marriott Plat; Hilton/BW Diamond; Hertz Prez; SG Silver
Posts: 1,188
AU Twice On Same Primary Account
I'm sure I'm not the only one confused by the AMEX policy of giving AUs different card #s . I just found out from CS that my wife has two AU cards with different "Member Since" dates linked to my one one account which was recently upgraded to Surpass.
Oct 10, 2017, 6:10 am
#408
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Houston
Programs: UA: MM
Posts: 844
I'm sure I'm not the only one confused by the AMEX policy of giving AUs different card #s . I just found out from CS that my wife has two AU cards with different "Member Since" dates linked to my one one account which was recently upgraded to Surpass.
FWIW
DLM
Oct 11, 2017, 8:41 am
#409
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold
Posts: 539
What are the chances the foreign transaction fee on this card goes away? With the Citi Hilton Reserve going away, this is the only premium Hilton card out there, and it charges a 2.7% fee. Amex will have to remove that fee, won't they?
Oct 11, 2017, 8:52 am
#410
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
No brainer for me, the $20 increase is well worth the free night. I have priority pass with my chase card but would be a nice addition for people who don't have a priority pass that provides free entrances.
What sucks is a lot of places don't accept Am Ex.
Oct 11, 2017, 10:13 am
#411
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
Someone posted a link to a rumored new Am Ex card coming January 1 in the thread about the Citi card going away and hopefully the source is correct. I forget what the card is called but the annual fee will go up to $95 like the reserve but will include a free weekend night after $15K in spend and 10 free priority pass entrances a year and no FTF.
No brainer for me, the $20 increase is well worth the free night. I have priority pass with my chase card but would be a nice addition for people who don't have a priority pass that provides free entrances.
What sucks is a lot of places don't accept Am Ex.
No brainer for me, the $20 increase is well worth the free night. I have priority pass with my chase card but would be a nice addition for people who don't have a priority pass that provides free entrances.
What sucks is a lot of places don't accept Am Ex.
Oct 12, 2017, 3:13 pm
#412
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
Someone posted a link to a rumored new Am Ex card coming January 1 in the thread about the Citi card going away and hopefully the source is correct. I forget what the card is called but the annual fee will go up to $95 like the reserve but will include a free weekend night after $15K in spend and 10 free priority pass entrances a year and no FTF.
No brainer for me, the $20 increase is well worth the free night. I have priority pass with my chase card but would be a nice addition for people who don't have a priority pass that provides free entrances.
What sucks is a lot of places don't accept Am Ex.
No brainer for me, the $20 increase is well worth the free night. I have priority pass with my chase card but would be a nice addition for people who don't have a priority pass that provides free entrances.
What sucks is a lot of places don't accept Am Ex.
Oct 13, 2017, 7:57 am
#413
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
Oct 13, 2017, 9:06 am
#414
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 16
Here are the RUMORED features of the Amex Hilton Ascend Card:
Earn 3 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent on regular spending
Earn 6 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S.
supermarkets, U.S. gas stations
Earn 12 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at Hilton Hotels
Free weekend night after spending $15,000+ in a calendar year
Complimentary Hilton gold status; Diamond status after spending $40,000+
No foreign transaction fees
Priority Pass with 10 free visits
http://travelinpoints.com/upcoming-a...s-probably-it/
My guess is that this replaces Surpass
Earn 3 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent on regular spending
Earn 6 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S.
supermarkets, U.S. gas stations
Earn 12 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent at Hilton Hotels
Free weekend night after spending $15,000+ in a calendar year
Complimentary Hilton gold status; Diamond status after spending $40,000+
No foreign transaction fees
Priority Pass with 10 free visits
http://travelinpoints.com/upcoming-a...s-probably-it/
My guess is that this replaces Surpass
Oct 15, 2017, 10:54 am
#417
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OMA
Programs: AA PLT 1MM, HHonors Diamond, IHG Gold, National Exec, Hertz 5-Star
Posts: 120
I can confirm that after having Hilton add my middle initial to my Honors account, and then requesting Amex to update my Hilton number (and it "went through") that everything reflected correctly online within 2 days. My correct Honors number, point total, and diamond status now reflect on the Amex website. I've updated the wiki to share this suggestion, since many here seem to have the same problem and the fix is relatively simple.
Oct 17, 2017, 7:12 am
#419
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 156
Thats my uninformed thought, i dont see enough differentiation between the surpass and ascend for them to keep both. Surpass is probably due for a refresh anyways, the addition of no FTF might be enough for me to keep it
Oct 17, 2017, 8:00 am
#420
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,399
Now that they don't have the competition of Citi offering automatic gold status I wonder if they will start requiring $20K eventually in annual spend for gold status like they did prior to the Citi Reserve card. Seeing all the complaints from Gold's about things like dimished breakfast benefits on this forum I think it would make sense. It would cut down on the number of golds and allow properties to give better benefits but gold would still be easily achievable through credit card spend.
The only thing that I hate about the ascend over the Citi Reserve is that a lot of merchants don't accept Am Ex that accept Visa. I've also noticed that even on cards with no FTF the exchange rate citi gives is a little better than Am Ex (I was curious if all the banks charged the same rate and tried Uber rides on the same day in the same city with my CSR, my citi Hilton reserve and my delta Am Ex and all three had different rates).