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)
Mar 25, 2018, 3:00 pm
#557
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
Now if you have the Aspire card you could cancel before the annual fee hits in 2019 and keep diamond through 3/31/20 for $450.
Mar 25, 2018, 3:29 pm
#559
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SoCal; DO-RAGS: Old Gold tagged, PIP, LatPass 1/2, AA 4MM, HH LT Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, Omni
Posts: 9,180
Yesterday I received a new Priority Pass Select card "in partnership with your ... Ascend Card" confirming what we already knew.
I was happy to see that the app can be used for access until I dug down to find, "not all lounges can accept the Digital Membership Card".
Can I safely assume that the ten visits per year is based on my Ascend August expiry, and not calendar year?
I was happy to see that the app can be used for access until I dug down to find, "not all lounges can accept the Digital Membership Card".
Can I safely assume that the ten visits per year is based on my Ascend August expiry, and not calendar year?
Mar 25, 2018, 6:29 pm
#560
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
Everyone's status is good through 3/31 the year after you attain it. By having a Surpass card in 2018 you attain gold status which lasts until 3/31/19.
Mar 25, 2018, 10:24 pm
#561
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Hilton Honors Diamond, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Wyndham Diamond, Caesar's Diamond
Posts: 536
Yesterday I received a new Priority Pass Select card "in partnership with your ... Ascend Card" confirming what we already knew.
I was happy to see that the app can be used for access until I dug down to find, "not all lounges can accept the Digital Membership Card".
Can I safely assume that the ten visits per year is based on my Ascend August expiry, and not calendar year?
I was happy to see that the app can be used for access until I dug down to find, "not all lounges can accept the Digital Membership Card".
Can I safely assume that the ten visits per year is based on my Ascend August expiry, and not calendar year?
And yes, I was told by an agent that August is when my free visits will refresh to ten.
Mar 26, 2018, 5:01 am
#562
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 245
A follow-up question for you, BrlDsguise, if I may. Previously, with CitiBank's Reserve Card, if you apply for and receive the card after March, your Gold status would last until the end of March in the year after the next. That is, if I apply next month, I'll remain a Gold until March 31, 2020, even if I cancel in 2019 without paying the annual fee. So, effectively I'll have the status for twenty-three months. Is this true with Ascend now? I ask because Ascend's terms and conditions say that you lose your Gold status as soon as you leave, meaning that if I cancel in February, 2019, I can only enjoy the status for ten months. What do you think? Thanks.
Mar 26, 2018, 10:31 am
#563
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,528
I've only heard of Hilton rescinding status before 3/31 in one instance and that was a matched status case.Normally if you achieve a status in 2018 they would give you all of 2019 to retain it and if you don't they would reset your status 3/31/20 which makes sense because it would be difficult to earn status again in only three months.It has played out the same way with credit cards, it would be highly unlikely for them to drop your status prior to 3/31/19 but I couldn't guarantee that you could cancel the card and keep it until 3/31/20. For reasons I don't understand I cancelled my Surpass which had $40K of spending in 2015 in mid-2016 and retained diamond throughout 2017 even though I hadn't earned it in 2016 by spending 40K or with nights/stays/spending.That said Amex prorates refunds on cards so if you kept it into 2019 you would only be paying part of the annual fee.
Mar 27, 2018, 3:46 pm
#565
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Delta Platinum
Posts: 547
For those that got new cards, how long did it take for the Diamond or Gold status to post?
I had diamond last year (not from Amex) which would expire 3/31.
I upgraded from the Ascend to the Aspire a few months ago, but I just got an email saying my 2018 status would be gold.
Not sure if it's a system error (will never actually be gold) or if it takes a few months from the Aspire -> Hilton Diamond to go through.
Any thoughts?
I had diamond last year (not from Amex) which would expire 3/31.
I upgraded from the Ascend to the Aspire a few months ago, but I just got an email saying my 2018 status would be gold.
Not sure if it's a system error (will never actually be gold) or if it takes a few months from the Aspire -> Hilton Diamond to go through.
Any thoughts?
Mar 28, 2018, 9:09 am
#566
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Michigan
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 855
For those that got new cards, how long did it take for the Diamond or Gold status to post?
I had diamond last year (not from Amex) which would expire 3/31.
I upgraded from the Ascend to the Aspire a few months ago, but I just got an email saying my 2018 status would be gold.
Not sure if it's a system error (will never actually be gold) or if it takes a few months from the Aspire -> Hilton Diamond to go through.
Any thoughts?
I had diamond last year (not from Amex) which would expire 3/31.
I upgraded from the Ascend to the Aspire a few months ago, but I just got an email saying my 2018 status would be gold.
Not sure if it's a system error (will never actually be gold) or if it takes a few months from the Aspire -> Hilton Diamond to go through.
Any thoughts?
One detail to double-check would be to make sure the Honors number on your Amex Aspire account is correct. There have been some reports of Amex issuing new Honors numbers in some cases (though that wouldn't make much sense on an Ascend -> Aspire upgrade.)
Mar 28, 2018, 10:22 am
#567
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Delta Platinum
Posts: 547
When I got my Ascend card the gold status posted within a day or two. If you upgraded to Aspire a few months ago then something is wrong if you don't get Diamond next week. If you don't have any stays next week I would wait and see what the system actually shows what your status is, but if it doesn't post as Diamond then you should definitely contact Hilton.
One detail to double-check would be to make sure the Honors number on your Amex Aspire account is correct. There have been some reports of Amex issuing new Honors numbers in some cases (though that wouldn't make much sense on an Ascend -> Aspire upgrade.)
One detail to double-check would be to make sure the Honors number on your Amex Aspire account is correct. There have been some reports of Amex issuing new Honors numbers in some cases (though that wouldn't make much sense on an Ascend -> Aspire upgrade.)
I'll check next week an see what it says. I'm hopeful that there's 2 emails, a downgrade email and/or an upgrade email, and their system wasn't smart enough to notice I have the Aspire.
My spending credited points to my account so far, so I'm pretty sure it's correctly linked to my Honors account.
Hopeful it's OK, but if not, is that a Hilton or an Amex issue?
Apr 5, 2018, 12:20 am
#569
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: OAK/SFO
Programs: UA, AA peon
Posts: 152
I have held the no-fee Amex Honors card since 2013, got the Surpass in 2016 and canceled it just before the AF hit in 2017 (but kept the no-fee card the whole time).
Today I got an email offer to upgrade to the Ascend with a 75k bonus after $2k spend in 3 months (AF not waived and prorated AF billed after 45 days).
The voluminous fine print doesn't have any of the usual boilerplate about the offer not applying to people who previously had the card, although it does have a pretty broad clause indicating they'll deny or claw back bonuses "If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome bonus offer in any way or that you intend to do so".
Maybe sign up for the no-fee card and wait to see if they solicit you for the Ascend?
Today I got an email offer to upgrade to the Ascend with a 75k bonus after $2k spend in 3 months (AF not waived and prorated AF billed after 45 days).
The voluminous fine print doesn't have any of the usual boilerplate about the offer not applying to people who previously had the card, although it does have a pretty broad clause indicating they'll deny or claw back bonuses "If we in our sole discretion determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with the welcome bonus offer in any way or that you intend to do so".
Maybe sign up for the no-fee card and wait to see if they solicit you for the Ascend?
Last edited by lunettes noires; Apr 5, 2018 at 12:23 am Reason: clarify only surpass was canceled
Apr 5, 2018, 12:28 am
#570
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: OAK/SFO
Programs: UA, AA peon
Posts: 152
priority pass renewal
Can anybody explain how the priority pass renewal works? The T&C say two somewhat contradictory things:
- "Any unused complimentary lounge visits will be forfeited at the end of each calendar year."
- "Priority Pass Select membership automatically renews on the anniversary date of your enrollment in the Priority Pass Select program."