New benefits and an increased annual fee 2023 with two Hilton Honors American Express Cards were announced earlier today, Thursday, October 19, 2023 — as well as new special welcome bonus offers for new Hilton Honors American Express Card Members are now available with potentially lucrative incentives for travel and other opportunities to spend; and a refresh of the design of three of the cards.
New Benefits and Increased Annual Fee 2023 With Two Hilton Honors American Express Cards
The following new benefits and increased annual fees are effective immediately today, Thursday, October 19, 2023:
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Annual fee increases by $55.00 from $95.00 to $150.00
- 4X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on U.S. online retail purchases
- Up to $200.00 back in statement credits annually for eligible Hilton purchases that are booked with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card directly at participating Hilton properties — up to $50 in statement credits each quarter
- Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status
- Complimentary access to airport lounges with Priority Pass Select will no longer be available effective as of Thursday, February 1, 2024, as this benefit has been dropped.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Annual fee increases by $100.00 from $450.00 to $550.00
- Up to $400.00 in statement credits annually for eligible purchases made with your Hilton Honors Aspire Card directly at participating Hilton Resorts — up to $200.00 in statement credits semi-annually
- Up to $200.00 in statement credits annually on eligible flight purchases — up to $50.00 in statement credits each quarter — on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card, which includes airfare booked directly with an airline or through amextravel.com
- $189.00 in statement credits per calendar year after you sign up and pay for a CLEAR Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Hilton Honors Aspire Card
- One Free Night Reward after you spend $30,000.00 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year
- Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive elite status.
- Cell phone protection: You can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800.00 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month’s wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50.00 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of two approved claims per 12-month period.
- Complimentary access to airport lounges with Priority Pass Select – Unlimited will no longer be available effective as of Thursday, February 1, 2024, as this benefit has been dropped.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Special Offers For New Hilton Honors American Express Card Members
Eligible new Hilton Honors American Express Card Members who apply and are approved from today, Thursday, October 19, 2023 can take advantage of the following offers, which expire on Wednesday, January 17, 2024:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus Silver Elite Status
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000.00 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card during the first six months of card membership.
- Earn Silver elite status.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card: Earn 170,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus Gold Elite Status
- Earn 170,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000.00 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors Surpass Card during the first six months of card membership.
- Earn Gold elite status.
- Terms and conditions apply.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 180,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus One Free Night Award
- Earn 180,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $6,000.00 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors Aspire Card during the first six months of card membership.
- Earn Diamond elite status.
- Terms and conditions apply.
Priority Pass Lounge Access No Longer a Benefit
Complimentary membership to the Priority Pass Select program will no longer be offered with either the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card effective as of Thursday, February 1, 2024.
You may still enroll in the benefit by calling the American Express customer service number on the back of your card through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. If you enrolled in the Priority Pass Select program on or before Tuesday, January 31, 2023, your Priority Pass membership will continue through Wednesday, January 31, 2024 and will be cancelled as of Thursday, February 1, 2024. If you enrolled in the Priority Pass Select program between Wednesday, February 1, 2023 and Wednesday, January 31, 2024, your membership will continue through Thursday, October 31, 2024 and will be cancelled as of Friday, November 1, 2024.
Any unused lounge visits with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card will be forfeited at the time of cancellation.
Final Boarding Call
For the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card, the credit for eligible flight purchases decreased by $50.00 per year — but then again, it can be applied quarterly instead of annually; and it can now be used for airfare and not solely for incidentals. The credit for statement credits annually for eligible purchases at participating Hilton Resorts increased by $150.00 per year. The difference of $100.00 potentially justifies the annual fee increase of $100.00. The One Free Night Reward is now after $30,000.00 in purchases on the card in a calendar year instead of $60,000.00. The complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive elite status tops off the justification of paying $100.00 more with the annual fee, in my opinion — and that includes the following existing benefits:
- 14X Points on eligible Hilton purchases
- 7X Points on purchases of eligible flights, eligible car rentals, and purchases at restaurants in the United States
- 3X Points on all other eligible purchases
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond elite status
- An Annual Free Night Reward each membership year
- An additional Free Night Reward after spending $30,000.00 in eligible purchases on the Card within a calendar year
- A third Free Night Reward after spending an additional $30,000.00 on eligible purchases — for a total $60,000.00 — on your card within the same calendar year
- Up to $100.00 statement credit towards qualifying charges at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts during stays of a minimum of two nights
However, complimentary access to Priority Pass lounges is no longer a benefit, which significantly devalues the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card, in my opinion.
As a disclaimer — other than what I typically earn from views of articles at The Gate With Brian Cohen and through affiliate links — I have received absolutely no compensation for anyone who signs up as a new cardmember for any of the Hilton Honors American Express cards.
Photograph ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
