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I've capitalized on getting the welcome bonuses on the Hilton Honors, Hilton Surpass & Hilton Honors BIZ in the past year or so. Loveeee the Hilton ecosystem- I've been able to book a 5 Night Stay in Mexico for my honeymoon and still have 500K Hilton Points leftover. Great video Mark!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Well done on making that honeymoon trip happen w/ leftover points! 🌴

@MattWelterOfficial

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese Thank you!

@jimmyjames6492

Жыл бұрын

🏆🏆🏆

Hilton Honors points go very far when used abroad (pun intended). I’m Team Hilton over Team Hyatt.

@jimmyjames6492

Жыл бұрын

💯

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

They sure can! 🌍

you are the undisputed GOAT of all CC reviewers! thanks again Mark

@MarkReese

7 ай бұрын

You're welcome! 🏆

Running a AMEX Hilton setup is very underrated IMO. Like you said - it's super easy to rack up Hilton points. PLUS - the FNCs are amazing. Thanks for the info + video!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. Most valuable FNCs in the industry right now 💯

Hey Mark great video. Really comprehensive and as a pretty experienced points/miles guy I still learned some new things about Hilton. You can definitely rack up points fast as you outlined. However, the main strategy you showed to upgrade and downgrade cards has not been as possible in recent years. From what I have seen reported online and in travel groups is they are not frequently, if at all, giving those sweet upgrade offers anymore. Both me and my P2 have had multiple personal hilton cards for years and have never received one, and I reach out to amex about every 3 months to ask. In the long game this may be possible, but the ideal scenario to upgrade then downgrade every card yearly is not an option anymore. Regardless, the Hilton program is nice, especially the Aspire and if you can spend $15k on a surpass. Keep up the good content. You advertised the Ritz card last fall and I switched to it and am so happy. Got me into the BOS Sapphire lounge this morning and haven’t had to “pay” for paid flight wifi all year.

@royce1510

Жыл бұрын

There must be something going on that’s causing you to not be targeted. Maybe not staying at Hilton properties enough or not spending on your Hilton cards? I’ve gotten several offers over the last 2 years and I’ve taken a couple of them. Definitely still a viable strategy if you’re targeted

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

I cannot comment on the frequency of receiving Hilton upgrade offers as I don't have any of the personal cards myself at the moment. They've always been targeted and are never guaranteed. Glad you enjoyed the Sapphire Lounge @ BOS via the Ritz Card 💯

Mark these videos are invaluable

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Glad you think so!

I’m at 780k points currently, I paid for a trip to Europe in cash, and due to all the promotions and multipliers from having the aspire 100% increase, 100% increase promotion, then the 14x multiplier. I got 130k, the rest are a mix of bonuses and transfer points. Quick tip, Amex points transfer 2:1 so when I buy food with my Amex gold, I’m actually getting 8 points, and if you use rakuten you can get 12x points per dollar turned into 24 hilton points. Hilton has given me so many premium experiences and room upgrades, plus the free breakfast truly saves you money. Those are my Hilton tips!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Awesome that you’re getting strong value from the Hilton Honors program! 💯🏆

The cent per point value can be really good if you choose the right hotel and/or factor in free night certs.

@MarkReese

5 ай бұрын

Absolutely 💯

I plan to follow your exact same strategy when it comes to double dipping on offers on each of the personal Hilton cards. That business card offer is intriguing to me right now too... I may have to jump on it, we'll see! Great video all around as always Mark. I'm excited to dive more into the Hilton ecosystem as time goes on!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Hilton points are waitin' for ya!

@412foto

Жыл бұрын

sadly my pop up jail extends to the Hilton personal cards too grrrr

Whoa that’s deep great video a lot of ways to get points thanks for sharing I am going to try some of your techniques keep that great content coming

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Your turn! 👊

Hilton is my go to program for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. Points may be worth 3X less than everyone’s favorite Hyatt, but if I can earn them 3X as fast, then it’s equal value in my eyes. Surpass has been and will continue to be a daily driver in my wallet, especially for that FNC

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Glad you've found solid value in the Hilton system!

@jimmyjames6492

Жыл бұрын

💯 It's become our 🥇hotel program as well. Can't beat the value of the FNCs.

@hockey1freak

22 күн бұрын

And most importantly you can actually find Hilton hotels around the world. Heck it sometimes is even hard to find Hyatts in the US when you aren't in a city

Epic video! Hilton Honors points + Gold status are pretty good in the USA, but redeeming them in Asia is the real travel hack.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Yeah elite treatment abroad tends to be much better than in the U.S. 💯

man i must be psychic asking you about the Hilton card conundrum yesterday. great video!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Haha 🔮

Hilton definitely makes it really easy to earn or buy points at a great rate!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

They sure do 👊

A very thorough video on Hilton. I did the math and a person could have earned 9549 more points by using the Aspire card rather than the Surpass on that trip to Florida.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

With an annual fee that is currently $355 higher 😁 (Though that only matters to people who wouldn't be able to use the additional benefits / credits)

@TheyMostlyComeAtNight

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese You mentioned having had two Aspires in the past. I was kind of surprised you still didn't have one to use on your Florida trip.

@13:31 All you need to do is take the total points x .5% much faster and easier.

@MarkReese

6 ай бұрын

Yep 💯👍

Would love to see a video like this for earning Marriott points!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion!

Do you get hotel discount or multipliers with the blue cash cards under amex offers?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Yes, the Blue Cash branded cards may offer hotel discounts in the form of Amex Offers.

Great video! Your stacking example makes the Hilton strategy look even more appealing. I don't have any of their cards yet. How often do you see promotions like those?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Hilton typically runs promotions multiple times per year...every single year 💯

@DougYuen

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese Awesome, thanks! There are a couple more cards on my list before I get to Hilton, but I plan to start on them next year.

Can you stack the night certificates or do they expire or is there a restriction on using more than one per stay

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

1. Each one expires 1 year after it's issued. 2. You can use multiple certificates for the same stay. Just call to have an agent redeem them.

So when you go this route, And say you're alredy a diamond member with the Aspire card. I then apply for the Surpass card, What happens to your status online? Does it still show Diamond? or does it show Gold and also Diamond? also do the points transfer over to the Hilton rewards app automatically? Thanks for these great detailed Vids!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

1. It still shows Diamond. 2. As long as you applied for both Hilton cards with the same Hilton Honors loyalty # on the application, then yes, the points will automatically be sent to the same Hilton account.

@OKZK_Bros

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese awesome thanks, Mark.

Someone said you get more value converting all the Hilton cards to the Aspire eventually for those free night certificates. Haven't tried it myself.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Depends on the person & what kinds of redemptions they intend to do. I definitely would not recommend that for everyone.

This is such an informative video! I’m getting ready to start the Hilton card journey with the really excellent SUBs right now. Considering that these SUBs do have the language about the Lifetime clause and the potential for upgrades that you outline, what do you recommend getting first: the no fee card or the surpass? I anticipate I will end up with both moving back and forth between the two for upgrade/downgrade options. Seriously….really helpful video!!! Thank you!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful! Doesn't matter which one you get initially. Go with the one that gives you the benefits / rewards you value most first.

Hi. I received upgrade offer for no fee card to the surpass card. (I’ve already had the surpass card) the offer just says upgrade offer but I don’t see any points. I assume they’re just asking to upgrade but I wouldn’t get the points.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Sounds like it. If no points are mentioned, then they're simply inviting you to upgrade. I've seen the same thing with other cards, too.

I live close to a Hilton with a very good restaurant. How would the Hilton restaurant bil as a Hilton hotel or dining?

@MarkReese

5 ай бұрын

There isn't a way to know in advance. It depends on how the establishment is set up on the network. You'll have to try it. That's why during actual stays, I always charge onsite dining charges to the room to make sure it gets categorized as a hotel charge & therefore earn at the highest multiplier.

For the Lyft section, are those 3 points earned on top of the 3x I earn by paying with my Hilton Aspire card? So making it a total of 6x?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Yes 👍

This doesn’t help you increase Hilton points per se, but 18:41 related is using status match to get Hilton Gold match with an upgrade at National with their Emerald loyalty program. FYI.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Status matches can be another great method!

Do points earned from using Hilton Honors linked reward partners on Lyft count towards earning lifetime status (not using a Hilton credit card)? You also mention transferring points to Hilton Honors, do those points count towards earning lifetime status?

@MarkReese

6 ай бұрын

Per my understanding, the answer is "no" to both. Lifetime status requires earning _base points,_ which are earned from paid stays at Hilton properties.

There is an offer going on now to purchase Hilton Honors points; up to 160k for $1,600 and then the bonus doubled it. I assume if I put that on the Amex I’ll get another 3x on the money spent so, 324,800 for $1,600? Or .0049 cents per point?

@MarkReese

9 ай бұрын

If you're purchasing via a Hilton credit card, then yes, the transaction should earn the base rate of 3X.

If I already hold an Aspire that I've applied for directly, can I apply for another Aspire card? Or are only product changes allowed. I'm getting conflicting information about this. For example you can apply for and get multiple platinum and gold cards. I'm not quite sure if this works the same for credit cards.

@jaxpon2010

Жыл бұрын

Yes you can apply for another Aspire or upgrade other Hilton card.

@wanderingdoc5075

Жыл бұрын

@@jaxpon2010 thank you! Do you personally know someone who has applied for an American Express CREDIT card for a second time while holding the first?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Per my understanding, yes, you can apply for a 2nd HH Aspire Card, but with no welcome offer.

@kevinManhattan

Жыл бұрын

You can apply for multiple credit cards all you want. You just won't get no 2nd welcome bonus.

Can you do a review of the new TD Bank credit cards?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Perhaps at some point, but not on the priority list right now.

Good video Mark…..I just pass the million points recently 🎉(1,016,305) 💪🏼

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Time to celebrate, congrats Gabriel! 💯

@jaxpon2010

Жыл бұрын

3 weeks ago I was at Hilton Tokyo Odiaba,Wow incredible experience. By the way you are the best explain every little details about points on credit card. I admire your effort 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

@@jaxpon2010 - Awesome to hear! Glad to hear you appreciate the format of the videos! 🎬

Amazing breakdown as always Mark! I recently opened up the no annual fee card. But I didn’t know about NLL part. How can I find the fine print in my Amex account?? Hoping it’s not bad news for me!

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

You cannot view the offer terms after you've applied. Did you have the no-fee HH card before?

@reinaldimarquez3037

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese thanks for responding! And yes, it is my first HH no annual fee card I have applied

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

@@reinaldimarquez3037 - Ok, there's a chance you will not get the bonus again. You could ask Amex directly if there's any welcome offer on your account.

So a person can have 2 of the same credit card for a certain time period?

@MarkReese

5 ай бұрын

Sure, and no time limit. I've had 2 of the same card with multiple issuers.

I just received a target offer of 80k points and a free night certificate for the Hilton Amex 0 AF. My question is this a good place to start an Amex relationship? I currently do not have any Amex cards. I currently have 23k points from Hilton stays this year.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Nice offer. Yes, it's a fine place to start given that there's good potential value and a $0 annual fee. However, make sure you have a use for the rewards, esp. the certificate as it only lasts for 1 year.

Do multipliers with credit card still count if you stay at Hilton Grand vacation properties?

@MarkReese

7 ай бұрын

Not sure, I haven't tried it and don't see anything mentioned in the terms.

@planaheadstayahead

7 ай бұрын

@@MarkReese also do you know how to determine what properties are considered a "resort" for the resort credit?

@MarkReese

7 ай бұрын

@@planaheadstayahead - Yep. You can see them at this link: www.hilton.com/en/resorts/ ^ Click the button that says 'Explore More Resorts' to search them all. There seems to be 307 locations right now.

@planaheadstayahead

7 ай бұрын

@@MarkReese when I clicked that it only loads 20

@MarkReese

7 ай бұрын

@@planaheadstayahead - Strange, I see what you mean. I wonder if Hilton re-categorized a bunch of properties, or if something is off with their site. Not sure.

I’m very intrigued by this method. I got the Surpass with the 130K and free night offer. Next play would be getting the base Honors card but sign up offer is 80K with no free night. Have a large spend coming up so I may want to split that spend on those two cards though… I have to wait at least 5 days to apply for base Honors. I also want to refer my wife to get the surpass and base as well as we stay at Hilton properties. Thoughts?

@MarkReese

11 ай бұрын

Sounds good to me! Congrats on the HH Surpass approval 💯

You forgot one thing sir. Hilton Timeshares (just don't get peer pressured into buying lolzs)

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Another solid option!

FIRST!!!!…don’t tell me otherwise 😅. I’m here to learn as I’m on the fence with a Hilton card right now.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

😬👉5️⃣

@ItsMeCJ

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese no! I demand a redo 🤣🤣

Is it true that Hilton closed down almost all the executive lounges in the US? No lounges in Florida, California, Vegas, Chicago, Pennsylvania, etc... ???????

@MarkReese

3 ай бұрын

I haven't seen any publications about that, so I can't confirm. Many executive lounges closed across a number of hotel chains during the pandemic for ~ 2 years, and reopening may be slow / delayed. Staffing seems to be a problem at a lot of places I go, not just hotels.

Transferring MR points to Hilton is more beneficial? Correct?

@MarkReese

4 ай бұрын

If the goal is to earn Hilton points, then sure. Amex MR points transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio (e.g. 10,000 MR points = 20,000 HH points). That also means the Amex Gold's 4X multipliers function like 8X for Hilton. However, transferring MR points to the Hilton program will likely mean a ton of lost potential value compared to flights. I generally wouldn't recommend transferring to Hilton.

@adamskove

4 ай бұрын

Awesome! Thanks for the quick response. I’m just seeing if it’s better to transfer some MR points to my Hilton account to “pay” for 2 nights stay over in Tampa. You’re awesome!

Just upgraded my surpass to a second aspire and asked for a upgrade bonus and was told no😢

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Bummer, but I haven't heard of upgrade offers being given via a direct request. They normally arrive via email, direct mail, or inside your Amex account on a targeted basis.

Do the points expire if you don't use them

@MarkReese

5 ай бұрын

Hilton points expire every 24 months with no account activity. To avoid this, you need to earn or redeem points. Each time you do either of those activities, the clock resets.

And if you have a player 2, you’d be ballin’

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

💯💯

How many amex cards can you actually have

@MarkReese

12 күн бұрын

Here's another video that explains it: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ppiHt9FqmJDLp7w.htmlsi=fzT5VNfy-zYIvEQV

@munchymunch8698

10 күн бұрын

Hi Mark, its me again, which hilton honors card will you recommend 1st Start with the basic then upgrade to the surpass. Or start with surpass then downgrade to the AF card after. Just don’t want them taking the promotion away from downsizing in the near future

@MarkReese

10 күн бұрын

@@munchymunch8698 - Order doesn't matter with the Hilton cards as I write this. If you're concerned about new rules that could be announced at any time, then go in order from smallest AF to largest AF.

I have zero Amex cards or Hilton cards, this is the very reason why,... confusing and too many cards involved. Got targeted for Plat 150k and gold 90k and green 60k but rejected all. Can someone convince me I should start the Amex ecosystem mostly for intl asia trips?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

I'm not here to convince you; I just share information. Are you fully aware of the potential value Amex's transfer partners w/ international airlines can offer?

@theinternationalist1357

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese Only thing that I know is Amex is a partner with ANA but at the same time it is very difficult to find ANA award seats.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

@@theinternationalist1357 - Scroll down to the ANA section on this blog post for some tips to find award availability: upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/searching-flight-award-space/

@theinternationalist1357

Жыл бұрын

@@MarkReese Ok thanks Mark. When I'm ready to start with Amex ecosystem, I will definitely use your links to apply.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

@@theinternationalist1357 - Also per an article today from TPG about ANA, _"Availability can be scarce - you will have the best luck booking 12 months in advance (as soon as the seats are loaded) or last minute (less than 14 days before departure when unsold seats are often loaded for awards). Your best bet for finding availability is to search for it using the United MileagePlus website and call Virgin's Flying Club to book."_ Source: thepointsguy.com/guide/airline-award-chart-sweet-spots/

I have 4 million marriott points. No idea how to finish them

@MarkReese

11 ай бұрын

Impressive! 🏆

lol that’s almost a life time ticket to Hilton

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Not at the properties I like to stay at 😁

👍🏻

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

👍👍

So pay a yearly fee?? That’s not smart.

@MarkReese

11 ай бұрын

Here's a link to another video you may find helpful: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pHyKlMpweLveis4.html

Been in Amex pop up jail for all the Hilton cards for over a year now 💔

@angelosalazar6426

Жыл бұрын

Just Hilton ?

@WealthOfOpportunity

Жыл бұрын

Try calling into a rep to see if there are offers on Hilton cards you can take advantage of. Allowed me to bypass pop up jail on two cards this year by calling

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Wow that's wild 👀

Mark, I just don't understand how you feel that Hilton Pts are worth it. Dining 6x at .6 CPP is 3.6 CPP and can only be used for Hilton. CSP is 3x at 2.0 CPP = 6.0 CPP and can be transferred to hotels or flights. Even if you only wanted to stay at hotels then the CSP is 3x for Dining transferred to Hyatt at 1.7 CPP = 5.1 CPP. Amex Gold is even higher at 4x Dining and Groceries for Amex MR Pts valued at 2.0 CPP = 8.0 CPP. I have the Hilton Honors Business as it was my 2nd rewards card. I did not have a clue on what I was doing and I thought it was better than my Marriott Bonvoy Business card because my company spends about $10,000 / month on shipping and with Marriot I got 4x and with Hilton I got 6x. The first trip I took and used my Hilton Pts, I saw them dwindle in 1 trip costing around 350,000 pts for 5 nights. The only good thing was that I received 1 night free for booking 5 nights. There is not a single category on this card that is the best or even close to the best in that category. The multipliers trap people into believing they are getting good deals until they go to use them. PS. I have Amex (Marriott, Hilton, Gold, Plat) Chase (Ink Cash, Ink Preferred, CSP, Hyatt, SW Preferred, SW Priority) Cap1 Venture X, Barclay. I love watching your videos but I cringe when you make the Hilton out to be a great card. To each their own, but all of those watching this video need to do some major research and get on Hilton's website, search for hotels by points and see if it is worth it for you.

@MH_6160

Жыл бұрын

I agree with your statement, the spend "alone" is not worth it… but combined with referrals and sign up bonuses the value is there.. once the points are spent it isn't. I actually am at that point… I am down to my last 180k points and after that I would barely hit any sort of value with Hilton points via spend so Im going to a Hyatt set up. Hilton has value if you aren't into aspirational travel… and/or you spend enough to get FNCs which I did, but again once it's gone its gone it isn't worth it anymore.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Billy - Your points above are excellent. However, we're looking through 2 totally different lenses. 1. Everything mentioned above deals with using Hilton _credit cards_ for spending, yet this video is about _earning Hilton points in general._ 2. Hilton credit card spending made up 1 of 15 methods (i.e. less than 7% of the video). 3. The video is about how to earn 1M points quickly, not about which credit card to use for your everyday purchases. 4. That said, some people have strong brand preferences (I'm one of them). If I want to stay at the Zemi Beach House in Anguilla (a Hilton LXR property), then I'm gonna have a helluva hard time using Hyatt points for that stay 😄 5. Hyatt has an incredibly limited footprint. Just because they've got a good loyalty program doesn't mean they have properties located where I want/need them to be.

@royce1510

Жыл бұрын

Speaking of traps, you've fallen for the CPP trap. It doesn't matter what a program's points are worth on paper. What matters is your plan on how to use them and the value you derive from that plan. Hyatt points, for example, could be worth 10CPP according to travel blogs, but if they don't have locations in places that someone wants to travel, they're effectively worthless. Good luck trying to use Hyatt points at your favorite national parks. In the same vein, one could say MR are worth 20CPP because you can use them for $20K+ first class tickets on ANA to Japan, but if you don't care about that redemption then it's not a fair valuation. You also need to size up the perks between programs to determine a best fit. The lack of a 4th or 5th night free perk or having a point / category cap on free night certificates may make Hyatt a pass for someone over Hilton, since that benefit can save tens or hundreds of thousands of points when used correctly. Overall, focusing on CPP can cause you to miss the bigger picture. Just my two cents

@JM-kv2kn

Жыл бұрын

There are plenty of sweet spots where redemptions are .1CPP. And given how good those resorts are I have no idea why not save them for those trips.

@billyredmon103

Жыл бұрын

@@JM-kv2kn Show me. You literally have to search for spots with higher than .7 CPP. Most people look for hotels in the city they are visiting, not the other way around.

You are paying a helluva lot of annual fees, bro.

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Across all my cards, yes, though the ones shown in this video have all been canceled except for the 1 business Hilton card ($95 annual fee).

Hilton cards just got ruined 🤦🏽‍♂️

@MarkReese

8 ай бұрын

No-Fee version = no change Surpass = worse for many Aspire = better & worse Business = no change

@anandr1385

8 ай бұрын

@@MarkReese I’m quite surprised they took out priority pass for the surpass and aspire. The quarterly/semiannually credits will be hard for some to cash in on too. But yeah for avid Hilton guests it shouldn’t be a big deal.

@MarkReese

8 ай бұрын

@@anandr1385 - I was surprised by the drop of Priority Pass, too.

I never get that many because I use them every year 😂

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

A good reason! ✈

I’ve decided to remain out of the game until further notice.

@TheyMostlyComeAtNight

Жыл бұрын

Most suffering comes from the failure to adapt and a resistance to change.

@911eVoX

Жыл бұрын

You got denied didn't you?

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Awaiting further notice...😬

@berryzedzero

Жыл бұрын

@@911eVoX back when I was in the game, I was approved for every card I applied for.

Me encanta el programa Hilton! He tenido las 4 tarjetas Hilton y he recibido varias ofertas para upgrade y he logrado muchos puntos y noches gratis! Excelente vide! 🫡👍

@MarkReese

Жыл бұрын

Yo también! Ser socio del programa ofrece muchos beneficios (entre ellos...noches gratis!) 💯