Pretty solid. Can consider the Hilton Biz too, but either way, this only works if you really really like Hilton.
[2/2019]
@notmyrealname23 wrote:What I like about the AMEX-Hilton tie-up is that it give you a no annual fee 2.5% grocery/gas card (Hilton AMEX), 1.5% for everything else, with a very solid SUB (not many no-AF cards give you something you can redeem for multiple hundreds of dollars), and it actually gives you a useful status (Hilton Silver lets you book 5 night awards for the cost of 4 nights).
My problem with your duo is that Hilton regularly devalues the program (so that .5 cpp won't stay that way forever) and all you're earning is Hilton points. Aspirational properties these days (like Conrads or Waldorf Astorias) are easily 80,000 to 120,000 points a night, so aside from the weekend night credits (which are nice, don't get me wrong), $15,000 of grocery spending is getting you a single night at those aspirational properties (90k)- if it's available. If you were using an AMEX Gold for that grocery spend that would give you 60k AMEX, which normally would transfer as 120k Hilton (under last month's bonus it would have been 180k), plus you can transfer to other places other than Hilton. In my opinion giving up so much potential AMEX earnings for Hilton just isn't sensible unless you really really REALLY like Hilton (I think they're fine, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten the no-AF card, I just want the bigger diversity AMEX MR gives you).I've actually thought about a Surpass/Gold/Green "alternate AMEX Trifecta" as what I might settle on as my long term cards, as my lounge usage in the US is low enough that 10 visits on Priority Pass (Surpass) + $100 Lounge Buddy (AMEX Green) is fine for that, and Hilton Gold (Surpass) is fine for when I want to stay with Hilton (and you're earning very well), but I'm still earning a lot (3x AMEX Green) when not staying with them, and the spend bonuses are pretty broad: 4x MR groceries and dining, 3x MR flights, 3x MR general travel, 6x Hilton gas, 3x Hilton/1x AMEX everything else. I would lose Marriott status and some things from AMEX Platinum I don't actually care about (like Saks and ability to be a heavy airport lounge user)... and pay less than Platinum.
The Aspire also works in that alternate trifecta if I keep the no-AF card (and make it a quadfecta), but I have to really commit to Hilton and be willing to drop almost $1k in annual fees (and use the things I'm buying for the annual fees). I've penciled it out and it could make sense if we're all not cooped up in COVID-19 quarantine...
This is definitely the more reasonable and budget-friendly line-up as it doesn't overlap as much. Far more flexible also, as it's rarely safe to put all one's eggs into the same basket.
I have the Aspire and the no fee Hilton. I have contemplated upgrading the no fee to the Surpass, but I'm not going to see a huge benefit in 2x points more for groceries/gas (especially since I can get 8x points on groceries through my Gold card by converting MR to HH).
I'm also not likely to invest $15k on a Hilton card without including actual Hilton spend (Which I put on the Aspire). The bulk of my other spending gets better earnings on other cards.
I don't see quite that return on my HH points either (I'm maxing at around 4cents-which is fine with me-but I'm comparing a possible just under 3% cash value for groceries on the Surpass vs say a 5% on Discover, or less than 1.5% for "all other" compared to considerably more on other cards).
But for a major Hilton enthusiast who has $15k to run through a Hilton card, or someone getting much more value from the points, then sure.
@I_Love_Cards wrote:... I'm ... not likely to invest $15k on a Hilton card without including actual Hilton spend ...
... for a major Hilton enthusiast who has $15k to run through a Hilton card, or someone getting much more value from the points, then sure.
+1
I'm not in favor of consolidating so much of my spending in any single non-cash point system whether it's Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy Rewards, American Airlines AAdvantage points, or whatever. Points are risky to devaluation and they also limit redemption options to get the best value. So while I earn some points with my cards, I also diversify and still like pure simple cash-back for some of my spending. After all, how many hotel or airline points can I realistically use at one time?
I agree that it could depend on profile so if someone were to be a really huge and loyal customer of a hotel or airline, it might make sense to build a credit profile around it. For most of us who aren't loyalists, not so much.
