I'm trying to decide my best move here. I have several months until I am under 5/24 but I have determined I can still app for one more personal card. I have my eye on the hilton aspire card from amex. I have several years of history with amex. I had five revolvers with them but I just closed my delta gold business card because it didn't have value after the first year, so I have an open slot for one more amex revolver.
Now the tricky part. I currently hold the hilton surpass card with amex. I got it a year and a half ago. After the first year I downgraded to the no-AF version and within a week or two I was given an upgrade offer by amex with a bonus which I decided to take. That was several months ago. I could upgrade this card to the aspire card, but I want to get the signup bonus for the new card. Can you have both the surpass and aspire at the same time? As it currently stands I probably would keep the aspire card beyond the first year because of the perks and features and I would like to have those for travel next year. If I can have both cards at once what I probably would do is get rid of the surpass at the end of the second year and just keep the aspire and then if I get tired of the aspire I could just downgrade. Should I just go for the aspire card now? Is it better to close my other hilton card first (I prefer to keep it open if possible)? Is there a reason I should get the card now vs in Jan? For example, are some of the airline credits based upon calendar year vs membership yearly term? I won't have hilton stays during the rest of this year but should have several in the early spring next year.
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I was fortunate enough to go from the no-AF version, get the full upgrade bonus in 2017 to the $95 version, then about two months ago got another full upgrade offer (150k) to go to Aspire.
If you can wait a bit, it may be that you get an Aspire upgrade offer after a year passes from your last upgrade offer.
If specific use for Hilton gets closer, and no upgrade offer, then making a separate app for the Aspire is necessary ( and beneficial ).
Alternatively, apping now for Aspire, and downgrading the existing card to no-AF gives some more categories to earn in.
@NRB525 wrote:
When exactly was the Ascend upgrade?
I was fortunate enough to go from the no-AF version, get the full upgrade bonus in 2017 to the $95 version, then about two months ago got another full upgrade offer (150k) to go to Aspire.
If you can wait a bit, it may be that you get an Aspire upgrade offer after a year passes from your last upgrade offer.
If specific use for Hilton gets closer, and no upgrade offer, then making a separate app for the Aspire is necessary ( and beneficial ).
Alternatively, apping now for Aspire, and downgrading the existing card to no-AF gives some more categories to earn in.
I got the upgrade offer like 3 or 4 months ago so waiting another year would not be viable. I would want the perks for this coming year. I think with the airline credit its based on calendar year so it would make sense to get the card in 2018 to get the airline credit it and then get it again next year as well correct?
@NRB525 wrote:
Airline credit is calendar year, yes.
yea so i'm thinking it makes sense to pull the trigger now to get that credit in 2018.
@charp150 wrote:I have the Aspire and am contemplating downgrading at anniversary. The conferred Diamond status has been a bit lackluster IMO. The only real benefit I've found is the 'Diamond Desk' that provides an elevated customer service interface. Sometimes on work trips I have to make last minute changes and they are extremely helpful (and in every instance they waive the cancellation fee).
I buy Delta GC's with the airline credit (I don't ever have airline incidentals). Will use the free night next month. I suppose those two benefits alone cover the AF. I've gotten a few upgrades but never at check in. The trick I've found is to start a chat immediately prior to check in and ask for an upgrade. If you're really into Hilton, go for it. During my last two stays, the WiFi was down and I had to spend the afternoon at a Stackbucks working on a PPT. Also, it looks like the Windows Marquee screen saver.
Hmm. I already have hilton gold with another hilton card. I could app for the hilton business card so I dont take the 5/24 hit and get 125k points. The airline credit is pretty nice though and in the first year the airline credit alone would more than offset the AF. My redemptions would be international so I think upgrade chances would be better than I would get at domestic hiltons. Then again I don't have a whole lot of luck being upgraded at hiltons with gold status at all, but the biggest thing for me is usually getting lounge access. The award night itself can totally offset the AF if using it at specific properties. For example, I tend to visit Tokyo every year where hotel rooms are insanely priced and have gotten strong redemptions there. I think for the first year I could really get a ton of value out of the card and can break even or come out a bit ahead in subsequent years. Between the SUB and the free award night I could get at least two nights in a high end hilton. The resort credit seems way more limited than I would like in terms of the properties I could use it at which is disappointing.