Last month, American Express announced some major changes to a pair of its cobranded cards with Hilton Honors. Both the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card got a major overhaul — including some new perks and a handful of modified benefits.
They also now have higher annual fees for new cardmembers: $150 for the Surpass (see rates and fees) and $550 for the Aspire (see rates and fees). However, if you opened your card prior to Oct. 19, you won’t see the annual fee increase until your next renewal on or after Feb. 1, 2024.
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
In short, there’s a lot to unpack — but if you’re trying to decide whether one of these cards is worth getting (or still earns a spot in your wallet as an existing cardmember), you’re in luck.
Join us Thursday at noon Eastern time as we break down these changes on a live webinar. I’ll be joined by two colleagues, Clint Henderson and Katie Genter, and while all of us have at least one of these cards, we have some mixed feelings about the overhaul.
We’ll dig into the new benefits that have been added, analyze the updated value of those that are being modified or removed, and discuss whether the cards are still worth it. We’ll also review the current, elevated offers on the cards and share our favorite ways to make the most of the Hilton Honors program. The session will also include a live Q&A to answer your pressing questions on the cards and the overhaul.
Even if you can’t make the live session, be sure to register anyway — you’ll then automatically receive a link to the recording within 24 hours of the webinar.
Overview of Hilton card changes
Ahead of the conversation, here’s a quick summary of the changes to the two cards.
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Hilton Surpass changes
Here are the new benefits on the Hilton Surpass card:
- Hilton statement credit: Each quarter, you’ll receive a $50 statement credit for eligible purchases charged directly with any property in the Hilton Honors portfolio — including room charges, taxes and fees, and other on-property expenses.
- Bonus for online shopping: You’ll now receive 4 points per dollar spent when shopping online with U.S. retailers — an increase of 1 point per dollar over the previous rate.
- Car rental status: Cardmembers now enjoy complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
And here are the benefits being updated or removed:
- No more Priority Pass: You’ll no longer receive 10 Priority Pass visits per year with the card.
- Higher annual fee: This is now $150 for those who applied on or after Oct. 19, but if you applied before that date, you won’t see the increase until your next renewal on or after Feb. 1, 2024.
All other perks on the card — including complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and the ability to earn a free night certificate after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year — remain in place.
Hilton Aspire changes
Here are the new benefits on the Hilton Aspire card:
- Flight credit: Each quarter, you’ll receive a $50 statement credit for eligible flight purchases made directly with an airline or through American Express Travel.
- Clear Plus credit: You’ll now receive up to $189 in statement credits per year when you sign up for a Clear Plus membership and pay with the Hilton Aspire card.
- Car rental status: Cardmembers now enjoy complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
- Cellphone protection*: You’ll now be reimbursed for damage or theft of a device for a maximum of $800 per claim when the wireless bill for the specific cellphone line is paid using the Hilton Aspire card (two claims per 12-month period; subject to a $50 deductible per claim).
- Additional free night with spending: You can now earn an additional free night certificate when you spend $30,000 on the card in a calendar year.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
And here are the benefits being updated or removed:
- No more Priority Pass: You’ll no longer enjoy complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with the card.
- Modified Hilton resort credit: You’ll receive up to $400 in statement credits for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts, distributed biannually (up to $200 from January to June and up to $200 from July to December). This replaces the existing $250 Hilton resort credit, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
- No more airline fee credit: You’ll no longer receive up to $250 in statement credits for incidental airline purchases charged to your card on one airline you select (note that this has been replaced with the flight credit detailed above).
- Higher annual fee: This is now $550 for those who applied on or after Oct. 19, but if you applied before that date, you won’t see the increase until your next renewal on or after Feb. 1, 2024.
The other perks on the Aspire card — including complimentary Hilton Diamond status and the free night certificate each year at account renewal — remain in effect.
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
The Hilton Surpass and Hilton Aspire cards got a makeover last month, with a bunch of new and updated benefits along with increases to the cards’ annual fees.
Don’t miss out on your chance to learn more about these changes from TPG’s expert editorial team. Register now to secure your spot at Thursday’s webinar.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire please click here.
