April 2, 2024
Changes to the AMEX Hilton Business Card
Pam
There are some more changes to AMEX cards; honestly, they are not good. They keep changing their American Express Family Language, making annual fees higher, requiring the cards to be obtained in a certain order if you want all of them, and making it more difficult to get those American Express Membership Rewards. It is very frustrating for those of us who use credit card points and miles for nearly free travel. Unfortunately, they have now made changes to the AMEX Hilton Business Card.
Latest Changes to Hilton Business Card
The American Express Hilton Honors Business Card is the latest card to be drastically changed. Here are the negative changes:
- The annual fee increased to $195
- Earn a free night reward after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year; plus an additional free night after $60,000 spend in total within the year. (The ability to earn these free night awards ends June 30, 2024)
- Ten free Priority Pass lounge visits per calendar year (this benefit ends June 30, 2024)
- 6X on US gas stations, Select Business & Travel Purchases (flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel; car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies; US restaurants; wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service provider; US shipping purchases) (this ends June 30, 2024)
These are the good changes (but don’t make up for the negative changes)
- 5X points on other purchases for the first $100,000 spend, then earn 3x points.
- Earn up to $240 in statement credits for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton (up to $60 per quarter).
- Receive National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
Our Thoughts on the Changes
The benefit that affects us the most is earning a free night reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. We value these for stays at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabo Pedregal the Hilton Conrad Bora Bora and other high-end Hiilton properties. These free night award certificates were a major part of our annual credit card points and miles strategy. We will use the card by June 30, 2024, to pay our taxes this year to get our final free night certificates, but we are sad to see this benefit end. It won’t make sense to keep this card after that.
I will miss staying at this gorgeous hotel in Cabo using my free nights from the Hilton Business card!
Bottom Line
There have been so many changes to the AMEX cards, which are not good. Changes to the AMEX Hilton Business Card made it the latest victim. Be sure to read this post for a more comprehensive review of the Hilton credit cards. What are your thoughts about all the AMEX changes to their cards?
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Pam, could you make a post sometime explaining the order we would need to obtain the cards to get them all?
I don’t have an Amex yet, but I learned today through the TMS Facebook group that Amex gives double point value to Hilton. So for the Waldorf Los Cabos instead of 120k a night it’s only 60k. Which to me would make the Amex cards valuable. But I guess regular Amex is different from the Hilton Amex….. But I would need a Hilton Amex to get the 5th night free right? I get confused sometimes! Thanks for all you do! 🙂
Yes, you need to have Hilton status to get the 5th night free but, not only do the Hilton cards give you elite status, so does the AMEX Platinum card. You just need to start with the lowest card and work up with each family of cards. So for Hilton, it would be Hilton Honors, Hilton Surpass, and Hilton Aspire on the personal side and the Hilton Business is their business card. Currently, they don’t have any family language stating the order to earn them but, considering how AMEX has done things lately, that could change so I’d do them in that order.
For the AMEX cards that earn Membership Rewards you want to do AMEX Green, then Gold, then Platinum. Same for the business versions.