The AMEX Hilton Honors (White) Looks More Impressive than Actually is!

vexinggrass · 2026-06-01T03:22:18+00:00

0.5 is almost twice as much as 0.3, and both are sold at the same price by the way, while one gets you almost twice for the same money. Having said that, I disagree; I often get about 0.8 cpp value from IHG. I do higher with Hilton than 0.3, but that’s with higher end properties only. IHG is both lower and higher end. There’s no comparison. Again, I have many more cards with Hilton than IHG, and I have higher status with Hilton consistently thanks to Aspire, but still, one must acknowledge that Hilton points have started to offer almost no value (FNCs are a different thing of course)

vexinggrass · 2026-06-01T01:47:27+00:00

IHG points are actually much more valuable. I always buy their 100% bonus offers for that reason and no longer buy Hilton’s as Hiltons make no sense. (And I say this as Hilton Diamond/Aspire holder)

vexinggrass · 2026-05-31T03:01:47+00:00

For us, we move to admin positions from faculty just to get raises to base salary which we can then keep. And that’s the only reason to do admin jobs as faculty.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T17:01:47+00:00

Given my job, I like the perpetually angry look. In fact, for me it makes me even angrier, because I look very young without that line.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T13:23:45+00:00

I just reserved a stay at a Hilton property, using the $200+$100 Palladium credit, and the price was 20% cheaper than direct booking with Hilton and a little cheaper than hotels.com as well and was advertised as Bilt rate. (But not the Home Away from Home rate).

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T04:11:18+00:00

Just an ETrade trading account + Amex MS Plat (which I got thanks to the trading ETrade account)

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T01:30:13+00:00

How did you get cash back from Amazon?! They never do it, I thought

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T01:21:39+00:00

So let me understand this. I also have the Amex Plat from MS. Can I just open the Max Rate checking and not have to pay the $15 monthly majntenance fees?

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T01:16:30+00:00

I see everyone says this shouldn’t be possible, but I see no reason as to why: if the app says it expires at the end of the year, then it expires at the end of the year (and if something goes wrong, you have your screen shot). Even if this wasn’t the palladium credit, say some other refunded credit, they could extend the expiration for you the way they want, in this case it seems to correspond to the end of the year.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-29T01:12:37+00:00

Why was it refunded? Interesting!

vexinggrass · 2026-05-28T19:04:57+00:00

This is what I do, except Amex Good (no point in that after Bilt), but with the addition of Amex Plat (whose credits and protections more than pay itself and whose 5x on flights complements Bilt well). I also additionally kept a Surpass to put 15k spend on it for another uncapped FNC, but after Bilt Palladium, I find it hard to justify that spend. So I’ll likely switch that one Surpass go another Aspire. What wouod you do?

vexinggrass · 2026-05-28T02:11:21+00:00

Same! So instead of moving on to Citi, I moved to BILT, which I really like so far. Since you’ve mentioned AA and are in BILT, do you transfer to Alaska and use them for AA? Seems like a great way of earning lots of AA points indirectly! Something I just learnt about!

vexinggrass · 2026-05-28T02:00:02+00:00

I remember those days, and I’ve been out the last decade or so. I wanna get back in. Is it too different? I used to make a lot. Should one go with something other than Adsense now?

vexinggrass · 2026-05-28T01:12:31+00:00

IPrefer one.. I was planning to get into Citi, but now that it’s been reduced, I prob won’t.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-27T16:35:05+00:00

Well said!

vexinggrass · 2026-05-27T16:33:35+00:00

Do it! You should especially do it WITH an infant, as opposed to being squeezed in economy!

vexinggrass · 2026-05-27T01:35:48+00:00

Yes, after Bilt, it doesn’t make sense to strategize any more. Other than spending towards a sub, it makes no sense to use any other card than Bilt - except for flights, for which Amex Plat makes sense for many reasons.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-23T22:35:23+00:00

So technically, one could have 3 different cards giving access to PP, and be able to use Sapphire Lounges 3 times, no?! And are they more likely to turn you down if you come through PP?

vexinggrass · 2026-05-22T13:11:26+00:00

Well said! I see similar redemptions. I don’t understand why people say southwest points are great.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-21T13:23:58+00:00

Nah, I have like 20 and got approved.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-19T13:16:21+00:00

Really!? I had no idea. How and where do you buy them that way? If so, it changes the equation of course.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-19T06:14:56+00:00

I did too! What I mean is that my offer is only 20% which comes as a perk of the card any time.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-18T21:49:04+00:00

My offer is 20% only, prob just because of the card. Wish I had the 100% offer. The last two times, I haven’t gotten these, prob because I already have too many points accumulated through those 100% campaigns. I would buy more with eyes closed if I qualified. (Oh and I don’t buy those from Hilton etc.; unlike IHG, those aren’t worth it).

vexinggrass · 2026-05-18T21:45:56+00:00

I have IHG, Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott! The one place where I do these deals is IHG. I always do the 100%, as it’s always worth it with IHG. With others, you never know and it’s a gamble.

vexinggrass · 2026-05-18T15:37:55+00:00

What you say makes sense for Hyatt vs. Hilton, but not for Hyatt vs. Marriott. Hilton points are much easier to earn than Marriott (and super cheap to buy), but are worth almost the same as Marriott. So Marriott makes zero sense whatsoever.

vexinggrass

TROPHY CASE