Hilton Honors American Express Aspire
200,000 points welcome · 14x on hotels · $550/yr
The Hilton Honors Aspire's headline perk is complimentary Diamond status plus a Free Night Award each year, which together can make Hilton stays dramatically better for frequent guests. It backs that up with up to $400 a year in Hilton resort credits, $200 in flight credits paid out at $50 per quarter, and up to $219 toward CLEAR Plus, along with 14 points per dollar at Hilton hotels and resorts, 7 points on flights, car rentals, and U.S. dining, and 3 points on everything else. American Express recently trimmed the welcome offer from 175,000 to 150,000 points after $6,000 in spend within 6 months. The catch is the $550 annual fee: the credits are split into semiannual and quarterly pieces and the resort credit only works at participating resorts, so you need to plan around them to come out ahead. If you stay at Hilton properties several times a year and will actually use the credits, it pays for itself; if not, a lower-fee Hilton card is the safer bet.
Earn rates & credits
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
Hotels Eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts | 14x |
Airlines Flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com | 7x |
Car Rentals Booked directly with select car rental companies | 7x |
Dining U.S. restaurants | 7x |
Everything Else | 3x |
| Benefit | Value |
|---|---|
Hilton Resort Credit Up to $200 semiannually for eligible purchases at participating Hilton resorts | $200 / 6 mo |
Flight Credit Up to $50 per quarter on eligible flight purchases made directly with airlines or through amextravel.com | $50 /qtr |
CLEAR Plus Credit Up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year for CLEAR Plus airport security membership | $219 /yr |
Property Credit Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties when booking a 2-night minimum stay | $100 |
Venue Collection Concessions Rebate Enroll your card and get 10% back on qualifying concessions purchases at select stadiums and arenas, up to $250 per calendar year | 10% |
| Total annual credits | $819 |
Card details
Regular APR | 19.49%–28.49% variable |
Foreign transaction fee | None |