The Hilton Trifecta (Why You Need It)

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Note: Welcome Offers are now elevated and include Free Night Awards on the Hilton Honors & Hilton Surpass. 🎥Watch This Video Next on 5 Reasons You Need Hilton Cards: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qquvfZ99pK6cfqs

[@sergiomartinez5946]

I only have the Aspire and it's well worth it even for 650. I'm a corporate traveler so work foots the bill for my expenses. I get a lot of points back each trip. I think having Diamond status for holding the Aspire alone is worth it.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Love it Sergio! You are definitely not alone and Diamond Status from the Aspire I'm sure really adds up value-wise for all those work trips! Appreciate you watching!

[@TheCreditFrog]

Such powerful cards! Definitely thinking of starting up my Hilton ladder with these new FNC offers on the HH and the Surpass! Not sure if I’d have all 3 cards at the same time, but certainly having 1 or 2 would be reasonable. Great video Matt!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Stan! Yeah pairing the Hilton Honors with the Surpass or Aspire is probably the best move, and right now is a great time to take advantage of the FNC offers!

[@davidlebron7471]

For clarity, AMEX will offer you an Honors upgrade (to Surpass) bonus even if you already hold a Surpass?

[@jmbwashi]

Holding Surpass and Aspire and using Surpass as a daily driver and Aspire to dining and Hilton is a great way to rack up points and probably get 2 FNRs every year is a pretty great setup.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice!! That's awesome! Yeah sounds like you are getting a ton of value from that Hilton Duo! Appreciate you watching!

[@jmbwashi]

@@MattWelterOfficial oh sorry I don’t have that set up it’s just a cool theory craft that I like and I think for the right person could make a lot of sense.

[@scandia67]

You can get upwards of 4 FNCs between the two cards. With the Surpass you get one after $15,000 spend in a calendar year, and with the Aspire you get one on your anniversary date when you obtained the card, and two more after spending $30,000 and another $30,000 spend ($60,000 total for a calendar year).

[@jmbwashi]

@@scandia67 very true. I should have said with my level of spending I would get two FNC. I just don't have $75,000 of credit card spend to claim all 4 of those.

[@MMSTUDIOS5]

The sign up bonus is actually elevated right now for the Hilton Honors: Earn a Free Night Reward + 70,000 points

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Yes!! Super excited about that! The video was filmed before those bonus changes but great opportunity right now!

[@TheArtistFKApingaso3687]

Missed that bonus by a week. Should have waited.

[@Lancun]

I love the IDEA of the Hilton wheel strategy. I do think it's more of an endgame strat though because you're using three of your five maximum Amex card slots. That doesn't leave any wiggle room for things like the Double Delta strat (Platinum and Reserve give you automatic Delta Silver Medalion Status). If you had those five cards, you'd be locked out of any other Amex offers outside of the charge cards. Fine if you don't want to mess around with churning or popup jail, but it leaves a lot of points on the table with Amex.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Yeah that is a totally fair point and a really good thought. You definitely want to be conscious of your Amex slots and what Cards outside of the Hilton Cards you think would make the most sense in regard to your own travel/spending preferences. The wheel strategy in some situations can definitely be one that you finalize later on in CC Journey. Thanks so much for watching!

[@WeiliXu88]

My two cents is delta silver is useless unless you are working towards gold. Amex delta platinum card pretty much cover all the benefits for being silver 😂. I hope delta realize that and add sky priority to silver someday…

[@Lancun]

@@WeiliXu88 It can be a good way to tiebreak any Comfort+ free upgrades. Someone with Silver without the Reserve won't be chosen over you. It's not First Class, but it's still something tangible.

[@WeiliXu88]

@@Lancun I’m in a delta hub. I rarely had that benefit 😅.

[@JessicaHolmes]

Thanks for this video! We’re a military family and get the annual fees waived. We are set to move back to Hawaii next year, and while house hunting, I plan on staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village if not for all our time, at least some! The Diamond status will help to offset some dining costs and so many other things!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

I love that! Thank you so much for watching! Diamond status coming in clutch!

[@Ljberkow]

The no annual fee card for only the SUB is a waste. The Surpass is a great card, period, with a negative annual fee after the credit. The Aspire is a controversial card. The downside is timing of the using the FNC. It is locked in on dates, unlike the Surpass, which you can time in spending on the $15K, making the Surpass a better card. Nice video. In any case, right now have Biz, Surpass, and Aspire. SUBs on all last year, but probably only keeping Surpass. Got the upgrade at the Conrad Tokyo with the view of Tokyo Bay, which was incredible.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

The Conrad Tokyo seems incredible! Thanks so much for watching!

[@Ljberkow]

@@MattWelterOfficialIt’s a great video, and if you go to Tokyo, use FNCs and points to take the Conrad over the Hilton. Great location. My issue on the Aspire, which I like, is the $550 and the inflexibility in timing of using the Aspire’s FNC as opposed to the Surpass’. Great point on Surpass for a hotel person and then maybe combining with Chase ecosystem - my plan after getting out Chase prison after getting three Hilton cards last year. Previously, I had been a Platinum “refugee”.

[@funny2thag]

Great video as always! I want to get a Hilton trifecta but the Business card has an awesome bonus right now. If I start with the business card will I be locked out of the SUB on the no AF card or any of the personal cards?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much! I don’t believe the Biz Card applies to the family language restrictions on the personal Hilton Cards. In other words, if you get the Biz first you should still be able to get the other bonuses. Wouldn’t hurt hopping on Amex Live Chat to double check though. Thank you for watching!

[@ronburn]

I think the surpass would be the stopping point for my situation. I have a family of 5 and the high end hotels rarely have rooms that fit 5 people. The lower end (Hampton Inn, Home2Suites, etc) do have rooms for 5. I don't see using the resort or airline credits regularly, but I do see getting gift cards each quarter and using those during a stay. While I like the idea of having diamond status, most of my stays for personal and work travel are in the lower end properties that don't offer upgrades. The one exception is if there is a year where we plan to travel overseas, then I might get the aspire that year.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Totally fair & makes complete sense for your situation! Definitely want to make sure that you are getting the Cards that fit your own situation the best, and I'd agree that you can probably get most of your value just from Hilton Gold + Hilton Credit, and would have a tougher time using some of the additional benefits/credits on the Aspire. Thank you for watching!

[@MattMcGrathOfficial]

After a disappointing stay at the Diplomat in Hollywood, FL this past weekend, I am downgrading my Surpass to an Honors card. The $50 quarterly credits in the form of gift cards are difficult to use and the staff had a hard time with them. Additionally I had no water, no upgrade and no early checkout when I asked. Made my decision much easier.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Gotcha, dang sorry to hear about that experience Matt. But definitely makes sense given that context why you'd want to downgrade. Appreciate you watching!

[@deanv8663]

Great video Matt! I am currently working the Hilton wheel. I always enjoy your videos they keep me on track and earning the most points.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Dean! Gotta love the Hilton Wheel Strategy!

[@SledgeIncTeam]

Currently have the Aspire and Business. Already had the HH card and the Surpass. Might try for the HH card again to see if they will give me the SUB again

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice Sledge!! Haha right now is a great time to try for it with the additional Free Night on the bonus!

[@phoenixfats1190]

Are the amex offers on the hilton cards comparable to the green/gold/platinum cards? I.e. spend 100 get 20 back.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

I would say typically the Amex Offers are a bit better on the Green/Gold/Plat Cards, but definitely a case by case situation.

[@arnold6530]

I work for an airline so I already fly for free but I’m thinking ot getting the surpass and and aspire or the aspire and honors card.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice! Great options for those hotel stays when you get to your destination!

[@KeyKEYadventures]

Great video, I definitely need to pick up the Surpass before family language is added to the card! I’ve never even looked at how these Hilton cards could make a good 1 card setup for folks!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Key!

[@Jessie_n_james_tcg]

Very informative. I’m a Marriot guy looking to change to Hilton and this has changed my mind for sure.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thank you! Always important to understand multiple perspectives on the hotel brand argument. Marriott certainly has a lot of benefits as well!

[@DavidRodriguez-ou9fy]

This video has perfect timing. I have both no fee and surpass cards. Should I upgrade the supass or apply outright to the aspire? Will i get aspire bonus with upgrade? We enjoy hilton and the current and future plans to expand on acquisitions! Great video!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much David! I would suggest applying directly for the Aspire first. The reason I say this is sometimes Amex & Hilton will only award the welcome bonus the first time you get the card so you’d need to apply directly instead of upgrading and then can upgrade after the fact. Thank you!

[@DavidRodriguez-ou9fy]

@@MattWelterOfficial ok...gotcha. thanks for the great info!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@DavidRodriguez-ou9fy Of course! Appreciate you!

[@robertm8380]

Do you know if Hilton points expire

[@MattWelterOfficial]

They do after 24 months of inactivity

[@Michaeljames10]

Excellent Video, Thank you Matt for always going above and beyond... excellent comparison...I think the best way to approach is to go to HILTON property buy a $200 gift card, get the 200$ statement credit from AMEX, save them until you get $400 or more.. $200 at Hilton resorts are peanuts =)

[@MattWelterOfficial]

That is a great strategy! I really appreciate your kind words & support Francis!

[@Michaeljames10]

@@MattWelterOfficial Always!

[@WeiliXu88]

I do surpass and aspire combo. Surpass for its low spending FNC requirements for my taxes payment. Works well since it’s lower annual fee.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Nice!! Sounds like that Hilton Combo works great for you if you can meet the spend requirement for the FNC on the Surpass! Thanks so much for watching!

[@priyanthkolla3103]

Do the hilton honors points expire?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

after 2 years of inactivity

[@ryanccc777]

Great video as always Matt. I am leaning towards the Surpass and would like your thoughts. I can use the quarterly credits on the hotels as you mentioned and the free breakfast will add up. On the aspire I can’t tell you the last time I stayed at a Hilton property classified as a “resort” and there aren’t any near me I would use organically so the $400 ($200 every 6 months) resort credit has a value of $0 for me, I use TSA / Global entry so clear has a value of $0, I haven’t checked a bag in years so that credit is $0 (using the United Travel Bank work around is too much work requiring me to fly with an airline I normally wouldn’t use, my airport is 95% AA). The free night I totally get, but I would never spend $1,000+ on a room so I can’t say that is a $1,000 worth of value, it’s definitely an awesome experience but for me I am prepaying $550 for that room (since the other credits are $0) with the annual fee on the card, typing this out I think I answered my own question 😂

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks so much Ryan! Haha yeah in your situation, if you re ok with Gold Status on the Surpass, I think that Card makes way more sense. Totally understand not going out of your way to "un-organically" utilize the FNC, and if most of the main credits on the Aspire don't make sense, then the lower-cost Surpass is the way to go. Appreciate you!

[@ryanccc777]

@@MattWelterOfficial thanks for fielding that typing that out helped it sink in more 😂

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@ryanccc777 Haha of course!

[@duanen2337]

I want to start climbing my hilton Honors card ladder, but im a little concerned about how it will affect my gold status that i have through my platinim card. I want all the welcome bonuses, of course, but will the silver status with the lower tier card clash with the gold status that i already have?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Good question- no you will still retain the higher Gold status through your Plat!

[@GEN512X]

No interest currently in the Hilton brand myself. But this was a great video; providing best strategy for those who are thinking about getting in with the Hilton brand! 🎉🎉

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you as always!

[@FreedomFinanceFun]

Long term you might be limited to 5 American express cards. I don't have any amex but the free night for on the no AF is looking good. My friend used it in Hawaii. The status was great

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Yup! Definitely important to keep your Amex 5 Card Slots in mind. Right now is definitely a great time to get the Hilton Honors Card with the Free Night tacked onto the welcome offer!

[@henryfabian3187]

Great content Matt! I have had my surpass for a year now, I’m thinking of applying for the HH for the SUB with free night, then the Aspire in 2-3 months. I’m trying to stack 3 FNC’s for a trip next summer. I have excellent credit & less than 10% utilization. I was on a FB Hilton page & some recommended applying for both at the same time, & some said to apply for Aspire 1st, then the HH because the HH has a link (forgot what they called it), that way I don’t get the pop up jail message. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thanks Henry! So, I might be in the minority when saying this but if you are fine on your 5 Amex Card slots, I'd actually recommend going for the Hilton Honors Card first. The reason that I say this is we've seen Amex due it with the Plat, Gold & Green, and the Delta Cards, in terms of adding Family Language. I think it's only a matter of time before they do so on the Hilton Cards as well, which would limit you from getting all 3 welcome bonuses if they were to add that language after you go for the Aspire first. With that said though, if you do have a significant use case (your trip next summer), for utilizing all the benefits on the Aspire there are always exceptions. With that said though, if you space those applications like 2-3 months you should have no problem getting the elevated Hilton Honors bonus right now with the additional FNC and then getting the Aspire after.

[@henryfabian3187]

@@MattWelterOfficial I appreciate the advice! Enjoy watching your videos, content is 🔥

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@henryfabian3187 Thank you so much Henry I really appreciate that!

[@jimkwock324]

I disagree that there is no argument against having the Hilton Honors card long term. It is true that it does not have an annual fee. However, AMEX has a hard limit of the number of credit cards you can have. For most, it is 5 cards. If you tie up a slot with a card that you will not use, then you cannot get something else that you may want once you hit that limit.

[@naparqalria]

I think I’ll upgrade my surpass to the aspire after my diamond status lapses because Hilton program made it more difficult to spend your way to diamond by not counting multiplier points. Multiplier spend is now “bonus points” and the status spend is now only base points 😢

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Gotcha- I'd definitely recommend applying to the Aspire as a separate Card to get the welcome offer first before upgrading as well!

[@DCGEMINI202]

That trifecta with the bilt card or CSP for the “just incase” moment amex isn’t accepted is a strong quadfecta

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Good point! Definitely need a backup visa especially when you travel internationally!

[@vijayanbalasubramanian8837]

Do we have to book all 5 nights in points to get fifth night free? Can I add award certificate to one of the night and still get 5th night free?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Unfortunately, the award certificate bookings are typically treated as separate bookings so yes you'd need to book all 5 nights in Points to get the 5th night free. Thanks so much for watching appreciate you!

[@vickiarnold7300]

Great job on KZbin ❤

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Thank you Vicki :)

[@blakinsideandout]

In October I get an extra week vacation. That makes two months per year. Aspire is officially back on my radar after I get the chase Marriott card

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Love it!!

[@niasuh786]

Great video Matt. How do we go about using the surpass to buy $50 Hilton gift card? I did not know that was possible

[@MattWelterOfficial]

You can Search Hilton Gift Cards on Google and select the $50 increment. Use the Surpass Card for purchase and this will trigger the Credit!

[@niasuh786]

@@MattWelterOfficial great thanks. I assume you have done this before and it works?

[@MattWelterOfficial]

@@niasuh786 Yup I have!

[@412foto]

Wish Amex would let me get all 3 (I have the Surpass currently). Maybe I will get rid of my Hilton business card since they nerfed it and use that freed up spot to get one of the two Hilton cards not in my wallet.

[@ItsMeCJ]

I’m back! As much as I want a new Hilton honors card, Amex has me sitting in popup jail and I’m not happy about it 🙁. So for now I guess I’m stuck with my HHB 😅

[@OKZK_Bros]

It’s baaaack the free night is soooo powerful. I Have the aspire but unfortunately now I’m in pop up jail and can’t even get the NAF card 😢

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Shoot- Pop Up Jail is worst. Hopefully you get out of it while the Free Night Offers are still around! Thanks so much for watching!

[@jeffreyplatt7703]

I plan on applying for the Hilton surpass card later this year assuming I’m out of pop up jail in November. If not I’ll be be waiting till next year.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Gotcha, sounds like a great plan Jeffrey! Hopefully you get out of pop-up!

[@kimgrod]

Thanks, Matt. I don't have any of these & now u got me thinking ...

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Of course Kim! Appreciate you watching!

[@_iErik]

Honestly, if you aren’t staying at a Hilton property for at least 1 night a quarter for at least 3 out of 4 quarters a year, you shouldn’t get the Surpass card. Sure, there are ways that you can work to try to get value, but I think there are other travel cards that will yield better value. Broadly - hotel and airline cards are really, generally, best for people who stay and fly 4+ times per year with that brand. If you travel less than that, or you mix your brands, you’re probably best off with a non-brand-specific card.

[@Xavier_ID.]

I was gonna snag the Surpass with the FNC but I am in pop up jail. Gonna have player 2 snag it up. Trying to work my way up the ladder but Amex is preventing that 😂 have the Hilton Honors and Hilton Business currently.

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Amex be like that with Pop-Up Jail sometimes haha. I've definitely had my fair share of being burned. But love the strategy and hopefully P2 has better luck! The current welcome bonus with the Free Night Award attached is big-time! Appreciate you watching Xavier!

[@maxlrubenstein]

Best reason to get the Hilton trifecta is to upgrade and get 3 Aspires 😜

[@MattWelterOfficial]

👀👀

[@joshuaanderson4110]

i dont see the benefit to hold all 3 cards other than the subs, you dont need the honors card

[@MattWelterOfficial]

The Honors Card has no downside to continue to hold since it has a $0 AF. The case for this Trifecta is definitely if the Surpass Credit or Spend to FNC makes sense.

[@woodzy883]

I'd love the Trifecta. But amex put me IN F-NG PUJ still from this time last year. Bee. Spending my way out for a year now. Smh

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Dang.. Really sorry about that Woodzy, PUJ is the worst.. Appreciate you watching though!

[@SOXGATORS]

😊

[@MattWelterOfficial]

🥇

[@ItsMeCJ]

First!

[@MattWelterOfficial]

Barely missed it 🥈