How I got nearly $5,000 in value from my first month with the Hilton Aspire

14.03.2024 - 14:57 / thepointsguy.com / Airlines

There are plenty of reasons why the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card consistently ranks among our favorite hotel credit cards and is one of the best overall travel credit cards.

Not only does the card confer automatic top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status as long as your card account is open, but cardmembers also receive a free night award certificate each account year, plus annual statement credits that can add up to tremendous value.

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.

American Express touts that you can get over $750 in value from the card each year, but I was able to squeeze even more savings out of it than that just within my first month as a cardmember by applying at the right time and using it for the right expenses.

Here's how I got nearly $5,000 in value from the Hilton Honors American Express Card within one month of opening it.

I signed up for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in December. Based on some trip plans and other expenses, I had no trouble spending the $6,000 in purchases within six months required to earn the welcome offer of 180,000 bonus points it offered at the time — slightly higher than the current offer of 175,000 bonus points after making $6,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership.

Typically, we don't talk much about getting a new card at the end of the calendar year, but it can really pay off. The automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status I received as an Aspire cardmember helped me maximize a holiday trip to the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, and I was able to take advantage of certain statement credits the card offers both before the end of 2023 and then again in January 2024.

The card recently changed the terms and conditions of various statement credits it offers in addition to raising its annual fee to $550 (see rates and fees). However, I was still able to maximize some of the old benefits along with the new ones, thanks to my late-in-the-year application and my trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Although we're just over two months into 2024 now, it's never too early to look ahead toward your credit card strategy for the end of the year as those elite status windows close and you consider where your points or miles might come in handy for holiday travel.

The end of the year can be a great time to open a new credit card since you can often double dip on statement credits that reset quarterly or based on the calendar year. It also happens to be a time of higher-than-usual spending for many folks, thanks to travel expenses and holiday purchases, which can help you meet the minimum