Hilton has announced a number of positive changes due to COVID-19. They are as follows:
- Points will not expire until December 31, 2021
- Status will be extended until March 31, 2022 for any Silver, Gold or Diamond members that were due to downgrade in 2020 or 2021
- Status qualification requirements will be cut by 50%. This is in addition to nights earned in 2020 rolling over to 2021.
- Milestone bonus night threshold will be reduced. Previously the lowest of this was set at 40 nights, that is now 20 nights. Gold members will earn 10,000 Bonus Points for 20 nights stayed and will continue earning the additional 10,000 Bonus Points every 10 nights above that level in a calendar year. At 60 nights, a member would still earn the additional Milestone Bonus of 30,000 Bonus Points.
- Gifting status night threshold to be reduced to the new Diamond status qualification requirement. Diamond members who stay 30 nights in 2021 will be able to gift Gold status (was previously 60 nights) or 60 nights to upgrade the gift to Diamond status (was previously 100 nights).
- Extended benefits for Hilton Honors American Express card members.
- Bonus points will continue to count as Base Points on eligible purchases through December 31, 2021 and count towards elite status including Lifetime Diamond.
- All 2021 issued free weekend night certificates can be used any night of the week and expiration extended until December 31, 2022. Unexpired free weekend nights as of December 31, 2020 will expire based on the previously communicated terms
A lot to get through, but all positive changes. Only real ‘downside’ is that previously extended free night certificates won’t be extended again, we saw the same thing with Marriott.
Do points from welcome bonus have an expiration date? I opened my Hilton Honors (no annual fee) last summer and met its req. for the 100k SUB offer. Have not used them yet.
They said 12/31/21
Here’s my interpretation and please correct me if I’m wrong.
Stay 15 Nights in Q4 2020 then Get 30 Elite Nights for 2021.
Having 30 Elite Nights qualifies you for Diamond Status with the new reduced requirements.
Is this accurate? Stay 15 Nights get Diamond Status in 2021???
Just wondering.
I’m hoping Marriott does something too like giving people additional elite qualifying nights again.
Anyone knows if I close MEX Aspire this year, am I able to keep Diamond status until 2022?
Thx a lot!
That’s the question we’re all asking!
YES
I closed my aspire in March and my status is still good until 2021 and I just got email that it extended to 2022
I closed my Aspire in February of this year. I recently called HH to inquire about my Diamond status would expire and was told it was good through 2022.
Am i reading this right? 10k points if one stays for 20 nights? 20nites are approx 3,000$. And 10k points might be worth $80. What an awful marketing ploy if true.
It’s an additional bonus, still get the normal points you’d earn plus you obviously get the nights as well.
thanks, William. if the incentive was for me to stay 20 nites, just doesn’t seem that much of a reward. I do like the Hilton brand.
Does anyone know if base points earned in 2020 will roll over to 2021? If so, if you earned gold through base points you’ll become diamond in 2021 since the requirement is reduced by 50%.
afaik they’ve never said they would. Just nights.
“Status qualification requirements will be cut by 50%”
Does this mean points as well? This year all points posting from their cards count toward the 120K req’t of base points for diamond. Does this mean only 60K are required for 2020? Probably not, but would be cool if that is the case as I’d be there already =0
Edit: From hilton’s own words it seems like the requirement cut applies to 2021 only, but it includes base points being cut to 60K, and the points earned from Hilton credit cards will also count toward those 60K.
The points requirement is only 60k for 2021 credit card spend. 2020 points do not roll over, only nights. I can confirm the 60k points on Surpass works. Already hit that in Jan 2021 and got email confirming Diamond status til March 2023.
Does the status extension count if you received the status from a credit card, then cancel the card?
Question: I have the Aspire Amex, which comes with Diamond status. Annual fee is coming up next week and i’m likely cancelling. What happens with the gifted Diamond status when you cancel? Does it get wiped immediately or will i perhaps get to keep it for a bit given info in this post? Thanks!
I downgraded mine to Surpass back in the spring and still have Diamond.
Why cancel? Seek retention, even if it’s 10k bonus to keep, the $450 AF is far outweighed by Diamond, free night, resort credit alone, even if you take a year off from travel due to the pandemic. Unless you’ve hit hard times, in which case, I understand, so go to no-fee, then when times heat up again, call to upgrade back to Aspire.
if you take a year off, the diamond is useless, the free night is extended, the resort credit is already hard to use if you don’t live near one …
Out of all the things credit cards issuers did in 2020, Amex and Hilton were the most generous with the resort credit being easy to use. Perhaps you never eat meals out?
Thanks. Anyone heard of any good retention on the aspire? Many of us picked it up last yr when the 450 fee was waived.
Also, airline credit is too time-killing to use, if dining purchase will not be count next year.
1. So previously extended certificates will expire on August 31st, 2021?
2. What happens to status if I cancel the card? Would I retain the diamond status?