One of the best things about redeeming travel rewards is strategizing how to get the absolute fattest return per point. Airline miles and hotel points can be worth exponentially more than simply redeeming your rewards for cash back, depending on how you use them.
But did you know that you can get outsize value for your statement credits, too? I used an up-to-$50 travel credit from my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to book almost $100 in flights. Here’s how it worked.
What is the Amex Hilton Aspire quarterly airline credit?
The Amex Hilton Aspire comes with up to $200 in annual statement credits for flight purchases — doled out in up-to-$50 increments each quarter. American Express states that these credits are good for “flight purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.”
You don’t have to use the full credit each quarter to trigger reimbursement. But it’s important to note that these credits are use-it-or-lose-it; any portion of the credit that goes unredeemed will be forfeited.
These are some of the most straightforward and easy-to-use statement credits you’ll find on a rewards credit card.
Why (and how) I redeemed my Amex Hilton Aspire airline credit for points
To set the stage, my family of three needed flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). The cheapest nonstop route was a steep $350 per person. Even award flights were exorbitant, with one exception: American Airlines seats booked through its partner airline, Qantas.
The awards cost 9,200 Qantas Frequent Flyer points each. By purchasing 21,000 points, I could combine them with my existing modest stash of 7,000 Qantas points to book three seats. Purchasing 21,000 points cost me 662 Australian dollars (or $431.23, at the time).
Using my Amex Hilton Aspire to pay for these points triggered the card’s quarterly up-to-$50 airline statement credit. In other words, I paid just $381.23 out of pocket.
Simplifying the math
I paid $431 to purchase 21,000 Qantas points, which means each point cost 2.05 cents. Therefore, one seat at an award price of 9,200 points costs a total of $194.20 ($188.60 plus $5.60 in taxes and fees). If I subtract the $50 Hilton Aspire airline credit, I paid about $144 for one seat, compared to the cash ticket price of $350.
So, how do I quantify my savings from this credit? It’s true enough that this credit saved me a flat $50. But by using it to purchase 2,440 Qantas points instead of simply redeeming it for a $350 American Airlines purchase, I got a much bigger value from it.
Here were my two options:
- Pay $350 cash for the American Airlines seat: Using my card statement credit would have saved me $50, bringing my out-of-pocket spending to $300 — offsetting 14% of my flight cost.
- Pay $194.20 for an award flight (9,200 Qantas points plus $5.60 in taxes): Using my $50 credit reimbursed me for 2,440 Qantas points — offsetting 26% of my flight cost.
All to say, I received 3.74 cents per Qantas point: ($350 cash fare – $5.60 in fees) / 9,200 points (award price per seat) = 3.74 cents.
That means the 2,440 Qantas points I bought with my $50 Amex Hilton Aspire credit were worth $91.25 (2,440 x 0.0374). That’s a whopping 82% more value from my statement credit by purchasing points instead of paying cash for my fare.
Do other airlines qualify?
It’s worth repeating that the Amex Hilton Aspire’s airline credit is, according to American Express, intended to be used for “flight purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com.”
Many airlines sell their rewards through a website called Points.com. This is not an airline website — so if you’re interested in buying miles with an airline that uses Points.com as the point of sale, your Amex Hilton Aspire credit will almost certainly not work (I haven’t tested this myself).
That said, the credit should work with an airline that sells miles directly. For example, American Airlines handles the sale of its own miles, so it should trigger the up-to-$50 credit.
Potential work-around for other airlines
While a clunky process, it may also be possible to buy miles from airlines that use Points.com to process points and miles purchases. A handful of carriers allow you to buy miles as a top-up during the booking process.
For example, United Airlines always extends its “Award Accelerator” option at checkout, allowing you to add some miles onto your bill at checkout (instead of buying from Points.com). This should code as a United Airlines purchase. As long as you’ve not booked a basic economy flight, you’ll be able to cancel your flight to receive travel credit — and your miles purchase should remain in your account.
Amex Hilton Aspire has other great perks
The card’s up to $200 in annual airline credit is far from the only virtue the Amex Hilton Aspire has to offer. For its $550 annual fee (see rates and fees), you’ll also get:
- Annual free night rewards: Upon account opening (and after each cardmember anniversary), receive a free night certificate for a standard room at nearly any Hilton hotel. Note that as a cardholder, you can earn up to three free night certificates annually.
- Automatic Diamond elite status: Receive Hilton’s current top-tier status, which comes with food and beverage privileges, 100% bonus points on paid Hilton stays, room upgrades (when available), and more.
- Up-to-$400 annual Hilton resort credit: Receive up to $200 in reimbursement for expenses at eligible Hilton resort properties biannually (to be used for things like room rate, food, spa, etc.).
- Annual Clear Plus membership credit: Receive up to a $209 annual statement credit toward a Clear Plus membership, a program that can help you cut to the front of the line at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints (enrollment required; subject to auto-renewal).
Check out our Hilton Amex Aspire review for more information on this premium travel rewards card.
Bottom line
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with a quarterly statement of up to $50 toward flight purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com. But in some cases, you can use it to buy airline miles. This can be a much better use of your card statement credit than simply redeeming it to reduce the cash price of a flight.
Again, just note that your credit likely won’t activate unless you’re buying points or miles directly from the airline (as opposed to a third-party seller like Points.com).
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here.