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Update: Enrollment for Priority Pass is no longer available on any of the Hilton credit cards. Read below for when your enrolled membership ended.
Hilton's shakeup of its American Express-issued credit card lineup is resulting in the loss of select benefits, including complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge access. Depending on when you enrolled in the benefit, your Priority Pass access will disappear this year or early next year if it hasn't already.
Got the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, or The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card in your wallet? Here's the exact date your card will no longer grant you access to Priority Pass lounges.
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[Benefit Ended] The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
The Hilton Business Card is due to lose Priority Pass benefits (if it hasn't already). This is new, as these changes weren't posted in October 2023's sadness-inducing announcement. Instead, the changes to the Hilton Business Card were announced on March 28, 2024.
Here's the breakdown of when the 10 free visits per year benefit on the Hilton Business Card is due to expire, based on your enrollment date:
- Enrolled on or before June 30, 2023? Benefit ended on July 1, 2024.
- Enrolled between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024? Benefit ended on April 1, 2025.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
- Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X Hilton Honors points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
- 5X Hilton Honors points on the first $100,000 spent per calendar year on other eligible purchases; 3X thereafter
[Benefit Ended] Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
In October 2023, American Express outfitted the Hilton Surpass with a higher annual fee and new perks. As part of the refresh, Amex opted to sunset the 10 annual complimentary visits to a Priority Pass lounge.
The last day you can cash in a free visit depended on when you enrolled in the cardholder benefit, shown below:
- Enrolled before January 31, 2023? Benefit ended on February 1, 2024.
- Enrolled between February 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024? Benefit ended on November 1, 2024.
For the Hilton Surpass and all other impacted cards, any visits that go unused will expire at the time your benefit is canceled.
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $150 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
[Benefit Ended] Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Like the Hilton Surpass, last October was brutal for those who leveraged the Hilton Aspire‘s complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. After Amex upped the annual fee to $550, it put the card's Priority Pass benefits on the chopping block.
Identical to its stablemate above, the Hilton Aspire saw its Priority Pass benefits expire on the same dates.
- Enrolled before January 31, 2023? Benefit ended on February 1, 2024.
- Enrolled between February 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024? Benefit ended on November 1, 2024.
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Other Ways To Get Priority Pass Lounge Access
It's frustrating to watch a cardholder benefit you value and use disappear. When the benefit loss coincides with an annual fee increase, it's even more frustrating.
The benefit departure likely doesn't mean much for those who have other means of accessing Priority Pass lounges. But if that's not you and your Hilton card was your key to the airport lounge, rest assured that there are several other ways to enjoy a recliner and a drink airside.
Card-wise, several products offer some level of Priority Pass Select membership to cardholders for as little as $95 per year. Here's a summary of the top cards and their respective benefits, fees, and additional guest policies:
| Credit Card | Complimentary Cardholder Access | Number of Free Guests (when allowed by the location) | Digital Priority Pass Card | Card Annual Fee | Authorized User Lounge Access | Authorized User Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® Elite Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | 2 guests | Yes | $550 | Can gift access to three other people — don't have to be AUs | $0 |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | Unlimited | Yes | $395 | Yes | $0 (up to four authorized users) |
| Capital One Venture X Business | Unlimited lounge access for cardholders who applied before late April 2024. | 2 guests | Yes | $395 | No | $0 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | 2 guests | Yes | $550 | Yes | $75 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $650 - Rates & Fees | No | $0 - Rates & Fees |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $695 - Rates & Fees | Yes | $195 for each additional Platinum Card for Authorized Users (Rates & Fees) |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries (Enrollment Required) | 2 guests | Yes | $695 - Rates & Fees | Yes | $350 (Rates & Fees) |
| The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | Unlimited (as far as we've found) | Yes | $450 | Yes | $0 |
| Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) | Unlimited lounge access | 2 guests or immediate family | Yes | $495 | Yes | $75 |
| Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card | Unlimited lounge access for the primary cardholder. | $32 per guest | Yes | $400 | Can gift access to one other person — doesn't have to be AU | $95 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card | 8 free passes per year, then $35 per visit | Lounge passes can be used for guests or primary cardholder. $35 per visit after all passes used. | No | $400 | No | $0 |
| PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® | Unlimited lounge access - No F&B credits at non-lounge restaurants, bars, and eateries | 2 guests | Yes | $95 | No | $0 |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card | 4 free passes per year, then $35 per visit | Lounge passes can be used for guests or primary cardholder. $35 per visit after all passes used. | Yes | $0 | No | $0 |
Ensure you enroll for Priority Pass (through a link or referral code provided by your credit card issuer) to access Priority Pass lounges. Simply showing your credit card at the entrance doesn't provide access.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Priority Pass membership outright instead of signing up for a new credit card. Compared to credit cards offering access with a reasonable annual fee — like the $95-a-year PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® — this is a more expensive path to get into a Priority Pass lounge, but it's still a viable alternative.
Or, if you feel like living on the digital edge, you can also purchase an NFT to get lounge access to several Priority Pass outposts. While this is by far the most expensive way to get into a Priority Pass lounge, it's possibly the most interesting one.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access
Final Thoughts
While the days of the Priority Pass airport lounge benefits attached to a trio of Hilton Honors credit cards are numbered, a silver lining remains. Several credit cards still offer Priority Pass airport lounge. So, thankfully, if this is a card perk you value, there are plenty of ways to get it.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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