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The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the best premium credit cards out there. While the card's annual fee is a steep $550, it packs several benefits that more than justify the cost of keeping it in your wallet every year. One of these benefits is a flight credit of up to $200 that you can use each calendar year — broken down into $50 per quarter.
Here's what you need to know about the Hilton Aspire‘s $200 flight credit and some tips on maximizing it for its full value.
How Does the Hilton Aspire’s $200 Flight Credit Work?
Those with the Hilton Aspire can receive up to $50 in quarterly statement credits (up to $200 annually) on flight purchases made directly with an airline or through amextravel.com.
That means you can receive a quarterly reimbursement of up to $50 for:
- Airfare purchases made directly with an airline.
- Airfare purchases made through the Amex Travel portal.
Better yet, there's no need to enroll to take advantage of the benefit or select an airline at the beginning of the year. All you have to do is charge the purchase directly to your Hilton Aspire and allow 8-12 weeks for the statement credit to post to your account. But in our experience, the credit appears much faster than that.
The Hilton Aspire flight credit is pretty versatile and you might find it more useful than The Platinum Card® from American Express‘s airline fee credit. Mainly, the latter is only valid for up to $200 worth of incidental purchases with your selected airline. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Comprehensive Review
Things the Hilton Aspire flight credit doesn’t cover
The language in the terms and conditions is clear. The Hilton Aspire‘s flight credit won't provide you with statement credits for the following purchases:
- Charter flights.
- Private jet flights.
- Flights that are part of tours.
- Cruises.
- Travel packages.
- Ticketing or similar service fees.
- Ticket cancellation or change fees.
- Interest charges or purchases of cash equivalents.
- Flight purchases made through third-party agencies.
That said, some readers have reported success with having the following items trigger their quarterly credits — even though they're not explicitly stated as being eligible:
- Baggage fees.
- Inflight Wi-Fi purchases charged directly by the airline and not a third-party provider.
- Inflight food and beverage purchases.
- Airline gift cards.
- United Travel Bank deposits.
Purchase the above with caution; your specific results may vary.
How I Use the Hilton Aspire Flight Credit
One of the main limitations of the Hilton Aspire flight credit is that you're only allotted $50 per quarter. It's a use-it-or-lose-it benefit. And if you don't book flights every quarter, rest assured, there are still plenty of things you can do to ensure you get top value out of your credit so you don't lose out.
For example, I like to purchase a cheap Southwest flight several months out using my Hilton Aspire card — around $50 or so. After my $50 statement credit appears in my account, I'll cancel the flight and collect a Southwest flight credit.
Then, when the next quarter rolls around, I'll make another booking using my Southwest flight credit and then charge at least $50 to my Hilton Aspire. After the statement credit posts, I'll repeat the process.
Over time, the Southwest flight credits add up, and I can book a flight I'll actually take. With just a little effort, I can turn my quarterly credits into a free flight!
Related: Which Hilton Honors Credit Card Is Right for You?
Final Thoughts
The Hilton Aspire is an excellent premium card to have in your wallet. Up to $200 worth of annual flight credits is just the icing on top of other headline benefits like complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status, an annual free night certificate, a $400 resort credit, and much more. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
And if you already have the card, let this serve as a reminder to use your flight credit! There are plenty of ways to extract a full $50 worth of value out of it every quarter — even if you don't book a flight you'll actually take.
- 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
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