100,000 Point Signup Bonus for No Annual Fee Hilton Amex Card

The Deal

Earn 100,000 Hilton points after you spend $1,000 on the Hilton Honors American Express card within the first 3 months.  No annual fee.  (Apply via referral link:  http://refer.amex.us/JASONWjy0r?xl=cp15 )

Bottom Line

• This is one of the better sign-up bonuses you will see for a card with no annual fee.  100,000 Hilton points can yield 2-4 nights at nicer Hilton properties, depending on when and where.  It is possible to find lower tier Hilton properties (Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, DoubleTree, etc) for 20,000 points per night in certain U.S. areas and thereby get as many as 5 free nights from the signup bonus.  Hilton properties in some overseas countries are as cheap as 7k-10k points per night.  Award Mapper is a useful site to view hotel locations by brand, and the points price per night, for properties all over the world.

To get the 100,000 point offer:

The 100,000 point offer is no longer available as a public offer; it is available only via referral link.  Click my Amex referral link to open in a web browser:  
http://refer.amex.us/JASONWjy0r?xl=cp15

then find the offer for the no annual fee Hilton Amex card:

1. Click the View All Cards with a Referral Offer link near the top of the page
2. Click the Looking for a Personal Card? link
3. Click the Continue to Card Details blue button for the Hilton Honors Card (or the Aspire or Ascend care if interested in those other cards)
4. Click Apply Now
5. Complete the application page

(My referral link will show you a Delta Amex credit card first, but you can apply for any Amex card that has a referral offer.  I will get a referral bonus, and you will get the signup bonus listed.)

This post is focused on the no annual fee Hilton Honors credit card as a great 'starter card' for people who are newer to the points and miles hobby.

If you are interested in the other Hilton American Express cards, feel free to apply for one of those instead.  All four Hilton co-branded Amex cards are offering their best-ever signup bonuses (only via referral, as the public offers have been reduced) at this time:

• Hilton Honors American Express Ascend - 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $3,000 spend in first 3 months.  $95 annual fee
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire - 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $3,000 spend in first 3 months.  $450 annual fee
• Hilton Honors Business card - 125,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $3,000 spend in first 3 months.  $95 annual fee
• Hilton Honors card - 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after $1,000 spend in first 3 months.  No annual fee

Card Benefits

Many of these benefits are fairly common for credit cards, but this is a pretty solid benefit suite for a no annual fee card.

• No Annual Fee and No Annual Fee for Additional Cards
• Earn 7 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 5 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations in the USA
• Earn 3 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
• No Foreign Transaction Fee - Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad
• Complimentary Silver Status - Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card.  Earn Gold status thru the end of the next calendar year after $20,000 spend on the card in a calendar year.  Silver status isn't worth much, but it's better than nothing.  Gold status is fairly useful (e.g. free continental breakfast for 2 people per room.)
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance - Use the card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental car counter to be covered if the car is damaged or stolen. (Coverage not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. Coverage is secondary, not primary, and does not include liability coverage.)
• Extended Manufacturer Warranty Coverage - Items purchased with the card may get up to two extra years added to original manufacturer's warranty.  (Applies to warranties of 5 years or less. Coverage varies depending on cardholder's location.)
• Phone Damage and Theft Coverage - On eligible purchases, theft and accidental damage to cell phone can be covered by Purchase Protection up to 120 days and $1,000 per occurrence, $50,000 per calendar year.
• 90-day Return Protection - Return Protection coverage may provide a refund within 90 days of eligible item purchase, even if the merchant will not accept the item for return. (Limited to $300 per item and $1,000 per calendar year. Purchases must be made in the U.S. and its territories.)
• Shoprunner - Free 2-day shipping on eligible items at 140+ online stores with free ShopRunner enrollment. (Minimum purchase may be required.)
• Travel Accident Insurance - This can provide coverage for accidental death and dismemberment while traveling on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when entire fare was charged to the card
• Global Assist Hotline - 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services, including medical and legal referrals, assistance with cash wires, passport replacement, missing luggage and more. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers
• Entertainment Access - Get exclusive access to ticket presales and Card Member-only events in nearby cities.  Broadway shows and concert tours, family and sporting events, and more
• Pay It Plan It - Two different options to pay down balance. Pay It option - pay small purchase amounts or Plan It - split up large purchases with a fixed fee
• Additional Cards - additional cards are free for anyone age 13+.  Points earnings at same rate and accrue to the primary cardmember's Hilton Honors account.  Adding a child as an authorized user can be a great way to start building positive credit history for a child.
• Fraud Protection - No liability for fraudulent charges made with your American Express Card.  No deductible
• Year-End Summary - Year-End Summary of charges for reviewing annual spending

Public Offer is Not as Good

The current public offer for the Hilton Honors American Express card is 75,000 point signup bonus after $1,000 spend in first 3 months.  LINK.  Use my referral link at top of this post to get the better 100k offer.

Last Call - 70,000 Delta SkyMiles for $195

This offer expires on May 16, 2018.

The offer is still available via referral, but only thru 5/16/2018.  (The public offer has expired.)

Here is my referral link for the personal version of the Delta Amex Platinum card:  http://refer.amex.us/JASONWoAVH?XLINK=MYCP

Delta Amex Platinum personal & business - 70,000 SkyMiles + $100 statement credit

• 70,000 Delta SkyMiles + 10,000 MQMs (elite status miles) after $3K spend in first 3 months
• $100 statement credit after Delta purchase in first 3 months
• $195 annual fee NOT waived in first year
• 10k bonus miles and 10k bonus MQMs (towards elite status) after $25k spend and + second 10k bonus miles and 10k MQMs after $50k spend per calendar year
• Free domestic economy companion certificate after first year.  (Yes, this certificate really works.  Once it is in your SkyMiles account, you can use it regardless of whether your Delta Amex Platinum credit card account is open.)
• Priority boarding and free checked bags.
• Offer expires 5/16/2018
• TIP:  *Any* spend with Delta, such as a $2 headphone or $8 snack box during a flight, should trigger the entire statement credit; you do not need to spend $100 to get the $100 credit
• The personal and business version are two cards with the same signup bonus and benefits.  A person can hold both cards at the same time
• More info here:  http://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/2018/03/01/four-new-offers-70k-60k-skymiles  (note that these offers expired in April, unless you apply via a referral link from someone.)

[DEAL GONE] Elite Status Mileage Run - U.S. to Lima Peru Business Class $513+ RT

{This airfare sale has expired.]

*UPDATE.  Fares as low as $513 round trip.  Original post was for $659 RT from LAX.  Other cities are even cheaper.  Chicago to Lima is under $600 RT.*

Prime example of an airfare that's a great way to earn toward elite status with Delta.

This airfare earns way more elite qualifying miles (MQMs) and elite qulaifying dollars (MQDs) with Delta than people realize is possible for $659

Aeromexico, along with Delta a SkyTeam member, has $659 round trip business class flights in 2018 from LAX to Lima Peru (LIM).

Also available is JFK or Orlando (MCO) to Santiago Chile from $1,012 on Aeromexico (1-stop via MEX) - with a chance to book the 787 with lie-flat business class seats.  12,350 mile roundtrip from JFK = almost 24,700 MQMs and 24,700 Sky Miles, and 4,940 MQDs

Basics

• 8,365 flown miles (Great Circle Mapper DETAILS - LAX-MEX-LIM)
• 16,730 elite qualifying miles (200% MQMs for this business class fare)
• $3,346 elite qualifying dollars (MQDs) - based on this fare class earning MQDs of 40% of the miles flown.  0.4 x 8,365 flight miles = 3,346

How Good is This Deal?

• Very good...
• Earning $3,200 MQDs for a $659 flight is excellent.  Partner flights earn MQDs based on a percentage of miles flown.  Delta's own flights (or Delta-marketed partner flights) earn 1 MQD per mile flown, but only on the main fare - not on the taxes & fees part.  If this was a Delta flight, you'd earn maybe $500-550 MQD.

Background Articles

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2017/12/15/amazing-fare-business-class-roundtrip-la-lima-peru-just-659/

https://www.theflightdeal.com/2017/12/15/business-class-aeromexico-1012-new-york-santiago-chile-roundtrip-including-all-taxes/

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2017/12/15/fare-alert-1091-business-class-roundtrip-new-york-santiago-chile/

Delta Amex Platinum Business Card - 70,000 SkyMiles Sign-up Bonus

Great offer for anyone interested in earning Delta SkyMiles or Delta elite status.  Public offer has expired; sign-up bonus is available only via referral.

Apply for the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card with this referral link:

http://refer.amex.us/MARYAW58fK?xl=cp01

Offer Details

• Must apply by Jan 31, 2018, using the link above or via a referral email
• 70,000 Delta SkyMiles when meeting minimum spend
• 10,000 Delta Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) 
• Earn the sign-up bonus by spending $4,000 or more within the first 3 months
• $100 statement credit after Delta purchase on the card in first 3 months
• $195 annual fee (NOT waived the first year)

FYI:  This is the BUSINESS version of the card.  This means a couple of things:

• It is a separate product from the PERSONAL Delta Amex Platinum card.  You can get approved for, and earn the bonus on, the business version even if you hold or previously held the personal version.
• As a business card, this card does not hit one's personal credit report and therefore does not worsen one's situation with regard to Chase's 5/24 rule.

Good background article on HOW (and why) to apply for a business credit card:

http://millionmilesecrets.com/2015/09/13/how-to-qualify-for-a-small-business-credit-card-and-why-you-should-get-one/

Card Benefits / Details

• Earn an additional 10,000 SkyMiles AND 10,000 MQMs by spending $25,000 on the card in a calendar year.  Spend $50,000 and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs (20k MQMs in one calendar year with $50k spend)
• Priority Boarding (Zone 1) on Delta flights for cardmember and others on same reservation
• Card benefits - first checked bag free on every Delta flight.
• Earn 1 SkyMile per dollar spent.  Earn 2 SkyMiles per dollar on Delta purchases
• 20% off eligible in-flight purchases via statement credit (meals, food, alcoholic beverages, headsets; in-flight wi-fi and charitable donations excluded)
• Spend $25,000 or more on the card in a calendar year to waive Delta's revenue requirement component of elite status qualification.

Bottom Line
Great card, top-notch sign-up bonus.  Highly recommended.

• This offer usually pops up once or twice a year.  Last time, it required $5k spend; this time only $4k.
• The usual bonus on this card is about half this good - typically 35k SkyMiles and 5k MQMs.
• This card is a business card and will not show up on your personal credit report.  Nor will it count toward your Chase 5/24 limit.
• American Express has both Gold and Platinum Delta co-branded credit cards, each in a business and personal version (four cards total).