Hilton & Citi Hilton HHoners & Bonus Points

Earlier this week, I wrote about how I earned 11,000+ Hilton Points with one stay. First2Board blogger, Travelblawg,wrote a similar piece about how he earn 25,000+ Hilton Points & 3,000 United points.

I highly recommend reading his article as it gives great advice. However, one of the best pieces of advice came from a comment left by Carol:

Here is the link, she provided. The offer lasts until February 28th.

Here is what you must do to earn 2,500 bonus points:

1) If you register for the promotion,

2) Stay at a Hilton prior to February 28,

3) Pay your stay with a Citi Hilton HHonors Visa

I wish I would have know about this promotion sooner. I would be 2,500 points richer. Easy Points! All you need to do is register your card.

My recommendation is to register for the promotion regardless if you have a planned upcoming Hilton Stay. Why? Because you never know when you might stay at a Hilton.

This promotion proves Travelbawg point even further. Always Register For Promotions!

Happy Sunday!

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I Am Stuck On Hilton

I have been stuck on Hilton Hotels, as of late. Hilton, Hilton, Hilton! All I think about is Hilton!

I don't know why? But, I am kinda excited about the Hilton brand. Even after their devaluation last year, Hilton is still one of my favorite hotel brands. My fascinations could be a multitude of reasons:

First, I have an upcoming stay at the Stamford Hilton Conference center. I stayed here last February and had a great stay.

The stay in Stamford is going to earn me 7,000+ points due to Hilton's Quarter 1 Promotion, Hilton HHonors Weekend. This quarter's promotion offers you 1,000 points per Thursday-Sunday night stayed at a Hilton. If you stay two consecutive weekend nights, you earn an additional 5,000 Points.

To register for the program, go here.

On top of all that, I was approved for Citi Hilton Reserve Card.

The main benefit of this card is 2 free nights at a Hilton after spending $2,500. However, the benefit I am going after is Diamond Status after spending $40,000 in a calender year. $40,000 is alot of money to spend in a calender year, but I think its doable. Diamond status offers the following benefits:

2014 may be the year of Hilton for me.

Am I crazy to spend some much time with Hilton this year?

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The Negative Effect of The Miles Game

The points and miles game is a dangerous game.

I would be lying to you if I told you this game has not changed me for the worse. This game is addictive. Its a drug that you can't kick. The addiction with no cure and so on, and on, and on.

One of the ways this game has changed me is that I no longer can have long-term relationships. The need to increase my miles/points account balance consumes me. I spend my nights reading blogs and surfing message boards looking for the newest and latest trick to earn points. My weekends are spent on mileage runs or hunting for ice cream at drug stores. There is little time left to truly invest into developing relationships.

Please don't feel sorry for me. I am not a shut-in. I have relationships from time to time. Actually, in the past few years, there has been times when I have been involved with multiple partners. Its not easy balancing multiple relationships at the same time. One night, you go out to dinner with one. Then the next night, you are at the movies with another. And on the weekend you are on a road trip with the third. Each wants your attention and will do anything possible for it. They will try to lure you in with all the tricks in the bag.

There is a cycle to my relationships. Each starts out with excitement. Excitement of future possibilities. The first date is always fun because its new, unknown.  The excitement typically continues through the first month of the relationship, where both of you want to be together every moment possible. At some point, that excitement fizzles and you see each other less and less. Eventually, I just stop calling them. To make it worse, from time to time, I may call them out of the blue to hook up. However, only when it benefits me. Yes, I know. Its Ok. You can call me a pig!

My family won't say it, but they are getting increasingly concerned. The one that worries the most is my mother. She worries that I will never find a true love. "He's 28, when is he going to settle down already," she will say privately to her friends. The truth is that I like my current relationship status.

However, sometimes you need to man up and officially put an end to the relationship. I try to put off the official end as long as possible. The signs are there, but I try to avoid them. Out of site, out of mind.. For the past month, I have been avoiding ending three relationships. We had a lot of fun, but I think its time to see others.

Its time for me to official end my relationships with my United, US Airways and American Airlines
credit cards!

                                                                 

The past year has been great with all three of you. However, you three can't give me what I need at the moment. It's not you. It's me. I just think its best that we see other people.

Yes, the miles/points game has caused me not to be able to commit to long-term relationships. Long-term relationships with my credit cards!

Sometime you just need to say "good-bye!"
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What's In Cash Back Boy's Mailbox

Every day it seems that the mailman brings Cash Back Boy gets credit card offers. Some of these offers he gets make me jealous as they have big BIG sign-up bonuses. Typically, he just throws the offers in the trash can and I give him grief about not taking advantage of them.

On the same day last week, he received two offers and it gave me a little chuckle. The offers were for the same credit card, but with two different sign-up bonuses.

15,000 or 25,000 points offers arrive on the same day is weird. Someone in the promotions department messed up on this one. Typically, you get one or the other. It begs the question, what if you signed up for the 15,000 point offer and the next day get the 25,000 point offer. Some credit card companies will match the offer, but others say you get what you apply for.

The lesson here is to keep an eye out in the mail for credit card promotion. Much of the mail will be junk, but every once and a while a diamond can be found.
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Whats in My Wallet & Sock Drawer

The Frequent Miler had an article about which annual fee cards he is planning on keeping. It got me thinking about my own credit cards.

Quite a few are up for their annual fee and its time to make some decisions. Do I keep the credit card and pay the annual fee or singing “na na na, hey hey good-bye,” to it. The decision is not easy, because I deduct credit card annual fees from my travel budget. They are an expense to my travel hobby/addiction. Keep to many and the annual fees can add up quickly.

Here is a list of all the credit cards in my possession and my thinking at the moment of keeping or canceling:

Keeping:

Banana Republic (no annual fee)

Hilton AMEX (no annual fee)

US Airways World Mastercard (no annual fee – oldest credit line)

Capitol One Card (no annual fee)

Chase Hyatt ($79 annual fee – free night on anniversary)

Chase Priority Club ($49 annual fee – free night on anniversary)

US Bank Club Carlson ($75 annual fee - 40,000 point anniversary bonus)

Undecided:

Chase Sapphire ($95 – 7% dividend every January – last years’s: 1500 points)

Chase Southwest – Personal ($99 annual fee, 6,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Chase Southwest – Business ($99 annual fee, 6,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Alaska Airlines ($75 annual fee, $99 companion pass each anniversary)

US Airways Premier World Mastercard ($89 annual fee, - 10,000 miles anniversary bonus)

Bye Bye

Chase British Airways ($99 annual fee)

Chase United Airways ($95 annual fee)

Delta AMEX ($95 annual fee)

Citi American Airlines ($95 annual fee)

Last weekend, I wrote that one of the keys to a great credit card is a bonus on the anniversary especially if there is an annual fee. As reflected above, those credit cards with annual fees that I am keeping offer me that anniversary bonus. I have great credit, use my credit card frequently and always pay my bills on time, I should be reward for keeping their credit in my rotation. Yes, that sounds spoiled, but every time I swipe their card, they earn money. And I swipe alot!

As stated above, one of the main reasons I let cards go is the hit to my travel budget from the annual fees. If I kept all the cards above, the annual fees would be over $1,000 or 1/3 of my travel budget. Wasting a 1/3 of my travel budget on credit card annual fee is crazy.

The decision to keep or cancel a credit card is an important part of the game. Annual fees are not going away anytime soon. To succeed in this game, one must way the cost associated with having a credit card vs. the benefits that you receive from it.

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