AMEX Platinum Card Holders Get Free Hilton Gold Status

Hilton Gold Status is now a standard benefit of the American Express Platinum Card, Platinum Business Card, and (I assume) Mercedes-Benz and Ameriprise Platinum cards. That's great news for me, since I just got the"regular" Platinum Card with a 100,000 point sign up bonus two months ago.

Hilton Gold Status is not automatic just by holding one of these cards.

AMEX Platinum Card Holders Get Free Hilton Gold Status

Hilton Gold Status is now a standard benefit of the American Express Platinum Card, Platinum Business Card, and (I assume) Mercedes-Benz and Ameriprise Platinum cards. That's great news for me, since I just got the"regular" Platinum Card with a 100,000 point sign up bonus two months ago.

Hilton Gold Status is not automatic just by holding one of these cards.

American Express Offers Free FICO Score

American Express is offering real FICO scores for free to cardholders. Get yours here. Barclaycard, Citi, and Discover already offer real FICO scores for free to cardholders, so by now everyone who opens rewards credit cards should have free access to their real FICO score.

Your FICO score is the main or one of the main factors in all decisions lenders make about whether to extend you credit, how much, and on what terms. Watch it. Guard it. Keep it high.

Small Business Saturday is Dead to Us

American Express christened the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the day after Black Friday, as Small Business Saturday in 2010. Every year since then, American Express has offered $10 to $30 in statement credits per American Express card for shopping at small businesses on Small Business Saturday. There are probably people who have racked up over $1,000 in free statement credits from American Express in the last five years.

Well this gravy train is over, at least for this year, but I'd guess forever.

2016 American Express Membership Rewards Hotel Airline Transfer Partners USA

The page that shows American Membership Rewards transfer partners seems to require sign in, so I will put the partners and ratios here for those who are considering getting an American Express card and want to see where their points can transfer.

Transfer Bonus and Virgin America Gold Status from AMEX

Transfer 80,000 American Express Membership Rewards to 40,000 Virgin America Elevate points by December 31, 2015 and receive top tier Virgin America Gold Status through February 2017.

In addition, if you complete the transfer by October 8, 2015, you will get 25% more Elevate points, so 80,000 Membership Rewards would equal Gold Status plus 50,000 Virgin America points.

Good Deal?
I value Membership Rewards at 2 cents each. I value Virgin America points at 2 cents each.

The Coolest Thing You Can Do with 12.5k to 92.5k Delta SkyMiles

Updated 5/14/15 with current prices and routing rules. Screen shots show old prices.

Delta SkyMiles get a bad rap--very deservedly so--for the lack of Saver (Level 1) award availability that Delta releases, the fuel surcharges Delta charges on awards, the inability to add stopovers on awards, and the fact that Delta deleted its chart from the internet.

But it does not follow that Delta miles are worthless.

150k Point Sign Up Bonus on AMEX Platinum Business Card Ends Tomorrow

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is offering 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards after spending $20,000 in the first three months.

There is no application link, so you must apply by phone. To apply call 877-628-6736 and give offer code L081-994-816-5743. This offer code expires tomorrow May 15; the exact time is unknown. When you call, you may also be offered 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards after spending $10,000 in the first three months.

The publicly available offer is only 40,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months.

150k Point Sign Up Bonus on AMEX Platinum Business Card Ends Tomorrow

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is offering 150,000 bonus Membership Rewards after spending $20,000 in the first three months.

There is no application link, so you must apply by phone. To apply call 877-628-6736 and give offer code L081-994-816-5743. This offer code expires tomorrow May 15; the exact time is unknown. When you call, you may also be offered 100,000 bonus Membership Rewards after spending $10,000 in the first three months.

The publicly available offer is only 40,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first three months.