Last year Milepoint sold premium memberships for $59, which was an amazing value given all the perks it came with, including 2,000 United MileagePlus miles, 2,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points (or Hyatt Platinum status), and more.
Anyway, they’re back this year with an equally compelling benefits package and an even lower price of $49.95. You can find a full list of benefits here, but a few of them include:
- Hilton HHonors Gold status (which gets you free internet and breakfast/club lounge access at Hilton family hotels)
- 1,000 United MileagePlus miles
- 10% off Hyatt gift cards
- National Emerald Club Executive status
- A free upgrade to AwardWallet Plus
- 20% off an ExpertFlyer membership
Along with several other benefits…
You can find the terms & conditions here and can then become a premium member here.
Hilton HHonors Gold status is worth a lot more than $50, and the 1,000 MileagePlus miles, Hyatt gift cards for 10% off, etc., aren’t half bad either! Anyway, quantities are limited and 10% of the proceeds go to charity. This is definitely something I’ll be taking advantage of.
How long does Hilton gold status last?
@ Rob — Hmmm, not positive, but my guess would be for the rest of this year and all of next year.
How long is the Hilton gold status with this deal? Is it permanent gold status?
Whats the expertflyer regular price before the 20% off coupon?
thanks
What happens if you are already Hilton Gold?
@JIM
From gary’s blog
http://boardingarea.com/viewfromthewing/2013/10/10/amazing-deal-alert-hilton-gold-national-car-rental-status-united-miles-49/
The headline benefits:
■Gold Elite status with Hilton HHonors through February 2015
■Free upgrade to National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status
■1,000 United MileagePlus miles
@ JIM — Through February 2015 it seems. ExpertFlyer charges ~$100 for a one year membership, so you’d pay ~$80 with the code.
@ SC — There’s no replacement benefit if you’re already Gold — you still get all the other benefits though.
Thanks Ben. I just signed up. Where do we provide our MP and HHonors # or will they notify us later on?
I should probably sign up for National Car as well but I already have Hertz. Not much of a rental car person. 😉
Meh – last year’s offer was better value
The parking spot is easily the best deal. Free day of parking PER visit is HUGE!
already have gold status until 2015. sorry this deal is not as good as it sounds.
If I already have Hilton gold status, can’t I combine the accounts using this link here?
http://hhonors3.hilton.com/en/support/faq/index.html
Darn. Too bad they don’t offer hyatt gold this time around.
@ George — Sure, but what would be the benefit of combining accounts if you already have Gold status? That’s the only Hilton benefit being offered here.
@Lucky
My current gold status is about to expire and I’d like to be able to use all the points I’ve accumulated with that account with the new gold status.
@ George — Hmm, otherwise you should just be able to renew your Gold membership once it expires. You don’t have to use all your membership benefits right away if I recall correctly.
@Lucky
Sorry, I’m not following. Wouldn’t the Hhonors account drop to Blue/Silver upon expiration of Gold? How would you renew it?
@ George — Sorry I wasn’t clear. What I was saying is that if your Gold status expires in February, for example, you could instead at that point log into your premium membership account and renew Gold status using the benefit. You don’t have to do it now.
@Lucky! Ah, thanks for the clarification! I’m signing up now then.
I just renewed once again with Milepoint as a Premier original member from last year. I am using my Platinum status with Hyatt from last year for my RTW trip in 2 weeks. So happy I signed up last year!
I’ll have to plan a Gold status trip with Hilton in 2014 along with the extra MP miles too 🙂
So happy when I see these promos!
Are Hyatt gift cards bought directly from Hyatt?
Is it a one time purchase?
or is there a time frame to purchase the gift cards?
Thanks
I think what Christo means is: do Hyatt gift cards get double points with the Hyatt CC or with Chase Sapphire Preferred? Are they stackable with the Costco discount rate?
@Antonio
Yes, that’s what I meant. Thanks
Yes, Hyatt gift cards can be used with a Costco Rate or AAA rate.
I’ve used them that way before.
Ben, is there any country restriction on this one? Can someone (me) residing outside of US or Canada become a member and receive the full benefits? Did not find this anywhere in the fine print.
Quick question if anyone knows (apologies if its silly), can you use the parking spot vouchers for an overnight park? Can’t find out if entry/exit must be on same day, or if you can go in at night, out in the morning?
@ Alex — Yep, I think that’s the intent, it’s for a free night of parking.
@ Deo — Absolutely, there are no residency restrictions as far as I know.
@ Antonio — Yes, you can use them on any rate, they’re good as cash when you check out at a Hyatt. I *believe* it would qualify as hotel spend in terms of using your credit card to make the purchase.
@ George — Sorry I wasn’t clear. What I was saying is that if your Gold status expires in February, for example, you could instead at that point log into your premium membership account and renew Gold status using the benefit. You don’t have to do it now.
Actually, per Randy Petersen on MP when I asked, you can claim your HH Gold membership now and it will automatically extend to 2/15, so there’s really no reason to wait.
I am actually really shocked and angry that all the bloggers are promoting this. This deal is so much worse than last year and nobody is even mentioning it. Last year I received 2,000 United miles, not 1,000. I received PLATINUM Hyatt status. Not some cheap Hilton Gold status that I can get strictly by having the correct credit card. Not to mention that Hilton points are basically worth nothing now so who is staying at Hiltons anymore anyway?! I still received Executive status with National. A free go-go pass, award wallet upgrade, 20% off expertflyer, 3 month Clear trial. Exactly how is this offer better in ANYWAY? The parking is really the only good thing and I travel for work and get reimbursed for that anyways. This is really the first time that I feel like the bloggers are seriously trying to “pull one over” on your readers. Disappointed…
@ Jessica — First of all, you get Platinum with Hyatt just for having a credit card as well, so it’s no different than Hilton. And Hilton Gold status is objectively more valuable than Hyatt Platinum status. Maybe not the points earned, but Hilton Gold status gets you not only free internet (like Hyatt Platinum), but also free breakfast/lounge access.
So by mentioning this deal I’m trying to “pull one over” on you? Seriously? I have no vested interest here…
I just want to say the Hilton Gold is worth it alone for me. Before the devaluation of the decade (exaggerating much, I’m not sure (but I did just drink a Redline so the words are being typed faster then I can think of them)) I booked New Years 2013/14 at the Conrad Manhattan so Gold giving me potential access to an upgrade or club/lounge access is compelling, not to mention I booked New Years 2014/15 in London at The Bentley (which is no longer a member of the Hilton family (so far I haven’t been notified of a cancelled booking or a change in hotel (have to wait until end of November for that I think. Anyway, potential upgrades and club/lounge access is a compelling benefit. The United Miles AwardWallet upgrade and Hyatt discount are just icing on the cake.
So, I’m going to sound very ignorant/dumb here, but aside from all of the benefits, what exactly does a premium membership at Milepoint get me? Randy started FT, and everybody participates free there, so not sure then of what the purpose/mission of MP is and why it’s valuable enough for us to pay for it? Not being snarky, just trying to understand it better from all of you.
@Kelly: The only benefit you get on milepoint itself is the removal of ads in the forums. The rest are all bonuses for use with other services and providers.
Dumb question but does Hilton honor the gold status if you book the room through sites like Hotwire or so you have to book through their website?
@ Mike — Not a dumb question at all. In my experience you typically get the free wifi no matter what, and everything else is at the hotel’s discretion, so varies.
I agree with Jessica, these benefits are not worth with the cost of 50 bucks.
1) By MS, one can get 1k UA miles for the cost of 8 bucks
2) Hilton Gold is free via many different ways
3) Exec Status is useless in many ways. Cheaper deal with codes and coupons are at Hertz
The rest of benefits are just added junk
The benefits are worth the cost for me — I don’t have most of the memberships and points and whatever… Just the ParkingSpot night, the 1000 UA points (hey, so, last year was 2000 points? It’s **no longer** last year!!), and the chance to read the Flyer online magazine and try out Points Hound and and and… The whole point of this sort of deal is (I’m pretty sure) to let NEW FOLKS try stuff out that they wouldn’t normally.
If you ‘did better’ last year… uh… see my previous point! It’s on longer last year!
Also, please try to keep in mind that NOT everyone lives in the US or maybe the 5-6 other countries where you can get a credit card that gives you anything…
I wasn’t around for the last deal but signed up for this one on Friday. EF discount + UA miles by itself almost cover the package price by themselves. Already had AwardWallet Pro but it looks like the link also allows me to request an AW card with info on up to 30 of my program which is pretty sweet.
Perhaps people that travel alot already have some or all of these programs but I imagine the reason why these businesses participate in the package is to entice more casual traveler.
For example, I just finished a Pro trial of EF and this discount will give me an excuse to sign up for an annual subscription.
Signed up for PointsHound because of this deal and timing couldn’t be better as I’m leaving on a European vacation in a couple of weeks & needed a hotel in Prague in a couple of weeks and Starwood’s only one isn’t great (I’m SPG Platinum). And now that I had some more time to explore PH, I’m seriously considering foregoing staying at Four Points Zurich and paying cash for a more convenient hotel while earning miles (thinking AA miles).
Anyway, eagerly awaiting AW code and PH upgrade 🙂
If I already have HHonors Gold, can I “gift” gold membership to someone else? Say my mother or girlfriend?
Thanks!
@ Nate — I’m not positive, but my guess is that you could. With these types of things you can usually designate who you’d like to receive the benefits.