How to Maximize Double-Dipping With Hilton Honors

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express

There are many ways you can double- (or even triple-) dip to maximize your point and mileage earnings. One way to do this is on stays at Hilton properties, as you can earn both Hilton Honors points and airline miles on eligible stays (unlike other hotel chains that force you to choose between the two). Back in 2012, one of my first posts as a new TPG contributor covered double-dipping with Hilton Honors, but several things have since changed, so I want to revisit the program and highlight when it makes sense for you to utilize this earning option.

Let's start with the basics. As a regular Hilton Honors member, you'll earn 10 base points per eligible dollar spent at almost all Hilton properties (excluding Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton properties, where you'll earn 5 base points per dollar spent). These are in addition to any bonus points you'd earn on co-branded credit cards like the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express, which offers an additional 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties. You also can boost your earnings by attaining Hilton Honors elite status.

However, every Hilton Honors member can boost his or her earnings by selecting one of two My Way Earning Styles:

• Points & Points: Earn an additional 5 Hilton points per eligible dollar spent (2.5 extra points at Home2 Suites)
• Points & Miles: Earn 1 mile per eligible dollar spent (up to a maximum of 100 miles per stay at Home2 Suites)

Note that these earnings are in addition to the base earnings highlighted above.

Points & Miles Partners

The Points & Points earning option actually isn't quite as straightforward as the above overview indicates. There are some programs that utilize a different earning ratio, and some don't award miles across all brands. Here's a breakdown of the 17 airline partners in the Americas along with the earning rates and limitations:

The program also awards points or miles from 25 partners in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Here are the details for each of these carriers:

You also have access to another 23 partners in the Asia Pacific region. Here are the details of those partners:

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As you can see, the Hilton Honors program has an incredibly diverse set of partners (65 in all). You also have several that offer different earning rates than the standard 1 mile/point per dollar spent. So how do you go about deciding which is the best option?

Analysis

When it comes to deciding which earning style is best for you, you should start with Points & Points as your baseline and then answer the following question:

"Would you rather earn an extra 5 Hilton Honors points or 1 extra mile in _____'s program?"

Many of you may have an immediate, gut instinct as to which you'd prefer, and I'd say that's a probably a good indication of which style you should choose. However, it can be worth crunching the numbers to make sure that your decision makes mathematical sense.

Everyone has a slightly different way of valuing the various loyalty currencies out there, but let's use TPG's monthly valuations to help make this decision. In his most recent iteration, TPG pegs Hilton points at 0.6 cents apiece. Since you'd get an additional 5 points per dollar spent by choosing Points & Points, that's like getting an extra 3 cents back on your Hilton stays by going that route. Are there any partners that can eclipse that added value?

At the time of writing, there are 24 airline partners (plus Amtrak) that make TPG's list each month. In order for Points & Miles to make mathematical sense, the points or miles you'd earn per dollar spent with the partner would need to be worth at least 3 cents. Here's a table that breaks down the numbers for each of these partner programs:

As you can see, based on TPG's valuations, there is only a single partner that might make sense to utilize the Points & Miles earning option: Virgin Atlantic. While Flying Club miles aren't anywhere near the most valuable loyalty currency out there, the program does offer the best earning rate for Hilton stays, awarding you 2 miles per dollar spent. This gives you an added value of 3 cents for each dollar you spend, breaking even with bonus Hilton Honors points you'd earn by selecting Points & Points. Of course, you can feel free to adjust the numbers above if you have different values for certain currencies.

Is It Really This Black & White?

It can be exceedingly hard to give definitive recommendations in this hobby, since everyone places a different value on different things. Sure, the mathematics indicate that you should almost always select Points & Points, but your reality may be a bit different. Here are some times when you might choose Points & Miles:

• If You Have a Specific Redemption in Mind — In some cases, you may be pursing a specific redemption and would benefit from the airline miles much more than you would from the extra Hilton points. Alaska is a great example of this, given the excellent redemptions available through the Mileage Plan program (like Cathay Pacific first class).
• If You're Points-Rich and Miles-Poor — Another time when Points & Miles may make sense is when you are swimming in Hilton Honors points but are in desperate need of airline points or miles. Earning an extra 5 Hilton points per dollar spent may not be that exciting if you currently have half a million points in your account.
• If There's a Bonus of Some Sort — Every once in a while, Hilton will offer a bonus for a specific airline that increases your earning potential. Be sure to check the offers page on the Hilton Honors website to make sure your preferred carrier isn't offering any type of bonus.

Choosing/Changing Your My Way Earning Style

One of the nice things about this double dip with Hilton Honors is that you're free to change your earning style as many times as you want. However, be sure that your desired style is set by 11:59pm Central Time on your checkout date. This will ensure that your stay is credited properly. You can view your current earning style by visiting Hilton Honors' Account Preferences page and looking at the My Way Earning Style Preference section:

To change your earning style, simply click on Change Earning Style and select either Points & Points or Points & Miles. You can also have a confirmation email sent for your records.

The account preferences page is also where you can add your frequent flyer numbers and set your preferred program in which to earn miles:

To add additional accounts, simply click on Add New Travel Partner at the bottom and select the radio button next to your preferred partner before clicking Save Preferences down at the bottom.

Bottom Line

The Hilton Honors program is unique in that you can earn both hotel points and airline miles with one of 65 different travel partners for every stay. While this double dip isn't nearly as lucrative as it once was, given the elimination of the fixed miles option, it's nevertheless a nice way to boost your account balances in two different programs in one fell swoop. Hopefully this post has given you some food for thought as you decide which earning style makes the most sense for you!

What are your experiences double-dipping with Hilton Honors?