American Express Platinum appears to have dropped Hilton Gold as a benefit

The American Express Platinum charge card has a lot to offer the regular traveller. Yes, there is a fairly bonkers £450 annual fee, but you can get 50,000 Avios for signing up and the benefits are not bad. (I will write more on this in a couple of days.)

Cardholders will know that Amex did a big relaunch for the card in mid 2012. This followed a) an increase in the annual fee from £300 to £450 and b) a cut-back in the value of the travel insurance benefit.

However, we all got a big glossy brochure in the post which aimed to reassure us about the great value that Platinum offers.

This brochure attracted a lot of criticism because it implied that the Cathay Pacific Gold card (which gives you most of the benefits of a British Airways Silver card, including lounge access) was a permanent benefit. It isn’t. It is meant to be a one-off for 1 year, although Cathay is currently rolling over memberships for people.

The brochure also implied that the Hilton HHonors Gold card offered to American Express Platinum cardholders was a permanent benefit. We all knew that was not true – it was a ‘one off’ for a year.

Now, the free Hilton HHonors Gold card has disappeared from the Amex website.

It has gone from the main promotional site from the card

It has gone from the private Amex Platinum website

It has gone from the online application form for the hotel and Cathay cards

Gone, with no notice. Which is very poor form (again).

This is especially poor form because – as the Hilton card was a genuine ‘one year only’ deal – a lot of people had delayed signing up for it until they knew they would have a Hilton stay coming up. If Amex had given a few weeks notice, everyone who had not had this offer yet could have signed up.

This is especially annoying as Hilton Gold is the best mid-tier hotel status to have. You get a guaranteed upgrade, free breakfast (except at Waldorf-Astoria’s) and free internet, plus a 50% points bonus. For the leisure traveller, these are all benefits that offer real value.

There is a way of getting Hilton Gold status with just four Hilton stays, which I will post about in a few days. That is still nowhere near as good as getting the card just for filling in a form, though – especially if you only wanted it for a couple of stays.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (March 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

NEW: Hilton Honors Plus Debit

10,000 bonus points, Hilton Gold status and NO FX fees Read our full review

NEW: Hilton Honors Debit

2,500 bonus points, Hilton Silver status and 0.5% FX fees Read our full review

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.