Hilton HHonors ‘fixed miles’ option is no longer available

The Hilton HHonors option of earning ‘Points and Fixed Airline Miles’ ended on January 6th.  This change was originally announced last November.

‘Points and Fixed Airline Miles’ was a generous deal for short stays, especially overnight stops in cheap properties.  Both Virgin Atlantic and, back in the day, BMI allowed you to earn 1,000 miles.  British Airways offered 500 Avios.

You now have only two collection options at Hilton Family properties:

“Points and Points” – you will receive 10 Hilton HHonors points per $1 plus a bonus of 5 points per $1

“Points and Variable Miles” – you will receive 10 Hilton HHonors points per $1 plus 1-2 airline miles per $1

You can set your earnings preference in your Hilton HHonors profile, and you can change it from stay to stay.

• For BA Avios, the airline rate is 1 mile per $1
• For Iberia Avios, the airline rate is 15 miles per $10 (so don’t credit to BA!)
• For Virgin Flying Club, the airline rate is 2 miles per $1

The rates for other airlines can be found here.

I tend to value a Hilton point at 0.3p.  You might do better, possibly 0.5p if you can get ‘cash and points’ for your chosen hotel when you redeem, but not all hotels offer that.  On that basis, I would suggest:

An Avios collector is better off taking ‘Points and Points’ in Iberia as I do not value 1.5 Avios (1.2p-1.5p) higher than 5 Hilton points (1.5p or more with ‘cash and points’).

A Virgin collector is probably better off taking ‘Points and Variable Miles’, as I would value 2 Flying Club miles (1.5p-2p) higher than 5 Hilton points (1.5p) unless you were confident of getting ‘cash and points’ redemptions.

This change is not the end of the world – Hilton remains, after all, the only programme where you can collect points and airline miles.

You also have the option to not take any airline miles at all and earn a larger number of Hilton points instead, although since they were devalued it is debatable if you want to build up those too much. 

Hilton lost a lot of friends back in February 2013 when it unveiled a massive devaluation of the Hilton HHonors programme.  Prices of rooms at top properties jumped from 50,000 points to a maximum of 95,000 points …..

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

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.