How to Maximize Double-Dipping with Hilton HHonors in 2016

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 HHonors 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 HHonors, but several things have since changed, so today I want to revisit the program and highlight when it makes sense for you to utilize this earning option.

However, every Hilton HHonors member can boost their 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. It’s also worth noting that this process is a bit simpler than it was when I first wrote about it four years ago. In January 2014, Hilton HHonors discontinued its Points & Fixed Miles Earning Style, yet another blow to a program that had just annihilated its award chart in March 2013. This was a great option for shorter stays and actually helped me earn a Southwest Companion Pass for two straight years. While it did make things simpler when it comes to double-dipping, it also sapped some value out of the program!

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:

As you can see, the Hilton HHonors 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:

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 0.5 cents apiece. Since you’d get an additional 5 points per dollar spent by choosing Points & Points, that’s like getting an extra 2.5 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 17 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 2.5 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 clearly makes sense to utilize the Points & Miles earning option: Virgin Atlantic (Amtrak is a break-even partner). 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, beating out the bonus Hilton HHonors 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. For example, if you peg Hilton points at 0.4 cents apiece instead of 0.5, that brings Alaska into play.

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:

Choosing/Changing Your My Way Earning Style

One of the nice things about this double-dip with Hilton HHonors 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 HHonors’ 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 HHonors 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!

Source: thepointsguy.com