Every year, instead of trying to maximize every bonus category on every card, we identify the cards where a specific level of spend earns a tangible benefit, such as free nights, credits, or accelerated elite status progress.
This year, we prioritized milestone perks over earning raw points.
- If a card offered a defined, high-value benefit after reaching a spending threshold, it went into the rotation.
- If not, it stayed in the drawer.
Spending Thresholds We Completed
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Once the certificate arrived, the Surpass went out of the wallet for the rest of the year. There’s no incremental benefit to continuing to spend on the card after the free night is earned.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
We completed the $10,000 spending threshold, triggering a $200 Delta flight credit.This effectively adds an extra 2% return on that first $10,000 of spend — in addition to the SkyMiles earned. After the credit posted, the card was rotated out; there are stronger cards for everyday spend once the threshold is met.
Spending Threshold In Progress
World of Hyatt® Credit Card (Personal)
We are currently approximately $4,000 short of the $15,000 annual spending threshold, which qualifies for an additional Category 1–4 Free Night Award.
The free night does not appear immediately when you cross $15K — it’s issued after the statement where you complete the spending closes. This timing matters toward year-end. Hilton deposits the free night almost immediately; Hyatt requires waiting for the next cycle. With two months remaining, this one is still on track.
Spending Requirements We Skipped
Bilt Mastercard — $10,000 (Silver Status Spend)
Silver status offers enhanced Rent Day transfer bonuses, which can be valuable. We transferred our balance during the Hilton Rent Day promotion, where Silver and above members could transfer:
1 Bilt point → 3 Hilton points
After that, there was no strategic reason to push another $10,000 toward Silver until we build up a decent balance. Simply put — those dollars were better directed toward Hyatt’s free night.
Virgin Red Mastercard — $15,000 / $30,000 Threshold
Virgin Red offers milestone awards at $15K and $30K spend, with options including a Virgin Atlantic companion/upgrade voucher, a free night at a Virgin Hotel, or a $300 bar tab on Virgin Voyages.
These rewards can be valuable if you have firm travel plans within the Virgin ecosystem. For our 2025–2026 travel pattern, we did not — so this card didn’t make the cut.
(Travel on Points has an excellent valuation breakdown if you’re considering this strategy: link.)
Final Thought
This year reinforced something important:
The value of a spending threshold isn’t the perk itself — it’s whether the perk aligns with your actual travel plans.
Our spending went toward high-value, guaranteed benefits:
- ✅ Hilton Surpass — Free night earned
- ✅ Delta Gold Business — $200 flight credit earned
- 🔄 World of Hyatt — $4,000 to go toward a free night
And we consciously skipped threshold spends that didn’t align with our travel.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
