Skip to main content

Hilton and AmEx Boost Welcome Offers Ahead of Summer Travel

By U.S. News & World Report

Elevated Offers Ahead of Peak Summer Travel

Spring is prime booking season for summer trips, and Hilton’s elevated bonuses could help you earn enough points for free nights. Each of the Hilton cards from American Express has an elevated welcome offer:

— Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee): Cardholders earn 70,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026 See Rates & Fees

— Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee): Cardholders earn 130,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026 See Rates & Fees

— Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550 annual fee): Cardholders earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026 See Rates & Fees

— The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card ($195 annual fee): Cardholders earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first six months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/15/2026 See Rates & Fees

With a six-month spending window to earn the bonus, new cardholders could meet the requirement in time to redeem points for summer or fall travel. Hilton doesn’t charge resort fees when you book an award stay, so you could save not only on the room rate, but also on nightly fees.

[SEE: Best American Express Credit Cards]

Who Should Consider Applying

The no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card is good for occasional Hilton guests who want to earn a bonus with a low barrier to entry. More frequent Hilton travelers may find value in the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, which offers automatic Gold status with room upgrades and a food and beverage credit at participating properties.

If you’re planning a luxury stay, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card can give you Diamond status with premium benefits, including an annual free night reward and Hilton resort statement credits.

Business owners with travel expenses may find the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card valuable, especially with its automatic Gold status and Hilton resort statement credits.

[Read: Travel Credit Cards]

Alternative Card to Consider

If you’re not sure you want to lock in with Hilton Honors, a flexible travel rewards card may be a better fit. The American Express® Gold Card has a $325 annual fee and a substantial welcome offer: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Membership Rewards points can be redeemed for cash back, travel, gift cards and transferred to travel partners, including Hilton Honors. (See Rates & Fees)

More from U.S. News

Your Guide to Citi Entertainment: What to Book Now

Your Guide to the Revamped Bilt Rewards Program

New AmEx Centurion Lounge Rules to Take Flight

Hilton and AmEx Boost Welcome Offers Ahead of Summer Travel originally appeared on usnews.com

Thailand tightens gun controls after deadly school shooting

By CNN
Bangkok (CNN) — Thailand is suspending new gun permits and tightening its firearm controls after last week’s deadly school shooting, in which a 14-year-old boy killed eight people before turning the gun on himself.Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul issued the directive on Tuesday, ordering government officials to “urgently elevate firearm control measures across the entire system,” according to a statement from his office.The measures include temporarily suspending the issuance of gun purchase permits, re-reviewing all permits still pending approval, and suspending new “welfare gun” programs – which allow eligible public officials, including civil servants and politicians, to buy discounted weapons.Government agencies will also now inspect gun dealers nationwide and verify sales records; inspect ammunition at shooting ranges to check that they’re following regulations; and “accelerate crackdowns on illegal firearms, rigorously prosecute offenders, and request maximum penalties from the court,” the directive read.The statement also lays out broader reforms that will take longer to legislate, such as increasing penalties for offenders, tightening ammunition controls for gun dealers and ranges, and requiring that gun permits be renewed on a more frequent basis.An initial compensation of 1 million baht (about $30,166) has been approved for six of the deceased victims, the statement said.The mass shooting has shone a new spotlight on Thailand’s high levels of gun ownership, both licensed and unlicensed.Last Friday, the 14-year-old gunman first killed his grandparents at their home, where he also lived, before opening fire at a secondary school and killing six people there. He then killed himself. It was the country’s worst mass shooting since 2022.Police said on Sunday the gunman had previously had an air gun confiscated by a teacher last year, and had watched violent content online, using social media to learn how to use a firearm. The firearm he used is believed to have been his grandfather’s.Thailand has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, with around 15 guns per 100 people. Its firearm death rate is similarly elevated, second in the region only to the Philippines.Countries with higher gun ownership rates tend to see correspondingly higher firearm death rates. Multiple studies link easy access to firearms with more frequent gun-related deaths, including through suicide, homicide and unintentional injury.As well as reigniting debate about gun control in Thailand, the shooting has put a focus on mental health for students and young people.The Ministry of Education said it would develop new safety protocols in the coming months, including mental health screenings and a system to refer at-risk people to specialists, drills for emergency response plans, a drive to stamp out bullying and better detection to stop items from being taken into schools.Mass shootings elsewhere in the world have often led to stricter gun control measures. Serbia and New Zealand, two nations with comparatively high gun ownership rates, both tightened rules and brought in gun amnesty drives following horrific massacres in recent years.The outlier remains the United States, where gun violence and rates of mass shootings are among the highest in the world, with little progress made on tighter laws in the face of strong lobbying and constitutional protections.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Read Next Story

Related Stories

Latest News
14-term Rep. John Larson ousted by challenger in Connecticut Democratic primary
43 minutes ago

14-term Rep. John Larson ousted by challenger in Connecticut Democratic primary

Dems pick nominees in key Wisc. districts as Sean Duffy's son-in-law wins GOP primary

Un susurro entre los escombros llevó a este hombre a rescatar a un bebé tras el terremoto en Cali

South Korea’s football body rocked by historic allegations it bought ‘sexual services’ for referees

Tafoya projected winner of GOP nomination for Senate in Minnesota primary