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If you’re looking for a way to earn lots of points to redeem for some amazing travel, you can’t go wrong with American Express Membership Rewards credit cards. Amex provides a number of ways to earn Membership Rewards points and plenty of fun ways to redeem them for some great flights.
In this post, we’ll show you all of the American Express transfer partners, how to transfer Membership Rewards to these partners, and much more. With this guide in hand, you’ll be ready to book some amazing vacations!
American Express provides tons of opportunities to earn Membership Rewards points. Pick the card or combination of cards that will help you earn the most points and get the benefits that matter to you.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card. The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Amex business credit cards.
A fun and easy way to boost your earning potential is to maximize Amex Offers, which grant additional Membership Rewards for your purchases at select merchants.
The American Express Membership Rewards program has a ton of airline transfer partners.
Make sure you check the transfer rate (see below) since not all transfers are done at a 1:1 ratio.
| Amex Airline Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio (Amex > Partner) | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| AeroMexico | 1,000 | 1:1.6 | 2-12 days |
| Air Canada | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| ANA | 1,000 | 1:1 | 3 days |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost instant |
| British Airways | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | 1,000 | 1:1 | Up to 1 Week |
| Delta Air Lines | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Emirates | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Etihad Airways | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Flying Blue Air France/KLM | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hawaiian | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Iberia | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-3 days |
| JetBlue | 250 | 1:0.8 | Almost Instant |
| Qantas | 500 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Singapore Airlines | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
Membership Rewards can also be transferred to 3 hotel rewards programs.
Like American Express airline partners, transfer ratios vary (see below), so make sure you check them before transferring.
| Amex Hotel Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio (Amex > Partner) | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choice Privileges | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hilton Honors | 1,000 | 1:2 | Almost Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1,000 | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
Hot Tip: Use our transfer partner tool to see how many points you’ll get when you transfer your Amex Membership Rewards to their partner airlines and hotels!
With some Membership Rewards points in your account, it’s time to decide where you want to transfer your points so you can start traveling. Here are the simple steps to make the transfer process easy.
Step 1: Select Earn and Redeem from the menu.
Step 2: Select Transfer Points under Redeem.
Step 3: Choose your desired airline or hotel transfer partner and select Transfer Points. If you haven’t already, you will need to link your frequent flyer account to your Membership Rewards account. In the example below, we chose Delta Air Lines.
Step 4: Once you have linked your airline or hotel account to your Membership Rewards account, choose how many points you would like to transfer. Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000.
Step 5: Confirm the number of points you are transferring and complete the transfer.
Step 6: Head over to the appropriate airline or hotel program to book your award flight or award stay.
Bottom Line: Transferring Amex points to partners is easy. Just have your loyalty program numbers handy and your Amex card details, and you’ll be good to go!
Transferring your points when there is a bonus is an ideal situation. Getting the most value out of every point you have is the key to getting those high-level redemptions!
Amex has previously offered both public and targeted transfer bonus offers of 15% to 40%. For example, if you were to transfer 10,000 points when a particular partner is offering a 40% bonus offer, your points would be worth 14,000 points after transfer.
However, you shouldn’t transfer points JUST because there is a bonus. It’s best to keep your points in a transferable account (like Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, or Marriott Bonvoy) until you have a specific redemption in mind.
If you’re booking economy flights or hotels, don’t forget to check out Amex Travel where you can book cash flights with points. Points are generally worth 1 cent each.
With The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, each point is worth about 1.54 cents when booking on your preselected airline.
The boost is applied in the form of a 35% rebate, so you’ll still need the total points in your account at the time of booking. You can get up to 1 million points rebated per calendar year.
Let’s check out an example (below). If you have the Amex Business Platinum card and Delta Air Lines is your selected airline, this booking will cost 22,516 Membership Rewards points initially.
Once the rebate is applied, American Express will return 7,880 Membership Rewards to your account, which means this booking would actually cost you 14,636 points.
You might have noticed in the example above that the booking is a Membership Rewards Insider Fare.
This can make your bookings through Amex Travel even more valuable since American Express sometimes discounts flights if you pay entirely with points.
Consider the flights we discussed above. Booking this itinerary through Amex Travel costs 14,636 Membership Rewards points, and the booking still earns Delta SkyMiles as a paid fare rather than an award ticket.
If you were to transfer Membership Rewards to Delta and book this same itinerary as an award ticket, you would have to transfer 25,000 points to your SkyMiles account to book it. In this case, booking through the portal would be a much better deal.
This is clearly a time to book through Amex Travel rather than transferring points. To ensure you get the most out of your points every time, it’s important to check both the portal and transfer options when booking economy class.
Amex Travel also allows you to book hotels at up to 1 cent per point in value through Fine Hotels & Resorts.
You can also redeem your points for gift cards to merchants like Nike, Saks Fifth Avenue, Walmart, or Amazon, or use your points to shop for items from the Membership Rewards site.
Unfortunately, these are generally terrible uses of your hard-earned Membership Rewards points. To get the most value out of them, stick with travel redemptions!
If you have multiple cards that earn Membership Rewards, they can each be linked to the same account so your points will automatically collect in one place.
Generally, when you apply for a new card that earns Membership Rewards points, it will automatically be linked to your account.
One downside is that points cannot be transferred to your spouse or significant other’s Membership Rewards account.
However, you can transfer points to a frequent flyer program owned by any authorized users on your account, as long as they have been an authorized user for at least 90 days.
While this isn’t a perfect solution, it still allows you to help friends and family book award flights.
Using your Membership Rewards points for travel is clearly the best way to use your points.
With so many airline transfer partners and tons of ways to redeem your points, it’s almost overwhelming!
To make the process a bit easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best ways to redeem your Membership Rewards for some amazing travel experiences.
American Express Membership Rewards points are tremendously useful if you want to travel. With so many ways to earn and redeem points, you can book award flights to just about anywhere in the world!
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
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32 comments
DONALD FLOWERS
June 07, 2019
Does Amex charge a fee to transfer MR points to Delta Airlines ?
Stephen Au
June 07, 2019
Hey Donald,
Yes, they charge an excise tax for any U.S.-based frequent flyer program, including Delta Airlines. This fee is $.0006 per point with a maximum of $99. Thanks for reading!
dixieboz
July 12, 2019
If I transfer miles from Amex MR into Flying Blue, will it reset my 2 year clock with Flying Blue? I have 57K FB miles that are expiring on August 31.
Jarrod West
July 13, 2019
Hi Dixieboz,
Unfortunately, that will not reset the expiration clock. Per the Flying Blue website, the only ways to reset the clock are to:
1.) Take an eligible flight at least once every 2 years with Air France, KLM, Joon, HOP!, or any SkyTeam partner
2.) You’re a Silver, Gold or Platinum member
3.) You make a purchase with an eligible partner bank card at least once every 2 years.
Upgradedpintsuser
October 02, 2019
Does the AF Bank of America credit card satisfy the 3rd way?
Jarrod West
October 03, 2019
Hi!
Yes, that will keep your points from expiring. Thanks for reading!
Mary Ellen
August 31, 2019
Does The Amex Platinum card have typical travel insurance? I heard it doesn’t.
Andrew Kunesh
September 03, 2019
Hey Mary, good question. The American Express Platinum Card has baggage insurance for checked bags but does not offer full-blown travel insurance. The Platinum card also includes access to the Global Assist Hotline which can assist in case of medical emergencies when traveling. Learn more in our American Express travel insurance benefits guide.
Jacqu'e C
September 28, 2019
I have 2 Hilton Honors America Express cards, for which I receive Hilton Honors points. Does this disqualify me from getting the 100,000 points with the American Express Platinum Card?
Jarrod West
September 29, 2019
Hi Jacqu’e,
No, this does not disqualify you from receiving the 100,000 welcome bonus with the Amex Platinum card. But do keep in mind that the offer is very hard to come by.
Thanks for reading!
COLLEEN DOERING
February 22, 2021
I’ve booked a transatlantic cruise for April 2022 that ends in Barcelona, I have 750K Amex points now. I want to make the most of my time when I get there, fly to Paris and fly back to the US business or first class. What do you recommend and how early should I book to get the best deal?
Jarrod West
March 29, 2021
Hi Colleen,
You can get flights between Barcelona and Paris for pretty cheap, so it might not make sense to use points in that instance. As for flying back to the U.S. in business class using Membership Rewards points, your best option would probably be to transfer to 55,000 points to Air Canada which will allow you to fly United’s Polaris business class back to the U.S.
I would try and book as far in advance as you can as award availability can dry up quickly the longer you wait.
Marc F
April 20, 2021
I knew about the ability to transfer your Amex MR points into your spouse’s frequent flyer account as long as they are an AU, so I planned for this for a while. Just tried to finally move over my wife’s MR points into my Emirate’s account (I’m am AU on her Amex Personal Gold card) and it bounced back. Amex was confused, so I asked Emirates and they believe their system only allows point transfers from the same Amex account as the Emirates account. Is this right? Kinda ruins the ability to pool points with family!
Stephen Au
April 29, 2021
Hi Marc,
You can transfer Amex points to authorized users, but this must be done correctly. If you’re an authorized user on your wife’s Amex Gold card, you should be able to designate the person whose Emirates account you’re transferring your points to. When you try to link the Emirates account, there’s a box at the beginning of the linking form that says “Select a card holder to link”. If you’re an AU, your wife should see your name there. After that, confirm the account linkage and transfer Amex points to that account.
BARBARA CAMERA
September 02, 2021
Does Aex partner with Big Buy?
Jarrod West
September 03, 2021
Hi Barbara,
I’m not sure I understand your question. What do you mean by parter? As in, do Big Buy stores accept American Express?
Andy Vo
March 26, 2022
Any guess as to which transfer partners with bonuses will be available in April?
Jarrod West
March 28, 2022
Hi Andy,
We don’t know for certain, but we will be sure to update as soon as we do!
Anita
April 05, 2022
Amex no longer transfers to ANA. Not sure when the change happened. There is a Virgin Atlantic workaround. You have to find the available award space elsewhere and then call VA, from what I understand. It was my favorite transfer. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Jarrod West
April 05, 2022
Hi Anita,
American Express definitely still transfers to ANA. I just checked on my own account.
Rose
May 30, 2022
Can the American Express blue card points transfer to flying miles?
Chris Hassan
May 30, 2022
Hi Rose,
If you have a card like The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, you cannot transfer points as you are earning cash back. However, if you have a card that earns MR points, like The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, then yes, you can transfer.
May
September 27, 2022
Hello, I live in LA. I plan to travel to Istanbul Turkey during Thanksgiving. How do I use my AMEX and Marriott points most effectively for the air travel?
Jarrod West
September 27, 2022
Hi May,
Read through this guide for some helpful tips to get you started.
Lynne
November 13, 2022
Hi there,
To save costs in this economy my husband and I decided to close our Amex Platinum and only hold onto our Amex Gold. However, we have 250k Amex Points we have to use up. Which airline or hotel partner would you recommend us to transfer it to maximize future trips? We most likely will be making one EU and one Asia trip for 2023. Thanks!
Jarrod West
November 14, 2022
Hi Lynne,
If you’re planning to continue on with an Amex Gold then you do not have to use your points at this time. The Amex Gold card has the same access to transfer partners that the Amex Platinum offers.
Tien Tran
March 02, 2023
Hi,
What is the best way to book business class from LAX to Zurich or Geneva using Amex points?
Chris Hassan
March 03, 2023
Air Canada Aeroplan has some great rates with Swiss Air, if you find something you like, you can transfer your Amex points over instantly to book.
Sudo
March 17, 2023
I was surprised to find that Amex uses a 3:2 ratio for Singapore transfers (table above is inaccurate/old). Given all Chase/Capital one/Citi use a 1:1 ratio, this is a big problem for Krisflyer members.
Christine Krzyszton
March 17, 2023
Hi Sudo. I just logged in to my American Express card account and looked up the transfer ratios for Membership Rewards points to KrisFlyer miles and the ratio still states 1:1.
Carmelita Valera
June 12, 2023
I have a lot of UR points but not enough MR points to book for ANA RTW using points. Is there a work around so I can use my UR points?
Jarrod West
June 12, 2023
Hi Carmelita,
Sadly not as there is no way to transfer Chase points to ANA.
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