American Express Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

Depending on your Amex card, you might be able to transfer your reward points to any of its travel partners. Popular Amex transfer partners include British Airways Executive Club, Emirates Skywards, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy.

Examples of cards that let you transfer points to American Express transfer partners include the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, the Amex Platinum Card and the Amex Gold Card. American Express also offers several business credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points. Before transferring points, you need to link the airline or hotel loyalty program receiving the points to your Membership Rewards program account.

American Express rewards its cardholders in different ways. For instance, you may earn cash back, Membership Rewards points or miles/points linked to a specific airline or hotel. If your card comes with Membership Rewards points, you may transfer them to any of Amex's Membership Rewards transfer partners.

To maximize your earning potential, and if you're comfortable managing multiple cards, you may want to consider setting up an AMEX Trifecta. The Trifecta refers to a combination of three specific AMEX credit cards that, when used strategically, can maximize the accumulation of Membership Rewards points. This trio typically comprises the Platinum Card®, the Gold Card and the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card. Each card in this Trifecta offers unique earning rates and bonus categories, which means cardholders can optimize their spending by choosing the right card for the right purchase. For example, the Gold Card may offer bonus points on dining and groceries, the Platinum Card could reward more for travel expenses and the Blue Business Plus might offer a consistent rate on general spending up to a certain limit.

Points earned with the Amex EveryDay card can transfer to Amex transfer partners. If you wish to transfer the Membership Rewards points you earn through your Amex EveryDay card, you need to link the loyalty program in question to your Membership Rewards account first.

People who have American Express cards with Membership Rewards points may transfer their points to any Amex travel partner loyalty program. These include airline and hotel partners.

No matter which part of the world you fly to regularly, you’ll likely find an American Express airline partner to take you there.

• Aer Lingus AerClub. You need to transfer at least 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points get you 1,000 Avios points. You cannot carry out transfers that result in more than 999,000 Avios points.
• AeroMexico. You need to transfer points in increments of 1,000. 1,000 Membership Rewards points convert to 1,600 Premier Points.
• Air Canada Aeroplan. You may carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are worth 1,000 Aeroplan points.
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue. You need to transfer at least 500 points. Transfers come with a 1:1 ratio.
• ANA Mileage Club. You need to carry out transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points are worth 1,000 ANA Mileage Club miles.
• Avianca LifeMiles. You may carry our transfers in increments of 1,000 points. 1,000 Membership Rewards points equate to 1,000 LifeMiles.
• Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles. Transfers need to take place in increments of 1,000 points with a 1:1 transfer ratio.
• Etihad Guest. You need to transfer in increments of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point gets you one Etihad Guest mile.
• Hawaiian Airlines. Transfers need to be carried out in increments of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point is worth one HawaiianMile. Your transfer cannot result in more than 999,999 HawaiianMiles.
• Iberia Plus. You need to transfer a minimum of 1,000 points. One Membership Rewards point is valued at one Avios point.
• JetBlue TrueBlue. You need to carry out transfers in increments of 250 points. 250 Membership Rewards points are worth 200 TrueBlue points
• Qantas Frequent Flyer. You need to transfer in increments of 500 points. One Membership Rewards point translates to one Qantas point.
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club. You need to transfer 1,000 points to get 1,000 Avios points.

Cardholders who wish to use their Membership Rewards points for hotel stays may consider transferring their points to any of three Amex hotel partners.

If your Amex card comes with Membership Rewards points, you may transfer them to any of its travel partner loyalty programs. In most cases, you get a 1:1 points transfer ratio. However, it might be worthwhile to check how far your points take you at amextravel.com if you wish to book flights or hotels. Points on this platform are typically worth one cent each for air travel and a little less for hotels and other forms of travel.

It pays to compare values before booking hotels with your points. In some cases, your points are worth more when redeemed through amextravel.com than through a partner hotel loyalty program because the value of hotel points tends to vary from 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point. However, keep in mind that third-party reservations (like through Amex Travel) may not qualify for elite status credits or perks.

Also, note that transfers to some airline partners often offer more value than others. For U.S. residents, transferring miles to Singapore KrisFlyer allows for domestic flights on Star Alliance partner United Airlines. For example, you might fly to Hawaii using just 11,500 KrisFlyer miles, whereas using United MileagePlus could cost double. Similarly, moving Amex points to British Airways Executive Club can result in savings when flying with oneworld allies like American or Alaska Airlines in the U.S. Premium international cabins give the best mile redemption value. Always check award space availability before transferring; some airlines even allow ticket holds during point transfers.

Regardless of which Amex travel partner you wish to transfer your points to, you will need to follow the same process.

Now that you know who Amex transfer partners are and how to carry out your points transfer, consider whether this is the best path after accounting for how you may get the best value for your points. If you don't have an Amex card with Membership Rewards points yet, consider applying for one after comparing your options based on reward rates, annual fees and added perks.

Take a look at answers to commonly asked questions about Amex transfer partners before you decide how to redeem your points.