Amex Transfer Partners: Guide to American Express Membership Rewards
October 4, 2023
5 min read
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American Express Membership Rewards points are the transferable points currency earned by American Express travel rewards credit cards. You can use your points to pay for charges on your card, or to book travel through AmexTravel.com. But you’ll get more value out of your points by transferring them to Amex’s travel partners like airlines and hotels, and then using points to book directly with those partners.
Amex transfer partners
American Express transfer partners include 18 airlines and three hotels.
American Express airline transfer partners
The following airlines are Amex transfer partners:
- Aer Lingus AerClub: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Air France / KLM Flying Blue: 1:1 transfer ratio
- ANA Mileage Club: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1 transfer ratio
- British Airways Executive Club: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Delta SkyMiles: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Emirates Skywards: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Etihad Guest: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Hawaiian HawaiianMiles: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Iberia Plus: 1:1 transfer ratio
- JetBlue TrueBlue: 1.25:1 transfer ratio
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 1:1 transfer ratio
With two exceptions, all Amex points transfer at a one to one (1:1) ratio, which means that one Amex point is equivalent to one mile or point with most of these loyalty programs, once transferred.
The exceptions to this are Aeromexico Club Premier and JetBlue TrueBlue. Amex points transfer to Aeromexico at a 1:1.6 ratio (e.g. 1000 Amex points become 1600 Aeromexico Club Premier miles), and Amex points transfer to JetBlue at a 250:200 ratio (e.g. 1000 Amex points become 800 JetBlue TrueBlue points).
Transfer times from Amex to its travel partners vary. Points transfer can take up to 24 hours for Aeromexico Club Premier and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Meanwhile, points transfers can take up to 48 hours for ANA Mileage Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and Iberia Plus. Points transfers to all other airline partners are relatively instantaneous.
Amex hotel transfer partners
And these are Amex’s current hotel partners. Points transfers to all these hotel loyalty programs are instantaneous.
- IHG Rewards Club: 1:1 transfer ratio
- Hilton Honors: 1:2 transfer ratio
- Marriott Bonvoy: 1:1 transfer ratio
Amex points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to IHG Rewards Club and Marriott Bonvoy; points transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio.
On the whole, transferring points to hotels rarely maximizes the value of your points. You’re better off sticking to points transfers to airlines to get the most cents per point when you compare the cash price to the points cost.
How to transfer Amex points
Step 1: On your desktop, log in to the American Express Membership Rewards portal.
Step 2: In the navy blue navigation bar, click on “Earn and Redeem” and then select “Transfer Points” in the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Select the airline you want to transfer points to.
When you click on an airline, it will display the terms of your points transfer, the timing, and other details and requirements.
If it’s your first time transferring points to that airline loyalty program, you’ll be prompted to enter your account number with the program.
In order to transfer Amex points to an airline loyalty program, you need to first have an account with that program. It’s a good idea to proactively make accounts with these programs because some have rules that require an account to be open for a certain period of time before you can transfer points to it. It can get unwieldy with different member ID numbers and passwords, so keep track of your account numbers somewhere safe, like in a password manager.
Step 4: Transfer your points.
Once you link your American Express account to your selected airline loyalty program, or if you’ve transferred Amex points to that airline before, you can then select how many points you want to transfer. After that, click the “Review Transfer” button. You’ll be prompted to make sure everything is correct, then you can click “Submit Transfer.”
Depending on the airline partner you selected, you’ll see your points appear in your airline account either instantly, within 24 hours, or within 2 days.
Travel tip: Only transfer Amex points when you're ready to book!
Once you move your Amex points to an airline loyalty program, you can’t move those points back into your Amex account. For that reason, we recommend holding your points in your American Express account until you see a flight that’s bookable with points). From there, you can then transfer your points to an airline and make that booking as soon as you see a good deal.
Cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards
The following are some cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points:
Credit card type | Annual fee | Welcome offer | Earning rate |
|---|---|---|---|
card_name | annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) | bonus_miles_full |
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card_name | annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) | bonus_miles_full |
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card_name | annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) | bonus_miles_full |
|
card_name | annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) | bonus_miles_full |
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card_name | annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) | bonus_miles_full |
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Going has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Going and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of all of the card offers that appear on this page are from advertisers; compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site; and Going does not include all card companies are all available card offers.
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
See Rates and Fees for the card_name
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Published October 4, 2023
Last updated March 11, 2024
