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Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. SHARE: Patrick Foto/Getty Images June 07, 2022 Checkmark Bankrate logo How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. "Expert verified" means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content. Holly Johnson writes expert content on personal finance, credit cards, loyalty and insurance topics. In addition to writing for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, Johnson does ongoing work for clients that include CNN, Forbes Advisor, LendingTree, Time Magazine and more. Aja McClanahan is an author, blogger and speaker on personal finance and entrepreneurship. Aja is the author of "How a Mother Should Talk About Money with Her Daughter." Claire Dickey is a product editor for Bankrate, and . Before joining Bankrate, Claire worked as a copywriter for brands within the telecommunications industry as well as a hybrid marketing and content writer. Cathleen's stories on design, travel and business have appeared in dozens of publications including the Washington Post, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and The Writer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to: Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options. Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you're well-equipped to make confident decisions. Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you. At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next. Bankrate logo Editorial integrity
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Booking airfare with American Express Travel means you’ll get at least a 1:1 ratio — or one cent apiece — for your rewards. If you’re strategic about your redemptions, your can go upwards of 2 cents per point or more. One detail often overlooked is the fact that many Amex airline partners have alliances that allow you to expand your flight options and, at times, boost the value of your points. It may take some time to connect the dots to find great deals, but if you’re flexible with your dates and destinations, there are plenty of deals that can get well over the 1:1 redemption ratio. For instance, you may not think you’d get much use out of transferring points to an airline like British Airways. However, you can use the British Airways Executive Club currency, called Avios, to book flights on all Oneworld carriers. Unfortunately, using Avios on British Airways flights carries substantial fuel surcharges, making your points much less valuable with those flights. However, if you focus on British Airways partner flights, there’s significant value you can score due to the airline’s distance-based award chart. There are a number of U.S.-based short-haul flights where you can get economy fares starting at just 6,000 points — whereas these same award flights on say, American Airlines or United, could cost 20,000 points or more for the same destinations and dates. When you start looking at aspirational travel options like international flights in first or business class, you stand to earn even more value for your points. Again, it might take a little time to make these connections and understand exactly how the alliances work, but you can garner significant discounts for flights once you get the hang of it. Here’s the chart of Amex airline partners along with their transfer ratios. Airline partner Transfer time Transfer ratio Estimated point value (including transfer ratio and excise fee, where applicable) Singapore KrisFlyer Up to 24 hours 1:1 2.36 cents Iberia Plus 48 hours 1:1 1.7 cents Aeromexico 24 hours 1:1.6 1.6 cents Delta SkyMiles Instant 1:1 1.55 cents Avianca LifeMiles Instant 1:1 1.5 cents Aeroplan Instant 1:1 1.5 cents All Nippon Airways (ANA) 48 hours 1:1 1.48 cents British Airways 72 hours 1:1 1.4 cents JetBlue Instant 1.25:1 1.16 cents Emirates Skywards 48 hours 1:1 1.1 cents Hawaiian Airlines Instant 1:1 1.08 cents Aer Lingus Instant 1:1 1 cent Asia Miles 72 hours 1:1 1 cent Etihad Guest 120 hours 1:1 1 cent Flying Blue 96 hours 1:1 1 cent Qantas Instant 1:1 1 cent Virgin Atlantic Instant 1:1 0.8 cents Should you transfer Amex points to an airline partner
For the most part, this transfer option will give you more value for your rewards points. However, there are some issues to watch out for when you transfer your Membership Rewards points. Pros
Get higher redemption values for your points Some alliance partners can expand route options and potentially boost points’ value Get great deals on first and business class award fares Cons
Blackout dates and limited availability apply Can take up to 48 hours to transfer rewards to some transfer partner programs Transferring points from your Amex card to a loyalty program is not reversible American Express hotel partners
Transferring your Amex rewards to hotel partners doesn’t fetch as much value as airline partners, but it can still be a good use of your points in the right circumstances. You may find better deals and value for off-peak accommodations, but generally, your points will have more value with airline transfer partners. Here’s a look at Amex’s hotel partners: Hotel partner Transfer time Transfer ratio Estimated point value (including transfer ratio) Hilton Honors Instant 1:2 1 cent Choice Privileges Instant 1:1 0.6 cents Marriott Bonvoy Instant 1:1.5 0.8 cents Should you transfer Amex points to a hotel partner
Pros
Can find good deals on hotel bookings depending on your destination and travel dates Use 20 percent fewer points on a five-night stay, since Hilton and Mariott offer the on five-night stays Could find additional perks and free stays to compliment your points if you have hotel elite status or access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection Cons
Don’t get a great redemption ratio by transferring points to Amex hotel partners May be blackout dates or high prices in peak season that further decrease the value of your points Transferring points from your Amex card to a loyalty program can’t be reversed How to transfer Membership Rewards points
Log in to your American Express account online. Under “Rewards,” select “Transfer Points” to see a list of all available American Express transfer partners. From here, you can transfer the number of points from your rewards balance to the transfer partner you want to book in increments of 1,000 points. Note, before making any transfers, you must connect your hotel or loyalty account to your Amex account. The name on your loyalty account(s) has to match either your name or the name of an on your credit card account. You’ll also need the four-digit card ID on the front of your Amex card as well and the three-digit security code on the back of the card to connect these accounts. As long as all the information can be validated and matched up, your Amex and loyalty accounts should be linked immediately. How to get the most value when transferring points
If you want to get the most out of your Membership Rewards points, here are a few tips and that can help: Consider being flexible with your travel destinations and dates to score the best deals Watch out for transfer bonuses that boost your points’ value from 20 to 50 percent First, verify that award reservations are available for the dates you’d like to travel (reserve your accommodations first, if possible) then, transfer your points and make your reservation Check for alternative booking options, like alliances that have distance-based award charts versus dynamic award flight pricing. Check award pricing for business and first-class fares for more luxury travel options at lower rates Be mindful of additional costs, like fuel surcharges (British Airways) and federal excise taxes for transfers to U.S.-based airlines (Delta, JetBlue or Hawaiian) SHARE: Holly Johnson writes expert content on personal finance, credit cards, loyalty and insurance topics. In addition to writing for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, Johnson does ongoing work for clients that include CNN, Forbes Advisor, LendingTree, Time Magazine and more. Claire Dickey is a product editor for Bankrate, and . Before joining Bankrate, Claire worked as a copywriter for brands within the telecommunications industry as well as a hybrid marketing and content writer. Cathleen's stories on design, travel and business have appeared in dozens of publications including the Washington Post, Town & Country, Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and The Writer. Related Articles