10 Best Ways to Redeem 60,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points

American Express Membership Rewards points are 1 of the 4 major transferable points programs. Amex has a multitude of both Membership Rewards and non-Membership Rewards-earning cards that are currently available on the market.

Similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, I recommend checking out Amex’s Membership Rewards cards to help get you to your next destination using miles and points. Today we’ll discuss the 10 best ways to use Amex points if you’ve collected 60,000 and are ready to travel!

How to Earn Membership Rewards Points

The best way to take advantage of the redemptions below is to focus on Amex cards that earn Membership Rewards, as well as cards that have high welcome bonus offers. By applying for personal or business cards that align with your spending habits, you can easily collect Membership Rewards points in a hurry.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can get out and about and explore their local area with $15 in Uber Cash for US rides each month, plus a bonus $20 in December. That can be up to $200 in annual Uber savings. Simply download the Uber app and add your Platinum Card^® to your Uber account to get started. Available to Basic Card Member only. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.¤
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

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American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
• 3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No lounge access

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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
• Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Annual Fee is $325.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

Business owner? See our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

The 10 Best Ways to Use 60,000 Amex Points

If you’re ready to travel the world in style, you’ve come to the right place. From Asia to South America to Hawaii, Membership Rewards points will have you covered!

Amex allows you to redeem points with airline and hotel partners. Many of the American Express airline partners (like Singapore Airlines) also partner with other transferable points programs. If you’re short on Amex points for a particular redemption, consider an airline partner that has multiple transferable point options.

1. Fly Transcontinental Business Class in the U.S. on United Airlines (25,000 Avianca Miles)

Another great sweet-spot has to do with the announcement by United Airlines that they will fly the 787-10 between Newark and Los Angeles/San Francisco (LAX/SFO).

This means that you’ll be able to fly transcontinental on United’s awesome Polaris business class! Their planned schedule is as follows:

• Newark to San Francisco: Thrice daily
• Newark to Los Angeles: Twice daily

Trying United Polaris across the U.S. will set you back only 25,000 miles each way!

Hot Tip: Interested in finding out what this product has to offer? Check out our review of United Polaris 787-10 from Los Angeles to Houston!

2. Fly to Brussels in Business Class on Brussels Airlines (44,000 Etihad Miles)

Etihad Guest has a number of interesting redemptions, including one-way business class from the U.S. to Brussels. Similar to Virgin Atlantic, this program has different award charts for each of its partner airlines.

The Brussels award chart lists the destinations for Brussels Airlines, which are primarily in Europe. North America has 3 nonstop flights on Brussels Airlines (New York, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.). Etihad prices Brussels flights by destination, with the 3 North America stops requiring the same amount of points.

While the chart is limited in terms of North American destinations, at just 44,000 miles one-way, this redemption pairs extremely well with a cheap intra-Europe flight on a low-cost carrier to get to your final destination.

A couple notes on the Brussels Airlines Terms and Conditions:

• One-way award tickets are allowed
• Stopovers and open-jaws are not allowed

We recommend using United, Aeroplan, or ANA for your award search. Once you locate the flight(s) you want to book, a phone call to Etihad is required. Brussels Airlines flights can be redeemed with Etihad miles by contacting the Etihad Guest Service Center at +1 877-690-0767; they’re open 24 hours a day.

Brussels Airlines serves North America with the following nonstop flights:

• New York (JFK) – Brussels (BRU)
• Toronto (YYZ) – Brussels (BRU)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Brussels (BRU)

3. Fly to Europe in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic (50,000 KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore Airlines’ loyalty program KrisFlyer is typically known for its premium cabin redemptions (and rightfully so!). What you may not know is that KrisFlyer also has a few other high-value redemptions, including business class from the U.S. to Europe in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class Cabin.

Virgin Atlantic is not a member of an alliance, so Singapore Airlines has a separate chart solely for the airline. Singapore Airlines also has separate award charts for Alaska Airlines, Virgin Australia, and Star Alliance partners.

The Virgin Atlantic award chart is zoned-based with 7 zones:

• North Asia (China, Hong Kong)
• Africa (Nigeria, South Africa)
• North America (U.S.)
• Central, South Asia (India)
• Central America (Mexico, Caribbean)
• Middle East (United Arab Emirates)
• Europe (United Kingdom)

The major highlight for premium cabin travelers is the low number of miles required for Upper Class. If economy is more in line with your goals, KrisFlyer prices round-trip Virgin Atlantic economy flights at just 50,000 miles.

There are 2 potential downsides to consider here:

1. No stopovers are allowed on a one-way award flight
2. Taxes, surcharges, and fees will be added to the mileage required (keep the carrier-imposed surcharges in mind, particularly for the Upper Class cabin!)

Search for Virgin Atlantic availability on virginatlantic.com first, and then call Singapore Airlines at 213-404-0301 to book the award ticket.

Examples of Virgin Atlantic nonstop flights from London to the U.S. include:

• Atlanta (ATL) – London (LHR)
• New York (JFK) – London (LHR)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – London (LHR)

Need help booking? Read our in-depth guide on how to book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class.

Hot Tip:
As one of our readers mentioned on a recent award search, Singapore Airlines agents may not be able to see Virgin Atlantic availability located on ExpertFlyer, Virgin Atlantic, or Delta. Keep this in mind when using miles for this redemption. 

4. Fly to Hong Kong and China in Business Class on American (55,000 Etihad Miles)

As mentioned earlier, Etihad has an award chart for each of their 24 airline partners. American Airlines is one of those partners with particularly solid redemptions for U.S.-based travelers.

The American Airlines award chart is broken down into 8 different regions. North America includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, while Asia Zone 1 includes Japan, Korea, and Mongolia.

American Airlines’ chart is zone-based, meaning award flights traveling from any country in your departing zone to any country in your arriving zone will be the same. As an example: all flights from North America to Hong Kong cost 50,000 Etihad miles one-way in business class and 25,000 miles one-way in economy.

In addition to the low amount of miles required, there are a couple other highlights of an American Airlines award: one-way award travel is permitted, and a stopover is allowed as well.

As with other Etihad redemptions, taxes and surcharges are required. We recommend using the ITA Flight Matrix to determine the approximate cost of the taxes, fees, and carrier-imposed surcharges prior to booking.

British Airways and Qantas will provide the best search engine for this redemption. Similar to Brussels Airlines, a phone call to Etihad is required to book American Airlines award flights. You can contact the Etihad Guest Service Center 24 hours a day at +1 (0) 877-690-0767.

Examples of American Airlines nonstop flights to Hong Kong and China include:

• Dallas (DFW) – Hong Kong (HKG)
• Chicago (ORD) – Shanghai (PVG)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Beijing (PEK)

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide on booking American Airlines business class.

5. Fly to Morocco in Business Class on Royal Air Maroc (44,000 Etihad Miles)

Another high-value Etihad redemption to consider is Royal Air Maroc from the U.S. to Morocco. Mirroring Etihad’s other airline partners, Royal Air Maroc uses its own award chart.

The Royal Air Maroc award chart is driven by distance and class of your cabin. We suggest using Great Circle Mapper to determine the distance of your award. For U.S. to Morocco flights, use the 2001 and above portion of the award chart.

Royal Air Maroc requires a low amount of miles for both economy and business class redemptions. A couple of additional positives about this partnership include the ability to book one-way flights as well as a stopover.

When utilizing this redemption, keep in mind 3 items:

1. Taxes, fees, and surcharges will have to be paid at the time of award ticketing. Based on a recent search, the fuel surcharges will be ~$230 for both economy and business class round-trip flights
2. Open jaws are not allowed
3. Royal Air Maroc availability cannot be searched online

To find award availability and book a Royal Air Maroc flight, you will need to contact the Etihad Guest Service Center at +1 (0) 877-690-0767.

Royal Air Maroc has 2 nonstop flights between Morocco the U.S.:

• New York (JFK) – Casablanca (CMN)
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Casablanca (CMN)

6. Fly to Japan and Korea in Business Class on American Airlines (50,000 Etihad Miles)

It’s time for yet another Etihad redemption: American Airlines flights to Asia. Similar to American Airlines flights to Hong Kong and China, the airline also has nonstop flights to both Japan and Korea at competitive rates.

As a reminder, the American Airlines chart is zone-based, meaning any flight from the U.S. to either country will require the same number of miles. The highlight of this chart is that you are looking at a ~13-hour flight for only 50,000 Membership Rewards points transferred directly to Etihad!

You can head to both British Airways and Qantas to find award availability for American Airlines flights to Asia. Once you locate American Airlines award availability, call the Etihad Guest Service Center at +1 (0) 877-690-0767 to redeem miles for your award flight. Taxes, fees, and surcharges will need to be paid at the time of booking.

Examples of American Airlines flights to Japan and Korea include:

• Dallas (DFW) – Seoul (ICN)
• Chicago (ORD) – Narita (NRT)

Hot Tip: We’ve also dug into the best ways you can fly to Japan using points and miles!

7. Fly Between Prague and Seoul in Business Class on Czech Airlines (25,610 Etihad Miles)

When I first heard about this redemption, I was extremely skeptical — less than 30,000 Membership Rewards points for a nearly 10-hour flight?!

The Czech Airlines award chart prices are based on the city you’re flying to. Most of the cities in the chart are in Europe, making it extremely easy to miss the last city on the list: Seoul.

This redemption’s obvious highlight is the price compared to other long-haul flights in business class. If economy is more your style, you’re only looking at 12,805 miles one-way to fly from Prague to Seoul!! Another positive within the Czech Airlines award chart is that one-way flights are allowed.

Even with a low mileage requirement, the chart does have a downside to consider. The taxes, fees, and surcharges are required at the time of booking, and can be substantial. Based on a recent search, business class surcharges are ~$394, while economy surcharges are $270.

Czech Airlines is a SkyTeam member, and availability can be searched on klm.com or airfrance.com. When you are ready to book your flight, call the Etihad Guest Service Center at +1 (0) 877-690-0767 to redeem your miles.

Czech Airlines flies nonstop to Seoul on the following route:

• Prague (PRG) – Seoul (ICN)

8. Fly From Japan to Australia in Business Class on ANA (40,000 Avianca Miles)

Have you ever wanted to fly ANA business class? Well, you can do so for ridiculously cheap prices using LifeMiles! You’ll fly for almost 10 hours nonstop, and it’ll only cost you 40,000 miles!

ANA flies their 787 Dreamliner, which only has business class, but it’s sure to be comfortable with lie-flat seats and delicious Japanese catering.

You can take ANA’s only flight to Australia on this route:

1. Tokyo-Haneda (HND) to Sydney (SYD)

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking ANA business class.

9. Fly to Hawaii in Business Class on United (78,000 KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore Airlines has a solid redemption for United flights to Hawaii with their KrisFlyer program. The North America region includes the U.S. and Canada, but it excludes Hawaii (it’s part of the Hawaii, Central America region). All United flights from the North America region to Hawaii require the same number of points in either business class or economy.

The KrisFlyer Star Alliance award chart is zone-based with 12 zones, and prices are driven by the destination, origin, and class of service you’re flying.

One highlight of the Star Alliance chart is the ability to book one-way flights. When flying United to Hawaii, the main benefit is the fact the taxes, fees, and surcharges should be low, since United doesn’t levy fuel surcharges like other airlines.

Award availability for these flights can be found on united.com. Once you locate United award availability, search for that same flight on singaporeairlines.com and book the flight online. If the flight doesn’t show on Singapore Airlines, call Singapore Airlines‘ Houston, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco offices to book the award.

Examples of nonstop United flights include:

• Newark (EWR) – Honolulu (HNL)
• San Francisco (SFO) – Kona (KOA)
• Chicago (ORD) – Maui (OGG)

Hot Tip: Need help booking? Read our step-by-step guide on how to book United business class flights.

10. Fly to South America in Business Class on American Airlines (50,000 Etihad Miles)

Another American Airlines redemption to consider with Etihad is an award flight to South America. The American Airlines award chart breaks South America into 2 zones, with 20,000 additional Etihad miles required between Zone 1 and Zone 2.

South America Zone 2 includes Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile (excluding Easter Island), Paraguay, and Uruguay. South America Zone 1 is combined with Central America and includes countries within the northern half of the continent.

The highlights of this redemption are threefold:

1. One-way flights are allowed
2. Taxes, fees, and surcharges are reasonable
3. Stopovers are permitted

For one-way flights from the U.S., the taxes and fees will be ~$30 (based on a recent search from multiple U.S. departure cities and South American arrival cities).

Use the search engines at AA.com, britishairways.com, and qantas.com to find award availability, and then call the Etihad Guest Service Center to book your flight.

Examples of American Airlines flights to South America include:

• Dallas (DFW) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – São Paulo (GRU)

Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide on booking AA business class.

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Final Thoughts

American Express Membership Rewards is a program to consider if you’re looking for great award opportunities, as the value of some of these redemptions is impressive.

Earning transferable Membership Rewards points from both welcome offers and everyday spending will enable you to reach many of these destinations in style.

We’re also huge fans of collecting Membership Rewards points, because the transfer to most airlines is instant and at a 1:1 ratio. Happy redeeming!