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Here at Upgraded Points, we’re always obsessed with getting the best value from your credit card rewards. And one of the trends we’ve noticed over the years is that credit card bonuses always seem to be increasing.
One thing that has stayed constant is the appeal of Amex Membership Rewards points, which are some of the most valuable types of points and can be used for statement credits, gift cards, charitable donations, online shopping, and most importantly, luxury travel.
In fact, the best way to get tremendous value from those Amex points is by transferring points to airline and hotel partners.
In this guide, we’ll be focusing on how exactly you can maximize 150,000 Amex points! Let’s dive right into it.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industryexperts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as ratesand 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 card is undoubtedly the #1 card for luxury travel benefits. From the best lounge access (of any card) to statement credits, to complimentary elite status, you can’t go wrong.
This card is undoubtedly the #1 card for luxury travel benefits. From the best lounge access (of any card) to statement credits, to complimentary elite status, you can’t go wrong.
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points
$1,760
$695
See Pay Over Time APR
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)
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
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 $1 spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per $1 spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
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 with American Express Travel when you pay with 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, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$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: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 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.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. 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.
Right now, the American Express Platinum card is one of the most impressive cards available. With one of the largest welcome bonuses in the business and seemingly endless value offered to its members, it’s probably not a surprise that the Amex Platinum card is one of the most popular cards in the world.
It earns up to 5x Membership Rewards points:
5x Membership Rewards points per dollar earned on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year)
5x Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel
1x Membership Rewards points per dollar on all other purchases
Keep in mind that earning 5x points is equivalent to a return on spending of more than 11%, which is a huge bonus multiplier.
15 Best Ways To Use 150,000 Amex Platinum Card Points
These days, the Amex Platinum card’s welcome bonus seems to be getting larger periodically. So what if you happen to find yourself earning a welcome bonus of 150,000 Amex points from the Amex Platinum card?
Let’s take a look at some of our favorite ways to use 150,000 Amex points!
1. Book Singapore Airlines First Class Suites From New York to Singapore
If sipping Dom or Krug Champagne while 35,000 feet in the air and enjoying your own double bed in first class is your style, it could be worth trying to book this product using points.
Luckily, American Express has a partnership with Singapore Airlines’s frequent flyer program, KrisFlyer, which can help you access these first class flights for free (almost).
One fantastic sweet spot with 150,000 Amex points is to transfer 149,000 Amex points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyerto book the coveted First Class Suites product from New York to Singapore with a layover in Frankfurt.
148,500 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles are required for this flight, but Amex requires transfer increments of 1,000 points, which is why you’ll want to transfer 149,000 points.
Here’s the exact route we’re talking about:
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN) one-way in Singapore Airlines A380 First Class Suites for 149,000 Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles + ~$28 in taxes and fees
Unfortunately, stopovers are not allowed on these tickets because the price above is strictly for Saver-level tickets (only higher-priced Advantage tickets are eligible for stopovers on one-way tickets).
These tickets routinely sell for $11,000 one-way, which would net you a return on spending of nearly 8 cents per point!
2. Fly ANA First Class Round-trip From the U.S. to Japan
This is, quite possibly, the best sweet spot in the entire world of award travel. In short, if you can find award availability on ANA first class between the U.S. and Japan, you can book a one-way flight for as few as 55,000 points.
From the West Coast, you’ll redeem 55,000 points, and from the Central or East Coast, you’ll redeem 60,000 points one-way. Since a round-trip costs twice as much as a one-way ticket, a round-trip ticket can be booked for as few as 110,000 points.
Hot Tip: Since Virgin Atlantic Flying Club prices ANA flights by the segment, you’ll only be allowed to fly to and from Tokyo at this price.
It’s easier said and done since ANA doesn’t release award availability often, but here are some fantastic routes to consider booking:
Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo (HND/NRT) round-trip in ANA first class for 120,000 Virgin Points + ~$761 in taxes and fees
Houston (IAH) – Tokyo (HND/NRT) round-trip in ANA first class for 120,000 Virgin Points + ~$761 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (HND/NRT) round-trip in ANA first class for 110,000 Virgin Points + ~$761 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Tokyo (HND/NRT) round-trip in ANA first class for 120,000 Virgin Points + ~$761 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Tokyo (HND/NRT) round-trip in ANA first class for 110,000 Virgin Points + ~$761 in taxes and fees
These tickets usually retail for $20,000, which would net you a redemption value of 17 cents per point and up to 28 hours in a top-notch first class product!
3. Book 3 One-way Business Class Tickets on Delta One to Europe
Image Credit: Delta
Another amazing way you can redeem 150,000 Amex points is to book 3 one-way business class flights on Delta One between the U.S. and Europe.
In short, Virgin Atlantic boasts an awesome partnership with Delta Air Lines whereby you can redeem 50,000 points for a one-way ticket in Delta One business class between the U.S. and Europe as long as you’re not flying to/from the United Kingdom.
Also, Virgin Atlantic doesn’t pass on any fuel surcharges that Delta may levy, which literally saves you around $700 one-way per ticket!
That being said, it’s fairly challenging to find any partner-level award availability on Delta business class flights to Europe, so there will likely be more work involved in searching for flights.
Here are some great example flights to consider booking:
Atlanta (ATL) – Madrid (MAD) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Boston (BOS) – Amsterdam (AMS) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Cincinnati (CVG) – Paris (CDG) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Detroit (DTW) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Prague (PRG) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Venice (VCE) one-way in Delta One business class for 50,000 Virgin Points + ~$6 in taxes and fees
4. Book 6 One-way Economy Tickets on Singapore Airlines to Europe
In a slightly different take on maximizing 150,000 Amex points, we’ll momentarily pivot to economy tickets.
More specifically, if you don’t have the patience or desire to fly in business or first class, but you still want to get to Europe while flying on an acclaimed airline, this redemption method could be for you.
Simply put, Singapore Airlines charges 25,000 KrisFlyer miles for one-way flights between the Central or Eastern U.S. to Europe.
Luckily, Singapore Airlines actually operates 2 fifth freedom flights, enabling you to get around $3,000 of value by booking 6 one-way tickets in economy using 150,000 Amex points.
Here are the 2 redemptions we’re talking about:
Houston (IAH) – Manchester (MAN) one-way in Singapore Airlines economy class for 25,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Singapore Airlines economy class for 25,000 KrisFlyer miles + ~$6 in taxes and fees
Instead of spending $3,000 for 6 one-way tickets, doesn’t it sound a lot better to spend less than $35?
5. Book 4 One-way Business Class Tickets on Iberia to Spain
You can do a lot with 150,000 Amex points — in fact, one of the best ways to use these points would be to transfer a total of 136,000 points to Iberia Plus for 4 one-way business class tickets to Spain.
There’s a little-known sweet spot that honestly seems like a typo where you can redeem 34,000 Iberia Avios + ~$124 in taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight to Spain during off-peak dates.
Best of all, award availability isn’t too hard to find, especially if you plan further in advance.
Almost all of Iberia’s flights involve Madrid (MAD), so you’ll probably fly there. To take advantage of the 34,000 Avios price, you’ll need to keep your flight between 3,001 and 4,000 miles in flight distance.
Here are some of the best flights we recommend:
Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) one-way in Iberia business class for 34,000 Iberia Avios + ~$124 in taxes and fees
Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD) one-way in Iberia business class for 34,000 Iberia Avios + ~$124 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Madrid (MAD) one-way in Iberia business class for 34,000 Iberia Avios + ~$124 in taxes and fees
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Madrid (MAD) one-way in Iberia business class for 34,000 Iberia Avios + ~$124 in taxes and fees
With 150,000 Amex points, you can comfortably book 4 of these one-way tickets (or 2 round-trip tickets), which nets you at least $10,000. More realistically, though, 4 of these flights retail for around $20,000.
6. Book Round-trip Business Class to the Middle East on Qatar Airways Qsuites
Qatar Airways Qsuites is one of the best business class products in the world. And if you’re traveling to the Middle East or Africa, you’ll definitely want to consider flying on Qsuites.
With Qsuites, your vacation will start a bit earlier, and you can access convenient schedules onwards to your final destination.
The reason why we like Qatar Airways Qsuites, though, is that award availability is pretty generous far in advance, and you can transfer Amex points to British Airways Executive Club to book these flights at an attractive rate.
British Airways Executive Club charges 70,000 points each way in business class from the U.S. to Qatar Airways’s hub in Doha (DOH).
That means you can comfortably book a round-trip business class ticket with less than 150,000 Amex points!
Here are some example redemptions we’d recommend:
Boston (BOS) – Doha (DOH) round-trip in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 140,000 British Airways Avios + ~$246 in taxes and fees per person
Los Angeles (LAX) – Doha (DOH) round-trip in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 140,000 British Airways Avios + ~$246 in taxes and fees per person
Philadelphia (PHL) – Doha (DOH) round-trip in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 140,000 British Airways Avios + ~$246 in taxes and fees per person
San Francisco (SFO) – Doha (DOH) round-trip in Qatar Airways Qsuites for 140,000 British Airways Avios + ~$246 in taxes and fees per person
Round-trip business class flights usually retail for $10,000 to $15,000, making it an absolutely killer redemption. You can always split this up into 2 one-way tickets, as well.
7. Book Emirates First Class One-way to the Middle East
An amazing experience awaits you in Emirates first class. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash
Emirates first class is about as good as it gets when it comes to luxury aviation. If you ever have a chance to book Emirates first class, we absolutely recommend booking the tickets first and asking questions later. It’s that good.
In any case, Emirates operates a handful of first class routes between the U.S. and Dubai, and these tickets can be booked for as few as 136,250 Emirates Skywards miles one-way. Seeing as how Amex requires transfer increments of 1,000 points, you’ll want to transfer 137,000 Amex points to make this trip happen.
These tickets retail for $10,000 to $15,000 each, so the value proposition there is incredible. The only drawback is that Emirates levies heavy fuel surcharges of $816 each way.
Here are some of the routes you can book:
Boston (BOS) – Dubai (DXB) one-way in Emirates first class for 137,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$816 in taxes and fees
Chicago (ORD) – Dubai (DXB) one-way in Emirates first class for 137,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$816 in taxes and fees
Miami (MIA) – Dubai (DXB) one-way in Emirates first class for 137,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$816 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Dubai (DXB) one-way in Emirates first class for 137,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$816 in taxes and fees
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Dubai (DXB) one-way in Emirates first class for 137,000 Emirates Skywards miles + ~$816 in taxes and fees
8. Book an Epic Round-the-World SkyTeam Trip in Economy Class
KLM economy class. Image Credit: KLM
Interested in traveling the world on an epic, complex itinerary using 150,000 Amex points? Thanks to Amex’s transfer partnership with Aeromexico, you can easily make this happen!
Amex maintains an enhanced transfer ratio of 1:1.6 with Aeromexico’s Club Premier frequent flyer program.
And since Aeromexico only charges 224,000 Club Premier points for a SkyTeam round-the-world award trip in economy, you can transfer 140,000 Amex points to earn enough points for one of these trips!
This is an insane deal because you’re allowed up to 15 stopovers. The only major restriction is your travel can only be in one direction — no backtracking is allowed.
Here is an epic sample itinerary you can book with 140,000 Amex points transferred to Aeromexico Club Premier:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) in Aeromexico economy class
Mexico City (MEX) – Santiago (SCL) in Aeromexico economy class
Santiago (SCL) – Buenos Aires (EZE) in KLM economy class
Buenos Aires (EZE) – Rio de Janeiro (GIG) in Aerolineas Argentinas economy class
Rio de Janeiro (GIG) – Paris (CDG) in Air France economy class
Paris (CDG) – Amsterdam (AMS) in Air France economy class
Amsterdam (AMS) – Cape Town (CPT) in Air France economy class
Cape Town (CPT) – Victoria Falls (VFA) in Kenya Airways economy class
Victoria Falls (VFA) – Nairobi (NBO) in Kenya Airways economy class
Nairobi (NBO) – Jeddah (JED) in Kenya Airways economy class
Jeddah (JED) – Bangkok (BKK) in Saudia economy class
Bangkok (BKK) – Jakarta (CGK) in Garuda Indonesia economy class
Jakarta (CGK) – Hanoi (HAN) in Vietnam Airlines economy class
Hanoi (HAN) – Seoul (ICN) in Korean Air economy class
Seoul (ICN) – Los Angeles (LAX) in Korean Air economy class
We’re not even going to go into how much this itinerary would cost if you purchased it — the value proposition is incredible!
Reserved exclusively for those flying on a select few routes between the U.S. West Coast and East Coast, this experience includes lie-flat seats, an amazing ground experience with Flagship First Dining, a private check-in process, and so much more.
If you can find partner-level availability, you can transfer your Amex points to Etihad Guest to book these tickets for 32,500 points each way. That translates to up to 4 one-way tickets or 2 round-trip tickets in Flagship First.
Here are the routes on which Flagship First is offered:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Boston (BOS) round-trip in American Airlines Flagship First for 65,000 Etihad Guest miles + ~$11 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – New York (JFK) round-trip in American Airlines Flagship First for 65,000 Etihad Guest miles + ~$11 in taxes and fees
Orange County (SNA) – New York (JFK) round-trip in American Airlines Flagship First for 65,000 Etihad Guest miles + ~$11 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – New York (JFK) round-trip in American Airlines Flagship First for 65,000 Etihad Guest miles + ~$11 in taxes and fees
10. Book 4 Transcontinental One-way Tickets in Air Canada Signature Class
Air Canada 787 Signature Class. Image Credit: Air Canada
Interested in flying to Canada? On specific flights, you can access an excellent lie-flat product on select intra-North American transcontinental flights.
Air Canada Aeroplan employs a variable award pricing structure, and business class tickets can be had for as few as 35,000 points each way.
With 140,000 Amex points, you’ll have enough rewards to book 4 one-way tickets in Air Canada Signature class at the lowest-possible rate. It’ll take some digging to find these flights, but it’s oh-so-worth it.
Expect to get a redemption value of more than $1,000 per one-way ticket. Taxes and fees will total around $40 per ticket.
Here are some best routes to book:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada Signature Class from 35,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$40 in taxes and fees
Newark (EWR) – Vancouver (YVR) one-way in Air Canada Signature Class from 35,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$40 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada Signature Class from 35,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$40 in taxes and fees
Vancouver (YVR) – Montréal (YUL) one-way in Air Canada Signature Class from 35,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$40 in taxes and fees
Vancouver (YVR) – Toronto (YYZ) one-way in Air Canada Signature Class from 35,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$40 in taxes and fees
Hot Tip: Because many of these routes have multiple daily frequencies, be sure to check if your flight is operated by an A330, 787, or 777. All of these flights have lie-flat business class seats, which are far superior when compared to the standard recliner seats.
11. Book Etihad First Class One-way to the Middle East
You and a companion can dine together in Etihad first class. Image Credit: Etihad
If you’re looking for an incredible way to access the Middle East in first class without worrying about the lack of availability on Emirates (particularly if you’re traveling with a companion), Etihad first class can be extremely helpful.
Etihad first class is a lavish experience comparable to Emirates first class, and first class seats aren’t difficult to find. Also, thanks to a handy partnership between Air Canada and Etihad, you can redeem less than 150,000 Amex points for a one-way flight to the Middle East.
Even though Etihad has a smaller network of routes than Emirates, there’s still 1 route equipped with a first class cabin to or from the U.S.:
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) one-way in Etihad first class for 120,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$31 in taxes and fees
Etihad first class retails for around $10,000 each way, giving you a redemption value of 8.3 cents per point!
12. Book China Eastern First Class One-way From the U.S. to Shanghai
China Eastern’s 777 first class offers fully lie-flat double beds along with doors! Image Credit: China Eastern
One of the only ways to fly in first class to China nonstop using points is on China Eastern first class. Interestingly, this is one of the few first class products in the world with double beds!
Currently, the only transfer partner equipped with the ability to book these flights is Qantas Frequent Flyer.
And although it’s one of the most expensive award flights available, it’s your only option.
The good news is that you can book one of these flights for less than 150,000 Amex points — barely.
Here are some of the best routes to book:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG) one-way in China Eastern first class for 149,800 Qantas points + ~$333 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Shanghai (PVG) one-way in China Eastern first class for 149,800 Qantas points + ~$333 in taxes and fees
San Francisco (SFO) – Shanghai (PVG) one-way in China Eastern first class for 149,800 Qantas points + ~$333 in taxes and fees
These flights easily retail for $14,000 one-way, which gives you a redemption value of 9.7 cents per point!
13. Fly LATAM Business Class Round-trip From the U.S. to South America
LATAM’s brand-new business class seats feature Thompson XL Vantage seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and can be found on retrofitted 777-300ER and 767-300 aircraft. Image Credit: LATAM
This airline offers a great business class experience, complete with lie-flat seats and reasonable redemption rates.
You can book round-trip business class flights for as few as 122,000 Amex points on LATAM’s long-haul routes by transferring your points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.
From there, expect to pay minimal taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Lima (LIM) round-trip in LATAM business class for 122,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$90 in taxes and fees
Los Angeles (LAX) – Santiago (SCL) round-trip in LATAM business class for 150,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$92 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Lima (LIM) round-trip in LATAM business class for 122,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$112 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – São Paulo (GRU) round-trip in LATAM business class for 122,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$80 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Santiago (SCL) round-trip in LATAM business class for 150,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + ~$92 in taxes and fees
14. Fly Lufthansa First Class From the U.S. to South Africa With a Stopover in Frankfurt
If you’re looking to aim high for a fantastic, aspirational redemption to Africa, Lufthansa first class is an incredibly difficult flight to book to South Africa.
If you’re lucky enough, you can even book a stopover in Frankfurt (FRA) before continuing on to Johannesburg (JNB) by redeeming an extra 5,000 Amex points.
Expect to transfer a total of 135,000 Amex points to Air Canada Aeroplan to book one of these flights. Here are some great redemption ideas:
Boston (BOS) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 135,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Houston (IAH) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 135,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Miami (MIA) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 135,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Johannesburg (JNB) one-way in Lufthansa first class with a stopover in Frankfurt for 135,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points + ~$41 in taxes and fees
Just keep in mind that finding 2 segments of Lufthansa first class availability is one of the tallest orders there are in award travel!
15. Book 3 Nights at a High-end Hilton Property
The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts. Image Credit: Hilton
The very last redemption we’ll discuss is the transfer of Amex points at a 1:2 ratio to Hilton Honors.
At select properties around the world, it’s possible to get more than 1 cent per point of value from each Hilton Honors point. That’s equal to a redemption value of 2 cents per Amex point, which could be worth it.
With 150,000 Amex points, you can earn 300,000 Hilton Honors points.
In general, Hilton prices standard rooms at any of these rates:
150,000 points per night
110,000 points per night
95,000 points per night
80,000 points per night
And so on.
We’ve found that the sweet spot is to book 3 nights at a property charging 95,000 points per night with 150,000 Amex points, as it allows you to transfer 143,000 Amex points for 3 nights.
This is in contrast to only being able to book 2 nights at a property charging 110,000 points per night, since 3 nights would require 165,000 Amex points.
Here are some of our favorite ways to redeem 150,000 Amex points for Hilton stays:
Plenty of ways exist to maximize 150,000 Amex points earned with the targeted welcome bonus on the Amex Platinum card. Most of Amex’s transfer partners maintain a 1:1 ratio, although some exceptions apply, including Aeromexico (1:1.6) and Hilton Honors (1:2).
Whether you’re booking first class or coach, you can get some incredible value from your Amex points.
In this guide, we showed you how to book some of the most aspirational flights using points, including Lufthansa first class, Emirates first class, Singapore Airlines first class, Etihad first class, and Qatar Airways Qsuites.
You can even redeem Amex points for excellent value at certain luxury properties in Hilton’s portfolio!
How will you redeem 150,000 Amex points? Let us know!
For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. For the return protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. For the cell phone protection benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
According to our valuations, Amex Membership Rewards points are worth 2.2 cents apiece. That means 150k Amex points would be worth around $3,300.
Without a doubt, the Amex Platinum card’s 150k offer is worth it. The welcome bonus alone will pay for several years of the annual fee. With this card, you’ll enhance your travelers like a VIP and get some amazing rewards.
The 150k Amex Platinum card bonus is targeted, but we’ve put together an article that helps you try to qualify for it!
150,000 Amex points can get you round-trip business class flights to the Middle East, up to 2 round-trip business class tickets to Europe, a one-way first class flight from New York to Singapore, or 3 nights in a luxury Hilton property.
The redemption value you get is totally dependent on how you use your Amex points, but it can be as high as $20,000 for 150,000 Amex points!
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.
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