6 Business-Class Flights You Can Book With Amex Business Gold’s Welcome Offer

The American Express^® Business Gold Card now features a welcome offer dishing out “as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards points,” opening the door to a lot of redemption options.

You could use them in plenty of different ways, of course, but the best value usually comes from transferring points to airline partners and booking premium flights. That’s especially true if you’ve been hoping to book a business class trip to Europe, Asia, or somewhere else that would normally cost a small fortune in cash.

Here are 6 business class flights that could be within reach with the Amex Business Gold card’s bonus offer.

Amex Business Gold Card Overview

The Amex Business Gold card has long been a workhorse for business owners — and one of the strongest Amex business cards for earning valuable points on everyday spending. But right now, the spotlight is on its publicly available welcome offer of as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards points:

• As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $15,000 in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

In addition to the massive welcome offer, here’s what you get with the Amex Business Gold card (some benefits require prior enrollment):

• 4x points on the top 2 eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year
• 3x points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™
• Up to $20 in monthly statement credits for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and office supply stores
• Up to $12.95 statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to automatic renewal)
• $375 annual fee (rates & fees)

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Business Gold Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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.

Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

American Express^® Business Gold Card

Get 4x points in 2 select categories where your business spends the most each month (on your first $150,000 spent each year).

Welcome Offer

As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

As High As 200,000 Points. Find Out Your Offer.

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $4,400

Annual Fee

$375

APR

17.74% - 28.49% Variable

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 card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Business Gold Card is excellent at racking up rewards for your business spend.

The card earns a whopping 4x points per $1 in the 2 categories (from a list of 6) that your business spends the most money on each month. With no need to opt-in or preselect your categories, so you can focus on what matters most — running your business.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar spent on your 2 highest purchase categories each month up to $150,000 each calendar year in purchases; categories include:
  • Transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
  • U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers
  • Monthly wireless telephone service charges made directly from a wireless telephone service provider in the U.S.
  • U.S. purchases at gas stations
  • U.S. purchases at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
  • Purchases at U.S. media providers for advertising in select media (online such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, plus TV and radio)
• 3x points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card
• Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection

Cons

• $375 annual fee (rates and fees)
• No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access or elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*
• Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ using your Business Gold Card.*
• Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.*
• Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.*
• The Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
• *Terms Apply

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 17.74% - 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

We value Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents apiece, meaning the welcome offer is worth up to $4,400 for transfer partner redemptions. Here are 6 business class flights I’d consider booking with 200,000 Amex Membership Rewards points.

Hot Tip:

Applying for the Amex Business Gold card now uses a soft credit check first, so you can see if you’re approved without impacting your credit score. If approved, you’ll see your specific welcome offer and can choose to accept or decline before any hard inquiry is made.

1. Qatar Airways Qsuites to the Maldives for 85K Points

Qatar Airways Qsuites is easily one of the first redemptions I’d consider. For example, you can fly to the Maldives for just 85,000 Avios one-way — and here’s an example of upcoming award availability for 1 passenger:

Finding 2 seats at that exact price can take a little more luck, but it can happen — and that’s what makes this such a great option for a couple planning a big Maldives trip. I’ve flown Qsuites several times to the Middle East, and it’s easily one of the best ways to get there, so being able to experience it all the way to the Maldives feels like a pretty great way to start a trip like this.

Considering these flights often cost more than $5,000 one-way per person in cash, redeeming 85,000 points (transferred at a 1:1 ratio) to book Qsuites is a really solid deal.

Hot Tip:

Qatar Airways Privilege Club is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards, and one of the best ways to book Qsuites with points and miles. If you’re hoping to find 2 Qsuite seats, it helps to start searching as far out as possible when the calendar opens and be flexible with your dates.

2. Lufthansa Allegris Business Class Between the U.S. and Europe for 70K Points

Flying long-haul business class to Europe is still one of the best ways to get outsized value from transferable points. I’ve flown plenty of great business-class seats over the years, but Lufthansa’s new Allegris business class inside the A350-900 is one I’d genuinely like to try for myself.

Thankfully, I can book Lufthansa premium cabin award tickets through the Air Canada Aeroplan program, which is an Amex transfer partner. Since both airlines are part of Star Alliance, Aeroplan points can be a useful way to book Lufthansa flights using points rather than cash.

A one-way Lufthansa business-class Allegris award between the continental U.S. and Europe can often be booked for 70,000 Aeroplan points plus taxes and fees. Best of all, the transfer ratio is straightforward at 1:1.

Better yet, taxes and fees on these awards are usually pretty modest, often coming in at under $60 one-way.

3. Emirates Business Class to Milan for 109K Points

While transfers from Amex to Emirates dropped from a 1:1 ratio to 5:4 back in September 2025, flying Emirates business class to Italy is still one of the best ways to get there using points. Now, you’ll just need a few more of them than before.

The best way to book this redemption is through Emirates Skywards (an Amex transfer partner), and one of the biggest reasons it stands out is that award space is often fairly generous. That makes this a particularly appealing option for couples, families, or even a small group of friends looking to fly together to Italy without the usual hunt for scarce premium-cabin seats.

At current rates, a one-way Emirates business-class award to Milan (MXP) prices at 87,000 Skywards miles. Because of the new 5:4 transfer ratio, you’d effectively need to transfer 109,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to book it.

That’s obviously not as attractive as it used to be, but the redemption can still make plenty of sense when cash fares are factored in. Considering these tickets often start at around $3,000 one-way, you’d still come out well ahead of the 2.2 cents per point we value Amex Membership Rewards points at.

And best of all, this fifth-freedom route is operated by the Airbus A380, so you’re not just getting lie-flat business class to Europe.

You’re also getting one of the most fun inflight perks out there: Emirates’ onboard bar for premium-cabin passengers.

4. ANA Business Class to Japan From 50K Points Each Way

All Nippon Airways, also known as ANA, remains one of the best ways to fly to Japan using points, especially if you can snag one of the airline’s top long-haul business class seats.

Award rates start at 50,000 miles each way on ANA-operated flights, and there’s now more flexibility than before since ANA now allows one-way international award bookings.

That makes this redemption a lot easier to piece together, whether you’re booking a one-way to Japan or mixing programs on the return. Even better, Amex Membership Rewards transfers directly to ANA Mileage Club at a 1:1 ratio, so this is still a straightforward option for travelers sitting on a stash of Amex points.

I’ll be honest: ANA business-class award space can be tough to find, especially far in advance. But if you’re willing to stay flexible and book closer to departure, space can open up within 2 weeks — sometimes even for more than 1 seat.

And of course, the biggest prize here is The Room, ANA’s best business-class product. It’s typically flown on select routes from New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Washington, D.C. (IAD), and Houston (IAH) to Japan, so those are the U.S. gateways I’d be watching most closely.

Just be sure to double-check the aircraft before booking, as you’ll want to secure the Boeing 777-300ER for The Room, since aircraft swaps do happen.

5. Air France Business Class to Paris Starting at 60,000 Points

Booking Air France business class is one of the best ways to extract big value from your Amex points, especially with award rates through Air France-KLM Flying Blue often starting at 60,000 miles one-way from the U.S. to Paris.

In some cases, you may be able to pay even less by transferring just 48,500 Amex points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for that same Air France-operated flight. That said, in my experience, you’ll usually find much better award availability booking directly through Flying Blue, though both are 1:1 transfer partners.

That award rate is a pretty spectacular deal for a premium experience that includes a private suite with a sliding door, comfortable bedding, and some of the best food and wine you’ll find in transatlantic business class.

Hot Tip:

Want to book Air France business class for even less than 60,000 miles? Check Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards, which sometimes discount select routes and can bring the price down even further.

6. JetBlue Mint Across the Country From 44K Points

If you’d rather squeeze big value from your points a little closer to home, JetBlue Mint is a great domestic option, even though it also flies to Europe.

You can book JetBlue’s lie-flat premium cabin from just 34,800 TrueBlue points one-way across the country. For example, I found flights from New York (JFK) to Phoenix (PHX) starting at that rate:

However, Amex has a 1:0.8 transfer ratio with JetBlue, meaning you’d need to transfer over 44,000 points to snag this award flight.

JetBlue Mint service also operates from Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), and Newark (EWR) to West Coast cities like Phoenix (PHX), Las Vegas (LAS), San Francisco, and Los Angeles. And with JetBlue continuing to expand Mint on more routes, including Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, there are more ways than before to put points toward a premium seat without booking a long-haul international trip.

With this redemption, you could realistically book a handful of lie-flat JetBlue Mint flights across the country and still come away with strong value. It’s an easy way to fly domestic or short-haul international in comfort and arrive feeling a whole lot better than you would in economy.

Hot Tip:

Bookmark our handy transfer partner calculator tool to know exactly how many points you’ll need to transfer over to the desired program. In most cases, you’ll need to transfer rewards in increments of 1,000 points.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of ways to put 200,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to use, but if your goal is flying business class, these are some of the best places to start. Whether you want to fly to Europe, Japan, the Maldives, or just coast to coast in JetBlue Mint, earning a massive bonus offer on the Amex Business Gold card can go a long way. The best part is that with the right transfer partner and a little flexibility, you can turn a single welcome bonus offer into premium-cabin trips.