53 Best Ways To Redeem Amex Membership Rewards Points for Max Value

Key Takeaways

• Amex Membership Rewards points are most valuable when transferred to airline partners like Lufthansa Life Miles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, offering high-value redemptions for flights, especially in premium cabins.
• Points can also be used for hotel stays through partners like Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy, though the value may vary.
• Another option is using points for statement credits or shopping, but these redemptions often provide lower value compared to travel rewards.

The American Express Membership Rewards program provides amazing redemptions, thanks to its many airline transfer partners. From hops to Hawaii to once-in-a-lifetime trips around the world, dream vacations are often just a matter of finding the right award-flight sweet spot for you.

You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to several hotel partners, but transferring to airline partners is often the best use of your Amex points.

Ready for a trip after earning Membership Rewards points? Let’s take a look at how to redeem your Amex points to get the most bang for your buck!

Earn Amex Membership Rewards Points

If you want to start earning Membership Rewards or boost your current earnings, American Express has several credit cards that could fit your needs.

Here are the American Express credit cards you can use to earn Membership Rewards points for your trip:

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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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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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.

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• 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

Depending on the benefits of the card, you may pay a high annual fee — but high-fee cards generally offer generous rewards and valuable benefits.

Transfer Amex Membership Rewards Points To Travel Partners

There are several ways to use your Amex Membership Rewards points, including flight upgrades, redemptions on AmexTravel.com, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, purchases on Amazon or Ticketmaster, and charitable points donations. Our favorite way to redeem points is for luxury travel leveraging Amex transfer partners.

Additionally, American Express often runs transfer bonus promotions with individual transfer partners, which can be great if you need to book an award flight.

Transfers to partners usually complete almost instantly, but check the table below to see estimated transfer times. Remember: Once you transfer points, you can’t undo the transfer.

Amex Airline Transfer Partners

With the 17 Amex airline transfer partners, you have access to award flights with members of Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam. You even have access to partners that operate outside the major airline alliances, such as Etihad Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Hot Tip:

American Express charges a small fee to transfer Membership Rewards to any U.S. domestic airline rewards program, which in this case means Delta and JetBlue. The fee isn’t huge: 0.06 cents per point, up to a maximum of $99.

Amex Hotel Transfer Partners

Amex lets you transfer to 3 hotel loyalty programs: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and Radisson Rewards. That said, hotel points transfers are not the best way to use your points. You can get much more value by transferring to airline partners.

In a pinch, though, the Amex hotel partnerships can be helpful.

The 53 Best Ways To Use Your Amex Membership Rewards Points

Transferring your points to airline partners is how you can get the most value out of your points.

The award flights described below are typically centered around North America. You’ll find first class, business class, and economy class from the U.S., as well as great deals between other regions.

Of course, there may be other great award redemptions available, and everyone has different opinions on travel destinations. If you’ve found a good one we haven’t listed here, please feel

1. Fly Singapore Suites in an A380 (KrisFlyer Miles)

Most people transfer points to the Singapore KrisFlyer miles program because they’re after the Singapore Suites, the luxury first-class experience that Singapore Airlines is famous for. If you book 2 tickets with a loved one, you can even experience a double bed in the sky!

Awards for the suites cost 148,500 miles one-way from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN). These suites are only available on the Airbus A380, so be sure to check the destinations when planning.

The A380 flies between Singapore and a number of other cities, too, including London (LHR), Sydney (SYD), Melbourne (MEL), Frankfurt (FRA), Paris (CDG), Tokyo (NRT), Mumbai (BOM), Delhi (DEL), and Hong Kong (HKG).

Singapore is also expected to fly the A380 to Auckland (AKL) starting in mid-November 2023 and to Shanghai (PVG) in early January 2024.

Singapore Airlines is known for having one of the best (if not the best) first class/suites experiences. So, if you can, definitely book award travel in Singapore Suites with your Amex points.

Another great thing about the Singapore Airlines program is that it’s a transfer partner of all the major points currencies: American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. That means that if you don’t have quite enough Membership Rewards points, you can top off your Singapore Airlines account with other currencies.

It’s tough to find more than 1 Singapore Suite at the saver level, but you might be able to waitlist a second seat, book business class, and cross your fingers and hope you clear the waitlist.

Hot Tip:

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Singapore Suites or first class.

2. Book Lufthansa First Class to Europe (LifeMiles)

Arguably, one of the classiest ways to fly to Europe in style is on Lufthansa first class. Don’t forget about the First Class Terminal (Frankfurt only) and the First Class Lounges! These take an already amazing experience to another level.

Avianca LifeMiles charges 87,000 miles to fly one-way. Best of all? Taxes and fees are just $41 per person!

This is a stunning redemption, and flying Lufthansa without reasonable surcharges is often difficult. Lufthansa award flights in first class are almost never available more than 15 days in advance to partners, so you’ll have to book pretty close to departure.

Luckily, Avianca LifeMiles doesn’t assess any close-in booking fees! Avianca LifeMiles provides the most affordable way to fly on Lufthansa first class from the U.S. to Europe without paying about $600 in fuel surcharges each way.

First class from the U.S. to Europe costs 87,000 LifeMiles plus $41 in taxes and fees. Here are great example routes:

1. Los Angeles (LAX) to Frankfurt (FRA) — availability is tough
2. Houston (IAH) to Frankfurt (FRA) — availability is tough
3. San Francisco (SFO) to Munich (MUC) — availability is sporadic
4. Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Frankfurt (FRA) — usually good availability
5. Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA) — usually good availability
6. New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) — usually good availability

Is Europe on your bucket list? We’ve written an extensive guide on flying to Europe with points and miles.

Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking first class on Lufthansa.

Hot Tip:

Enjoy your trip home from Frankfurt even more if you have The Platinum Card^® from American Express. You’ll get access to the Priority Pass program upon enrollment, which allows you to use lounges in the airport, including the LuxxLounge and the Primeclass Lounge in Frankfurt.

3. Fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to Europe (Flying Blue)

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is one of the few loyalty programs that can bypass the majority of fuel surcharges that Virgin Atlantic levies on its flights.

For example, if you used Flying Blue points, you could expect to pay about $200 per person in surcharges to fly one-way from the U.S. to Europe in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class. That’s in addition to your points cost of about 74,000 to 106,500 miles. In contrast, if you book with Virgin Atlantic’s own points, you’d pay about $975 per person in surcharges tacked onto the base points redemption.

Availability on Virgin Atlantic in Upper Class tends to be quite good, so you shouldn’t have many issues booking this flight, especially far in advance.

Hot Tip:

Virgin Atlantic used to charge about 74,000 points for flights from the U.S. to Europe, but that’s dropped dramatically in some cases. We found plenty of availability in Upper Class from New York to London or Paris at 47,500 points (plus those $975 or so in surcharges, of course). So that’s an option if you’re dead set against using cash for a flight. If you’re still not sure what to do to join Upper Class, check out our guide to booking Virgin Atlantic Upper Class!

4. Travel to the Middle East or North Africa From the U.S. (KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore Airlines offers great pricing to the Middle East and North Africa from the U.S. You can redeem KrisFlyer miles for travel on Star Alliance member airlines, including United, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, SWISS, and Lufthansa.

On these airlines, you can get to the Middle East or North Africa for 52,000 miles one-way in economy class, 88,000 miles one-way in business class, or 114,000 miles one-way in first class.

5. Fly to Central or South Africa From the U.S. (KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore Airlines has a pretty good award price for travel to Central and South Africa in business class. A one-way business class flight costs you 111,000 miles when you fly with a Star Alliance partner airline.

This pricing is now higher than United, which requires at least 88,000 miles each way to fly Star Alliance partners to Central and South Africa.

6. Fly to Europe in Economy From the U.S. (KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore offers a great price to fly from the U.S. to Europe in economy class at 30,500 miles in each direction on Star Alliance member airlines.

7. Travel Between South Pacific Islands (KrisFlyer Miles)

This is an amazing way to do some Pacific Island hopping if you’re able to take an extended trip.

Singapore Airlines charges 13,500 miles, 34,500 miles, and 47,000 miles each way for travel in economy, business, and first class respectively, within the South Pacific.

Availability can be tough to find on many of these routes, but if you have flexibility, you can’t beat using your Singapore Airlines miles for travel between South Pacific islands in business or first class.

8. Fly United in Business or First Within the U.S. (KrisFlyer Miles)

Singapore Airlines has a handful of other sweet spots in its award chart. Flights on United within the U.S. in business or first class are someof them. Since United MileagePlus no longer offers an award chart, its pricing can often be much higher.

You can redeem KrisFlyer miles to fly on United Airlines within the U.S. for 26,000 miles in business class or 39,000 miles in first class.

9. Fly Between the Continental U.S. and Hawaii (KrisFlyer Miles)

You can redeem your Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles for a good value between the continental U.S. and Hawaii in all classes of service for travel on Star Alliance airlines.

One-way prices are 19,500 miles, 39,000 miles, and 52,000 miles in economy, business, and first class, respectively. United no longer publishes an award chart, so it’s impossible to precisely predict its redemption tiers, but its pricing tends to be much higher.

10. Fly Round-Trip in ANA Business Class to Japan (ANA Mileage Club)

ANA used to have an awesome distance-based award chart allowing 3 stopovers for no additional cost. This was a great deal, but now ANA has more common region-based award charts for flights operated by ANA and flights on ANA’s partner airlines.

Booking awards with partners also means you’re on the hook for carrier-imposed surcharges. Sometimes, you can get lower fees on partner flights through United, Turkish, Air New Zealand, and Air Canada (depending on the routes).

ANA allows 1 stopover and 1 open-jaw (including backtracking) on both ANA and partner flights, though you should closely read the fine print before you book. Thanks to this tiny bit of flexibility in the new scheme, you still have a lot of options for multiple destinations on 1 ticket!

There’s great value to be had by transferring your Membership Rewards points to ANA Mileage Club. One of these is flights to Japan.

ANA flights from North America to Japan cost 85,000 miles round-trip in business class during the regular season and can go as low as 75,000 miles during the low season. Flights on partners always cost 85,000 miles in business class.

Flying ANA in economy class costs you 40,000 miles in the low season, while flights on partners always cost 50,000 miles. For 2024, the low season is considered January 4 to February 8, April 1 to April 24, May 13 to June 30, and December 1 to December 15. You might be able to book an award flight to catch the cherry blossoms in early April!

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide to booking ANA business class.

Hot Tip:

You can also transfer points from Marriott Bonvoy to ANA Mileage Club.

11. Book North America to Asia 1 (ANA Mileage Club)

ANA includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Guam, and the Philippines in its Asia 1 region (confusingly referred to as “Zone 3” on its maps and award charts). Business class one-way from North America to these countries costs 80,000 miles during the low season when flying on ANA.

ANA’s definition of North America is Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., including Alaska. Though Central America is part of North America, ANA lumps it in with all of South America when it comes to its award charts.

If you’re looking at flying with a partner airline, the deal isn’t quite as good at 95,000 miles. That’s the same cost as flying ANA during high season. Flights in economy class cost 60,000 miles.

12. Fly Etihad Business Class to Africa or the Middle East (Air Canada Aeroplan)

Aeroplan charges 90,000 or 110,000 points to fly one-way on Etihad business class to the Middle East or Africa. You can also book first class for 130,000 or 140,000 points. The lower numbers are for when your total flight distance is 6,001 to 8,000 miles. If your total flight distance is 8,001 or more miles, it’s the higher redemption price.

Etihad’s business class has received great reviews — we doubt you’ll be disappointed with this redemption. 

Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step instructions on how to book Etihad business class!

13. Fly From North America to Asia 2 (ANA Mileage Club)

ANA’s Asia 2 region includes India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, but also “stan” countries like Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. And it doesn’t stop there! Asia 2 also includes areas such as Sri Lanka and Russia east of the Urals. To make it a little more difficult, ANA also refers to Asia 2 as “Zone 4.”

Some of these countries are usually quite expensive to reach from North America, so using miles can present incredible value. Round-trip business class to Asia 2 countries during the low season costs 100,000 miles, or 55,000 miles in economy.

Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking business class with ANA’s Star Alliance partner EVA Air, one of the best business classes in the sky.

Hot Tip:

Flying to Asian countries besides Japan also carries lower fuel surcharges than flying directly to Japan on ANA — even when your flights to Asia go through Japan!

14. Book North America to Europe on Partners (ANA Mileage Club)

Flying one of ANA’s partner airlines to Japan on miles isn’t as good as redeeming miles for ANA flights directly, but the award chart does have a few solid partner redemptions.

You can fly round-trip from the U.S. to Europe in business class for 88,000 miles or in economy for 55,000 miles. This price used to be a lot better, but it’s still better than many competitors’ prices.

Watch out for carrier-imposed surcharges that can really add up. If you can, find availability on LOT Polish, Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, or United Airlines to avoid higher taxes and fees.

15. Travel From North America to Africa or the Middle East in Economy (ANA Mileage Club)

ANA also offers good pricing in economy class from North America to Africa and the Middle East. A round-trip flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Cape Town (CPT) costs 65,000 miles in economy.

16. Take Flights Within Africa and the Middle East (ANA Mileage Club)

Flights within Africa can be expensive, but ANA hands you a pretty great option to use miles instead.

You need 30,000 miles for round-trip in economy class within Africa and the Middle East when you fly Star Alliance partners, including South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Egypt Air.

17. Book Flights From the U.S. to Southern South America (ANA Mileage Club)

Many award charts split South America into 2 regions: northern South America and southern South America. Sometimes this is beneficial, but other times it isn’t, especially when you’re trying to get to the southern part of the continent from the Northern Hemisphere. ANA, however, considers South America a single region. It even includes Central America in its South America zone, even though it’s technically part of North America.

Since ANA doesn’t fly to South America, though, you’ll have to utilize the ANA Partner Award Chart. ANA charges 88,000 miles round-trip in business and 55,000 miles round-trip in economy class to fly from North America to South America.

If you’re planning to go to a northern South American country (like Peru or Colombia) or a Central American country (like Costa Rica or Nicaragua), it’s a good idea to check other airlines’ redemptions before you book with ANA.

18. Book a Trip Around the World (ANA Mileage Club)

A lot of airline programs have gotten rid of their around-the-world award charts, but ANA basically turned its old, distance-based program into an around-the-world chart when it made program changes.

If you have time and want to make a bunch of stops on your trip, this is a fantastic redemption! When making an ANA partner redemption, you can make up to 8 stopovers on a round-the-world trip. You can put together incredible trips if you have the time, flexibility, and patience to plan them out.

There are important restrictions to consider:

• You can only have up to 3 stopovers in Europe and 4 in Japan
• You must keep traveling either east or west. In other words, you’re not allowed to backtrack
• You must return to the same continent on which you started
• You have to fly Star Alliance airlines
• Your itinerary can only include up to 4 ground-transportation legs, such as landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City, taking a train to Washington, D.C., and then flying out from Dulles International Airport (IAD). ANA won’t count your ground travel as part of your flight mileage, but it does include traveling between airports in the same city against your limit of 4 ground segments. That means that landing at JFK and flying out of LaGuardia Airport (LGA), about 12 miles by taxicab, all in New York City, is the same as driving over 250 miles and through at least 4 states to get to Dulles, as far as ANA is concerned
• You cannot return to your home country in under 10 days. You must cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean once each
• The cost is based on the mileage flown. Itineraries on ANA’s round-the-world chart start at 38,000 points in economy (for trips of between 4,001 and 7,000 miles) and go up to 450,000 points in first class (for trips of 44,001 to 50,000 miles). If you mix classes, ANA will charge you for the highest class you fly in your entire itinerary
• You can’t book an ANA round-the-world trip online or at the airport — you must call ANA to arrange it

19. Fly Continental U.S. to Hawaii on Delta in Economy (Flying Blue)

One great redemption from the Flying Blue program is for flights to Hawaii from the continental U.S.

Round-trip flights cost 35,000 Flying Blue miles and a little over $20 in fees. Considering that flights to Hawaii from the East Coast usually cost $650 to over $900 round-trip, you can find great redemptions even at the lower end of the spectrum.

Award prices start at 35,000 Flying Blue miles round-trip and can go higher from there. Be sure to look for mileage prices around 35,000, or else you’ll pay way more than you should!

20. Redeem Flying Blue Promo Rewards (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue has special Promo Rewards for award tickets that are usually 25% to 50% off economy class and business class from Europe to certain cities.

The Promo Award that most U.S.-based flyers find useful is from Europe to North American cities. For example, we found flights from Paris to New York City for only 11,250 points at 25% off in economy, plus just under $165 in surcharges.

Speaking of that, surcharges tend to be a little higher on Flying Blue awards, but they’re not terrible. If you consider how many miles you’re saving, it might be just what you need.

21. Make Use of Flying Blue’s Weird Region Definitions (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue has odd region definitions that you can take advantage of for incredible awards! For example, the program considers Israel, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia as part of Europe. They’re grouped under what Air France/KLM calls “Europe 3.”

Right away, this means 75,000 miles for round-trip itineraries in economy class from the U.S. and 150,000 miles for round-trips in business class. And since these countries are all considered part of Europe, Promo Rewards for Europe could also apply to these destinations.

22. Fly to Mexico for the Same Price as Flying Around the U.S. (Flying Blue)

Most airline award programs separate Mexico from the U.S. in their award charts. Flying Blue, however, counts them as the same region. That means you can fly from the U.S. to Mexico round-trip in economy for only 29,000.

23. Fly to the Caribbean From the U.S. (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue also has pretty solid prices for flights to the Caribbean. One-way flights in economy class can be had for as few as 25,000 Flying Blue points and in business for as little as 67,500 points.

For more information, check out our guide to flying to the Caribbean with points and miles.

24. Book Insanely Cheap Economy Flights to the South Pacific (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue charges a low number of miles for flights to Tahiti and other islands in the South Pacific: 51,000 miles for a round-trip economy ticket or 128,000 in business.

There’s really only 1 valid route here:

• Los Angeles (LAX) to Tahiti (PPT)

25. Fly to Oceania From the U.S. (Aeroplan)

There are good Aeroplan redemptions worth mentioning, too.

You can fly from the U.S. to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific for 120,000 miles round-trip in economy class. Where this award really shines is with the ability to make 1 stopover in each direction in addition to your final destination for 5,000 points per stopover. If you’re already flying so far, why not add a few days and an extra country to your trip?

This won’t be the lowest possible price to get to Oceania, but if you can make use of the stopovers, it might be worth paying more miles than a carrier like United would charge.

Hot Tip:

Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase, and Marriott Bonvoy also have Air Canada Aeroplan as transfer partners, so you can combine points from those programs with your Membership Rewards points.

26. Jet Off to Western Europe From the U.S. (Aeroplan)

Air Canada charges 70,000 to 120,000 points to fly round-trip in economy class from the U.S. to Western Europe. Though many airlines charge around this same price, Aeroplan also lets you make a stopover for 5,000 points in each direction.

The same routes cost 120,000 to 320,000 points in business class and 180,000 to 360,000 points in first class! In other words, you could fly Lufthansa first class for as few as 90,000 points each way.

Hot Tip:

Looking for the best ways to get to or from Europe in style? Check out our guide to booking Lufthansa first class!

27. Fly to the Middle East From the U.S. (Aeroplan)

Air Canada charges 110,000 to 160,000 points to fly round-trip in economy class from the U.S. to the Middle East. Again, this is with the ability to make a stopover in each direction in addition to your final destination for 5,000 additional points per stopover.

Flights from 6,001 to 8,000 miles cost 55,000 points one-way in economy, 90,000 points in business, and 130,000 points in first class.

Meanwhile, flights longer than 8,000 miles cost 70,000 points one-way in economy, 110,000 points in business, and 140,000 points in first.

28. Take Short-Haul Flights on Air Canada (Aeroplan)

Flights on Air Canada within North America are generally quite expensive when purchased in cash. Transferring Amex points to Aeroplan offers you a way around that.

But any short-haul flights on any Star Alliance partner that are shorter than 500 miles in flight distance start at 6,000 Aeroplan points each way. Flights between 501 and 1,500 miles cost 10,000 Aeroplan points each way.

29. Fly to Nunavut, Yukon, or the Northwest Territories From the U.S. (Aeroplan)

The more far-flung provinces of Canada can be expensive to get to — we’re talking easily over $1,000 from the U.S. round-trip (and we’ve even seen prices over $2,000).

But awards to these often beautiful places can be booked for a relative handful of miles: 25,000 round-trip! If you like off-the-beaten-track destinations, this is a great (and cheap) award. To nab this redemption, your flight distance in each direction has to be between 1,501 and 2,750 miles.

A $2,000 round-trip ticket for 25,000 miles nets you a fantastic value of 8 cents per point, which is on par with a redemption in first class.

30. Travel With a Lap Child (Aeroplan)

The cost of traveling with an infant varies by airline when booking award tickets. Some airlines charge 10% of the cash ticket, which can be absolutely brutal if you’re traveling in a premium cabin.

Air Canada has a simple and reasonable structure for the cost of traveling with an infant: CA$25 or 2,500 miles per ticket. 

Generally, we would recommend paying cash for these infant fees since the value per mile is less than 1 cent per point after conversion to U.S. currency. But if you’re looking to cover as much of your trip as possible with your miles, Air Canada is one of the better options when you’re traveling with a lap child.

If you’re traveling with a lap child, always book a round-trip ticket. The lap child fee is per ticket, so you’ll pay this fee twice if you book 2 one-way tickets.

31. Fly on Qatar Airways Qsuites (British Airways Avios)

One of the best ways to redeem Amex points for an amazing business class product on an ultra-long-haul flight is on Qatar Airways Qsuites.

The 2 most obvious partners are Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and British Airways Executive Club, but we generally find redemption rates on U.S.-Middle East itineraries to be the best through British Airways.

You’ll pay 70,000 British Airways Avios plus around $100 in taxes and fees for a one-way ticket in business class between the U.S. and Doha (DOH), with departures from cities such as Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington, D.C.

32. Take Short-Haul Flights (British Airways Avios)

We’ve always been able to find great deals on British Airways. Paired with the Amex Membership Rewards transfer ratio of 1:1, using Amex points on British Airways is often a solid choice.

For short-haul flight deals, try searching for flights up to 650 miles outside of the U.S. These flights cost 4,750 Avios each way for travel on British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.

On partner-operated flights, that number is 6,000 Avios one-way. This can present incredible value in areas of the world where distances are short, but flights are expensive, like Japan. For flights within North America, that price is 7,500 Avios.

Hot Tip:

British Airways is notorious for attaching high fees to its flights, but fees are much lower when you redeem Avios for flights on American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

33. Fly to Hawaii From the U.S. West Coast (British Airways Avios)

One-way, direct flights from the West Coast to Hawaii in economy class on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines cost you 13,000 British Airways Avios plus just over $5 in taxes and fees!

This might be the best economy-class redemption from the continental U.S. to Hawaii.

34. Fly to Europe From the East Coast (Iberia Avios)

You can get from the East Coast of the U.S. to Dublin on Aer Lingus for 13,000 Avios off-peak with low surcharges.

In addition, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Iberia Avios. If you ever book flights on Iberia, you want to book with Iberia Avios, not British Airways Avios, even though you have the ability to book with both.

You can also transfer miles between the British Airways and Iberia programs. In order to transfer, your account must be at least 90 days old, and you must have had some kind of points activity on your account, such as a transfer from American Express.

Some one-way redemptions in business class on Iberia to Europe are Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), or New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) for 50,000 miles plus taxes and fees; or Chicago (ORD) to Madrid (MAD) for 62,500 miles plus about $575 in taxes and fees. If flying on the highly competitive route from Los Angeles (LAX) to Madrid (MAD), you’ll shell out 75,000 Avios plus about $575 in taxes and fees.

35. Book Miami to Peru (British Airways Avios)

If you’re looking to venture somewhere other than Europe, a flight from Miami (MIA) to Lima (LIM) is a great option. You could be walking along the Malecón in almost no time!

This award costs 13,000 British Airways Avios plus around $20 each way in economy. That’s not much more than it would cost to fly within the U.S.!

36. Pay Low Fees (British Airways Avios)

British Airways doesn’t charge a fee for booking last-minute travel. This means even if you don’t have status with another airline, you have a good way to book just before your trip without an extra fee.

As far as cancellation fees go, they’re also pretty reasonable. If you’re booking from the U.S., your cancellation fee is $55 per person per ticket.

Hot Tip:

Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase, and Marriott Bonvoy partner with British Airways and transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

37. Fly From Santiago to Easter Island (Cathay Pacific Asia Miles)

Getting to Easter Island is not cheap — round-trip flights from Chile start at around $850. Rather than dropping serious cash, you can use 15,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles plus relatively low taxes and fees to fly from Santiago (SCL) to Easter Island (IPC).

38. Fly From Los Angeles to Tokyo — Maybe Even in First Class! (British Airways Avios)

Flying from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (HND, NRT) on Japan Airlines puts you right in the 25,750 Avios bracket. If you want to fly the same route in first class, it’ll set you back 103,000 Avios plus around $160 in taxes and fees each way.

Business class could be a happy medium for this itinerary, at 77,250 Avios plus about $160.

Hot Tip:

See our step-by-step guides for booking Japan Airlines first class and business class.

39. Fly British Airways First Class With a Companion Using Miles and the Travel Together Ticket (British Airways Avios)

If your goal is to use your miles to fly first class on British Airways, be prepared to pay a cash surcharge — though you’ll save a ton over a cash-only ticket.

Flying British Airways first class from Chicago (ORD) to London (LHR) costs as little as 68,000 British Airways Avios off-peak and as much as 80,000 Avios during peak dates (plus a little over $700 to $1,000 in taxes and surcharges in each direction).

You can stretch your Avios even further with a Travel Together Ticket. Earn the Travel Together Ticket by spending $30,000 in a year with the British Airways Visa Signature^® Card.

This ticket gives you a second seat for a companion on the same flight in the same cabin when you book a reward flight. It has to be round-trip on a British Airways mainline flight originating in and returning to the U.S.

You still need to pay taxes and fees on the companion ticket, but you’re only using points for 1 person! You need to book your departure date within 2 years of receiving the Travel Together Ticket. 

Hot Tip:

Read our guide to help you book British Airways first class using points!

40. Fly Cathay Pacific First Class (Cathay Pacific Asia Miles)

Want a chance to experience Cathay Pacific first class?

On select flights between the U.S. and Hong Kong, you can access one of the world’s most exclusive first classes starting at 110,000 Asia Miles one-way.

Business class on the same flight costs 70,000 Asia Miles.

Hot Tip:

American Express occasionally offers bonuses of up to 25% when you transfer points to Asia Miles. Wait for one of these to come up to get an even better deal!

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide to booking Cathay Pacific first class.

41. Fly Etihad Without Carrier-Imposed Surcharges (Aeroplan)

When looking at most foreign carriers, you have to be careful about whether or not carrier-imposed surcharges are passed on when you’re booking an award ticket. Thanks to Etihad’s partnership with Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, you don’t need to worry about that.

Using your Aeroplan points, you can fly from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) for 90,000 points in business class or 130,000 points in first class. Similarly, on a shorter trip between London (LHR) and Abu Dhabi, you can fly in business class for 45,000 points and first class for 65,000 points.

Need help booking? Take a look at our step-by-step instructions on how to book Etihad business class!

Hot Tip:

Use cards such as the Amex Platinum card to get elite status for your car rentals upon enrollment with Avis, Hertz, and National.

42. Travel From the U.S. East Coast to Europe With 2 Stopovers (Asia Miles)

One of the most amazing things about the Asia Miles award program is the ability to make 2 stopovers on a round-trip award.

On flights from the East Coast, you should be able to fly in economy class for 70,000 points round-trip or business class for 110,000 points round-trip. An example routing you might want to consider is New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) to Helsinki (HEL) back to New York (JFK).

You need to be careful which airline you fly with to avoid fuel surcharges, but flights on Iberia and Finnair will generally have low surcharges.

Asia Miles has 2 award charts: one for Cathay and another for all other Oneworld flights. The number of partners you are flying dictates the number of stops you’re allowed to make:

• If using the Cathay chart, you are allowed to fly Cathay Pacific and 1 other partner. You can make 2 stopovers on a round-trip booking. Stopovers on one-way flights are not allowed.
• If you aren’t flying on Cathay at all, or are flying 2 or more different partners, reference the Oneworld chart. When booking from the Oneworld chart, you’re allowed 4 stopovers and 2 open-jaws on a round-trip booking.
• Redeem online with Cathay Pacific, British Airways, or Qantas. Speak to an agent for other airlines or fill out the online form to request airline award bookings.

Try to avoid carrier-imposed surcharges when making these bookings. In addition to flying Aer Lingus and Air Berlin, you should also consider flights on LATAM, American Airlines (within the Americas), and Air New Zealand.

Other partners will likely have carrier-imposed surcharges. Depending on the miles you’re spending and the amount of the surcharge, you could still find a good deal, though.

43. Fly Chinese Airlines in Business Class (SkyMiles)

Flyers praise the business class on many Chinese airlines. When using your Delta SkyMiles, you can book business class on China Eastern or China Airlines for 120,000 SkyMiles in each direction.

While both airlines are good, China Airlines is generally considered to be slightly superior. Assuming there is availability to your destination, you should consider booking China Airlines over China Eastern.

Don’t forget you can also fly Delta One to Asia starting at 120,000 SkyMiles.

Need help booking? Use our Delta award flight booking guide to simplify the process.

Hot Tip:

Marriott Bonvoy also partners with Delta Air Lines, and there are many ways to earn lots of Marriott Bonvoy points.

44. Take Short Flights Within the U.S. (SkyMiles)

All of the airlines seem to be getting in on the low-mileage, short-flights game. Delta charges 7,500 SkyMiles in Main Cabin for select short flights within the U.S., like San Francisco (SFO) to Seattle (SEA). These redemptions can be a great deal, especially if there is availability at the last minute when flights tend to be more expensive.

A month out, flight prices for SFO to SEA are currently only $89 on select days, making the redemption not as good. Since Delta’s award pricing is so variable, it always makes sense to compare the award price to the cash price on any day you’re looking at flying.

45. Fly American From the U.S. to Europe in Business (Etihad)

Etihad isn’t part of an airline alliance, but it does have a lot of different airline partners. In March 2023, it rolled out a simplified, zone-based redemption table that eliminated many of the great redemptions the airline’s loyalty program was known for.

Amex points transfer to Etihad Guest at a ratio of 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards points for 750 Etihad Guest miles.

Hot Tip:

Looking for more Etihad redemptions ideas on its new chart? Check our guide to the best Etihad redemptions!

If you want to fly with American Airlines and Virgin Australia, you can book those award flights right on the Etihad website. Call Etihad at 877-690-0767 for all other partner award flights.

The new Etihad chart can offer better redemptions with AA than on American’s own chart. For example, it offers Charlotte (CLT) to London (LHR) in business one-way for 80,000. The trick here is finding available flights.

Hot Tip:

See our step-by-step instructions on booking American Airlines first class.

46. Go to Brussels in Business (Etihad)

Brussels Airlines was a sweet spot with Etihad’s old partner-by-partner redemption arrangement, and it can still be a good use of Etihad miles.

From East Coast airports like New York (JFK), Toronto (YYZ), or Washington, D.C. (IAD), you can fly to Brussels (BRU) in business for 80,000 miles one-way. Economy costs 45,000 miles.

47. Fly to Casablanca With Royal Air Maroc (Etihad)

Etihad’s partnership with Royal Air Maroc still provides an opportunity to redeem points to get to Morocco. New York (JFK) or Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Casablanca (CMN) costs 45,000 miles one-way in economy or 80,000 miles one-way in business class. Both fall under the 3,001-to-4,000-miles bracket.

Hot Tip:

Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy also partner with Etihad. Use cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One., or the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card to earn more points for your award.

48. Travel With an Infant (Etihad)

Traveling on Etihad with an infant lap child is reasonable — it charges 10% of the mileage cost of the ticket for your infant to travel on your lap.

For example, if you’re thinking about booking the Brussels Airlines business class flight for 80,000 Etihad miles from JFK to BRU, you would only need to budget an extra 8,000 miles to book a lap child ticket.

49. Fly Transcontinental Business Class in the U.S. on United Airlines (Avianca)

Another sweet spot you can take advantage of with transferred Amex Membership Rewards points is on United Airlines 787-10 routes between Newark (EWR) or New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO).

You can fly transcontinental on United’s awesome Polaris business class! Trying United Polaris across the U.S. will set you back 25,000 miles each way when booking through its Star Alliance partner Avianca LifeMiles.

50. Redeem Avianca Promo Awards

Avianca routinely runs promotional awards for destinations all around the world. These provide solid opportunities to eke out extra value from your LifeMiles due to the discounts offered here.

You need to read the fine print carefully and be sure to book the awards when the sale is actually occurring. The promo awards are typically only valid if booked within a small window, usually 2 or 3 weeks.

Deals from past promotions include:

• New York (JFK) to Seoul (ICN): Round-trip for 144,000 miles in Asiana Airlines first class (regular price: 180,000)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Beijing (PEK): Round-trip for 144,000 miles in Air China first class (regular price: 180,000)
• San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE): Round-trip for 120,000 miles in EVA Air business class (regular price: 150,000)
• Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE): Round-trip for 120,000 miles in EVA Air business class (regular price: 150,000)

51. Fly East Coast to Dubai Round-Trip on Emirates

Emirates has one of the sky’s best economy products and a fantastic business class. But it’s not currently in an alliance and only partners with a handful of airlines, which makes these award redemptions tougher to snag.

You can earn Emirates miles through transfers at a 1:1 ratio from Amex Membership Rewards. For Business Saver tickets booked round-trip from JFK to Dubai (DXB), you can spend as few as 145,000 miles. For one-way tickets, you’ll spend around 115,000 miles.

Taxes and fees are extremely high, though, hovering at around $1,200 one-way.

There are several East Coast cities with nonstop flights to Dubai on Emirates, including Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).

Try to catch superior business class on the A380, as opposed to the 777-300ER!

Hot Tip:

Read our guide on how to book Emirates business class using points.

52. Book Free Nights at Hilton Properties (Hilton Honors)

Up until this point, we’ve only talked about American Express airline transfer partners, but you can also book award stays at hotels through Amex hotel transfer partners.

Generally, you won’t get as much value from your Membership Rewards points by booking a hotel, especially compared to buying flights, but there are still deals worth considering.

For example, one good option is booking a lower-tier Hilton hotel. Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio. So, with Membership Rewards, you can transfer 10,000 points to get 20,000 Honors points for a night at one of Hilton’s most affordable properties, like the Hampton Inn in Decatur, Alabama.

Though the entry-level hotels aren’t the most glamorous stays in the Hilton portfolio, they still mean you’ll have places you can stay on points both domestically and internationally. So how about a stay at the Hilton Alexandria Green Plaza in Alexandria, Egypt (19,000 points per night), or 2 nights at the Hampton by Hilton Guilin Lingui in Guilin, China (9,000 points per night)?

Hot Tip:

Use the Amex Platinum card to get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status upon enrollment! You can also check out the various Hilton credit cards to find more ways to earn a bunch of Hilton Honors points, such as the Hilton Honors American Express Card.

53. Book Great Rates at Hotels in Italy, Sweden, or Norway (Choice Hotels)

Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Choice Privileges at a 1:1 ratio, and there are excellent hotel redemptions to be had in Europe. For example, you can stay in Europe starting at 8,000 points per night. During peak season, these hotels can easily cost hundreds of euros per night.

Here are some of the best redemptions for Choice Hotels award stays:

• Clarion Collection Hotel Principessa Isabella, in Rome, is 16,000 points per night
• Hotel C Stockholm, Ascend Hotel Collection is 16,000 points per night
• Hotel Christiania Teater, Ascend Hotel Collection in Olso, is 20,000 points per night

Hot Tip:

You can also earn lots of Choice Privileges points by using the Choice Privileges^® Mastercard^®.

How To Transfer Your American Express Membership Points to Transfer Partners

Step 1: Navigate to the American Express website and log in to your account.

Step 2: Select a credit card account that earns Membership Rewards points. This might be the American Express^® Gold Card or the Amex Platinum card, among others.

Co-branded cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card and the Hilton Honors card don’t earn Membership Rewards.

Step 3: On the top, righthand side, choose Rewards. On the next page, choose Transfer Points from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Choose the airline or hotel partner you want. If you haven’t already linked its loyalty program account number to your Amex account, do so now.

Step 5: Once the accounts are linked, choose how many points you would like to transfer. Generally, you’re required to transfer in chunks of 1,000 points. You’ll have to verify you’re the cardholder by entering your 4-digit card ID and your 3-digit security code. Both can be found on your physical card.

Step 6: After entering the number of miles you want to transfer, click Review Transfer and complete the process.

Hot Tip:

All transfers are final and cannot be reversed, so double-check that everything is correct!

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to choose from when it comes to American Express partner airlines and hotels, but only some of these will maximize your redemption value.

By carefully calculating your Membership Rewards transfers, you could fly Singapore Suites to experience the famous double bed. Or maybe you’ll decide to get 8 stopovers on your flight around the world. Use your imagination!

To maximize the points you get for any flights and take advantage of these deals, the Amex Gold card is a great option — you’ll earn 3x points for flights purchased directly through the airlines or on amextravel.com. There are also many different Membership Rewards credit cards to choose from.

Happy redeeming!