American Express
American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners.
ANA is the single best transfer partner in the ecosystem — plus Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, and 20+ others make MR the most-flexible U.S. transferable currency.
American Express Membership Rewards has the deepest transfer partner network in U.S. points and miles. 20+ partners spanning Star Alliance, Sky Team, oneworld, and non-alliance carriers means there's almost always a way to reach any destination.
The anchor is ANA Mileage Club. ANA's round-the-world business chart is unmatched at 125,000 miles. Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, and Flying Blue round out the top-tier partners, and Delta SkyMiles is a partner that Chase and Cap One do not have.
Cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Gold Card · The Platinum Card from American Express · American Express Green Card · The Business Platinum Card from American ExpressStrengths
- ANA business class at 90,000 miles round-trip to Asia is one of the best premium-cabin redemptions
- Delta SkyMiles transfer partner — only major transferable currency with Delta access
- Aeroplan and Virgin Atlantic partners overlap with Chase for flexibility
- Amex runs frequent transfer bonuses (30-40% common)
- Amex Business Platinum gets 35% points back on flights booked through Amex Travel
Weaknesses
- Transfers to airline partners are NOT instant for all — some take 24-48 hours (Singapore, ANA)
- Amex charges a $0.0006/mile "excise tax offset fee" on transfers to U.S. airline partners
- No World of Hyatt partner — the single best hotel transfer is Chase-only
- ANA booking must be round-trip and go through the Japanese ANA site
Airline partners (12)
| Program | Ratio | Time | Sweet spot | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | 1-2 days | Round-the-world business at 125k; USA-Asia business at 90k round-trip | US-Asia round-trip in ANA business: 90,000 miles |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | Instant | Star Alliance without fuel surcharges; 5,000-mile stopovers | US-Europe on Lufthansa business: 60,000 miles one-way |
| Air France / KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Instant | Monthly Promo Rewards discount Europe 25-50% | JFK-CDG Promo Rewards economy: 20,000 miles round-trip |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Instant | Delta One JFK-LHR at 60k; ANA First round-trip US-Asia at 120k | ANA First round-trip US-Asia: 120,000 miles |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 | 1 day | Direct Delta access — only transferable currency with this | Domestic Delta saver: 8,000-25,000 miles |
| British Airways Avios (= Iberia) | 1:1 | Instant | Short-haul Europe at 4,750; Iberia biz off-peak at 34k | MAD-USA business off-peak: 34,000 Avios one-way |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | Instant | Aspirational first class only | Emirates first LAX-DXB: 90,000 miles + $700 surcharges |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Instant | American Airlines partner tool; JFK-Rome AA business at 44k | JFK-Rome AA business via Etihad: 44,000 miles |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | Instant | Cathay business across Asia at competitive rates | HKG-Tokyo business: 30,000 miles one-way |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1-2 days | Singapore Suites; Star Alliance partner awards | LAX-Tokyo Singapore business: 90,000 miles round-trip |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 1:1 | Instant | US-Hawaii economy at 20-25k round-trip | LAX-Honolulu round-trip economy: 20,000-25,000 miles |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.25:1 | Instant | Mint transatlantic — note 1.25:1 is worse than Chase | JFK-LHR Mint via 1.25:1 transfer: ~69,000 MR points |
Hotel partners (3)
| Program | Ratio | Time | Sweet spot | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 | Instant | Rarely a good use — Hilton points ~0.5¢ | Category 4 Hilton off-peak: 30,000 points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1 day | Only for a specific Marriott property | Category 4 Marriott off-peak: 25,000 points |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 | Instant | European partner properties at fixed rates | European Preferred: 8,000-16,000 points |
How to actually use American Express Membership Rewards
- Watch for Amex transfer bonuses — bonuses run monthly (30-40% common). Common partners: Air France, Marriott, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay.
- The Amex Trifecta is Gold + Platinum + a business Amex. Gold captures dining/grocery at 4x; Platinum captures travel at 5x.
- ANA awards must be round-trip. Plan the whole itinerary before transferring.
- Delta transfers can be poor value — SkyMiles TATL business runs 100k+. Only transfer with a specific redemption booked.
- Consider Etihad Guest for American Airlines award booking — Etihad's AA chart is often better than AA's own.