By this point you have read our primer article on Booking With Awards Partners (and if you haven’t, please go back now to do so) as well as our article on Choosing The Right Rewards Card, and have decided that you would like to learn more about American Express Membership Rewards (MRs) and where you can transfer them. Great news, you are in the right place! Though I typically recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP) as the first travel card to get, the Amex Platinum is a great card for travel benefits (and, as of this writing has a sign up bonus of a WHOPPING 150k Membership Rewards points.) So, now we need to get into the nitty gritty of Amex Transfer Partners and things to consider when using them.
The Basics
What Are Transfer Partners?
First things first, but what exactly are Transfer Partners? You can read all about them in Booking With Awards Partners, bit in short, Transfer Partners (or Awards Partners) are airline and hotel rewards programs that your chosen rewards program (in this case, Amex Membership Rewards) can transfer to easily for better prices on flights and accommodations. That’s it. Simple, right? With that basic understanding out of the way, let’s dig into Chase Transfer Partners and how to use them.
Who Are Amex Transfer Partners?
American Express Membership Rewards is a highly sought rewards program in travel. This is, in part, because of Amex’s ability to transfer to 20 partners in total (17 airlines (at least one strong option from each Airline Alliance) and 3 hotels). But also because of their generous earning ability using stacks like the Rakuten Stack strategy, in which you can earn Membership Rewards even when not paying with your Amex.
Most transfers have a 1:1 conversion rate (some even higher) and most are instant (this is pretty important when trying to land rare deals like mistake fares), There are also regular bonuses awarded that can boost your transfers up to 40% depending on the bonus.
| Chase UR Transfer Partner | Min Transfer | Transfer Ratio (Chase : Airline) | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1,000 | 1:1.6 | 24 Hours |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1,000 | 1:1 | 1 hour |
| All Nippon Airways Mileage Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | 48 hrs. |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1,000 | 1:1 | <1 hr. |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | 1,000 | 1:1 | 48 hrs. |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Emirates Skywards | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1,000 | 1:1 | 48 hrs. |
| JetBlue | 1,000 | 1.25:1 | Instant |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1,000 | 1:1 | <24 hrs. |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Choice Privileges | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
| Hilton Honors | 1,000 | 1:2 | Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1,000 | 1:1 | Instant |
