BANK POINTS GUIDE

American Express Membership Rewards

Compare airline rewards programs, explore business-class prices, and plan your Amex points transfers.

Explore with Amex Compare My Points

Find better flights with your points

BUSINESS CLASS · RESEARCHED EXAMPLEChicagoMadridBook through Iberia Club (Avios)40k points + $170

Know your points

Amex points at a glance

Best value in our researched routes

4.1¢

per bank point

$4,100

per 100k points

See the route

Estimated flight value after fees, not cash value. Prices and availability vary.

Transfer ratio

Most airline rewards programs are 1:1. Cathay and Emirates have lower rates in our calculator.

Transfer increments

Usually 1,000 points; partner minimums and increments vary.

Timing of Transfers

Many transfers are quick; some take several days. Check the partner estimate before confirming.

Confirm the live transfer quote and account terms.

Choose your earning tools

Best Transfer Cards

These personal and business cards earn transferable Membership Rewards points.

Credit card disclosure: We may receive cash, points or other rewards if you apply for a credit card through links on this site and meet the referral or affiliate offer requirements. Disclosure details

Personal · Allows point transfers to airlines

American Express Platinum Card

Earn 5 points per dollar on eligible flights (up to $500k/year).

As high as 175,000 welcome bonus points

Spend $12,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.

Offers vary; you may not be eligible for an offer.

Welcome bonus last confirmed Oct 17, 2026

Card details & offer terms

Personal · Allows point transfers to airlines

American Express Gold Card

Earn 4 points per dollar at restaurants (up to $50k/year).

As high as 100,000 welcome bonus points

Spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.

Offers vary; you may not be eligible for an offer.

Welcome bonus last confirmed Oct 17, 2026

Card details & offer terms

Business · Allows point transfers to airlines

American Express Business Gold Card

Earn 4 points per dollar in your top 2 eligible categories (caps apply).

As high as 200,000 welcome bonus points

Spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Offers vary; you may not be eligible for an offer.

Welcome bonus last confirmed Oct 17, 2026

Card details & offer terms

Business · Allows point transfers to airlines

Blue Business Plus

Earn 2 points per dollar on purchases (first $50k/year).

As high as 50,000 welcome bonus points

Spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Offers vary; you may not be eligible for an offer.

Welcome bonus last confirmed Oct 17, 2026

Card details & offer terms

Other eligible Membership Rewards cards may also allow transfers. Delta, Hilton and Marriott cards earn separate rewards currencies.

Bring your balances together

Combine points without confusing the rules

Combining Your Own Cards

Link your eligible personal and business Membership Rewards cards to one rewards account.
Ask Amex to link eligible accounts if your points appear separately.
Keep a transfer-enabled Membership Rewards account open before closing a card.

Combining Family Points

Membership Rewards balances cannot be directly pooled between family members.
An airline rewards program may let you book a ticket for someone else after transferring to your eligible account.

Authorized Users

Transfers can go to your own airline rewards program account.
An eligible additional cardholder’s account can be linked after their additional card has been issued for at least 90 days.
Additional-card spending generally earns into the primary Membership Rewards balance.

Your airline rewards programs

Airline Rewards Programs

Shown first: selected airline rewards programs for comparison, including those used in the examples.
The ratio shows Amex points transferred : airline currency received.
Choose by route, seats and total cost.

Airline rewards program	Transfer ratio	Search focus
Air France–KLM Flying Blue	1:1	Explore Air France, KLM and eligible partner awards.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	1:1	Check eligible Virgin Atlantic and partner flights; cash charges can vary.
Iberia Club	1:1	Check Spain and other eligible Avios awards; compare fees.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	5:4	Compare Cathay Pacific and eligible oneworld partner awards.
Air Canada Aeroplan	1:1	Compare eligible Star Alliance and other partner itineraries.
ANA Mileage Club	1:1	Check award availability and the program’s itinerary and ticketing rules.

Additional airline rewards programs

Airline rewards program	Transfer ratio	Search focus
Delta SkyMiles	1:1	Compare the SkyMiles quote with other eligible booking options.
British Airways Club	1:1	Compare eligible Avios awards alongside cash charges.
Avianca LifeMiles	1:1	Compare available Star Alliance awards and the complete fees.
Emirates Skywards	5:4	Compare Skywards prices and carrier charges together.
Qatar Airways Privilege Club	1:1	Check Qatar Airways and eligible oneworld awards.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1:1	Explore Singapore Airlines and eligible partner availability.

Use the displayed partner ratio. Transfers to US airline rewards programs can incur an Amex excise tax offset fee: $0.0006 per point, capped at $99.

Airline rewards program vs. operating airline

An airline rewards program issues the award ticket; a different airline may operate the flight.
A seat offered by one airline rewards program may be unavailable through another.
Our table covers modeled partners; the bank’s full partner list may include other programs.

Explore Destination Guides

Business-class examples

What might your points book?

Prices use the airline rewards program’s points. Bank points needed depend on the transfer ratio.
Cash fees are additional. Prices are researched examples, not live availability.

Iberia Club (Avios)

Chicago → Madrid

Low Price: 40k points + $170
Broader Availability: 59k points + $170

Explore this route

Air Canada Aeroplan

Los Angeles → Istanbul

Low Price: 90k points + $100
Broader Availability: Limited only

Explore this route

Air Canada Aeroplan

New York → Hong Kong

Low Price: 103k points + $100
Broader Availability: 310k points + $50

Explore this route

Low Price: the lowest researched price, sometimes available on only a few dates. Broader Availability: The upper end of the typical award price range. Flights on most dates were available between the Low Price and this amount. Actual prices and availability vary by date. About our research

Understand the value

Transfer or use Amex Travel?

Transfer to an airline rewards program

Find available award seats first.
Compare miles, cash charges, connections and ticket rules.
Transfers are final; allow time for points to arrive.

Use American Express Travel

Compare the exact flights, cabin and fare rules.
Pay with Points is separate from an airline award booking.
Any eligible points-back benefit is a later rebate, not an upfront reduction in the points required.

Example value of transferred points

Chicago → Madrid · Business Class · One way

Book through Iberia Club (Avios)

Estimated purchase price

$1,800

Transfer Amex Points to Iberia Club (Avios)

40k points + $170

40k points = $1,630

$1,800 purchase price − $170 fees

4.1 cents per point

Use American Express Travel

180k points

180k points = $1,800

Assumes the same $1,800 fare in the portal

1 cent per point

Membership Rewards points for flights through American Express Travel generally have a value of 1 cent per point. Card-specific points-back benefits are excluded.

Illustrative example. Confirm actual fares and award pricing for your dates.

Six steps

Transfer and book

Find business-class seats and confirm miles, cash charges and ticket rules.
Open Membership Rewards and choose Transfer Points.
Link your eligible airline rewards program account; check the name and number.
Apply the partner ratio and transfer increment to your points shortfall.
Review the quote, any transfer fee and the estimated processing time.
Confirm the transfer, then complete the airline booking.

Transfer only what you need

Award: 75,400 miles. Existing balance: 12,000 miles.
Shortfall: 63,400 miles → transfer 64,000 Amex points at 1:1.
After booking: 600 miles remain. Fees additional; no bonus assumed.

Example assumes 1,000-point transfer increments. Check your partner’s actual ratio and increments.

Beyond airline transfers

Other uses for Amex points

Compare airline transfers, hotel transfers, gift cards and statement credits.
Amex Travel flight redemptions generally give 1 cent per point; other uses can have lower values.
Transfers to US airline rewards programs may add the excise tax offset fee.

Quick answers

Quick questions

Do all Amex cards earn Membership Rewards?

No. Cash back and co-branded airline or hotel cards can earn different rewards.

Can I transfer points to my spouse?

Not directly to their Membership Rewards balance. An eligible additional cardholder’s airline rewards program account may qualify after the 90-day waiting period.

Are all transfer ratios 1:1?

No. Check the partner table and your logged-in transfer quote.

Can I transfer just for a bonus?

Find a suitable award first. A transfer bonus does not guarantee seats.

Does enough points mean enough seats?

No. Confirm availability for every traveler before transferring.

Put your Amex points to work

Explore with Amex Open the Optimizer Booking checklist

Sources & research

Program sources reviewed October 17, 2026. Your account’s terms and live quotes govern. Card details and offer terms are linked beside each card.