It is no secret that American Express Membership Rewards points are considered one of our favourite bank card reward currencies.
TPG’s August 2025 valuations worth Membership Rewards factors at 2 cents per level. Nevertheless, leveraging the suitable transfer partners makes it straightforward to get much more worth out of your factors. And with American Categorical having 17 airline companions and three lodge companions, you have got some ways to maximise your factors.
To focus on this worth, let’s take a look at a few of the greatest methods to redeem your Membership Rewards factors — from high-end business-class redemptions to home flights across the U.S., there are a number of methods to stretch your factors for the absolute best journey expertise.
How you can earn Membership Rewards factors
One of the simplest ways to earn Membership Rewards factors rapidly is to earn welcome provides on Amex’s top cards. Listed below are a few of our favorites:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 175,000 Membership Rewards Factors after spending $8,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides fluctuate, and also you might not be eligible for a proposal.
- American Express® Gold Card: Discover out your provide and see if you’re eligible for as excessive as 100,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $6,000 on purchases inside the first six months of card membership. Welcome provides fluctuate, and also you might not be eligible for a proposal. Phrases apply.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 150,000 bonus factors after spending $20,000 on eligible purchases inside the first three months of card membership.
How you can use your Membership Rewards factors
You are prone to get essentially the most worth out of your Amex factors by transferring them to associate applications. Membership Rewards companions with 17 totally different airways, together with Air Canada, JetBlue and British Airways. You even have the choice to switch your factors to a few lodge chains: Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy and Choice Privileges.
You may e book flights or lodges straight via American Express Travel®, however redeeming factors with a switch associate normally ends in a greater redemption worth. It is because Amex Journey solely helps you to redeem at a set 1 cent per level worth for flights, whereas transfers can yield a a lot larger worth.
Most Membership Rewards transfers course of immediately, whereas others can take as much as 48 hours. For extra data, see our guide to Membership Rewards transfer times.
Listed below are a few of the greatest methods to redeem your Membership Rewards by transferring them to companions.
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Fly Air France or KLM enterprise class to Europe for 60,000 miles
If you wish to journey to Europe comfortably, contemplate transferring your Membership Rewards factors to Air France-KLM Flying Blue. This system costs award tickets dynamically, so on peak dates, you may be charged greater than 100,000 miles for a flight to Europe. Nevertheless, this system standardized saver-level pricing for one-way business-class flights between the U.S. and Europe, that means you may redeem as few as 60,000 miles (with minimal taxes and costs).
Earlier than transferring Membership Rewards factors to Flying Blue to e book this candy spot, verify award availability by trying to find your most popular dates on Air France’s web site or through the use of an award journey software like Seats.aero.
Taxes and fuel surcharges normally add $350 to $450 per particular person to a round-trip Flying Blue reward in enterprise class. Regardless, round-trip business-class flights from the U.S. to Europe on Air France and KLM typically value over $3,000, so you are still saving a great amount of money by transferring Membership Rewards factors to Flying Blue.
Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards are additionally price testing as they will provide a limited-time 25% low cost on award tickets in all courses of service. Flying Blue refreshes this sale each month, switching up which cities are eligible for a reduction.
Associated: Is KLM premium economy worth it on the 787 Dreamliner?
E book Delta One and All Nippon Airways premium cabins via Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club fees as little as 47,000 factors (so 47,000 Amex factors) for flights from the East Coast to Europe in Delta One business class.
That is considerably cheaper than transferring factors to Delta SkyMiles for a similar award ticket. With that program, 375,000 miles for a flight to Europe in enterprise class just isn’t unusual. That stated, Virgin Atlantic fees over $1,000 in taxes and costs for these nonstop tickets. However in case you’re pressed for Amex factors, reserving Delta One this fashion may very well be a worthy trade-off.
Associated: Dynamic airline award pricing is out of control — here are some ways to beat it
Availability may be exhausting to come back by, however you will typically have higher luck reserving on the final minute. To make discovering these awards simpler, you could contemplate subscribing to an award search tool like Seats.aero. This program has a helpful Delta One Finder software that exhibits you routes bookable via Virgin Atlantic.
Moreover, Virgin Atlantic’s award chart for All Nippon Airways could also be probably the greatest candy spot redemptions within the factors and miles world. The chart under exhibits one-way costs.
This implies you may fly one-way from West Coast airports to Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT) or Haneda Airport (HND) in ANA top quality for less than 72,500 factors or in enterprise class for 52,500 factors. ANA first-class tickets typically value $16,000 or extra, so that is a simple solution to get greater than 10 cents per level in worth.
That stated, reserving ANA flights via Virgin Atlantic may be difficult since these flights aren’t bookable on Virgin’s web site. To e book them, use a Star Alliance partner site like united.com to seek out ANA award availability first. Then, name Virgin Atlantic to e book your award ticket.
Fly to Hawaii on United Airways or Alaska Airways by way of Singapore KrisFlyer
From the gorgeous shores of Waikiki to the volcanoes and waterfalls of Maui, the Hawaiian Islands really have all the pieces. You may e book flights to the islands on United Airways and Alaska Airways by transferring your Membership Rewards factors to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
You may pay 13,500 KrisFlyer miles for a one-way economic system flight from California, Oregon or Washington state to any Hawaiian island on Alaska Airways. Nevertheless, observe that Singapore Airways does not allow you to e book Alaska Airways flights with stops, so that you’re restricted to reserving flights from one of many latter’s varied hubs. You additionally must name in to e book these awards.
These based mostly elsewhere within the nation can e book nonstop or connecting flights with United Airways. A one-way economic system ticket prices 19,500 KrisFlyer miles, whereas a business-class ticket will set you again 39,000 KrisFlyer miles. That is typically cheaper than what United fees via its United MileagePlus loyalty program.
Associated: Save money: How you can book flights to Hawaii using points and miles
Benefit from the world’s longest nonstop flight to Singapore in consolation
Singapore Airways operates two of the world’s longest flights: Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK).
You in all probability do not wish to spend 18 hours in an uncomfortable seat, so use your Membership Rewards factors to fly enterprise class. Each routes value 111,500 KrisFlyer miles plus taxes and costs one-way for a saver award — a small value to pay for consolation on such an extended flight.
E book Iberia flights to Madrid beginning at 16,000 Avios
Reserving premium cabin award flights to Europe generally is a difficult and costly endeavor, however Amex’s switch associate, Iberia Club, makes use of a distance-based award chart. Regardless of a recent devaluation, that is nonetheless probably the greatest choices to think about when trying to find choose nonstop flights to Spain.
Listed below are the one-way award costs:
| Vacation spot to/from Madrid | Blue class (Primary economic system) (Off-peak/Peak) | Financial system consolation (Off-peak/Peak) | Premium economic system (Off-peak/Peak) | Enterprise (Off-peak/Peak) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
16,000 Avios/19,500 Avios | 25,000 Avios/31,500 Avios | 29,500 Avios/40,250 Avios | 40,500 Avios/59,000 Avios |
|
20,000 Avios/24,250 Avios | 31,250 Avios/39,000 Avios | 36,750 Avios/50,500 Avios | 50,500 Avios/74,000 Avios |
|
24,000 Avios/29,250 Avios | 37,250 Avios/46,500 Avios | 44,000 Avios/60,500 Avios | 60,600 Avios/88,500 Avios |
Off-peak business-class flights provide the perfect deal. You may fly one-way from JFK, ORD or BOS to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) for simply 17,000 Avios in economic system, 25,500 Avios in premium economic system and 34,000 Avios in enterprise class. Off-peak dates span many of the calendar 12 months, excluding holidays and the summer time months.
Associated: 5 versions of Avios: When to use Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Qatar Airways
Lock in stays at Alternative lodges all over the world
The Choice Privileges program just isn’t as well-known as these from bigger lodge teams like Marriott and Hilton, but it surely’s nonetheless price a glance. Because of its cheap redemption charges, you may get respectable worth by transferring Membership Rewards factors to Alternative Privileges.
For instance, you should utilize 15,000 factors per evening to e book a keep on the Consolation Inn Gurnee close to Six Flags in Illinois. This generally is a good choice for a staycation close to Chicago or a cease on an extended highway journey.
Issues get extra thrilling whenever you journey overseas. A handful of properties in Tokyo may be booked for simply 10,000 factors per evening. The centrally positioned Consolation Lodge Tokyo Higashi Nihombashi is considered one of them. The rooms look stable and are inside strolling distance of public transit.
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E book home short-haul flights by way of British Airways
You do not have to jet midway all over the world to get a terrific redemption.
British Airways Membership is one of the best ways to e book home flights operated by American Airways and Alaska Airways. This system makes use of an unpublished distance-based award chart, so you will pay extra Avios for longer flights. Brief-haul home flights are the award chart’s candy spots for Oneworld flyers.
Home economic system flights which are 1,151 miles or shorter may be booked for 16,000 Avios. In the meantime, flights as much as 650 miles in size value simply 12,000 Avios. This can be a stable approach to make use of your factors if money fares are in any other case costly, corresponding to throughout peak journey instances like holidays, conferences and college breaks.
One factor to notice about Avios is that it costs award tickets per leg. This implies you will pay extra for connecting flights, as every flight is charged individually.
Associated: Best ways to redeem British Airways Avios: From flights to Hawaii to island hopping in the Caribbean
Fly Qatar Airways Qsuite to the Center East for 70,000 Avios
Among the finest methods to make use of Amex factors is to switch them to Qatar Airways Privilege Club to e book the world-renowned Qsuite business-class seat. By transferring 70,000 Amex factors to Qatar Airways, you may fly from any considered one of its U.S. gateways to its hub at Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport (DOH).
Qsuite modified the business-class panorama by being the primary to supply a personal suite with a door and in an optimum 1-2-1 configuration for excellent privateness and direct aisle entry. Seats within the center may be laid flat to type a double mattress, which is a wonderful perk for {couples} and households touring with a toddler. You can even anticipate wonderful inflight eating with Western and Arabic choices.
Better of all, when reserving a business-class award ticket by way of Doha to pick out locations within the Center East, you may access one of the best first-class lounges on the planet, Al Safwa First Lounge. Qatar Airways markets business-class flights inside the Center East as top quality. Which means, for instance, an award ticket from LAX to Cairo Worldwide Airport (CAI) offers you entry to Al Safwa throughout your connection.
Associated: Qatar Airways Qsuite review: Still setting the standard for business class (and a mileage sweet spot)
Journey to London by way of Virgin Atlantic for as few as 6,000 factors
Factors and miles fans are not any followers of dynamic pricing on airline award tickets, however there may be one exception: Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership.
The loyalty program launched dynamic pricing by itself flights again in October 2024. After the change, the price of award tickets decreased on most off-peak dates, with flights from the East Coast being the most cost effective.
You may fly between JFK and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) or Manchester Airport (MAN) within the U.Ok. for as few as 6,000 Virgin factors in economic system. Even higher, you may typically discover one-way premium economic system awards for beneath 15,000 factors and business-class awards for as little as 29,000 factors. Taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges are additionally dynamic, however anticipate to pay between $100 and $400 per one-way ticket.
These are wonderful redemption charges, however in case you mix them with a transfer bonus, they’re much more superb. Up to now, we have seen as much as a 40% transfer bonus from Amex Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership.
Associated: Bringing the fun back to flying: Virgin Atlantic A350 Upper Class review
Backside line
Whether or not you are in search of first-class airfare, an economic system flight house for the vacations or a highway journey lodge, you should utilize Membership Rewards factors to cowl all of it. Use these examples as inspiration on your subsequent large journey. Not solely will you have got an upgraded expertise, however you will spend considerably much less out of pocket.
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