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American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards is the original premium transferable currency, and still one of the deepest. You earn it on Amex's charge and credit cards - heavy on the Platinum and Gold - and cash it out by moving points to 17 airline and 3 hotel partners, most at 1:1. The roster leans international and premium-cabin: ANA, Singapore, Virgin Atlantic, Air Canada, and Avianca are where the outsized value lives. As always, the points are worth the most when you have a specific award in your sights - transfers are one-way, instant for most partners, and final.
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
Show me the picks →
Sweet spots
Where your points punch above their weight.
Where this currency genuinely shines.
- ANA Mileage Club (1:1) - some of the best business and first-class pricing to Japan and beyond (round-trip pricing only, but exceptional rates).
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1) - book Delta One and ANA first class at sweet-spot rates; watch for frequent transfer bonuses.
- Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1) - fixed partner pricing plus a free stopover; strong for Star Alliance premium cabins to Europe and Asia.
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1) - no fuel surcharges on Star Alliance partners, often the cheapest way into Lufthansa and Swiss business.
- Singapore KrisFlyer (1:1) - the most reliable route to Singapore Suites and long-haul premium on its own metal.
Transfer partners
20 places to send these points. Where the currency goes.
20 programs this transfers out to.
Meet the partners →
Transfer partners
20 places to send these points. Where the currency goes.
20 programs this transfers out to.
American Express Membership Rewards transfers points or miles OUT to these programs.
| To | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus AerClub | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios |
| Aeromexico Rewards | 1:1.6 | 1,000 MR = 1,600 AeroMexico Rewards points |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Aeroplan points |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 ANA Mileage Club miles |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 LifeMiles |
| Avios | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios (The British Airways Club) |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:0.8 | 1,000 MR = 800 Asia Miles |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 SkyMiles |
| Emirates Skywards | 1:0.8 | 1,000 MR = 800 Skywards Miles |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Etihad Guest miles |
| Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Flying Blue miles (Air France-KLM) |
| Club Iberia Plus | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 250:200 | 250 MR = 200 TrueBlue points (5:4 ratio) |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 500 MR = 500 Qantas Points |
| Qatar Privilege Club | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Avios (Qatar Privilege Club) |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 KrisFlyer miles |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Virgin Points |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Choice Privileges points |
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 | 1,000 MR = 2,400 Hilton Honors points |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1,000 MR = 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy points |
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
Get the playbook →
How to spend
The high-leverage moves. Read this before you transfer a single mile.
The smart-money plays.
- Transfer to airline and hotel partners - the highest-value play (see sweet spots).
- Book travel through Amex Travel using Pay with Points (around 1 cent per point on flights).
- Statement credits, gift cards, and shopping checkouts - all weaker (often 0.5 to 1 cent); only if you are not chasing travel.
- Avoid the default "use points at checkout" on Amazon and similar (about 0.7 cent) - it is among the worst values.
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
Spill the gotchas →
Tips & quirks
Stopover rules, surcharges, the stuff nobody tells you until you've been burned once.
The fine print, decoded.
- Transfers are one-way and final - you cannot move points back to Amex.
- Most partners are instant; a few (notably ANA and some hotels) take up to a couple of days.
- Transfers to US-domiciled airlines (Delta, JetBlue, and Virgin Atlantic on US-issued cards) trigger a federal excise-tax pass-through of roughly 0.06 cents per point. Foreign-carrier transfers have no tax.
- Hawaiian's program is winding into Alaska - confirm status before transferring.
- Points pool across your eligible Amex cards under one login, but cannot be moved to another person's account.
Cards that earn into American Express Membership Rewards
Cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards directly, or that transfer into it from a flexible-currency program.
Alerts
Transfer Amex Membership Rewards to Air France-KLM Flying Blue with 25% Bonus
Between June 2 and June 30, 2026, you can receive a 25% bonus when you transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.
Amex MR Canada Drops Etihad Guest as Transfer Partner — Deadline June 20
Canadian Amex MR cardholders, the clock is ticking on Etihad Guest. Effective June 20, 2026, Etihad Guest will no longer be a transfer partner in Canada — any points you want there must move before that date. If you've been sitting on a balance earmarked for Etihad, transfer now.
Amex Ending Etihad Transfer Partnership — Last Day to Transfer is June 29
Amex Membership Rewards will no longer transfer to Etihad Guest after June 30, 2026. The last day to make a transfer is June 29. If you have been sitting on MR points earmarked for an Etihad redemption, the clock is running.
Last reviewed: June 2026
Loyalty programs change rules, fees, transfer ratios, and award pricing all the time — sometimes without warning. We do our best to keep these pages current, but the program's own site is always the final word. Always confirm specifics directly with American Express Membership Rewards before transferring miles or booking an award. Treat anything on this page as a starting point, not a guarantee. Crazy4Points is not responsible for actions taken based on information here — see our Terms of Service for full details.