How to transfer American Express Reward Points to Partner Airlines Loyalty Programs?

American Express has allowed its cardholders to earn Membership Rewards Points and redeem them in any way possible. To earn American Express Membership Rewards points, you must make a purchase using an Amex credit card; there is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Another advantage is that they never expire as long as your card is active and registered in the Membership Reward Program. Cardholders saving up in the Membership Program can use these points to participate in partner loyalty programs. This article will explore all the formations and details about the American Express Membership Rewards Points and how to transfer them to airline loyalty programs. 

Airlines that are partnered with American Express

There are 21 reward programs for American Express Membership Rewards, including 18 airlines that can be used. Here are the 18 airlines you can transfer your Membership points to:

• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Aer Lingus AerClub 
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• Aeromexico Club Premier
• Avianca LifeMiles
• ANA Mileage Club
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Emirates Skywards
• Etihad Guest
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
• Iberia Plus
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club
• Qantas Frequent Flyer
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Worth of Amex points

You can consider your points as a form of currency, and you must also ensure that the trip you are about to book offers you a good value for the transferred points. For that reason, knowing the worth of your American Express Membership Reward program is crucial. Here is how it goes:

• Covering your charges - 0.6 cents per point
• Paying with the points at the Checkout - 0.7 - 1 cents per point
• Redeeming a gift card - Up to 1 cent per point. 
• Booking a travel - Up to 1 cent per point. 

Please read the terms and conditions before purchasing, as these points and their value can change. For most people, the points are worth about 1.5 - 2 cents, so you must be sure about the value before booking a flight. 

Steps to transfer your American Express Membership Reward points to travel partners.

The Membership Reward points offer amazing value, but knowing how to use them is important. We will go through the steps to help you easily and quickly transfer your points to other travel partners' loyalty programs.

• Step 1 - Open the American Express Travel portal and locate "Reward & Benefits." Then click on "Transferring Points" in the Earn and Redeem option. Another way to access is through the American Express mobile app. There, you will have to locate the Membership tab, Redeem Reward Button, and select "transfer points."
• Step 2 - You must link the partner loyalty program account. Scroll down to find the available Membership loyalty program options, click Show Details, and fill out the form with the loyalty program number. After that, for verification, they will ask you for a 3-digit credit card CSC and a one-time password, which will be sent to your email address. 
• Step 3 - Transferring is comparatively more straightforward after successfully linking your loyalty program to your American Express account. Click on show details to find out the limit of your transfer, including the minimum and maximum points that can be transferred. Once you have verified your details, click "submit transfer." 

American Express Points transfer time expectancy

Your Membership Reward Points can be transferred and applied to Air Canada Aeroplan and Delta SkyMiles. However, other programs, including All Nippon Airways Mileage Club and Aeromexico Club Premier, might take up to 5 business days. Usually, the American Express Membership Reward points transfer happens instantly, especially with the airlines mentioned below. 

• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Delta SkyMiles
• Etihad Guest
• Emirates Skywards
• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
• JetBlue TrueBlue
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club 
• Qantas FrequentFlyer
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Choice Privileges
• Hilton Honors
• Marriott Bonvoy

Some Major airlines are not partners with American Express

Some big names in the aviation industry do not partner with American Express, but transferring your points to their loyalty program is still possible. This way, points can be transferred in a slightly tricky process, as they will be transferred indirectly. Let's explore these methods. 

1. United Airlines:  American Express cardholders can not transfer their points to United Airlines directly. However, there's a trick: You can transfer your points to Marriott Bonvoy and then to United Airlines, although you might not get a great value. This is because the Marriot to United MileagePlus comes at a ratio of 3:1. 

2. American Airlines: Similar to United Airlines, American Airlines is not a partner of American Express. This means the Amex Membership Reward Points can not be transferred to the AAdvantage program. However, points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy and then to American Airlines, but the value will not be good. 

3. Southwest Airlines: The same goes for Southwest Airlines; point transfers are impossible since they are not partners. The solution is the same: Transfer the points to Marriott Bonvoy and Southwest. However, you must remember that 1 Rapid Reward point equals 3 Marriott points. 

4. Delta Airlines: American Express Membership Reward points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles from the Transfer Points page. As mentioned in the steps above, you must link your account to it if it has not been linked already. 

Tips to transfer the Amex points to travel partners

Before transferring the American Express Membership Reward points, you should consider some tips. Here are a few things to remember when transferring the points:

• You must have a card that is active and registered with the American Express Membership Rewards. 
• You must also link your partner loyalty Membership program account with your American Express account. 
• The Amex partner loyalty program account must be yours or in the name of one of the additional card members. Only then can points be transferred. 
• If you are linking another card member's account, they must be added to your Amex account at least 90 days before connecting with their partner loyalty program. 
• Transferred Membership Reward points can not be returned; they remain in the account once they are gone. Therefore, you should choose to transfer the points to the partner loyalty program wisely. 

Is it possible to transfer the Membership Reward points between cards? 

If you want to combine your earned Membership Reward Points between two cards, then you might be happy to hear that Amex points are tied to accounts, not cards. All you must ensure is that both of your cards are linked to a single account; through this, the points will keep combining. However, reviewing the terms and conditions is recommended to learn more about transferring Membership Reward points between cards. 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Membership Reward Points

Q. How do I earn Membership Rewards Points?

Membership Reward Points are usually earned for spending money on eligible purchases made during the Amex card's enrollment period. While some cards are more advantageous than others, they offer extra points for purchasing in a category or at a specific merchant. Several conditions, rules, and guidelines exist to know about Membership Reward points effectively. 

Q. Where can I transfer Membership Rewards points to?

These Amex Membership Rewards points can be used in various loyalty programs for American Express partners. To transfer the points to any other Membership program, you must link your Membership Rewards program account with your American Express account. The linked account must be in your name or the name of an additional card member. For more information, you can reference the information provided above or through the official website of American Express. 

Q. I have more than one card registered for the Membership Rewards program. Will the points I earn on my Cards be merged into a single program account?

If you have more than one American Express card registered in the Membership program or an Additional card earning points for you, you will receive the earned Membership Program points in a single account. However, American Express doesn't allow families or friends to share or combine membership accounts. 

Q. If I cancel my Membership Rewards program account, what happens to the points I haven't redeemed?

If you cancel your Membership Rewards account and do not have any other American Express Card, all the earned Membership points will be forfeited immediately. Kindly read the Membership Rewards Terms & Conditions to learn more about this topic. 

Q. How long does transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to a travel partner take? 

Most American Express Membership Rewards points transfers happen easily and are usually done instantly. If the customers have transferred the points to Iberia Plus, it can take up to 24 hours, but in the case of All Nippon Airways Mileage Club and Aeromexico Club Premier, it can take more than one day. Some of the major airline partners instantly include Air Canada, British Airways, Delta, and more.