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3 AMEX Transfer Partners to Consider for Travel Flexibility

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    Million Mile Secrets reader, Chris, commented:

    I just received the welcome bonus from The Business Platinum® Card from American Express.  I’m afraid AMEX might try to claw my points back.  Which airline transfer partner would you recommend transferring my points to?

    As long as you follow the rules for meeting minimum spending requirements, you should NOT worry about losing sign-up bonus points.

    And without travel plans, I like the flexibility of keeping points in my AMEX Membership Rewards account.  Because when you’re ready to book a trip, you’ll have the option to choose from multiple transfer partners.

    The best partner depends on your travel goals.  Are you traveling within the US or internationally?  And do you want a coach or Business Class seat?

    There Are Plenty of Ways to Use AMEX Membership Rewards Points for Flights! The Best Partner Depends on Your Travel Goals

    I’ll share a few AMEX airline transfer partners that can get you flexibility for future travel.

    Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points

    Link:   The Ultimate Guide to AMEX Membership Rewards Points 

    Link:   Which Miles & Points Should You Collect for Award Flights?

    AMEX Membership Rewards has these airline partners.

    Before you transfer points to an airline partner, it’s best to have a travel goal in mind.  Because all transfers are final.  And many airline miles expire if you don’t use them.

    The best transfer partner for you depends on:

    Before You Transfer Your AMEX Membership Rewards Points to an Airline Partner, Consider If You’ll be Able to Book the Award Seat You’re Looking For

    For ideas, check out my series on the best ways use AMEX Membership Rewards points to fly within the US and to destinations around the world.

    Keep in mind you don’t have to transfer all of your points to one airline partner.  You can spread the points across multiple transfer partners.

    Here are 3 suggestions that offer flexible redemption options.

    1.   Singapore Airlines

    Link:   How to Use AMEX Membership Rewards Points for United Airlines Award Tickets 

    You can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Singapore Airlines to book award flights on United Airlines.  Because both airlines are part of the Star Alliance.

    Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Singapore Airlines to Book Award Flights on United Airlines

    Here are some examples of how you can use Singapore Airlines miles for award flights on United Airlines:

    Singapore Airlines miles are one of the cheapest ways to use miles to visit Europe.

    The airline flies from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt before continuing to Singapore.

    You Can Enjoy a Lie-Flat Bed and Terrific Service Using Singapore Airlines Miles for a First Class Suites Award Ticket to Frankfurt

    For a one-way award flight, you’ll pay:

    But it can still be a great deal for folks who want to use their AMEX Membership Rewards points to get to Europe.

    2.   Flying Blue

    Link:   Flying Blue Promo Awards

    Link:   Sweet Spot: Flying Blue Miles to Hawaii

    If you’re planning a trip to Europe, you can do well transferring AMEX Membership Rewards points to Flying Blue to book a Flying Blue Promo Award.

    Because each month, Air France and KLM discount award tickets on certain routes by 25% to 50%.  And Flying Blue includes Western Russia, Israel, and cities in Northern Africa in the European region.  So you could use your points to travel farther.

    If Your Travel Goals Include a Trip to Europe, You Can Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Flying Blue to Book a Flying Blue Promo Award

    You can also use Flying Blue miles to book Delta award flights to Hawaii.

    Check the Flying Blue miles calculator tool to see how many miles you’ll need for your award flight to Hawaii.

    3.   ANA

    Similar to Singapore Airlines, you can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to ANA to book United Airlines award flights.

    But you’ll have to plan a round-trip award flight.  Because ANA does NOT allow one-way award flights.

    The benefit of using ANA miles is you can get 1 free stopover and 2 open-jaws on each round-trip ticket.

    Here are some ways you can use ANA miles for round-trip award flights:

    Bottom Line

    Without travel plans, I prefer to keep points in my AMEX Membership Rewards account.  Because this gives you the most flexibility for booking future airfare.

    But if you want to transfer points to an airline partner, think about your travel goals.  Consider where you want to travel and which airlines fly from your home airport.

    You can generally find good deals with Singapore Airlines, Flying Blue, and ANA.

    Choose carefully when picking a partner because all points transfers are final.

    Thanks for the question, Chris!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)