The Ultimate Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points: Part 1 – All the Ways to Get to Europe

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    American Express Membership Rewards points are 1 of the most flexible types of points.  That’s because you can transfer them to certain airlines to get Big Travel with Small Money on flights to Europe.

    Starwood points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and Citi ThankYou points are also transferable.  American Express Membership Rewards points aren’t the easiest to use compared to Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but there are a few good uses which I’ll describe in this post.
    You Can Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points to Air Canada to Fly to Milan, Italy

    The Ultimate Guide to American Express Membership Rewards Points:

    Introduction to American Express Membership Rewards Points

    Link:   American Express Membership Rewards

    Link:   American Express Membership Rewards transfer partners

    You can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to certain airlines and hotels.

    But you must have a card that is part of the American Express Membership Rewards First Program.  I’ve listed eligible cards below. 

    American Express Membership Rewards Points Are Transferrable to Starwood Hotels Like the Westin Excelsior, Rome

    You can earn transferrable American Express Membership Rewards points from the:

    You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to these airlines:

    You Can Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points to 17 Airlines

    Transfers of American Express Membership Rewards points usually take ~2 days, but depending on the airline it can take longer.

    Note: You’ll pay a fee of 0.06 cents per mile up to a maximum of $99 when you transfer points to US airlines.  So you’ll pay 60 cents per 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards points you transfer (or $6 per 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points). On the other hand, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Starwood Preferred Guest points to US airlines for free.

    Using American Express Membership Rewards Points to Get to Europe

    Here are some programs that are great for flights to Europe!

    If you don’t have the time or don’t want to book your own award tickets, you can use an award booking service.

    1.   Air Canada

    Link:   Air Canada award chart

    You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Air Canada Aeroplan miles at a 1:1 ratio.  And you can use these miles for flights on Star Alliance carriers (such as United Airlines) to Europe!  Booking through Aeroplan from the US to Europe depends on which region of Europe you’re visiting: Europe 1 or Europe 2.

    Air Canada Aeroplan Europe 1 includes:

    Flying from the US or Canada to Europe 1, you’ll pay:

    You Can Fly First Class 1-way to Madrid, Spain, for 62,500 Aeroplan Miles

    Air Canada Aeroplan Europe 2 includes:

    From the US or Canada to Europe 2, it costs:

    52,500 Aeroplan Miles Gets You 1 Business Class Ticket to Santorini, Greece
    Fuel Surcharges

    You pay fuel surcharges when you use Aeroplan miles on some airlines, but you do NOT pay fuel surcharges on the following airlines:

    You pay low fuel surcharges (~$60 per segment) on LOT Airlines.

    However, you pay hefty fuel surcharges if you book flights on Air Canada or Lufthansa.

    You’ll Pay High Fuel Surcharges If You Use Aeroplan Miles on Lufthansa
    Best Star Alliance Airlines to Use Aeroplan Miles for Flights to Europe

    For flights to Europe, you should look for flights on the following airlines:

    However, Aeroplan’s award engine won’t find every flight connection.  If you have several connections or want a stopover on an award, call Aeroplan at 800-361-5373.

    2.   United Airlines

    United Airlines has the most flights between the US and Europe.  United Airlines is a Star Alliance partner.  So you can use your Aeroplan miles on United Airlines.

    You can fly from Newark to:

    All The Places In Europe You Can Fly On United Airlines From Newark

    You can fly on United Airlines from Washington, DC (Dulles) to:

    United Airlines’ European Destinations From Washington, DC

    You can fly from Chicago to:

    You Can Fly On United Airlines to Six Different Cities in Europe From Chicago O’Hare

    United Airlines flies from Houston (IAH) to:

    United Airlines Flies to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and London From Houston

    United Airlines flies from San Francisco (SFO) to:

    From San Francisco, You Can Fly On United Airlines To Frankfurt, London, Or Paris

    From Los Angeles, you can fly to:

    United Airlines’ Only European Destination From Los Angeles Is London

    3.   Swiss

    Swiss isn’t a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards points.  So you have to transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan miles, then you can use them on Swiss.

    You can fly on Swiss to Zurich from:

    Eight Cities in the US That Fly to Zurich

    You can fly to Geneva from:

    You Can Fly to Geneva From Montreal, Newark, New York, Toronto, and Washington

    4.   Turkish

    You can use Aeroplan miles transferred from American Express Membership Rewards points to fly to Istanbul from:

    All the Places You Can Fly From on Turkish Airlines

    5.   SAS

    You can use your Aeroplan miles to fly coach and Business Class on Scandinavian Air Systems (SAS).  Scandinavian Air Systems flies to a number of Nordic cities from several US cities.

    A.   Copenhagen

    You can fly to Copenhagen from:

    B.  Stockholm

    You can fly to Stockholm from:

    C.   Oslo

    You can fly to Oslo from:

    Scandinavian Air Systems Flies From Chicago, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington to Scandinavia

    6.   LOT

    You can also use Aeroplan miles to fly on LOT Polish Airlines in coach and Business Class to Warsaw from:

    You Can Fly to Warsaw From Chicago, New York, Toronto, and Washington, DC

    You will pay some fuel surcharges of ~$60 per segment on LOT.

    7.   Brussels Airlines

    After transferring your American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan miles, you can use them on Brussels Airlines.

    You can fly in coach and Business Class to Brussels from:

    Brussels Airlines Flies From New York and Washington, DC to Brussels

    8.   Singapore Airlines

    You can use Aeroplan miles to fly on Singapore Airlines on the following routes:

    You Can Fly on Singapore Airlines From New York to Frankfurt and Houston to Moscow

    However, you can only redeem for flights in coach, because Business Class and First/Suites Class are unavailable to Aeroplan members.

    9.   ANA

    Link:   ANA award chart

    ANA is a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards points.

    ANA has a distance-based award chart, similar to British Airways Avios points.  This means you pay for an award based on the distance you fly.

    ANA is also a Star Alliance member, so you can redeem for flights on partners like United Airlines, Air Canada, and Lufthansa.

    ANA Distance-Based Award Chart

    The ANA award chart is very useful for flights between the East Coast and western Europe.

    A round-trip journey between 4,001 to 7,000 flown miles costs:

    A flight between Newark and London is 3,465 miles each way or 6,930 miles round-trip.  So you could fly round-trip coach for 38,000 ANA miles + taxes!

    You Can Fly Round-Trip Coach From Newark to London for 38,000 ANA Miles

    Meanwhile, a round-trip journey between 7,001 to 9,000 miles flown costs:

    A flight from Chicago to Frankfurt is 4,343 miles 1-way or 8,686 miles round-trip.  So you’d pay 43,000 miles in coach or 68,000 miles in Business Class!

    A Round-Trip Coach Flight From Chicago to Frankfurt Is 43,000 ANA Miles or 68,000 ANA Miles for Business Class

    However, ANA charges fuel surcharges on some Star Alliance airlines.  So if you want to fly to Europe with minimal fuel surcharges, you should look for flights on:

    A.   Using ANA Miles on United Airlines

    ANA allows 3 stopovers in addition to the destination.  However, you must book a round-trip flight, but you can return to any city in the country you departed.  So you could fly from Newark and return to Washington, DC.

    From the East Coast, you can redeem 1-way flights to Europe for fairly cheap using United Airlines miles.  You should book with Aeroplan miles from the West Coast because you gain more flexibility with different airline partners.

    1.   Newark

    You can fly from Newark to:

    All The Places You Can Fly On United Airlines From Newark
    2.   Washington, DC

    United Airlines flies from Washington, DC (IAD) to:

    United Airlines’ European Destinations From Washington, DC (Dulles)
    3.   Chicago

    You can fly from Chicago to:

    You Can Fly on United Airlines to 6 Different Cities in Europe From Chicago O’Hare

    If you don’t live in Newark, Chicago, or Washington, DC, you can book connecting United Airlines flights to these cities.  But those flights will count against the total distance on your journey.

    B.   Using ANA miles on Air Canada
    Air Canada has many flights from Canada to Europe.  You can find award seats in coach and Business Class.

    Air Canada is a Star Alliance partner, and many Star Alliance partners fly to the US and Canada.  So, you can fly from the US to Canada and then to Europe!

    1.  Toronto

    You can fly from Toronto to:

    You Can Fly From Toronto to 14 European Cities on Air Canada
    2.  Montreal

    You can fly from Montreal to:

    Air Canada Flies from Montreal to Athens, Brussels, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Paris, and Rome

    You have to book a connecting flight on Air Canada or United Airlines to Toronto or Montreal to fly these flights.  And those connecting flights would count towards the total distance traveled.

    But you can NOT have an open-jaw flight between the US and Canada.  So you can NOT begin your trip in Newark and end your trip in Toronto because that would be an open-jaw between 2 countries.  But you can have a stopover in Canada on your way to Europe!

    10.   Delta Airlines

    Link:   Delta award charts

    Delta Airlines is a direct transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards points.  Delta Airlines is known for not having many saver award flights, but you may be able to find a seat.

    From the US or Canada to Europe, you will pay:

    You are allowed 1 stopover and 1 open-jaw on an award ticket!

    A.   Atlanta

    You can use Delta Airlines miles to fly from Atlanta to:

    Delta Airlines’ European Destinations From Atlanta
    B.   New York

    From New York, you can fly to:

    Delta Airlines Flies From New York to 9 Cities in Europe
    C.   Newark

    You can fly from Newark to:

    From Newark You Can Fly to Amsterdam and Paris on Delta Airlines
    D.   Detroit

    You can use Delta Airlines miles to fly from Detroit to:

    You Can Fly From Detroit to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, and Paris
    E.   Minneapolis

    From Minneapolis, you can fly to:

    Delta Airlines Flies from Minneapolis to Amsterdam, London, and Paris
    F.   Boston

    You can fly from Boston to:

    From Boston, You Can Fly to Amsterdam, London and Paris
    G.   Los Angeles

    You can use Delta Airlines miles to fly from Los Angeles to:

    You Can Use Delta Airlines Miles to Fly From Los Angeles to London
    H.   Salt Lake City

    From Salt Lake City, you can fly to:

    Paris and Amsterdam Can Be Reached via Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines
    I.   Portland

    You can fly from Portland to:

    Delta Airlines Flies From Portland to Amsterdam
    J.   Seattle

    Using Delta Airlines, you can fly from Seattle to:

    Out of Seattle, You Can Fly to Amsterdam, London, and Paris
    K.   Seasonal routes to Paris

    Delta also flies to Paris on a seasonal basis from:

    Seasonally, Delta Flies From Chicago, Covington (Cincinnati), Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh to Paris!
    Note:  Alaska Airlines is a partner of Delta Airlines, so you can use them to connect to gateways like Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles.

    11.   Air France

    You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Air France.

    You Can Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points to Fly to Paris on Air France

    You can fly on Air France to Paris (CDG) airport from:

    You Can Fly to Paris From These US Cities on Air France

    You should search for Air France flights on the Delta Airlines website, because Delta Airlines shows more Air France flights.

    12.   KLM

    You can fly on KLM from Amsterdam to:

    KLM Flies to Amsterdam From 8 US Cities

    13.   Virgin Atlantic

    Virgin Atlantic flies to London from:

    Virgin Atlantic Flies From These US Cities to London
    Tip:  If you use Delta Airlines miles, you do NOT pay fuel surcharges for flights on Virgin Atlantic.

    14.   British Airways

    You can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to British Airways Avios points.  But you do NOT have to use your British Airways Avios points on British Airways!  You can use them on British Airways partner airlines like Aer Lingus, Air Berlin and Iberia and pay lower fuel surcharges.

    A.   Aer Lingus to Ireland and the rest of Europe

    Aer Lingus flights have very low surcharges and because Ireland is closer to the United States than most of Europe, you can pay fewer British Airways Avios points for a flight.

    You can book 1-way coach flights from the US to Ireland from:

    You’ll pay 2X the amount of British Airways Avios points for Business Class.

    You Can Fly From 5 US Cities to Ireland Using British Airways Avios Points!

    You’ll pay slightly higher taxes for your return flight because of Ireland airport taxes:

    So you’ll pay 25,000 British Airways Avios points for a round-trip coach flight from Boston to Ireland, or 50,000 British Airways Avios points round-trip in Business Class + ~$150 in taxes/fees.

    B.   Air Berlin to Germany

    You pay NO fuel surcharges on Air Berlin.

    You can fly 1-way coach from the US to Germany from:

    A Business Class ticket costs double the amount of British Airways Avios points as coach.

    Air Berlin Offers Flights to Berlin and Dusseldorf from Chicago, Fort Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York

    Because of airport taxes in Germany, the return flight will cost more in fees, but they are still reasonable:

    A round-trip ticket between New York and Germany would cost only 40,000 Avios + ~$105 round-trip in economy class, or 80,000 Avios + ~$105 round-trip in business class.

    C.   Iberia to Spain and the rest of Europe

    You can fly on Iberia to Madrid from:

    You Can Fly on Iberia From Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York to Madrid
    Note:  You will pay some fuel surcharges when redeeming through Iberia Avios.  But it’s cheaper than redeeming through British Airways Avios.

    For example, booking through Iberia, taxes and fees for a flight from New York to Madrid costs ~$75.  However, booking through British Airways costs more than $250!

    Bottom Line

    American Express Membership Rewards points are very flexible and can help you get to Europe when you transfer them to certain airlines.

    You have to pay a fee of 0.06 cents per mile up to $99 to transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to US airlines.  But you do NOT pay a fee when you transfer to international airlines like Air Canada, ANA, and British Airways.

    You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Air Canada and use them on Air Canada or Star Alliance partners like United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Singapore Airlines.

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