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Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners

The full list of Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners, with our take on which actually beat the floor.

By editorial-team Updated May 15, 2026

Amex Membership Rewards transfers to seventeen partners. That partner count is the program’s headline marketing claim. The actual ranking of which partners are useful is more important than the count. Here is the list with our editorial take on each.

Tier 1: high-value

Air Canada Aeroplan. Star Alliance partner award redemptions on United, Lufthansa, ANA, Singapore, EVA Air, and others. Stopover allowance of 5,000 points. Strong for anyone flying internationally.

ANA Mileage Club. ANA’s round-trip award chart in premium cabins is the standout deal. New York to Tokyo in ANA business class for 75,000 to 88,000 miles round-trip is a routine 3-cpp redemption.

British Airways Avios. Distance-based chart for short-haul partner awards. American Airlines, Alaska, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue redemptions at low rates on shorter segments. Avoid for long-haul Avios redemptions on British Airways metal due to surcharges.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Used for Delta One business class on transatlantic routes, ANA business class to Tokyo, and Air France/KLM Flying Blue redemptions. Transfer bonuses make Virgin one of the highest-value partners several times a year.

Tier 2: solid for specific cabins

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Round-the-world award chart with stopovers. Strong for Asia and Oceania trips that mix partner airlines.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Promo Rewards every month at 25% to 50% off select awards. Useful for transatlantic Europe trips.

Singapore KrisFlyer. The only practical path to Singapore Suites and Singapore Airlines first class. Award space is limited but real for advance bookings.

Emirates Skywards. Emirates first class is the cabin most people transfer for. Surcharges are high.

Etihad Guest. Has improved since 2023 with American Airlines partner award chart access.

Tier 3: situational

Delta SkyMiles. Delta is a transfer partner. SkyMiles flash sales let you turn Membership Rewards into specific routes at strong rates. Outside flash sales, SkyMiles redemptions are weak.

JetBlue TrueBlue. 1.3 to 1.5 cents per point fixed-value. Better than cash back if you fly JetBlue.

Hawaiian Airlines. Domestic Hawaii and limited international partner access via Hawaiian’s network.

Aer Lingus AerClub. Europe-only program with niche transatlantic award value.

Iberia Plus. Madrid-focused European award redemptions.

Avianca LifeMiles. Star Alliance access via Avianca. Less reliable than Aeroplan but occasionally cheaper.

Tier 4: hotels (almost always avoid)

Hilton Honors. 1:2 ratio. Hilton points are worth 0.45 cents each. Math comes out to roughly 0.9 cents per Membership Reward point. Only use if you have a specific Hilton stay that prices out to less in points than cash.

Marriott Bonvoy. 1:1 ratio with caps. Marriott points are worth 0.7 cents each. Below the cash-back floor.

Choice Privileges. 1:1 with periodic transfer bonuses. Choice’s Cambria and Ascend brands now compete with Hyatt at the property level, but only when transfer bonuses are active.

What’s not on the list

Hyatt. The biggest hole in the Amex transfer partner network. If Hyatt loyalty is part of your travel strategy, Membership Rewards cannot deliver it. Chase Ultimate Rewards is the only major flexible-points program that transfers to Hyatt.

Southwest. Same hole. Use Chase if Southwest is your domestic carrier.

How to use the list

Look at this list before you sign up for an Amex Platinum or Gold. If your travel patterns line up with Aeroplan, ANA, or Virgin Atlantic redemptions, Membership Rewards is the right currency. If your travel patterns center on Hyatt, Southwest, or domestic United, Chase Ultimate Rewards is the better default.

Watch for transfer bonuses. Amex emails active cardholders before promotion launches. The best play is to hold points and wait for a 30% to 50% bonus on a partner you actually want to use.

Cards mentioned

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Best Amex transfer partner?
Air Canada Aeroplan is the most flexible, with strong Star Alliance partner award space. ANA Mileage Club is the highest-value for round-trip premium-cabin awards to Asia. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the best when there is an active transfer bonus.
Why does Amex have so many transfer partners but Chase has fewer?
Amex has prioritized partner count, while Chase has prioritized partner quality (specifically, the Hyatt partnership). For most travelers, ten high-quality partners beat seventeen lower-quality ones.
Are Amex Membership Rewards transfer bonuses common?
Yes. Amex runs at least one transfer bonus on most of its partners every year. The most consistent are Virgin Atlantic (30-50% bonus, several times a year), Air Canada Aeroplan (15-25%), and British Airways (15-30%).