Amex Transfer Partners: Complete List and Best Uses 2026

Amex Membership Rewards points, sometimes called simply Amex points, are among the world’s most powerful rewards currencies. They transfer to a staggering 19 airline and hotel loyalty programs that offer tons of variety, and transferring points to partners is simply the best way to maximize the value of your points. Book through a partner program and your points regularly buy far more in terms of flights than they ever would through Amex Travel or any "pay with points" scheme.

What are Amex transfer partners?

Here’s how the program works, at a glance: 

• Amex points transfer to 19 partners. That's 16 airlines across all three major alliances (Star Alliance, oneworld, SkyTeam), plus 3 hotel programs.

• Most partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio. The exceptions cut both ways. Hilton Honors gives you 2 points per Amex point. JetBlue, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific give you fewer miles than you send, at a 5:4 ratio.

• The minimum transfer is 1,000 points, in 1,000-point increments, and nearly every transfer is instant. ANA is the big exception; transfers can take up to 72 hours.

• The standout transfer option: Amex is the only major US points program that transfers directly to Delta SkyMiles.

• Amex points can't transfer directly to United, American, or Alaska, but you can still book those airlines with Amex points through alliance partners. We’ll get to this below.

Every Amex card that earns Membership Rewards points has the same 19 transfer partners. Your points from every card also pool automatically into one Membership Rewards account. There's no combining balances by hand, which is a nice convenience.

Which airlines and hotels are Amex transfer partners?

Amex's transfer partners let you move Membership Rewards points straight into your account with that partner. (You'll need to open an account with each partner before you transfer.) Then you can book award travel at the partner program's rates. The real value of your points comes from the partner you choose and the award you book. The sweet spots below are where your points really stretch.

Amex airline transfer partners

In the table above, value-per-point shows what one mile or point is worth in that partner's own program. Where the transfer ratio isn't 1:1, remember you receive fewer (or more) partner miles than the Amex points you send, so factor the ratio into your math.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you consider making a partner transfer: 

1. Four of these partners run on the same points currency, called Avios: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and Qatar Airways. This may sound like mundane information, but it’s incredibly powerful. Once your Amex points land in one of those accounts, you can move Avios between the four at a 1:1 ratio, for free, on avios.com. Each program prices awards in its own way, so the same flight could cost less on one airline or the other. Transfer once, then shift your Avios to whichever of the four programs charges the least for your trip. Two details to remember here: Qatar's Avios only move to and from British Airways, so some shifts will take two steps. Also, the names and personal details on your accounts must match or the transfer will fail.

2. Etihad Guest is no longer an Amex transfer partner. That partnership ended in June, 2026.

Amex hotel transfer partners

Amex points transfer to 3 hotel programs, and one of them is the reason people care about Amex hotel transfers at all.

Hilton is the standout on this list. Every Amex point becomes 2 Hilton points, and a transfer bonus makes this an even better deal. One honest caveat, though: Hilton's award rates run high, and you can typically find better value if you transfer to an airline and book a premium cabin. Marriott transfers at 1:1, and that's rarely a good trade. Use it to top up an existing Bonvoy balance, not as a strategy. Choice is a quiet niche pick, especially if you take non-premium trips to Scandinavia or Japan, where its fixed pricing beats high cash rates.

Transferring Amex points to ANA Mileage Club for premium-cabin seats (with one caveat)

The sweet spot: ANA flies some of the most desirable first- and business-class seats in the skies. Whether you’re booking this much-coveted award space, or other premium Star Alliance cabins, they’re priced on a fixed award chart – a set price list that doesn't budge with demand. The Amex-to-ANA transfer is the only way in among the big card issuers. Nobody else transfers points to ANA.

Who it's for: It’s great for solo travelers and people who travel only with family, literally. ANA's family rules limit award bookings to yourself and defined relatives; a fiancé doesn't count. Book a honeymoon before the wedding and you're technically outside the rules.

The catch: The timing. Transfers from Amex take up to 72 hours, and ANA won't hold award seats while you wait. Plus, ANA miles expire on a fixed schedule. The seat you saw Monday may be gone when your miles land Thursday. Only transfer when a specific award is bookable right now.

The bottom line: When it works, it's the best redemption in the Amex lineup. Treat it as a specialist’s tool for a seat you can confirm is available. It’s not the kind of risk you should take every day.

Transferring Amex points to Virgin Atlantic for Business Class to London

The sweet spot: Look for some of the lowest business-class pricing across the Atlantic on Virgin's own flights. Virgin's award prices fluctuate with demand, and the low end can get downright cheap. 

Who it's for: Anyone flying to or through London, especially when a transfer bonus is running. 

The catch: The UK's departure taxes and Virgin's fuel surcharges are very real, and they climb with distance and with upgraded cabins. If you catch the low end of Virgin's miles pricing, it's still worth it, especially for a nonstop flight from your home airport. The much-hyped ANA and Air New Zealand partner awards through Virgin Atlantic exist mostly on paper. That space is rarely available to book. Transfer Amex points to Virgin Atlantic only for Virgin's own flights.

Transfer Amex points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for transatlantic value in every cabin

The sweet spot: Keep an eye on Air France and KLM flights, whether you’re in search of an economy seat or a premium experience. Monthly Promo Rewards, a rotating list of routes at discounted award prices, make good pricing great, mostly in economy and premium economy.

Who it's for: Travelers headed to mainland Europe will love it. Delta flyers also have reasons to enjoy this transfer: Flying Blue can be used to book Delta seats, often for fewer miles and lower fees than through SkyMiles.

The catch: Promo Rewards rotate monthly and rarely include premium cabins, so chase them when your home airport is on the list. Don't transfer early then wait for a promo, however. You can't know which routes will make the list.

Good to know: If you're searching "amex to air france transfer," just know that every major points program transfers to Flying Blue, transfers are instant at a 1:1 ratio, and a relatively low balance doesn’t mean you’re priced out.

Transfer Amex points directly to Delta SkyMiles because you can’t do it with other programs

The sweet spot: Book domestic economy seats on Delta, where pricing can be genuinely competitive, especially for families booking multiple seats. Note that Amex is the only major card issuer that can directly transfer points to Delta.

Who it's for: It’s great for travelers who love flying Delta, and who redeem their points mostly in economy. If you hold a Delta co-brand credit card, you can also get discounts on award tickets, and it stacks with Delta's occasional route sales.

The catch: Delta's redemption rates on any routes that touch North America are much steeper than what their peers would charge, especially for premium cabins. To be blunt, it's a program to avoid if you have dreams of flying in anything but the economy cabin. The direct Amex-to-Delta transfer is a convenience, not a place to get great value. For Delta's premium cabins, check Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic first. Both book Delta flights with better redemptions on many routes.

Transfer Amex points to Cathay Pacific for American and British Airways flights

The sweet spot: This is a good way to book oneworld flights at Cathay's pricing. Their Asia Miles program regularly offers American Airlines and British Airways flights for fewer miles and lower taxes than those programs charge their own members. It's also the best way to access Cathay's premium cabins.

Who it's for: This option is for travelers who want to transfer Amex points to British Airways flights or American Airlines flights without paying BA's fees, and anyone who’s chasing Cathay’s plush business class flights to Asia.

The catch: The transfer ratio doesn’t exactly work in your favor. Amex points transfer to Asia Miles at a 5:4 ratio, so 10,000 Amex points become 8,000 Asia Miles. The pricing advantage often makes it worthwhile, but do the math before you book. Another thing to look out for: British Airways sometimes holds seats for its own program and doesn’t offer them through Cathay.

Transfer Amex points to Qatar Privilege Club for Qsuite and JetBlue Mint

The sweet spot: Use Amex points to book the Qsuite, the business-class product people actually want to fly, even though Qatar releases more of those seats to its own members than partners ever see. A transfer to Qatar has an additional benefit, however. Thanks to Qatar's fixed partner rates, you can book JetBlue Mint for fewer points than with JetBlue's own dynamic pricing. With Etihad Guest off the Amex roster, Qatar is the best route to book Mint on Amex points.

Who it's for: Solo travelers get the easiest path here. Booking for anyone else requires pre-registering them on Qatar's nominee list, and new accounts often can't add people at all, even companions on the same reservation.

The catch: Qatar's website makes you work. You must log in to search award space, taxes won't display until your account holds enough points, and there are no holds. Confirm that the seat is bookable before you transfer. If you'd like to fly JetBlue economy, Amex transfers directly to TrueBlue, but at a 5:4 haircut. Compare your options first.

Transfer Amex points to KrisFlyer for Singapore's own long-haul flights

The sweet spot: This is how to score Singapore's long-haul premium cabins – including the Newark-to-Singapore nonstop in business, and Suites first class. Singapore doesn't release that space to partner programs. If you want the seat, KrisFlyer is the program to use, full stop.

Who it's for: This one’s for travelers headed to Asia or the South Pacific who want a top-tier experience. This can also be a great transfer if you’re interested in a stopover. Stopovers on routes like Los Angeles to Singapore via Tokyo, or New York to Singapore via Frankfurt.

The catch: Use KrisFlyer only for Singapore's own flights. Partner awards carry fuel surcharges on almost every airline, and you can usually find better deals through other programs. Book a ticket in the wrong fare bucket (a fare category denoted by a letter) and you won’t get the stopover, so check the terms and conditions before you transfer.

What should you watch out for with Amex transfer partners?

Here are some words of caution before you transfer a single point.

• JetBlue, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific take a haircut. All three transfer at a 5:4 ratio, so 10,000  Amex points become 8,000 miles after you transfer. Sometimes the partner's pricing is still worth it (Cathay often is). Just do that math before you commit, not after.

• ANA is slow, and ANA is final. Points take up to 72 hours to transfer,  there are no award holds, and miles expire on a hard schedule. Never send points to ANA without a specific, bookable award in view.

• Singapore KrisFlyer partner awards carry big fuel surcharges. A partner business-class seat can carry more than $1,000 in fees. Use KrisFlyer for Singapore's own flights.

• Transfer and book avianca lifemiles two weeks before you fly. Cancellation fees are high and unclear on avianca, and rebooking support is nil when a partner flight cancels. Book close to departure, when schedule changes are less likely.

• Aeromexico's inventory is real. Its customer support isn't. There’s good premium-cabin access to South America via Mexico City, but the website doesn't support English and the call center is weak. Book it for the seat, and have a fallback if anything breaks.

• Qantas is often one to skip. Awards on Qantas cost a lot of points, and the fees cost even more. There’s one exception, however: American Airlines trips with several connections. Qantas prices the whole trip by total distance, while Avios programs charge for each flight leg separately, so Qantas can come out cheaper.

• Transfers to US airlines carry a small excise-tax offset fee. Amex is the only issuer that charges it, on transfers to US programs like Delta and JetBlue. It's too small to sway any booking decision, but know it exists so the charge on your card doesn't spook you.

How do you transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to partners?

Whether you're figuring out how to transfer Amex points to Delta, to ANA, or to Virgin Atlantic, the steps are identical. Log in to your Amex account, open Membership Rewards, choose the transfer partner, link your loyalty account, and confirm. Points move in 1,000-point increments with a 1,000-point minimum, and most transfers land instantly.

Three things to get right before you click:

• Make sure your name matches. The loyalty account must be in the cardholder's name. A mismatch can stall or block the transfer.

• Set up partner accounts early. Enroll with each loyalty program and link it to your Amex account before you need it. A brand-new partner account that receives points and redeems within the hour can trip the program's fraud alerts. An established one won't. And don't wait around for a signup promo to create a new account. Partner programs almost never run them.

• Transfers are one-way and final. Once your points land in a partner program, you can't move them back. Confirm the award seat is actually bookable before you transfer. point.me scans live availability across Amex's partners so you're never transferring blindly.

For the full step-by-step guide to transferring, read our complete guide on how to transfer Amex Membership Rewards points.

How do you transfer Amex points to non-partners via alliances?

Amex points don't transfer to United, American, Alaska, or Hawaiian, but you can still fly all of them using Amex points. Airline alliances let one program book award seats on another airline's flights. So you can transfer to an indirect (or "workaround") partner in the same alliance. Then you book the flight you actually want. Here are the popular routes.

Here's the honest part. These indirect routes can work, but you’ll have to juggle two programs, two award charts, and alliance space that may or may not be available from the program you chose. A wrong transfer can't be undone. point.me removes the guesswork on this. Whether you want to transfer Amex points to United or American Airlines, our search checks every direct Amex partner and its alliance routes at once. Then it shows you the cheapest bookable option before you move anything.

How do Amex transfer partners compare to Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Bilt?

No single currency is good at everything. Amex has an edge when it comes to Asia flights and all hotels: ANA, Hilton, and the direct Delta pipeline. The gaps mirror Chase's strengths: you can’t book Hyatt, United, or American with Amex points.

Amex vs Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

Chase wins if you’re a  Hyatt or a United loyalist. Amex wins for ANA, Hilton, and Delta loyalists who are happy to pay higher fees for premium perks. Amex's cards that offer transfers carry the highest fees in the business, so the barrier to entry is a dollar amount, not a learning curve. See Chase transfer partners.

Amex vs Bilt Rewards transfer partners

Bilt compensates for Amex's two real soft spots in one currency: Hyatt and United, with Alaska thrown in for good measure. It also earns on rent, and its strong earning on everyday purchases beats Amex's biggest downside: Amex has no good card for everyday, non-bonus spending. See Bilt transfer partners.

Amex vs Capital One transfer partners

The head-to-head comparison that really matters here is on Asia premium cabins. Capital One transfers to EVA and JAL, but both of these airlines release far more of their own business-class seats to their own members than to partners. Amex's answer is its ANA partnership, with the 72-hour transfer timing catch. For two or more lie-flat seats together, however, Capital One usually delivers where Amex can’t. For a solo traveler with patience, Amex via ANA is a good alternative. See Capital One transfer partners.

Amex vs Citi ThankYou transfer partners

Citi transfers to American AAdvantage directly and EVA at full value. Amex does not. Asia travelers should consider the choice between EVA (with Citi) and ANA (with Amex). American loyalists get more from Citi than from Amex's indirect booking routes with Avios. See Citi transfer partners.

Which Amex cards earn Membership Rewards points?

Not every Amex card earns transferable Membership Rewards points. Amex splits its lineup between charge cards (Gold, Platinum) that earn Amex points, and co-brand credit cards  (Delta, Hilton) that earn their own currencies. The cards that earn Membership Rewards points all transfer to the same 19 partners. Every personal and business card you hold pools into one shared points balance for each currency you hold.

One planning note to consider for Amex: welcome bonuses can be collected once per card, per lifetime. Apply when the offer is high. If you're not eligible for the bonus, Amex tells you before it pulls your credit report and lets you walk away. That makes applying almost risk-free.

Point.me's final verdict: Should you use Amex transfer partners?

Yes, and with intention. Amex Membership Rewards are among the most flexible currencies out there. The breadth of partners, instant transfers, and a direct, exclusive link to Delta make it a points no-brainer. 

Unlocking the highest value from your Amex points takes program knowledge most people don't have time to build. That's the work point.me does for you. Search live award availability across all 19 Amex transfer partners and their alliance routes, compare the options side by side, and book for the lowest points cost possible.