Amex Tricks and Workarounds: How to Transfer Points to the Airlines That Aren’t Direct Partners

You can’t transfer Amex points to American, United, or Alaska. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fly all of these airlines using your Amex points. To do this, you’ll need to use what points aficionados refer to as a trick or a workaround. Of course, there’s nothing shady about this practice, and you’re not breaking any rules by doing it. It’s just another strategy to find and book the award flights you really want.   Most workarounds involve moving your points to an airline in the same alliance and then booking from there. This guide shows you how to do it, then covers the transfer strategies that are specific to Amex, like the ones that let you book its exclusive ANA and Delta partners.

Amex tricks and workarounds at a glance:

• Transfer Amex points to American through a oneworld partner like Cathay Pacific or British Airways, and United through Air Canada Aeroplan.

• Book Alaska-operated flights through the same oneworld partners, since Amex points cannot be directly transferred to Alaska.

• You cannot transfer Amex points to World of Hyatt or Southwest, so pair your Amex points with Chase or Bilt.

• Focus on Amex's two exclusive partners, ANA and Delta.

• Search for your award ticket before you transfer, because transfers are one-way.

The airlines Amex can't reach directly, and how to book each one

Amex has a deep partner list, so it doesn’t have many gaps. But the ones it has do matter. This table covers only the programs that Amex can't reach directly, and the workaround for each. 

Tricks for reaching the airlines Amex doesn't transfer to

When you use Amex points to book an airline that isn’t included in its transfer partner list, that’s called a workaround. Each of the workarounds below describes a real opportunity to use Membership Rewards points for the flight you want by routing them through the right partner.

Book American Airlines with Amex points through a oneworld partner

American isn't an Amex partner. But you can use five of Amex's oneworld partners to book American flights: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, British Airways Club, Qatar Privilege Club, Iberia Club, and Qantas Frequent Flyer. 

Check Cathay Asia Miles first. It often prices American economy and business low, and even with its 5:4 transfer ratio, the all-in costs can beat a 1:1 transfer. The catch? Cathay can’t always access all of American’s award seats. In these cases, it’s worth giving Cathay Pacific a call, especially if another oneworld program, such as British Airways, can book the seat. 

Qatar and British Airways, both of which use Avios, are also strong options to book American flights. It’s worth noting, however, that Qatar now restricts who you can book award tickets for. So unless your account is eligible to book award tickets for others, it’s best to avoid this one. 

The process is simple. Try to find your seat via Cathay first, then try British Airways, or Qatar. Confirm the exact American flight in the partner program before you transfer your points. If you can’t see an American seat at a fair price through any of these workarounds, stop. Citi or Bilt may give you access to American more cheaply and easily, so consider these options instead.

Reach United with Amex points through Aeroplan

Amex can't transfer points to United directly. The main way in is through Air Canada Aeroplan, a Star Alliance partner with a 1:1 transfer ratio. Aeroplan books United’s lowest-priced award seats easily and prices them by zone, though it adds a partner booking fee. Overall, Aeroplan wins for reliability and the widest United availability.

Amex also reaches three other Star Alliance partners: ANA, Avianca LiveMiles, and Singapore KrisFlier, all at a 1:1 transfer ratio, though there’s a significant timing catch with ANA. More on this below. LifeMiles is always worth a look for United flights. It often prices low and adds no fuel surcharges, but its site and award space availability can be glitchy. It’s worth noting that their change/cancellation fees are among the highest in the industry, and their customer service isn’t particularly great when something goes wrong with your reservation, even if it’s involuntary. 

One caution: since 2025, United has held some low-priced awards for its own elite members and co-brand cardholders, and none of its partners let you behind that gate when you transfer miles. If United is your preferred airline and you keep hitting that wall, a United co-brand card and/or a Chase or Bilt card will serve you better.

Book Alaska (Atmos Rewards) flights with Amex points

Amex doesn't let you transfer points to Atmos Rewards, Alaska's program. But Alaska is in the oneworld alliance. So you can book many Alaska-operated flights through the same oneworld partners you'd use for American. 

British Airways and Qatar Avios can be used for cheap, short hops, thanks to distance-based pricing. Cathay works for some West Coast and transcontinental routes. For most travelers, however, this is a niche strategy, because Amex's oneworld coverage is already good. 

Confirm the Alaska flight in the Avios or Cathay program before you transfer points. When to stop: Alaska's best redemptions, like its premium-partner awards, need to be purchased in Atmos, its own awards currency, and Bilt is the only bank that gets you that. If Alaska is a focus for you, pair Amex with Bilt points.

Do Amex points work for World of Hyatt?

No, Amex points do not work for World of Hyatt. Hyatt is the one hotel program where points routinely offer more value than cash, but since there's no alliance workaround for hotels the same way there is for airlines,  the best move is to earn points with another card. Earn Amex points for its air partners, then hold another points currency that reaches Hyatt: Chase transfers to Hyatt at 4:3 on the Sapphire Preferred and 1:1 on the Sapphire Reserve, and Bilt transfers 1:1 with no premium-card requirement. Bilt wins if you want a 1:1 transfer ratio without a premium annual fee; Chase wins if you already hold a Sapphire Reserve. Don't try to substitute an Amex hotel partner like Marriott or Hilton when Hyatt is what you want, because the per-point value on those redemptions isn't the same.

Southwest isn't reachable with Amex points, and that's usually fine

Amex doesn't transfer to Southwest Rapid Rewards, and there's no workaround, because Southwest isn't in an alliance. But this isn’t a major loss. Rapid Rewards prices award tickets dynamically based on the cash fare, so even a direct transfer wouldn't beat the cash price by much. Book Southwest with cash or with points earned on a Southwest co-brand card, and save your Amex points for the places where they hold the most value, namely, for international flights in premium cabins. If you fly Southwest often, the right tool is a Southwest card, not an Amex workaround.

Tricks specific to Amex points

Amex has some exclusive partners that are worth focusing on:

Book ANA, even with its 72-hour transfer time

ANA Mileage Club is one of Amex’s most intriguing and attractive partners, but there are some tricks to make it work. For starters, point transfers to ANA take about 72 hours – an eternity when it comes to booking a flight. To complicate things further, the airline does not allow holds – temporary reservations held for a period of time without payment – on award seats. That combination means you’ll need to plan your transfers, and your award booking, carefully. Link your ANA account to your Amex profile before you need it. A brand-new account that receives a transfer and books a flight within a short period of time can trip the program's fraud checks. 

The 72-hour lag also means that, even when you find an available, bookable award seat, it has three full days to disappear. In this case, you should only move points when you have tons of flexibility. If you’re trying to decide whether an ANA award is the right redemption for your trip, see Amex Transfer Partners and Best Uses.

Book Delta three different ways, and learn which one is best 

Amex is the only bank that transfers its points to Delta SkyMiles directly, at a 1:1 ratio. But “direct” doesn’t always mean you’re getting the lowest price. Delta prices SkyMiles dynamically, so points pricing can dramatically fluctuate. Amex points can also be transferred to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Air France-KLM Flying Blue, both SkyTeam airlines and both at a 1:1 ratio. Both have been known to offer Delta flights for less than on Delta’s own site, depending on availability.

Use Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue when they have access to the Delta award space you want, but keep in mind that availability, especially in premium cabins, can be limited. Don’t forget that points transfers to Delta, a U.S.-based program, comes with Amex's small government excise tax. It's tiny and capped, but you should know about it.

Before you transfer: the habits you should know that protect your booking

These steps apply to every trick and workaround described above. Skip them, and you risk wasting your points.

Search for your award first

Confirm that your award of choice is bookable before you move any points. Remember, transfers are one-way and can't be reversed. Amex transfers are usually instant, which helps, but ANA takes about 72 hours and requires even more planning and caution. Use point.me to see live options across your partners first and then confirm with the partner on their website.

Compare pricing with the partner, on the portal, and in cash

Price the same trip three ways: as a partner award, as a cash ticket, and through the Amex Travel portal. Transferring is the best option when it costs fewer points, when you’re looking for flexibility, when your points beat the cash value, or when the seat offers you a better or more comfortable trip. You can check all three prices on point.me, and it doesn’t take a lot of time. Just do a quick gut-check; hours of research isn’t necessary. See How Much Are Points Worth? for more detailed value math.

Don't fear a worse-than-1:1 ratio

A transfer ratio below 1:1, like Cathay's 5:4, can still offer the cheapest and best booking option, especially if the seat is available and fully bookable when it isn’t through other channels. Compare the all-in cost, not the transfer ratio.

Time transfer bonuses around a trip you’re already planning

Amex runs transfer bonuses often, and they can really stretch your points, but a bonus only helps when you already have a specific bookable flight in mind. Check Current Transfer Bonuses if you’re planning a trip. Treat a bonus as a discount on points you were planning to move anyway.

Does your card change the transfer math?

For Amex, no. Every Membership Rewards card transfers points to the same partners at the same ratios, so the specific card you hold doesn't change which airlines you can transfer to or what they cost. What it changes are other card benefits, like travel credits and lounge access. Pick your Amex card based on the card’s complete offerings, not for better transfer access. It’s identical across the lineup.

Tricks and workarounds to avoid

• Don't move points before you've confirmed the availability of your preferred award seat. Once it’s confirmed, a transfer can't be undone.

• Don't rely on buy-and-return tricks, manufactured spending, or payment games. Banks are known to close accounts in these situations.

• Don't assume every airline is a direct Amex partner. American, United, and Alaska are not Amex partners.

• There’s a small government excise fee on transfers to U.S. airlines like Delta or JetBlue. Add it to your all-in price before you decide to book.

• Don't try to force a Hyatt stay onto an Amex hotel partner. Transfer points from Chase or Bilt instead.

The strongest Amex tricks are simple and legal, and just because you can’t transfer your points directly to your preferred airline, that doesn’t mean you can’t book it. American, United, and Alaska, for example, are not direct partners, but its oneworld and Star Alliance partners – Cathay and BA for American; Aeroplan for United – cover almost every gap. Amex’s two exclusive partners, ANA and Delta, can book seats that no other bank currency can.