As a points and miles enthusiast, transferring your points to travel partner programs is essential for maximizing value. This strategy allows you to access premium international flights and luxury hotel stays at a fraction of the cost. Although transferring points can seem daunting, our guide will explain how and when to transfer your credit card rewards to partnering airline programs.
Table of contents
Transferable points currencies
For frequent flyers based in the United States, there are seven major transferable points currencies:
- American Express Membership Rewards points
- Bilt Rewards points
- Brex Rewards points
- Capital One Rewards points
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points
- Citi ThankYou points
- Wells Fargo Rewards points
Out of these, the traditional big three points currencies are those from American Express, Chase, and Citi. Recently, Capital One has become more popular with the introduction of the Venture X credit card.
Wells Fargo, Bilt, and Brex are relatively new and niche programs in comparison, but can still represent significant value depending on your circumstances.
Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy points, along with points from several other hotel loyalty programs, can be transferred to airline frequent flyer programs. However, these transfers usually don’t offer the best value and are typically only useful in limited scenarios.
Important information about transferring credit card points
Before transferring any points, it’s important to confirm that award space is available. In almost every case, point transfers are permanent and cannot be reversed.
While advanced points and miles users may make speculative transfers during bonus promotions, you’ll want to wait till you’re ready to book an award. That’s because award inventory is always being adjusted and points can devalue. For example, you wouldn’t want to transfer 55,000 Amex points to Aeroplan with a flight in mind only to find that the flight you had your eye on is no longer available and your points can’t be transferred back.
If you’re booking a flight, you’ll also want to watch out for phantom award space by cross-referencing results from multiple programs to ensure that the space you’re booking is actually available. point.me’s award search engine filters out phantom award space automatically. If you’re searching for award space manually, you’ll also want to take the time to do that in advance.
How to transfer credit card points to airlines step by step
Each program has its nuances, but overall, there are a few things you can do to get ready to transfer your points and book that dream redemption with points from any program. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to plan your booking and get your points transferred with as little stress as possible.
1. Check out the transfer partners in advance
Keep in mind each transferable points currency has a limited set of partners that you can transferpoints to. When you’re planning a redemption, it’s a good idea to start your research with the frequent flyer programs you have access to and that are most likely to have the route you’re looking for.
See the table below what airlines each transfer currency transfers to and their standard transfer ratios.
| Transfer currency/Airline partner | American Express Membership Rewards | Bilt Rewards | Brex Rewards | Capital One miles | Chase Ultimate Rewards | Citi ThankYou Rewards | Wells Fargo Rewards |
| Aer Lingus AerClub (Avios) | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1.6 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1:1 | ||||||
| American Airlines AAdvantage | |||||||
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | ||||||
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |
| British Airways Executive Club (Avios) | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 | ||||||
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||||
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 4:3 | 1:1 | |||||
| Finnair Plus (Avios) | 1:1 | ||||||
| HawaiianMiles | 1:1 | ||||||
| Iberia Plus (Avios) | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 250:200 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||||
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios) | 1:1* | 1:1 | |||||
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1,670:1,000 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | ||||||
| TAP Miles&Go | 1:1 | ||||||
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | ||||||
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||||
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | 1:1 | |||||
| Virgin Atlantic/Red Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | ||
| Total airline transfer partners | 18 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 5 |
Note: Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, and Qatar Airways all utilize Avios as their rewards currencies and miles can be transferred between their programs freely.
2. Set up loyalty program accounts for the relevant programs (in advance)
Before you can transfer points, you’ll need to have a loyalty program account. Setting up a frequent flyer account is free with all major airlines and can be completed entirely online.
Make sure to use the same name that you used to set up your credit card (including middle names). A name mismatch can slow down or even prevent a transfer from being completed.
You might already have accounts with major U.S. frequent flyer programs like Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, and United MileagePlus, but it’s worth thinking about what additional programs you may want to use.
Some of the best mileage redemption sweet spots are offered by international programs, so keep an open mind about what programs you may want to join. It’s also smart to keep an eye out for current point transfer bonuses.
A few loyalty programs are particularly popular with points and miles travelers due to the value offered and the variety of travel partners:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Virgin Atlantic/Red Flying Club
If you’re searching for redemptions using the point.me award search engine, the cost in points you see will automatically reflect current transfer bonuses. Otherwise, check which transfer bonuses are currently active.
3. Add loyalty programs to your credit card account (in advance)
While this isn’t strictly necessary, linking your loyalty program accounts in advance can save you time when you’re ready to book your award. Each program is slightly different, but the idea is generally the same. Here’s a brief overview of each.
- American Express Membership Rewards: After logging into your American Express account and navigating to the Transfer Points page, you can view a list of partner programs and their transfer ratios. To link a new account, click “Show Details,” enter your partner loyalty program number, select the cardholder, verify your 3-digit CSC, and retrieve a one-time password from your email. After processing, you’ll receive a confirmation message and email.
- Bilt Rewards: To link your account in the Bilt App, sign into Bilt and navigate to the Travel tab. Choose “Transfer” and select between “Flights” or “Hotels.” Scroll down, select a specific loyalty program, and enter your partner loyalty number to link your loyalty account with your Bilt Rewards account. You’ll receive 100 Bilt points for each linked loyalty program.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: To link your loyalty account to Chase Ultimate Rewards, log in to your Chase account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards portal. Select “Redeem Rewards” then “Travel” and choose “Transfer to Travel Partners.” Click the desired program, enter your loyalty number, and follow the prompts.
- Citi ThankYou: After logging into thankyou.com, navigate to the “Travel” dropdown on the top navigation bar and click “Points Transfer.” Select your desired airline or hotel partner, then click “continue.” Enter your loyalty program membership number to link your accounts, ensuring the names match on both accounts, then follow the prompts.
For Brex and Capital One, there’s no need to link your accounts in advance. Just make sure the names on the accounts match. Have your loyalty program number handy when you’re ready to make the transfer — you’ll need to input the details each time you want to transfer points.
4. Search for award availability and determine the number of points you need
The next step is to find availability for the award tickets you want on the loyalty program’s website. This could be fun or frustrating, but point.me can simplify things by searching multiple programs for you.
If you’re conducting a manual search on the airline website, start by logging in to your loyalty program account and search for your trip. If the desired flight doesn’t show, it’s not available. If it does, you should be good to go.
Keep in mind that phantom availability can occur, so it’s always a good idea to call and confirm the space is actually available or cross-reference the availability between multiple programs. Not every program is searchable online with every partner. Check out our article on how to search for awards for more tips on finding flights.
Once you have the flight you want to book, you’ll want to calculate how many points it will cost. Most points transfer to partners at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000 points, making it simple to transfer the exact amount needed for an award ticket. However, some programs have different base ratios, such as Brex (1,670:1,000) and Amex to Aeromexico (1:1.6).
If there’s a transfer bonus active, identify the total points needed, subtract any existing balance, and divide the remaining amount by 1 plus the bonus percentage as a decimal (e.g., for a 20% bonus, divide by 1.2). Round up to the nearest 1,000 points. For example, needing 210,000 Aeroplan points with a 20% bonus and an existing balance of 1,200 points, you would transfer 174,000 points, which would become 208,800 points with the bonus, combined with the existing points to meet the requirement. (Too much math? point.me’s search will do it for you and tell you the total points needed taking the transfer bonus into account.)
To streamline the process, use an award flight search engine like point.me. Enter the starting and ending locations, dates, number of passengers, and booking class to find available flights.
5. Decide if it’s a good use of your points
Before transferring points to a partner loyalty program, consider whether the redemption offers good value. Given the time and money spent earning points, it’s useful to think of them as currency and aim for the best value when redeeming them.
- Calculate redemption value: The first thing to do is check the cash price and calculate how much value you’re getting per point. Do this by dividing the cash price of the ticket by the number of points required. The more value you’re getting, the better.
- Factor in opportunity cost: Remember that award tickets don’t earn miles. If you’re worried about earning miles on this airline, subtract the value of miles you would have earned if you paid cash from the ticket’s cost.
- Account for elite status: Consider if redeeming miles affects your progress towards elite status, which might add value to cash bookings.
- Evaluate flexibility: Award tickets often offer more flexibility with refunds and changes compared to cash tickets, adding to their value.
- Consider long-term goals: Think about your broader travel plans. Saving miles for high-value redemptions like international business class might offer better long-term value.
- Understand transfer ratios: Be aware of the transfer ratios and how they impact the value of your points. Check for any transfer bonuses that might be active to give you further value for your points.
6. Transfer your points
Once you know the required points, start the transfer by logging into your credit card issuer account. Navigate to the transfer points section and select the specific airline. Enter the number of points and submit your transfer request. You may need to verify your identity or card number.
Most points transfer instantly or within a few minutes, but some take longer. Check out our guide to each transferable points currency for estimates on how long transfers to each program will take:
- American Express Membership Rewards points
- Chase Ultimate Rewards points
- Bilt Rewards points (coming soon)
- Capital One Rewards points (coming soon)
- Citi ThankYou points (coming soon)
After verifying award availability, initiate the transfer by logging in to your credit card account and following the prompts. You may need to log out and back into your loyalty program account to see the updated balance.
7. Book the flight
Once the transferred points are in your account, it’s time to book your flight! Follow the program’s steps to book the award ticket or hotel room, usually by selecting an option to book with miles or points.
Most programs allow you to make your bookings online, but some redemptions may require a call.
Don’t want to go through this trouble? You can leave it all up to an expert with point.me’s concierge booking service, which will do all of the legwork from start to finish to help you select the optimal flight with your points.
Pitfalls to avoid
Delays in transferring
While most point transfers from credit card issuers to loyalty programs are instant, there are exceptions. Transfers to certain programs can take up to seven days, though most transfers are completed either immediately or within a couple of days. Transfer can also be rejected or require additional verification if the names on the two accounts don’t exactly match.
To hedge against potential delay, consider holding the award with the loyalty program when this option is available. Airlines that allow ticket holds include Air France-KLM Flying Blue, American AAdvantage, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Emirates Skywards, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Lufthansa Miles & More, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. This can help ensure your desired redemption is still available while waiting for points to transfer to your frequent flyer account.
Disappearing “phantom fares”
When you’re researching award options, you might run into disappearing or “phantom” fares. This refers to flight availability that appears bookable as an award ticket but isn’t.
This often arises during the flight search process when flights initially show availability but disappear when you try to book them. Once points are transferred, they generally can’t be reversed, so it’s important to double-check availability directly with the airline before you transfer your points.
When you should transfer points to a partner
Knowing when to transfer points to a travel partner to maximize their value is important. In general, transferring points makes the most sense when cash fares are high and when you’re booking tickets in a premium cabin. Here are some times to consider transferring your points:
- High cash prices: When cash fares are high, transferring points to airlines with a traditional award chart can offer better value.
- Last-minute bookings: For urgent or last-minute travel, points often provide significant savings compared to high cash rates.
- Premium class tickets: Business and first-class international flights are typically cheaper when booked with transferred points.
- Fixed award charts: Utilize airline programs with fixed award charts where the points required remain stable, even if cash prices fluctuate.
- Better value per point: When transferring points gives you a higher value per point compared to booking directly through a travel portal.
- Flexible ticket policies: Award flights often have more flexible change and cancelation policies which can be a big benefit if your plans aren’t set in stone yet.
When you should not transfer points to a partner
In contrast, sometimes there are times when transferring points isn’t the best option. When cash fares are low, or you want to earn miles and elite credits, booking directly or through a portal might be more flexible or offer better overall value.
- Low cash fares: When cash prices are low, booking flights using points through a portal or directly with cash can be more cost-effective.
- Earning miles and elite credits: Booking through the portal or with cash often allows you to earn award miles and elite credits.
- No award availability: If the desired flight isn’t available using airline miles, booking through a portal may be your only option.
- Flexible use of points: The portal allows you to use points to cover a portion of the total purchase, offering more flexibility if you don’t have the full amount of points.
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