American Express Transfer Partners: Airlines, Hotels, and Ratios

American Express Membership Rewards points currently transfer to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs. That’s a lot of options, particularly if you’re looking to book flights using points.

Here’s the full list of Amex transfer partners, their transfer ratios, and which cards give you access to them.

American Express Airline Transfer Partners

Amex has 16 airline transfer partners spanning all three major airline alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam), plus a handful of independent carriers.

Most transfers occur at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 1,000 airline miles. But there are some notable exceptions.

One thing worth remembering is that you don’t necessarily need to transfer points to the airline you’re flying.

For example, Air Canada Aeroplan lets you book Star Alliance partners like United and Lufthansa. Or you could transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to book eligible Delta or Air France flights. Several programs also use Avios, including British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Qatar Airways.

Amex regularly offers limited-time transfer bonuses, which can make some of these options even more attractive. For a look at current offers, check out PointsYeah’s transfer bonus tracker.

More on This: How to Convert Credit Card Points to Airline Miles

American Express Hotel Transfer Partners

In addition to its 16 airline partners, Amex has four hotel loyalty program partners.

Hilton is an outlier with its 1:2 transfer ratio. This means 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 2,000 Hilton Honors points. Meanwhile, transfers to Leaders Club work in the opposite direction: 1,000 Amex points become just 250 Leaders Club points.

But of course, a higher transfer ratio doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting better value.

How to Transfer American Express Membership Rewards Points

You can transfer Membership Rewards points through your American Express account. Here’s how:

1. Sign in to your American Express account.
2. Open Rewards & Benefits, then select Transfer Points.
3. Choose your airline or hotel loyalty program and link your account if necessary.
4. Enter the number of Membership Rewards points you’d like to transfer.
5. Review the information and confirm your transfer.

Amex requires transfers in increments of 1,000 Membership Rewards points. Transfer times vary by partner, with some processing almost instantly and others taking a day or more.

One other thing worth knowing: Amex charges an excise tax offset fee when transferring points to U.S. airline loyalty programs, including Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue. The fee is $0.0006 per point transferred, up to $99. You can also pay this fee with Membership Rewards points, but it’s generally better to charge it to your card rather than use points to cover it.

And once you’ve transferred points out of your Amex account, you can’t move them back.

That’s why it’s worth confirming award availability before transferring. It’s also a good idea to link your loyalty accounts ahead of time, particularly if you’re planning to book an award with limited availability.

How to Search Amex Award Flights and Hotels With PointsYeah

PointsYeah searches live award availability across supported loyalty programs, including several American Express airline and hotel transfer partners.

Enter your route and dates (or your destination for a hotel stay), then filter by program, cabin, and airline. You’ll see how many miles or points each program charges, making it easier to compare your options before transferring any Membership Rewards points.

Which American Express Cards Earn Transferable Points?

American Express has several personal and business cards that earn Membership Rewards points. If you have an eligible card, you can transfer those points to participating airline and hotel loyalty programs.

American Express Card	Access to Transfer Partners
American Express Platinum Card®	Yes
American Express® Gold Card	Yes
American Express® Classic Green Card (not open to new applicants)	Yes
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Yes
American Express® Business Gold Card	Yes
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Yes
Business Green Rewards Card	Yes

Unlike Chase and Capital One, where eligible cash-back rewards can be combined with transferable points through another qualifying card, Amex’s cash-back cards earn Reward Dollars rather than Membership Rewards points.

That means you can’t move rewards from one of those cash-back cards into your Membership Rewards balance, even if you also have a Membership Rewards card.

Amex also offers Membership Rewards through certain banking products, although transfer partner access may be limited if you don’t have an eligible Membership Rewards card.