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Between the big credit card welcome bonuses and great category bonuses to maximize earning, American Express Membership Rewards are one of the easiest points currencies in which to accumulate big balances. If you've been steadily building up your Amex points balance, but now have an itchy trigger finger ready to push the button on transfers or award redemptions from Amex Travel®, you're likely looking for ways to use your points wisely.
To ensure you’re getting the best value out of your Membership Rewards points, we want to share five of our top strategies for maximizing Amex points, with the hope you’ll discover some new options for redeeming Amex Membership Rewards for maximum value.
Related: Guide to Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners
Page Contents
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards and Unique Region Definitions
- British Airways Avios for Short-Haul Flights and the Travel Together Ticket
- KrisFlyer for International Suites and Premium U.S. Domestic Flights
- ANA Mileage Club Round-the-World Awards
- 35% Airline Bonus on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Rewards Credit Cards That Earn Membership Rewards
- Final Thoughts
Air France–KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards and Unique Region Definitions
We've previously covered some of FlyingBlue's sweet spots with details on a few of the incredible deals the program offers. If you are looking to fly between the continental U.S. and Hawaii, FlyingBlue partner Delta can get you there for as low as 35,000 miles round-trip in economy.
Flying Blue also includes several unique region definitions, which can make award rates to those areas much lower than other programs. For example, Mexico is included in the same award region as the contiguous U.S., so you'll pay between 10,500 and 17,500 miles for most tickets on Delta or Aeromexico, depending on the distance flown.
And a number of countries in Northern Africa are considered part of Europe when it comes to award pricing for Flying Blue. Award rates for business-class flights from the U.S. to countries such as Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia can be as low as 55,000 miles each way.
Lastly, FlyingBlue offers a rotating monthly list of Promo Awards, discounted by up to 50%, which provide some of the best award rates of any airline program in the world. The Promo Awards list is a fantastic way of discovering new destinations; simply browse the list each month to find new locations to explore.
British Airways Avios for Short-Haul Flights and the Travel Together Ticket
British Airways Executive Club offers some of the best value of any Amex partner because the award chart is still distance-based, rather than region-based, opening up some interesting routes.
The program offers great value, particularly on short-haul flights under 650 miles outside the U.S., and even more so when Amex is running one of its regular transfer bonuses to Avios.
Nonstop, short-haul flights on British Airways cost 4,750 Avios on off-peak dates, but you also may have the option to spend more Avios to reduce the taxes and fees to just $1 with the Reward Flight Saver feature.
Award rates with partner airlines vary, but nonstop flights in economy under 650 miles on American Airlines cost 7,500 Avios. Cheap redemptions also can be found on flights between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii on American and Alaska Airlines, costing just 13,000 Avios one way in economy.
Additionally, BA offers one of the best companion tickets available to holders of the British Airways Visa Signature® Card who spend over $30,000 in a calendar year.
The British Airways Travel Together Ticket gives you a second seat for a companion on your same flight and in the same cabin when you book a reward flight on a British Airways, Iberia, or Aer Lingus flight, originating from anywhere in the world. Your companion just has to pay the award fees and taxes, which can be steep on BA award flights. If you're a solo traveler, you can instead use the Travel Together Ticket to receive a 50% discount on an Avios redemption.
Related: How To Search and Book British Airways Avios Award Flights
KrisFlyer for International Suites and Premium U.S. Domestic Flights
Considered the holy grail for many frequent flyers, Singapore Airlines Suites are the first-class equivalent of The Plaza in New York, offering a double bed and the best first-class experience you can have in the sky. It's no longer possible to experience the A380 Suites on a flight headed to or departing from the U.S., but you still can redeem KrisFlyer miles for the A380 Suites on several international routes from Singapore.
However, there are still plenty of sweet spots to be had in the KrisFlyer program for U.S.-based travelers. KrisFlyer offers better premium cabin rates within the U.S. on partner airlines United and Air Canada than you’ll receive booking directly through those airlines themselves, with premium cabin redemptions as low as 52,000 miles round-trip.
Singapore KrisFlyer also offers a monthly Spontaneous Escapes promotion, with discounted redemptions on specific cabins and routes. This can be a great way to book Singapore business class on the fifth-freedom route between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt when it is included in the promotion.
Related: Do American Express Membership Rewards Points Expire?
ANA Mileage Club Round-the-World Awards
ANA Mileage Club retains one of the only Round-the-World award fares to offer competitive value if you are willing to do your homework. Offering up to eight stopovers, a Round-the-World award redemption with ANA can be a fantastic way of seeing multiple destinations inside one trip.
We have a three-part series on how to understand, book, and maximize ANA Mileage Club:
- ANA Mileage Club Award Charts and Stopover Rules
- How To Book ANA Mileage Club Award Flights
- The Best ANA Mileage Club Award Sweet Spots
There are lots of conditions that accompany these awards, but it's worth the time invested for the value you’ll receive.
35% Airline Bonus on The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
If you have the Business Platinum Card, you can receive a 35% rebate when using Pay with Points on your selected airline, or when booking first or business class with any airline, through Amex Travel.
When you find premium cabin fare deals, paying “cash” for those fares by using Membership Rewards points with a 35% rebate can sometimes provide a better deal than transferring your points to airline miles and booking an award ticket. Plus, you'll earn miles on the flight with the airline's loyalty program since these bookings are treated as cash fares. A win-win situation.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Limited Time Travel Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a $500 statement credit after you spend $2,500 on qualifying flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel with your Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You can earn one or both of these offers. Offer ends 6/30/25.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024.
- Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
- Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
- NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights, prepaid hotels, and short-term rentals and prepaid flight + hotel packages booked at AmexTravel.com. 1X points on other eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card®.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Rewards Credit Cards That Earn Membership Rewards
Before you can redeem Amex Membership Rewards, you'll need to earn them. Here's a quick recap of our favorite rewards cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Business Gold Card
Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Final Thoughts
With so many transfer options available, getting the best value for Membership Rewards points can sometimes feel like an overwhelming task. The trick is to figure out your plan before you start accumulating points, so you can work toward collecting points for that goal.
If you learn strategies to maximize the value of Amex’s 21 travel partners, you can rest easy knowing your Membership Rewards points will help you reach your travel goals.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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