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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 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.
- Elevated Welcome Offer: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,550 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card company on the market as of 07/2025.
- See how you can unlock over $3,500 in business and travel value annually after meeting qualifying spend thresholds on the Business Platinum Card. Terms apply.
- New! Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually for up to a total of $600 in statement credits per calendar year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using the Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- No Preset Spending Limit: The spending limit on the Business Platinum Card is flexible, so unlike a traditional credit card with a set limit, the amount you can spend adapts based on factors such as your purchase, payment and credit history.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use the Business Platinum Card and get up to $209 back per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal).
- Maximize your time away with Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel™.
- New! Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits on U.S purchases directly with Dell Technologies on the Business Platinum Card and an additional $1,000 statement credit after you spend $5,000 or more on that same Card per calendar year.
- New! Enroll and get a $250 statement credit after you spend $600 or more on U.S. purchases directly with Adobe per calendar year on the Business Platinum Card.
- Get up to $90 in statement credits quarterly for purchases with Indeed on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $360 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Get up to $10 in statement credits per month for wireless telephone service purchases made directly with a wireless provider in the U.S. on the Business Platinum Card. That's up to $120 back per year. Enrollment required.
- Enhanced! 2X points on purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more, up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
- 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- $895 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 2X 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:
- American Express Platinum Card®
- 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 20 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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