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One of the most asked questions in the points and miles world, and sadly one with one of the most disappointing answers, is: “Can you transfer your points and miles from different frequent flyer programs?”
Sadly, the answer is that you can't combine your points and miles between most programs. This is nuanced, however, and there are some exceptions and workarounds, but it's worth noting that the workarounds often destroy the value of the transfer due to the horrendous exchange rates.
In general, don’t plan on transferring your miles between different frequent flyer programs.
Page Contents
Avios Are The Only Transferable Currency
Avios is the only exception to transferring miles between programs.
The currency is shared by four major airlines. The first three are British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus, all of which are part of the International Airlines Group IAG. The fourth is Qatar Airways, which adopted the Avios program in early 2022.
All the programs earn the same currency, Avios, and all are members of the Oneworld airline alliance. You can transfer Avios earned with one program to another at no cost, instantly, at a 1:1 ratio.
Remember, Avios are unique in the points and miles world. It's important to note that free, rapid transfers at a 1:1 ratio between programs are unheard of elsewhere!
Previous Methods No Longer ExistPreviously, you could use Points.com and WebFlyer to transfer miles from one program to another. However, these transfers occurred at atrociously bad rates, removing all value in the process. It was only worth gritting your teeth and performing these transfers in rare circumstances, like when you needed just a dozen more miles for an award redemption, needed them now, and were willing to sacrifice value to gain it from a high-value redemption that you couldn't accomplish in another way.
Neither of these sites is currently allowing you to transfer frequent flyer miles or points between programs at present.
Transferring Hotel Points to Airlines
While you can't transfer frequently flyer miles between programs, such as moving American Airlines AAdvantage miles to Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, it is possible to turn hotel points into airline miles with certain programs. Again, the transfer rates range from bad to awful, but the options exist if you need just a few miles for a redemption.
Marriott Bonvoy offers the following transfers, which is likely the most well-known option:
You also can transfer points from Accor Live Limitless to airlines:
Best Western Rewards has these transfer partners:
You can transfer Choice Privileges points to these airline partners:
These are the transfer partners for Hilton Honors:
IHG One Rewards offers these transfers:
Melia Rewards offers a single partner:
Radisson Rewards points can transfer to these airlines:
You can transfer from Shangri-La Circle to the following:
These are the World of Hyatt transfer partners:
And Wyndham Rewards offers these:
Credit Card Points Are A Better Option
One thing to consider is the use of credit card points instead of focusing on airline miles. This is especially true if you do not travel regularly enough to earn elite status with an airline. This also holds true if you cannot commit to a single airline program due to your travel patterns.
If you find yourself in that situation, then committing to earning flexible credit card points is a much better option. Choosing flexible credit card points is ideal for these reasons:
- Flexibility: You can transfer your points to various airlines and hotel programs and redeem them for a flight. You can even opt to redeem them directly via your card issuer's travel portal, but you aren't locked into one program the way you are with an airline's frequent flyer miles. You can redeem them in the way that's best for your current vacation planning.
- Mimick elite perks: With premium travel rewards credit cards, you can get some of the benefits of airline elite status like airport lounge access.
- Get airline perks from its credit cards: Most airlines' co-branded credit cards deliver perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and more. This gives you some of the benefits of elite status without the effort of earning it in the traditional way.
Let's take a look at the main flexible points currencies.
American Express Membership Rewards
The points program of American Express, Membership Rewards can be transferred to 21 airline and hotel partners, redeemed in the travel portal, redeemed for statement credits on your bill, and much more. You can earn Membership Rewards with numerous cards, including these:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Green Card
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express
Related: All of the Cards That Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Capital One Venture Miles
You can transfer miles from Capital One to 18 airline and hotel programs. Other options for using your miles include statement credit, offsetting recent travel purchases, and booking travel through the portal. Some of the cards that earn Capital One miles include:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Capital One Venture X Business
If you have a miles-earning card and a card that earns cash back, you can combine those earnings, meaning these cards also can help you earn Capital One miles:
- Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Related: The 6 Best Capital One Credit Cards for Every Purchase
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase's points program is called Ultimate Rewards, and you can transfer these points to 14 airline and hotel partners. You also can redeem points with Pay Yourself Back, as a statement credit, or in the Chase travel portal — though this happens at different rates depending on which card you have. Some of the cards earning Ultimate Rewards include:
It's also possible to combine cash-back earnings with points if you have both types of cards, so you could earn Ultimate Rewards with these cards as well:
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Related: All of the Cards that Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Citi ThankYou Rewards
You can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to 14 airline and three hotel partners. You also can redeem points in the travel portal, for statement credit, or to pay with points when shopping at various merchants. The following cards earn ThankYou Points:
- Citi Premier® Card
- Citi Rewards+® Card
- AT&T Access Card from Citi
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card (not available to new applicants)
- Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants)
Several Citi credit cards that are marketed as cash-back cards actually earn ThankYou Points, though you'll have access to fewer transfer partners if you don't also hold a points-earning card with an annual fee. These include:
Related: Build a Winning Combo of Citi ThankYou Rewards Cards
Marriott Bonvoy
While not a transferable points program like those above, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to 40 airlines. Most transfers happen at a 3:1 ratio, and many include a 5,000-point bonus in the destination account if you transfer 60,000 Marriott points. The following credit cards earn Marriott points:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Related: Which Credit Cards Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?
Booking Partner Awards
Even though you can't transfer miles between frequent flyer programs, that is not the end of the world. You have options when it comes to booking flights on one airline with the miles in another airline's loyalty program.
Realizing that they needed to meet their passengers' needs and that airlines don't operate every route in the world, airlines have formed multiple alliances and partnerships. The three main alliances are Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam.
- Star Alliance is the biggest alliance and features industry heavyweights like United Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Avianca, and Singapore Airlines.
- Oneworld is another big player and features American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, and Qatar Airways, amongst others.
- SkyTeam is the other major alliance, featuring airlines such as Delta Air Lines, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, and Aeromexico.
Using airline alliances is an excellent way for you to earn and redeem miles in one program when you fly on another airline. For example, you can use Air Canada Aeroplan points to fly on nearly four dozen airlines. However, it doesn't end there. Most airlines have other partnerships with non-alliance partners.
Take, for instance, one of the major middle eastern carriers, Etihad Airways. It's possible to earn miles from paid flights on Etihad or book award flights on Etihad with miles from American Airlines (Oneworld member), Korean Air (SkyTeam), and Air Canada (Star Alliance).
With an extensive list of partnerships, you have many options to use your miles to book a route. Not being able to transfer miles from one frequent flyer program to another won't be a roadblock if you understand how to use miles from one program to book flights on partner airlines.
Related: How to Find Airline Partner Award Flight Availability
Our Take
Being unable to transfer your points and miles between frequent flyer and loyalty programs is an unfortunate frustration of the points and mile world.
However, this inflexibility should not be a deal-breaker for getting involved with travel rewards. With a little planning and strategy, you can select the right mix of airline, hotel, and credit card programs to give you all the flexibility you need.
Being able to transfer your miles freely would be the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, we can’t see that happening. Being able to transfer your points freely between programs would place the programs in direct competition with each other and drive the price of awards down. That is the last thing airlines want since it directly hits their bottom line.
A related topic is being able to share your points and miles with someone else within the same program. See here for our guide to sharing points and miles with others for free.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Thank you!
You can also transfer Etihad miles to Air Arabia 1 to 1 – but the transfer rate from Air Arabia to Etihad is 2 to 1.
Exchange rates are horrible on points.com
I used to credit hotels directly to BA/IB, or convert them regularly, but now I leave them in the hotel programme and keep track of their potential Avios value instead. My hotel points are my Transferrable Rewards – not that I have much in them…
I have a spreadsheet that shows what my B6 to IHG (via points.com) and then to BA Avios conversion would be if I ever needed it, and no, it doesn’t make sense – but at least I can see what’s possible.
Also an options (or was, is currently suspended) is SQ KrisFlyer to VA Velocity – 1.55:1.0 in both directions (used to be 1.35:1). Not sure if it’ll return, it’s been suspended since April 2020.
Soy adherente al programa de American Airlines y vivo en Argentina.
Hasta hace unos años juntaba millas con el Citibank, luego con el Banco Santander.
Tienen pensado que el programa de AA siga con algun banco de Argentina?
Muchas gracias por vuestra atencion
Marcelo Brzostowski
I love earning my Amex and Chase points. I am considering Citi, if they keep American as a transfer partner. I wonder if it would be a good idea to get a Citi card and transfer anything during their promo with American, if I have no plans yet with their miles?
I normally like just using the miles on the airline I have the account with but I may have to look at using them on partners. I just find that it can be limiting on partners for some.
It doesn’t make sense, why there isn’t only one integrated Avios Frequent flyer program for all the 3 aforementioned airlines and there is the segregation between Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia miles accrual .
By taking KLM and Air France as example, they also belong to the same group and share the same Flying Blue frequent flyer program in common and you manage your miles in only one account.
Bottom line: Not practical , despite the fact that British Avios are easily transferred as 1:1 ratio to Iberia and vice versa.
Hmm seems the exchange rate is very poor.
You are so right, the exchange rates at points.com are truly atrocious!
Major airline alliance partners already make it easier to pool our redemptions and earnings. Would be interesting to be able to transfer between partners, but that feels like a stretch as it can affect the bottom line for different companies.
Thanks for the reminder, I really need to sit and check all my accounts – last 1.5 years I travels lest and some of miles / points are probably better to transfer
Hi, its sound good and great idea. I can use soon! Thks
Every time I check points.com, there are even fewer partners. Also, some programs, like Delta, allow you to transfer TO, but not from the program.
It is definitely hard to transfer miles to other programs without losing a lot of the value. It is even hard to transfer miles to other family members on the same program except for Jetblue which allow pooling of points.
Transferring miles was something much more useful 20 years ago.
exactly : )
While transferring miles between programs will never realistically be practical, I wish more programs allowed free pooling of miles of similar accounts such as JetBlue and Hilton do now. This is a very attractive feature that wins my business for them over their competitors simply for this reason. It allows you to combine the points in several accounts so that you can actually get a reward worth having and take the family on a fun vacation.
This is the reason why you need to have flexible curriencies that transfer to multiple partners. Helps with devaluation as well.
If it were easy to move miles, the value of a loyalty program would diminish
Hi.
Now that LATAM seem to leaving OneWorld, I wonder what can be done to fly AA and add LATAM miles, something really handy in Argentina, where most locations, domestically and in close countries can be reached via LATAM flights, so it became real handy to flight the US via American, and use the miles via LATAM for domestic or flights within southamerica. Will this scheme still be valid in days to come? will we be able to transfer our AA miles to LATAM without leaving credit in the transaction? Thanks a ton, great piece of info the article. Rgds. Lucas.
Hey Lucas, nothing has changed so far, but the LATAM-AA partnership will almost certainly end. It looks like Delta will replace AA as the airline to use for flights to the US if you want to earn LATAM miles
Makes sense, even when not my preferred option.
Thanks!
Lucas
I used my American miles to book Alaska to Liberia Costa Rica. 35K plus $50. Unfortunately almost impossible to upgrade to first class. Booked premium seat $99 more
Hey, I have a delta sky miles account and an Amex gold delta credit card. If I purchase a JetBlue airfare ticket with my Amex gold delta credit card would I be able to transfer miles or points ?.
No, you’ll earn Delta miles on the purchase which aren’t transferable. Check the best cards to pay for airfare here – https://awardwallet.com/blog/best-rewards-cards-travel-purchases/
These are some great ideas. Only wish I had know earlier
Wow, I completely forgot about Points.com! Thank you! I do remember that it didn’t give many options for transferring points around and since I was new to this game it deflated my enthusiasm for it all. You all gave me the best education and still are! So now I am getting the ins and outs, so many possibilities has opened up for travel to me and my family. Thank you!
I wonder if I can exchange my Spirit miles to a different Airline?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA. Let me know how that works out for you.
Not gonna happen. Too bad that points no longer have the individual exchange like they used to do.
points.com conversions are atrocious. IMHO Unless we are down to non redeemable amount of miles we should not be using that option.
A good guide for those new to the game. This question comes up every now and then.
I wish there was a easier way to transfer points/miles between program. May be it’s time for an industry standard.
I’m actually surprised anyone allows it at all – the idea I think is to encourage loyalty and sticking with the airline you earnt the points with.
I try to only earn AS or B6 miles from flying, and keep everything else in flexible currency.
I transferred a bunch of frontier miles via points.com after they became a low cost carrier and closed down the Milwaukee hub, rendering the miles useless. Poor value is better than no value.
In the past I have used points.com to do some swaps without problems apart from the not favorable conversion.
From a couple of years or even more I am not able to do some exchanges because less airlines and hotels give this possibility and even when they participate there are some restrictive thresholds (minimum miles or points to convert).
Thats what I love about flexible currencies. You’re never locked in to just one redemption possibility
I never heard of webflyer.com before this post. Now I know more options, but i will take your advisement that transferring between frequent flyer programs is a poor transaction.
Is there any way to transfer miles out of Delta? Points.com not allowing it and I have some miles that I need to get rid of
Unfortunately, no. You’re probably best using them at the SkyMiles Marketplace if you have no other use: https://marketplace.delta.com
The caution is well warranted. You didn’t really mention though that you can always try to top up an orphaned account (with SPG, buying miles/points etc.) to get a good value reward, rather than just wasting several thousand on a points.com conversion or similar.
It’s a shame that the exchange rates at points.com are terrible but do act as a life line to some orphaned points in some circumstances.
The other routes are equally as bad, maybe one day all airlines will be able to agree a universal cost per point and open up transfers.
The only time I found transferring miles is helpful is when you only need a small amount of miles to be able to get an award ticket with another airline.
didnt know points.com. Could be useful if a little bit short on something.
Good summary, and I appreciate the honest cautionary words.
Is it possible to transfer united miles –> Marriott–>SPG–>delta miles?
Yes but the transfer ratio is oh so bad.
I agree that the exchange rate for Points.com is terrible however I have used it in the past two keep my accounts active by transferring a tiny amount such as a few points.
Great suggestions. If anyone’s stuck for ways to activate an Iberia account (so you can transfer in/out of British Airways, Avios and AerLings), I paid a few pounds for a ferry between Schinoussa and Iraklia and entered my Iberia #FF. The miles turned up pretty quickly. I didn’t use the ferry!
Is there a reason points.com limits the list of airlines for which miles transfers can be done?
It’s such a small list of airlines and I really wish there were more.
The limitations have to do with the relationships they have with airlines.
Or there are programs like Virgin Atlantic that let you transfer to Hilton for example
A note on transferring Avios between Iberia and British Airways and vice versa…. you must have a few Iberia miles in the account and has to be older than 90 days…. plus, each account must have identical names and emails, otherwise transferring online will get hiccupped..
I transferred some orphaned Citi ThankYou points to Hilton points.
I have never found it worthwhile at all. I’d much rather extend the lifespan of a point with a $2 shopping portal bonus.
In addition to an unsatisfactory conversion rate, Points.com options are very limited.
Another vote for points.com as a way to turn useless (and expiring) points into something I can at least USE. The exchange rate was terrible, but to me, the value of the points I traded away was ZERO so I was happy to get anything for them.
I know this is a unique case, but Virgin American transferred to Alaska currently runs at 1:1.5, which isn’t that bad.
Alan that is an excellent point. While it is indeed temporary, it is a great way to squeak out some added value while you can: https://awardwallet.com/blog/transfer-elevate-points-alaska-seconds/
Booking partner awards is a good way to go. One can also use orphaned points to buy stuff, maybe not things of great value but better than letting points expire.
Another great article. I once used points.com to transfer points . The transfer ratio wasn’t great but at least I could use the orphaned points .
Points.com has come in handy for me in the past, for disposing of obscure point-currencies that would otherwise have been forfeited, but yes, their exchange rates are bordering on criminal, and it seems like their rules about minimum transfer balances, etc., shift without notice.
You are right!