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We all want to fly-big ticket redemptions like Singapore Suites and Emirates First Class, but accumulating the miles needed to fly premium cabin awards can be tough. The key to redeeming these big-ticket awards is banking flexible rewards currencies like Capital One Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These are programs that partner with other loyalty and rewards programs, allowing you to transfer flexible points to airline and hotel partners.
One of the biggest benefits of transferable rewards is that some mileage programs accept transfers from more than one flexible rewards currency. In fact, there are two frequent flyer programs that accept transfers from all five of the major flexible programs! Why is this such a big deal? Imagine you need 100,000 KrisFlyer miles for a redemption, but only have 30,000 KrisFlyer miles in your account. You can scrape together points in all five transferable points programs and transfer them to KrisFlyer.
Collecting Flexible Rewards Points
Holding points across a range of rewards programs allows you to take advantage of award availability as it appears, no matter which program it's in. It also means you’re not locked into one program that may not have award availability to your destination, or coverage in that location in the case of hotels.
Collecting flexible or ‘transferable’ points take this to the next level. Flexible points can transfer to multiple travel partners, allowing you to bank points in programs that transfer to dozens of travel partners. Of all the loyalty programs available to US travelers, the five transferable currencies we count the most valuable are:
Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, and 2x on all other travel purchases, and $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2025
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
American Express Membership Rewards
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
- You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
- *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
Citi ThankYou Rewards
- $250 Travel Credit each calendar year
- 5X points on air travel and at restaurants; and 3X points at hotels and on cruise line purchases
- 4th Night Free when you book any eligible hotel through thankyou.com
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership
- This card is no longer available to new applicants
- 5X points on air travel and at restaurants
- 3X points at hotels and on cruise line purchases
- 1X point per dollar on all other purchases
Capital One Rewards
- Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $750 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 2 Miles on every purchase
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $100)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Marriott Bonvoy
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 11/1/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly through Marriott. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Transferring Flexible Rewards Points to Airline Miles
It’s important to know which carriers accept transfers from multiple currencies. If your points are spread thin across all five flexible programs, then airline programs that accept points from multiple transfer partners become more valuable.
| Airline Frequent Flyer Program | Chase Ultimate Rewards | American Express Membership Rewards | Citi ThankYou Rewards | Capital One Rewards | Marriott Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines Miles&Bonus | 3:1 | ||||
| Aer Lingus AerClub (Avios) | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| Aeroflot Bonus | 3:1 | ||||
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| Air China PhoenixMiles | 3:1 | ||||
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 |
| Air New Zealand Airpoints™ | 200:1 | ||||
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 3:1 | ||||
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 3:1 | ||||
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Asiana Airlines Asiana Club | 3:1 | ||||
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | |
| China Southern SkyPearl Club | 3:1 | ||||
| COPA ConnectMiles | 3:1 | ||||
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| El Al Israel Airlines Matmid | 50:1 | ||||
| Emirates Skywards | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 | 2:1.5 | |||
| Finnair Plus | 1:1 | ||||
| Frontier myFrontier | 3:1 | ||||
| Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club | 3:1 | ||||
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Iberia Plus Avios | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| InterMiles (formerly Jet Airways JetPrivilege) | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | 3:1 | ||||
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | 5:4 | 1:1 (1:0.8 for Preferred and Rewards+ cardholders) | ||
| Korean Air SKYPASS | 3:1 | ||||
| LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass | 3:1 | ||||
| Lufthansa Miles & More | |||||
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 1:1 | ||||
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan | 3:1 | ||||
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 |
| South African Airways Voyager | |||||
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| TAP Portugal Miles&Go | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | ||
| United MileagePlus | 1:1 | 3:1 | |||
| Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer | 3:1 | ||||
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 | |
| Vueling Club | 3:1 |
Only Singapore Airlines, Air France/KLM, and Emirates let you combine points from all five of the major rewards currencies.
Four carriers allow you to combine points from four flexible rewards programs:
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Etihad Guest
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Nine carriers allow transfers from three of the programs:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Alitalia MilleMiglia
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Iberia Plus
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
The rest count just one or two transfer partners out of the five. Having fewer transfer partners doesn’t make these programs less valuable, but if the goal is to combine your points from flexible rewards programs into one carrier these programs give you the most options.
Final Thoughts
The ability to combine points from multiple programs into a single carrier’s miles is a benefit with tangible value. Collecting flexible points also allows you to spread your card application and points strategy across multiple credit providers and rewards programs, somewhat insulating you from the constant devaluation of airline miles. If one transfer partner devalues its program, you can typically find another program within the list of partners offering similar value.
Have a handy tip on transferring from flexible rewards currencies to frequent flyer programs? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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.
Does this chart get updated throughout the year, as the credit cards might change?
Yes, we do our best to keep this updated.
Fantastic post! Thanks a lot, it really helps to have all this info in a single place!
This chart will be very useful in the future to find transfer options.
Fantastic list. Lots of consideration for partner travel. Chase has some of the best transfer options.
Please keep this post pinned at the top and update this great chart.
ah! great chart to use as a reference in the future!
Thanks for a very useful post. I have stayed away from the bank points but you’ve made me reconsider that.
Good to know that I can merge points! Sad though that Chase Sapphire recently reduced their partnering airlines 🙁
Nice to find alternative systems to consolidate accounts for redemptions.
Very useful summary and consolidated information
This is a useful post, thank you.
Thanks, useful summary. I’ve bookmarked for future reference
Great chart with details! This is m go-to page now for award conversion/consolidation.
I will probably say just leave them in your bank until you need to redeem them and transfer them onto the award. You will have more flexibility this way.
Thanks for the information! Need to be updated.
This chart is so helpful! Definitely will bookmark it for future follow up. I noticed Ethiopia Airlines wasn’t on here. Are their points transferable? I have a few thousand points that I would love to transfer or donate.
Hey Kevin, unfortunately, Sheba miles cannot be converted into another rewards currency. However, you can use those miles to fly Star Alliance partner airlines if you have enough miles. If you have no use for your Sheba miles, you can donate them to a charity using the ‘Donate Miles’ button on this page – https://shebamiles.ethiopianairlines.com/#/SpendMiles
Very helpful! I love this blog!!!
Great chart thanks
Thanks for posting this info all in one place.
I’ve Bookmarked– really useful summary, didn’t know most of this! Thanks again.
Thank, this is a great reference. I only collect flexible points now, it’s so hard to be tied to one program.
Great post, thanks for all the info! I am new to all of this so I am taking in all the knowledge you share.
Hm… that is a very interesting option! I will look into it. Thank you!
Thanks for your post.
I am using SQ\CX\BA FFP. There is some niche in each program.
Therefore, flexible program is good for frequent flyers.
Thanks for the post. It’s also a great way to protect yourself from programs devaluations.
FYI there’s a typo that says “AirFranace”.
Great article but would like to see broader partnerships from Chase.
This is an awesome resource for piecing together award travel using a combination of AmEx, Chase and Citi points. Many thanks!
Wow, I never knew this was even an option. Another great way to earn more airline miles!
Very useful guide! Thank you. Bookmarked!
I think that the capital one card allowing transfers is a game changer. I had the venture card a while back but the points required to get a flight were too high, now with transfer partners, I think it will be much better. Thanks for the article Jess.
Glad you found it helpful.
Great post. Looks like Chase and AMEX are best in terms of transferrability. Personally, I have cards with both for coverage over most loyalty programs.
Great resource! Thanks.
We’ve been saving Chase & Marriott points – was planning on using them for hotels, but might do a nice flight instead for our next trip to Africa.
I find CSR to be a great card that has value for me. The actual annual fee ends up being $150 if you take into account the $300 travel credit. For $150 you get the flexibility to transfer to other loyalty programs or redeeming them straight for travel at one-and-a-half the value that you would if you had other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards. If you redeem your points for a $450 flight you would have made back the $150 annual fee compared to redeeming that same flight with other Chase credit cards.
great post. I had no idea we can consolidate some of these points!
in terms of consolidation, i’ve gotten the best value out of transferring to Singapore airlines as they certainly have much better award availability with Krisflyer points and the taxes and fees are usually reasonable (unlike BA)
Great article, extremely helpful. I just received an email today that Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards & SPG are all officially combined into Marriott Bonvoy now, with a new app and everything. I’m curious to see if there are any changes coming on the transfer rates now that the combination is completed.
Thank you. I have been finding it increasingly difficult to earn flexible reward bonuses compared to airline specific bonuses.
Thank you for this very useful guide!
Cant wait to get my wife on a long haul first class reward flight.
The chart is especially useful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it before. Thank you.
Great info… anything to stop accumulating orphan points
Wow – I did not know about some of these – thank you so much. Quite informative.
The chart is super helpful! Thanks for posting.
Thanks! Great info to help plan for upcoming trips.
Being able to transfer flexible points to airline and hotel partners is very interesting and useful.
Shared this article with a few people, excellent reference.
This is a very useful post. Thanks for putting all the information together!
On top of the regular transfer ratio, Marriott Rewards give a bonus of 5000 airline miles for every 60000 Marriott Rewards transferred.
Quite useful if you want to maximize your benefits!!
Great article, very useful information. Thank you!
Jess, this is super useful; thank you! I knew that certain airlines (e.g., SQ) had multiple transfer partners, but being able to access this information visually is a huge value add. Definitely going to bookmark this!
Thanks Dan, glad you found it useful.
Very helpfull. I didnk know much of this stuff. Thank you very much
Appreciate the article as flexibility is always the key to making adventures possible.
I didn’t even know you could do this! How useful to know.
New to the site today, looking forward to learning and contributing as much as I can. Thanks for the comprehensive list. The Marriott transfer ratios appears fairly standard across the board with the major exception of Air New Zealand Airpoints, any idea why this is off the charts at 200:1?
Air NZ operates a revenue based rewards currency called Airpoints, and every Airpoint is worth NZ$1 towards airfare. Most transfer partners are 3:1 as the miles you are transferring points into are worth roughly 1.5 cents per mile. The 200:1 transfer ratio reflects the higher value of Airpoints (although we don’t recommend transferring points to Air NZ as the value is terrible).
Jess, thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for the info. Very helpful.
I hope Marriot ups it’s game and gets faster transfer times….or at least make a huge bonus to validate the long transfer time.
Barclays Arrival Premier Miles are also transferrable to airlines, but the card is no longer available to new customers
I just love this cheat sheet 🙂
Good summary.
As living in Europe there are not so many opportunities anyway.
any recommendations on how to combine JAL points and Singapore airline points (both expiring late this year) for 4 business class tickets from USA to ASIA? what transfer options and what partner airlines can I book 2+2 biz class tickets on?
It is useful having an airline program to consolidate small amounts of points into for a redemption. Although often poor value it can also be useful to consolidate small amounts of hotel points into an airline program if you are never going to earn enough for a hotel redemption.
I need to look into avios aer lingus to fly to europe this summer. thanks for the post. Fred
I do agree with the poster who requested a column that states the (estimated) delay it takes for the points to transfer. I have lost at least one premium cabin award while I waited for the points to transfer — it’s best to know the risks.
Mary, this is something we are actively working on and hope to have all the info finalized shortly. Will update the post and table when we have all the transfer times confirmed.
Yes I love being able to transfer from Chase to United! It helps top off my account to redeem for flights. I like having options and Chase gives me those. I’m focusing on getting an Amex card soon. I’m still on the fence about Citi and Capital One.
Anyone have recent experience in transferring Marriott points to an airline?
If so, any recommendations?
Great list!!!! Accumulating the miles needed to fly premium cabin awards can be tough, thank you for this reference list.
It is nice, but it is a shame I can’t transfer my Spirit airlines to a different Airline or hotel.
Good information. I hope to transfer miles via partners. I wish I knew about this process earlier. I’ve wasted many opportunities!
Even better when you have a bonus offer.
This post is the most valuable travel post I have ever seen. Thank you ever so much!
Nice roundup! Personally I use Chase and Marriott to combine points. After reading this, I feel that I’m making a wise choice!
Thanks for this summary, I wish I had more opportunities to get flexible point cards… Being Canadian has it perks but it sure has restrictions for award cards.
Another very helpful compilation of information. The table above is great!
This is great advice, and a great consolidated resource. I always recommend starting out with transferable currencies, and having all the ratios consolidated in one page is amazing.
This is definitely one of those bookmark pieces. Many thanks.
Very useful resource. Thanks.
Being able to combine all of these points made our trip possible on Singapore first class Suites!!
Citi has been doing a good job adding more airline partners.
I hope they will continue doing that as the TY Rewards program still needs better airline partners.
Really interesting article!
I currently only use Chase and love it so far with the flexibility. I am interested in the Citi as my next go around.
This is a good informative post with a nice table, but I with that there was an extra column that estimated transfer time for each transferable currency transaction. Many transactions are instant. Others take a while, and if there are limited award seats this can be an issue. By the time points transfer, award availability is no longer available.
Thanks for the excellent summary. I’ve recently had miles expire in multiple program since the balance wasn’t sufficient to do anything with. However, with consolidation, I think an option opens up.
Nice to see how usable Marriott Rewards are.
Very helpful article saved me hours of work trying to figure it out
I currently have the Chase Reserve but because of the annual fee I’m considering closing it. What will happen to my points? Do I transfer them first? Can the points be transferred to someone else’s account? Example my daughter’s South West account. I may consider applying for the Sapphire but I’m not sure if there is a waiting period after closing the Reserve. Please advise on both situations.
Thanks in advance!
Rather than cancel the Sapphire Reserve, you can downgrade to the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, or Freedom Unlimited (just be aware you won’t receive a signup bonus). We go into more detail here – When Should I Downgrade a Credit Card. If you still want to cancel the card, you can transfer your points to another member of your household with an Ultimate Rewards account, or, if you have an authorized user on your account, you can transfer to that person’s frequent flyer or hotel rewards account. Unfortunately, Chase has introduced application restrictions for the Sapphire cards and you won’t be eligible for a signup bonus on these cards if you currently hold Sapphire card, or have received a Sapphire signup bonus in the previous 48 months. See this post for details – Updated Terms for Approvals & Signup Bonuses with Sapphire Credit Cards
I will probably downgrade my CSR next year; just not using it enough for the $450 annual fee. I did get the 100K points bonus, but actually haven’t used those either. Need to review my travel/purchases for the best card……
Do you travel enough to get the $300 credit? That’s step one. Step two is using Priority Pass (it’s fantastic at some airports and useless at others). You could say step three is Global Entry but that’s not a huge perk. I’ll admit that I’m on the fence about keeping mine but I download my annual report each year and the numbers speak for themselves. Once I move and change airports, I’ll have to re-evaluate how valuable Priority Pass is to me.
Or downgrade it to just the Sapphire card so you won’t have to pay any annual fee.
Thank you for the update indeed.
Very comprehensive article on a topic I haven’t seen covered that much.
I don’t understand the transfer ratios chart. It needs a legend or more explanation. Thanks.
Hey Cindy, thanks for reaching out. I’ll use Air France/KLM Flying Blue as an example.
Hope that makes it a little more clear.
Thanks, Jess. I get that. The chart looks different now than it did when it was first posted — it was lacking words. Now it is super useful. Thanks!
Jess,
I just figured out the issue. When reading this post in portrait orientation on an iPad the chart gets all messed up. That was my initial confusion. Interesting. In landscape that is fine. Thanks.
Hey Cindy, thanks for letting us know. I will have our tech team to take a look.
Howie: how about a post comparing all the tax filing offers out there? I just got an offer from AA, and there is usually an offer from SWA.
I’d immediately second this, as I was just trying to do this myself, and it was a slog. Been spoiled by you all doing the work and consolidating offers for us!
Thanks for the chart. Very helpful.
Now that SPG points have been consolidated into Marriott, is anyone transferring Marriott points to airlines?
If so, what are the best ways to do this, to maximize value.
Would appreciate hearing from others who have recently done this
this is great to know! I didn’t know about the capital one rewards until I’ve read this!
Thank you for all the information!! Great post!
Hugely useful, one-stop reference; bookmarked. Thank you!