Page Contents<\/p>
- Best Ways To Use Amex Points<\/a>
- Fly Virgin Atlantic Saver Awards to the United Kingdom from 6,000 points<\/a><\/li>
- Use Avianca LifeMiles for domestic, short-haul United flights<\/a><\/li>
- Fly Iberia to or from Madrid from 16,000 points<\/a><\/li>
- Use ANA Mileage Club to fly United Polaris to Europe for 50,000 miles<\/a><\/li>
- Book ANA premium cabins using Virgin Atlantic points<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer to Flying Blue for Promo Rewards and other sweet spots<\/a><\/li>
- Fly Singapore Airlines business or first class<\/a><\/li>
- Fly to Hawaii from the West Coast from 15,000 Aeroplan points<\/a><\/li>
- Take advantage of transfer bonuses<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer to British Airways to book short-haul Oneworld flights<\/a><\/li>
- Use the 35% points rebate from the Business Platinum Card<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Decent Ways To Redeem Amex Points<\/a>
- Transfer to hotel partners<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer to lower-value airline partners<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Bad Ways to Use Amex Points<\/a>
- Cashing out points<\/a><\/li>
- Redeeming Amex points for gift cards<\/a><\/li>
- Booking travel through American Express Travel\u00ae<\/sup><\/a><\/li>
- Donating points<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Top Cards for Earning More Amex Points<\/a><\/li>
- Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n
Best Ways To Use Amex Points<\/span><\/h2>\n
At a high level, transferring points to travel partners is the best way to use Amex Membership Rewards<\/a> points. However, the Amex transfer partner list<\/a> is extensive with 20 total partners — three hotel and 17 airline partners.<\/p>\n
Not all transfer partners offer the same value. In general, the following airline partners tend to provide the strongest high-value redemption opportunities:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Air Canada Aeroplan<\/a><\/li>\n
- Air France\u2013KLM Flying Blue<\/a><\/li>\n
- All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club<\/a><\/li>\n
- Avianca LifeMiles<\/a><\/li>\n
- Club Iberia Plus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Qantas Frequent Flyer<\/a><\/li>\n
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer<\/a><\/li>\n
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Plus, you can sometimes find solid redemptions through these programs:<\/p>\n
- \n
- The British Airways Club<\/a><\/li>\n
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles<\/a><\/li>\n
- Delta SkyMiles<\/a><\/li>\n
- Emirates Skywards<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This doesn\u2019t mean all of these programs are good in every situation. Each has specific uses that can offer good to excellent value for many people. The remaining partners have more limited uses and generally poor value.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re new to American Express Membership Rewards and need help with your first transfer, we have a detailed guide on how to transfer Amex points<\/a>. Now, let\u2019s walk through some of the best ways to use Amex points.<\/p>\n
![\"Woman](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
Credit: Jakub \u017berdzicki\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Related:\u00a0Do American Express Membership Rewards Points Expire?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Fly Virgin Atlantic Saver Awards to the United Kingdom from 6,000 points<\/span><\/h3>\n
When Virgin Atlantic adopted dynamic pricing<\/a>, the sentiment was largely bad news. In some cases, it is. But when you find Saver awards, both award prices and the usually high fees can be very attractive.<\/p>\n
This New York (JFK) to London (LHR) flight is 6,000 points in economy class, 10,500 in premium economy, and 29,000 in Upper Class.<\/p>\n
But the taxes and fees can fluctuate to the point of making premium awards not so worthwhile. The $583 surcharge on Upper Class is pretty disappointing \u2014 despite the low miles required.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nEven so, this may now be a better alternative to booking Virgin flights<\/a> than with Air France\/KLM,<\/a> which previously stood out for its lower fees. Still, it pays to compare both programs to find the best balance of miles and fees.<\/p>\n
Use Avianca LifeMiles for domestic, short-haul United flights<\/span><\/h3>\n
Avianca LifeMiles<\/a> used to be a stalwart on this list, but recent program changes<\/a> have limited its uses. It\u2019s still possible to find short- and medium-distance domestic flights for 7,500 LifeMiles \u2014 such as the Bozeman (BZN) to Austin (AUS) example below \u2014 but you\u2019ll have to look harder to find them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nUnited Saver award space must be available for the best pricing, which is often another limiting factor. But if you can find it, LifeMiles can offer an excellent deal on select itineraries. Membership Rewards transfer to LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio and are sometimes targeted for transfer bonuses<\/a>, which can make the value even better.<\/p>\n
Fly Iberia to or from Madrid from 16,000 points<\/span><\/h3>\n
Iberia uses a distance-based, peak\/off-peak award chart. The business class pricing from U.S. airports to Madrid is attractive during off-peak dates, which cover a large chunk of the calendar.<\/p>\n
Despite a recent devaluation<\/a>, you can still fly from the U.S. East Coast to Madrid (MAD) for 16,000 Avios in economy, 29,500 in premium economy, and 40,500 in business each way during off-peak dates. Fees are reasonable as well, at $137 in business class. Flying nearly 10 hours at this price is an absolute steal \u2014 if you can find this hard-to-come-by availability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nRelated:\u00a0Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots to Europe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Use ANA Mileage Club to fly United Polaris to Europe for 50,000 miles<\/span><\/h3>\n
ANA has some extremely good pricing for business- and first-class flights from the U.S. to other regions of the world. And this sweet spot just got better with ANA now allowing one-way bookings<\/a>.<\/p>\n
One standout option is United Polaris business class to Europe. If you can find United Saver business class award space, you can book an award ticket for just 50,000 miles each way \u2014 even from the U.S. West Coast. It\u2019s hard to beat that price and remains one of the best ways to redeem Amex Membership Rewards.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe key here is that United doesn\u2019t levy fuel or carrier surcharges, keeping taxes and fees minimal. The San Francisco (SFO) to Munich (MUC) flight above is a perfect example.<\/p>\n
ANA does, however, pass along carrier surcharges on airlines that impose them \u2014 and applies these fees on its own flights as well.<\/p>\n
These costs can add up quickly. Even when the mileage requirement is attractive, you could still face more than $1,000 in fees, depending on the operating airline. This is why it\u2019s worth comparing United flights to Europe with options on Lufthansa Group airlines.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also worth noting that transfers from Amex to ANA may not be instant, so be sure to check our dedicated transfer timetable<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Related: Airline Programs That Don't Add Fees and Surcharges to Award Flights<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
Book ANA premium cabins using Virgin Atlantic points<\/span><\/h3>\n
We have a dedicated post on how to maximize Virgin Atlantic Flying Club<\/a> for ANA business- or first-class flights to Japan, so I won't go into detail here. But I want to highlight it as one of the best ways to use Amex Membership Rewards points. One-way flights cost:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Japan\u2013Australia\/Canada\/Western USA in business class:<\/strong> 52,500 miles or first class for 72,500 miles<\/li>\n
- Japan\u2013Europe\/Central and Eastern USA in business class:<\/strong> 60,000 miles or first class for 85,000 miles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
ANA first class. Credit: ANA<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n Compared to the prices you\u2019ll pay through most other programs, these are amazing deals. You can\u2019t search or book these awards on Virgin\u2019s website, so be sure to check out the post above for details on finding these flights.<\/p>\n
Even better, Amex routinely runs Virgin Atlantic Flying Club transfer bonuses. If you can transfer your points during one of these promotions, you\u2019ll get even more value.<\/p>\n
Transfer to Flying Blue for Promo Rewards and other sweet spots<\/span><\/h3>\n
With Flying Blue, you can access two outstanding redemption opportunities. The first is Flying Blue\u2019s Promo Rewards<\/a>, which offer monthly award discounts of 25% to 50% on flights to and from select cities. With these deals, it\u2019s often possible to book economy flights to Europe for as few as 18,750 miles each way, plus reasonable taxes and fees.<\/p>\n
In some cases, you may also find discounted business-class awards from U.S. airports served by KLM and Air France, though these are much rarer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nAnother excellent Flying Blue redemption stems from how the program defines its award regions. Like many frequent-flyer programs, Flying Blue uses a region-based award chart, but its definitions are unique. For example, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and the Canary Islands are categorized as part of Europe.<\/p>\n
In this example, you can redeem miles for a one-way flight from Chicago (ORD) to Casablanca (CMN) for just 25,000 Air France\u2013KLM Flying Blue miles.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nOther frequent flyer programs, like Delta, may charge more miles to reach these destinations, so it pays to compare.<\/p>\n
Speaking of Delta, using Flying Blue miles for domestic Delta flights \u2014 such as to Hawaii \u2014 can be another good use of your Amex miles. For example, this Salt Lake City (SLC) to Honolulu (HNL) flight costs 25,500 Flying Blue miles plus $39.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe same flight on Delta costs 35,900 SkyMiles and $5.60. This highlights the power of transferable points, which let you choose the cheapest option for the same flight.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nYou can find more destinations where Flying Blue beats the competition in our guide to Air France\u2013KLM award sweet spots<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Fly Singapore Airlines business or first class<\/span><\/h3>\n
Singapore Airlines business, first, and suites class are all top-notch products \u2014 and they\u2019re notoriously hard to book outside of Singapore's own KrisFlyer loyalty program<\/a>. While some programs offer limited access to business-class awards on Singapore Airlines flights, routes and availability are restricted. First-class and suites awards, however, can only be booked through KrisFlyer.<\/p>\n
Redeeming Amex points through KrisFlyer is the best way to book Singapore\u2019s premium cabins. Despite a recent pricing increase<\/a>, there are still some solid options, including:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Singapore suites from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) for 106,500 KrisFlyer miles<\/li>\n
- Business class from Seattle (SEA) to Singapore (SIN) for 112,500 KrisFlyer miles<\/li>\n
- Business class from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) for 114,000 KrisFlyer miles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You can book at singaporeair.com<\/a>, where the award search is fairly robust. You\u2019ll need a KrisFlyer account and must be logged in to search for award flights. Saver awards offer the best value, though an Advantage award can still make sense if Saver space isn\u2019t available.<\/p>\n
Unlike many programs, the next pricing tier above Saver isn\u2019t a terrible deal. That said, it\u2019s best to avoid awards marked \u201cWaitlist,\u201d as these aren\u2019t guaranteed and may not ultimately clear.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nFly to Hawaii from the West Coast from 15,000 Aeroplan points<\/span><\/h3>\n
Flying to Hawaii from the U.S. West Coast in economy is an Aeroplan sweet spot. The key is finding an itinerary that\u2019s fewer than 2,751 miles one way. Unlike many other Amex transfer partners, Aeroplan awards can include a connection without increasing the award price. Here\u2019s an example itinerary from a regional airport to Honolulu:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThis works from many regional airports in California, as well as Las Vegas, Reno, and parts of southern Oregon. It\u2019s a niche redemption, but it can provide excellent value. You\u2019ll need to watch the distance carefully, as some origin-and-destination combinations exceed the threshold.<\/p>\n
Air Canada recently added United to its list of \u201cselect partners\u201d subject to dynamic pricing. As a result, while these flights technically start at 12,500 miles, 15,000 miles was the lowest price I found \u2014 and rates increased from there.<\/p>\n
Take advantage of transfer bonuses<\/span><\/h3>\n
We\u2019ve already mentioned Amex transfer bonuses for several airline programs. If you can use a transfer bonus on any of the awards above, you\u2019ll get even more value from your Amex Membership Rewards. Bookmark and check these pages regularly for current offers:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Air Canada Aeroplan Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Avianca LifeMiles Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Flying Blue Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Transfer to British Airways to book short-haul Oneworld flights<\/span><\/h3>\n
British Airways can be a decent option for booking nonstop flights on Oneworld alliance airlines<\/a>. Booking nonstop American and Alaska flights used to be a primary use of Avios, but a recent devaluation<\/a>\u00a0has reduced the value significantly.<\/p>\n
However, there\u2019s still potential for many domestic flights within the U.S. \u2014 especially shorter routes to more rural destinations where cash prices tend to be high.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re not familiar with these awards, here are the first five British Airways award zone prices for flights within North America:<\/p>\n\n
- Avianca LifeMiles Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Air Canada Aeroplan Amex transfer bonus<\/a><\/li>\n
- Japan\u2013Europe\/Central and Eastern USA in business class:<\/strong> 60,000 miles or first class for 85,000 miles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles<\/a><\/li>\n
- Air France\u2013KLM Flying Blue<\/a><\/li>\n
- Redeeming Amex points for gift cards<\/a><\/li>
- Transfer to lower-value airline partners<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Use Avianca LifeMiles for domestic, short-haul United flights<\/a><\/li>
- Fly Virgin Atlantic Saver Awards to the United Kingdom from 6,000 points<\/a><\/li>
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Laptop-Shopping-Jakub-Zerdzicki-Featured-Unsplash.png\")
![\"Saver](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-01-at-9.27.18-AM-900x269.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"United](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/lm-6-19-1024x196.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Iberia](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Iberia-JFK-MAD-16k-economy-40.5k-biz-300x85.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"ANA](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-01-at-10.08.48-AM-900x352.png\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-02-at-4.51.54-PM-900x134.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Salt](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-02-at-4.53.09-PM-900x372.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Sea-Sin](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-01-at-2.15.43-PM-900x296.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/ac-6-19-1024x287.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"PHX-](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-01-at-3.23.35-PM-900x302.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"PHX-](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2026-01-01-at-3.22.35-PM-900x342.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Hermitage](\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_1515-1024x768.jpeg\")
![\"American](\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/4206696d-827e-44e5-bfc0-d0ce86822875.png\")
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