Points Transfers & Partners

Written By michael gray

When it comes to travel hacking, points transfers are where the magic happens. By strategically moving your credit card points to travel partners, you can unlock outsized value on flights and hotels, often far exceeding the standard cash-back redemption rate. But to really get the most bang for your buck (or points), you need to understand which credit card programs partner with which airlines and hotels—and how to use them wisely.

In this post, I’ll break down the major credit card transfer partners by brand, share some insider strategies, and offer tips to maximize your rewards.

Major Credit Card Transfer Programs

1. Chase Ultimate Rewards

Transfer Ratio: 1:1

Best Partners:

  • Airlines:

    • United MileagePlus

    • Southwest Rapid Rewards

    • British Airways Avios

    • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

    • Air France/KLM Flying Blue

    • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

    • Emirates Skywards

    • Aer Lingus AerClub

    • Iberia Plus

    • JetBlue TrueBlue

  • Hotels:

    • World of Hyatt

    • IHG One Rewards

    • Marriott Bonvoy

Strategy Tips:

  • Hyatt sweet spots: Hyatt transfers at 1:1, and their award chart offers outsized value compared to Marriott or IHG.

  • United and Star Alliance: Use Chase points to fly United or partners like Lufthansa or ANA (via United MileagePlus).

  • British Airways Avios for short-haul flights: Especially for flights within Europe or domestic U.S. (on American Airlines).

2. American Express Membership Rewards

Transfer Ratios: Typically 1:1 (some exceptions)

Best Partners:

  • Airlines:

    • Delta SkyMiles

    • Air Canada Aeroplan

    • ANA Mileage Club

    • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

    • Emirates Skywards

    • British Airways Avios

    • Air France/KLM Flying Blue

    • Qantas Frequent Flyer

    • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

    • Hawaiian Airlines

    • Etihad Guest

    • Iberia Plus

    • Avianca LifeMiles

    • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

  • Hotels:

    • Hilton Honors (1:2)

    • Marriott Bonvoy (1:1)

    • Choice Privileges (1:1)

Strategy Tips:

  • ANA round-the-world trips: ANA Mileage Club offers some of the best redemption rates for business/first-class flights, but booking is more complex.

  • Air Canada Aeroplan: Great for Star Alliance flights with reasonable surcharges and a flexible award chart.

  • Etihad Guest for American Airlines flights: Etihad’s award chart for AA can offer better rates than booking through American directly.

3. Capital One Miles

Transfer Ratios: 1:1 (select partners)

Best Partners:

  • Airlines:

    • Air Canada Aeroplan

    • Avianca LifeMiles

    • British Airways Avios

    • Emirates Skywards

    • Etihad Guest

    • Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)

    • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

    • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

    • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

    • Qantas Frequent Flyer

    • TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go

  • Hotels:

    • Choice Privileges

    • Wyndham Rewards

Strategy Tips:

  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: One of the best values for booking United domestic flights (including Hawaii).

  • Avianca LifeMiles: No fuel surcharges and great redemption rates for Star Alliance flights.

  • Combine with transfer bonuses: Capital One frequently offers 10-30% transfer bonuses to certain partners.

4. Citi ThankYou Points

Transfer Ratios: Mostly 1:1

Best Partners:

  • Airlines:

    • Avianca LifeMiles

    • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

    • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

    • Qatar Airways Privilege Club

    • Emirates Skywards

    • Air France/KLM Flying Blue

    • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

    • Qantas Frequent Flyer

    • Etihad Guest

    • EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

  • Hotels:

    • Choice Privileges

    • Wyndham Rewards

Strategy Tips:

  • Qatar Airways Qsuites: Use Citi to transfer to Qatar Privilege Club and book luxury business class with Avios.

  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: Great for domestic flights or international Star Alliance redemptions.

  • Citi overlaps with Capital One and Amex: This allows for point pooling strategies to top off an account.

Pro Tips for Maximizing Transfer Partners

  1. Always check award availability before transferring points. Transfers are usually irreversible.

  2. Watch for transfer bonuses! Amex, Chase, Citi, and Capital One regularly offer bonuses (10-50%) to specific partners.

  3. Use alliances to broaden options. Even if your credit card doesn’t list a certain airline, their alliance partners might. For example, transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan for Star Alliance flights like Lufthansa or United.

  4. Leverage niche programs. Programs like Turkish Miles&Smiles or ANA Mileage Club have unique sweet spots that others don’t.

  5. Stack cards within the same ecosystem. For example, pairing the Chase Sapphire Preferred with a Chase Freedom Unlimited lets you earn more points and transfer to partners.

  6. Mix and match credit cards. Diversify across issuers (e.g., Amex + Chase) to access different partners and maximize flexibility.

michael gray
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