American Express Membership Rewards points can be converted into airline miles and hotel rewards points with a hefty list of partners. This is mostly at a 1:1 ratio meaning that 1,000 AMEX points will give you 1,000 points or miles with the partner program.
AMEX transfer partners
American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to the following airline and hotel partners:
Excise Tax offset fee
When transferring to a U.S. airline frequent flyer program, American Express will charge you an Excise Tax Offset fee of $0.0006 cents per point transferred. This means that for every 10,000 points you transfer, you will be charged $6.
You can also pay the fee using Membership Rewards Points at a value of 0.5 cents per point (not recommended). You will be charged the Excise Tax Offset Fee for transferring points to the following U.S.-based airlines:
- Delta Airlines
- JetBlue Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
The maximum amount AMEX will charge you is $99 per transfer which comes from transferring 165,000 Membership Rewards Points. This is not a large fee, but something you should take note of.
AMEX points to Delta SkyMiles
American Express is the only major credit card partner of the Delta SkyMiles program. This means if you're loyal to Delta, you will want to heavy consider the Membership Rewards program over other flexible travel rewards programs.
Every 1,000 Membership Rewards points you transfer to your Delta account will give you 1,000 Delta SkyMiles. Another perk of the Membership Rewards program is that you can book travel on Delta through AMEX Travel and still receive full credit towards Delta Medallion Status.
The big benefit of this (outside of having another way to book your travel) is that if you have the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express you can get a 35% point rebate on these bookings. This can sometimes save you a good amount of points when compared to transferring your rewards to Delta and booking through them.
AMEX points to Hilton Honors
Hilton is another notable partner of American Express. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Hilton Honors at a 1:2 ratio meaning that every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer will give you 2,000 Hilton Honors points. This is a pretty solid transfer ratio which makes the Membership Rewards program an excellent option for Hilton travelers.
Hilton's own co-branded credit cards are top-notch and should be the main goto when building your balance of Hilton Honors points, but it doesn't hurt to have the Membership Rewards program as a back up to top off your account in the case that you're a few points shy of a redemption.
AMEX points to Hawaiian miles
American Express Membership Rewards is the only major credit card transfer partner of the Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Miles program. Every 1,000 AMEX points you transfer will give you 1,000 Hawaiian miles. So if you're looking to book trips via Hawaiian to get to Hawaii or Asia, the Membership Rewards program is a great choice.
Calculator: AMEX points transfer
Use our AMEX points transfer calculator to calculate the conversion of Membership Rewards points into airline miles and hotel points AMEX's travel partners.
FAQs
Are American Express Points transferable?
Yes. American Express Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to over 15 partners which consists of airline and hotel rewards programs.
How do I transfer AMEX Points?
American Express Points can be transferred through the Membership Rewards portal.
What hotels can you transfer AMEX Points to?
Membership Rewards Points can be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy (1:1), Hilton Honors (1:2), and Choice Privileges (1:1).
Which airlines accept AMEX Membership Rewards points?
Membership Rewards Points can be used to book travel through American Express Travel at a value of 1 cent per point. This means that you can use them towards a flight on any airline that you find in the portal.
