Amex offering 40% bonus on transfers to British Airways, Aer Lingus
American Express currently has a few transfer bonus opportunities that could help cardholders maximize their points this spring. Amex is offering 40% bonuses to members who transfer Membership Rewards point to British Airways Executive Club and Aer Lingus AerClub Avios.
Amex is also offering 25% bonuses to members who transfer their Membership Rewards to the Marriott Bonvoy program. All of these offers expire next month.
This is a chance for travelers to get great value converting their points to Avios, which transfer easily to British Airways and Aer Lingus accounts. It could also help travelers reach their points goals with Marriott for a hotel stay in coming months. Check your American Express account to see if you're eligible for these deals.
Related: Get more from your points with these 5 transfer bonuses
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for these types of offers in the future, you need to earn Membership Rewards points with an American Express card. Here's our guide to picking the right one for your spending habits.
Transfers to Avios
The Amex offers for both British Airways Executive Club and Aer Lingus Aer Club involve 40% bonuses when you convert Membership Rewards to Avios. That means the transfer is happening at a 1:1.4 ratio, so if you transfer 1,000 Amex points, you'd get 1,400 Avios. This offer is valid through May 15 and is capped at transfers resulting in 999,000 Avios.
This particular transfer bonus is an intriguing opportunity for Amex cardholders not just because of the size of the bonus, but the flexibility you'll have by converting your points into Avios.
For one, British Airways operates a multitude of flights between the U.S. and London. If you're looking to get to Europe this summer, the carrier has flights to London from major U.S. airports, which could get you directly to the United Kingdom or connect you to another destination in Europe, Africa or Asia.
On top of that, your Avios can also be used on flights operated by British Airways' Oneworld Alliance partners like Alaska, American, Iberia and Qatar among others.
Aer Lingus also uses Avios as its reward currency, which gives members the chance to use their bonus miles on several other international airlines including Avianca and Vueling.
Related: Use Avios on short-haul Oneworld flights
Spending Avios
Even if you live in a U.S. city that does not have an airport served by British Airways or Aer Lingus, you can still make use of this Amex bonus transfer opportunity.
For instance, I'm based in the Raleigh/Durham area, and British Airways does not fly to RDU. But I can still book a direct award flight from RDU to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) this June because Oneworld partner American Airlines is resuming direct service to Heathrow.
Randomly picking a seven-day round trip in June, I found nonstop service to Heathrow and back for 41,500 Avios on flights operated by American. If I had 30,000 Amex Membership Rewards points in my account, I'd get a 12,000 Avios bonus if I transferred those Amex points into a British Airways Executive Club account, giving me 42,000 Avios – just enough to cover the cost of this round trip, with the exception of a fairly significant $650.47 in carrier charges.
Transfers to Marriott Bonvoy
The 25% bonus transfer opportunity from Amex Membership Rewards to Marriott Bonvoy points could also be a great opportunity if you're looking to cover the cost of a hotel stay you're planning in the near future. This offer ends May 31.
Keep in mind, Marriott recently implemented dynamic pricing to its rewards program so that could impact the deals you're able to find. That being said, let's take a look at some options for that June week I was looking at in London.
A six-night stay at the Moxy London Stratford, a Marriott property, comes to approximately $1,428, depending on conversion rates. The same stay goes for 131,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, including one free night when you book with points. So, if you had 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards points, transferring those into your Marriott Bonvoy account would get you a 25% bonus, or 26,250 extra points, bringing your total to 131,250 – just enough to cover your stay.
Bottom line
If you're starting to make travel plans for the summer, this bonus transfer offer could help boost your points or miles stash. Be sure to check your Amex account to see what offers you've received, and consider how moving your points to each of these rewards programs might help you maximize your rewards.
Featured photo by Ben Smithson/The Points Guy.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
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- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
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- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
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