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Which Airlines Allow Transfers from More Than One Program?

Aug. 28, 2016
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5 min read
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Which Airlines Allow Transfers from More Than One Program?
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TPG reader Hal sent me a message on Facebook to ask about transferring points:

"I'm trying to book a business class flight to Sydney using Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards points. Which airlines will let me transfer from both programs?"

I tend to focus on earning transferable points because they give you access to multiple loyalty programs at once. That creates more opportunities to maximize rewards, since you can choose one airline or hotel over another when it suits your needs — like when there's an award sale, for example. On the flip side, some travel providers partner with more than one of the major transferable points programs, which gives you extra options for booking awards even if you don't have a large balance in any single account.

Hal wants to book an award to Australia, but he needs to pool his points in order to do it. Fortunately, there are several airlines that allow transfers from both Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards. The table below shows airlines that partner with more than one transfer program; transfer ratios are 1:1 except where indicated otherwise (not accounting for the SPG transfer bonus or any other temporary bonuses).

Airline / ProgramAmexChaseSPGCiti
 Singapore Airlines
√
 √
√
 √
 Virgin Atlantic
√
 √
√
 √
 Flying Blue
√
 √
√
 √
 Cathay Pacific
√
√
 √
 British Airways
5:4
 √
√
Virgin America
2:1
√
2:1
 Etihad
√
√
√
 Delta
√
√
 Air Canada
√
√
 Korean Air
 √
√
 ANA
√
√
 Emirates
√
√
 Alitalia
√
√
 Aeroméxico
√
√
 Hawaiian
√
√
 Thai Airways
√
√
 Qatar Airways
√
√
 United
√
2:1

As you can see, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and British Airways all partner with both Chase and Amex. It's hard to say which option is best without knowing where Hal is flying from or how many points he has available, but I think you can disregard British Airways thanks to the lower Amex transfer ratio and the high cost of long-haul premium awards. (BA is still a great option for booking flights within Australia once you get there.)

Singapore offers a great business-class experience and fairly reasonable award prices. You won't be able to fly nonstop from North America to Australia, and you'll incur some hefty surcharges, but that's the airline I'd choose if I were limited to those four.

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Singapore Airlines' A380 business class.

If you can't make a round-trip award work by transferring points to a single airline, you could also consider booking two one-way awards through separate programs. For example, you might transfer from Amex to ANA to book an award in one direction, and then transfer from Chase to United to book the return trip.

If you're going to redeem points from various sources, keep in mind that transfer times may differ between programs. Most transfers from Chase are instantaneous, though Singapore is an exception. Meanwhile, transfers from Amex may take up to 36 hours in some cases. Be cautious when availability is limited, since award space could disappear while your points are on the way to your frequent flyer account.

For more on transferable points and booking awards to Australia, check out these posts:

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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 $6,000 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.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.