American Express Membership Rewards Adds Qantas as Its 19th Airline Transfer Partner
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
American Express Membership Rewards points are already one of the most valuable transferable currencies in TPG valuations due to the wide range of valuable transfer partners. And now, MR points just got a little more valuable with the addition of a new 1:1 airline transfer partner: Qantas.
As discovered Friday morning by Dan's Deals, the Oneworld airline was added to the list of transfer partners on the Membership Rewards website:
While Membership Rewards typically requires members to transfer points to partners in increments of 1,000 MR points, you can transfer points from Membership Rewards to Qantas in increments of 500 points. That can be especially helpful for when you need to top off your Qantas account for a redemption.
Even better, in TPG testing, the points are transferring immediately from Membership Rewards to Qantas.
This addition makes 22 transfer partners of American Express Membership Rewards -- 19 airline programs and 3 hotel programs. TPG currently values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, but he doesn't have a valuation of Qantas Points (yet).
This adds a fourth option for accumulating or topping off your Qantas account. Membership Rewards joins Citi ThankYou Points (1:1 ratio, 2-day transfer), Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio, <48-hour transfer time) and Capital One (2:1.5 ratio, 24-hour transfer time).
How to Transfer Miles
As noted above, you can transfer Membership Rewards points to Qantas in increments of 500 points at a 1:1 rate. But first, you'll need to link your Qantas account to Membership Rewards before you can transfer. I was able to instantly link my accounts.
For the test, I chose the minimum transfer of 500 points:
When I initiated the transfer, I received the following message:
We are processing your points transfer to Qantas Frequent Flyer. For Qantas, transfers normally occur immediately, but please allow up to 48 hours.
By the time that I logged out of my Qantas loyalty account and logged back in, the points had already posted -- confirming that the transfer was indeed immediate:
How to Earn Membership Rewards Points
If you're excited about this new transfer partner, there are currently some lucrative ways of earning Membership Rewards points:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- American Express® Gold Card: 60,000 Membership Rewards points welcome bonus for spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus earn 4x points at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; then 1x) and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Additionally, earn 5x points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel.
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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
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- 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.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- 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.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.