Why you should transfer Amex points to British Airways, not Iberia
I've been involved in the world of points and miles for nearly two decades now, and my knowledge has expanded greatly over that time. While I consider myself to be an expert with most loyalty program and credit card currencies, every once in a while I stumble. Recently, I made a simple mistake when transferring my hard-earned points to an airline partner, and while everything worked out in the end, it could've been disastrous.
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Here's why, if you're looking to convert your American Express Membership Rewards points to Avios, you should always transfer them to British Airways — even if you ultimately want to use them in the Iberia Plus program.
Background
This story started a couple of weeks ago as my wife and I were planning our yearly international trip for Thanksgiving. We've started letting award availability dictate our ultimate destination, and this year, we noticed that there were two business-class award tickets on our preferred Iberia flight from Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD) on Friday Nov. 22.
We explored nearby destinations and ultimately decided on Lyon (LYS). Our first trip to experience France's Christmas markets had been spectacular, so we were excited about the prospect of exploring another part of the country. With the connecting flight in economy, we'd need to redeem 94,000 Avios plus about $220 in taxes and fees — a fantastic rate for a pair of one-way, business-class award tickets from the U.S. to Europe.
(NOTE: I booked my premium-economy award ticket separately. When there are only two business-class seats, they go to my wife and daughter.)
Transferring my points
I had roughly 2,300 Iberia Plus Avios in my account, so I knew I needed to transfer 92,000 credit card points (in increments of 1,000) to make up the difference. Given my love for transferable point currencies, I also had a large stash of points with both Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, and both currencies transfer to Iberia at a 1:1 ratio. Since I recently added the American Express® Gold Card to my wallet and will be earning a retention bonus on my Platinum Card® from American Express in a month or two, I know I'd be replenishing my Membership Rewards account in the near future. As a result, I decided to liquidate my Amex balance and transfer the remaining points from Chase.
Related: Maximize your wallet with the perfect quartet of Chase cards
In the end, I transferred 63,000 points from Amex and 29,000 points from Chase. I then logged in to my Iberia Plus account, ready to lock in my award tickets.
There was only one problem. Instead of seeing my expected balance of 94,314 Avios, I only had 31,314. Confused, I logged out and back in. Same story. I started to worry that something had gone wrong with my transfer, but I had double-checked everything, and I couldn't imagine what happened.
Then, it hit me. I had completely forgotten about transfer times. While Chase points transfer to Iberia Plus instantly, our tests showed that Amex transfers could take up to 48 hours to process. And there was nothing I could do. I had initiated the transfer and simply had to wait.
How British Airways could've helped
To make matters worse, there was a way I could've avoided this entirely: by transferring my Amex points to British Airways and then to Iberia. This is because of a feature known as Combine My Avios. Normally this is a way to lower your fuel surcharges on Iberia-operated flights or book award tickets when Iberia would require fewer Avios than BA. However, in this case, I would've been taking advantage of the fact that Amex to British Airways transfers are instantaneous, as are transfers from BA to Iberia.
In order to do this, follow these steps:
- Transfer your Amex points to British Airways.
- Log in to your BA Executive Club account.
- Expand the Manage My account menu at the left, then click on Combine my Avios at the bottom.
- Click the Combine my Avios icon, then login to your Iberia Plus account.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to finalize your transfer.
Had I done this from the start, I could've had the 94,000 Avios in my Iberia Plus account within seconds of transferring them from Amex. Instead, I was left waiting and hoping that the two business-class award seats wouldn't be taken by the time my points arrived.
Related: Review of Iberia business class
However, just note that your Iberia Plus account must be at least 90 days old, and all of your account information for both programs — including full name and email address — must match in order to use Combine my Avios. Even a middle name or middle initial on one account and not the other could result in a failed transfer.
All's well that ends well
Fortunately, the Iberia Avios showed up roughly 36 hours after initiating the transfer from American Express, and the awards were still available. (Note that Amex doesn't provide confirmation when a transfer is complete, unlike Chase, so I needed to manually check to discover that they had posted.) I quickly booked the tickets for my wife and daughter and let out a big sigh of relief when I received the final confirmation email.
I've utilized the Iberia Plus program several times over the last few years, especially for flights from the U.S. to Spain, but this was my first time transferring in Amex points. Chalk this up to a near miss and a learning experience. The next time I need to book an award ticket through Iberia — especially one with limited inventory — I'll be transferring to British Airways first.
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Rewards
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. |
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Rewards Rate
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. |
5X | Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. |
Intro Offer
Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.Earn 80,000 PointsAnnual Fee
$695Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent/Good
Why We Chose It
Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip.Pros
- The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. TPG values it at $1,600.
- This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. (Enrollment required for select benefits.)
- The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway.
Cons
- The high annual fee is only worth it if you’re taking full advantage of the card’s benefits. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost.
- Outside of the current welcome bonus, you’re only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so it’s not a great card for other spending categories.
- The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards.
- Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and other participating providers. Enrollment required.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
- American Express has expanded The Centurion® Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Now there are even more places your Platinum Card® can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
- $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back each year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Enrollment required. Learn more.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card.
- $695 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees