If you’ve seen our post on What Credit Card Miles and Points Are Worth, then you can see that not all rewards points are worth the same. Points that you can earn from credit cards can offer different things at different values.
The best kind of points are transferrable points which are the most valuable because they can be transferred to partners. They are very flexible compared to regular points and miles. With these rewards, you will be able fly in premium cabins and stay in luxury hotels that you normally wouldn’t be able to afford.
Credit Card Rewards Programs
American Express Membership Rewards
American Express Membership Rewards has the most transfer partners out of all the other rewards card programs on the market. Transfer ratios will vary from partner to partner, and most transfers are almost instant. However, just know that there is a small fee for transfers to U.S. airlines, about $0.006 per point, up to a maximum of $99.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:0.8 | Almost Instant |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Aer Lingus Aerclub | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1:1.6 | 2 days |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:0.8 | Almost Instant |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| ANA Mileage Club | 1:1 | 2-3 days |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1:1 | 1-3 days |
| EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer Club | 1:0.02 | Almost Instant |
| Emirates Skyward | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | 1-3 days |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hotel Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Choice Privileges | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hilton Honors | 1:2 | Almost Instant |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
Capital One Rewards
The Capital One Rewards transfer rate is 2:1.5 for most of their partners, and the minimum to transfer to a partner is 1,000 miles. However, you can transfer increments of 100. Keep in mind that transfer are final.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 2:1 | Almost Instant |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 2:1.5 | 2 days |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 2:1.5 | Almost Instant |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 2:1.5 | Almost Instant |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | 2:1.5 | Almost Instant |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 2:1.5 | Almost Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 2:1.5 | 1-5 days |
| Emirates Skyward | 2:1 | Almost Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 2:1.5 | Up to 36 hours |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 2:1.5 | Up to 36 hours |
| Finnair Plus | 2:1.5 | Almost Instant |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 2:1.5 | Up to 36 hours |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 2:1 | Up to 36 hours |
No hotel transfer partners.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards partners all have a 1:1 transfer ratio, and most transfers are almost instant. However, you must make your transfers in 1,000 point increments and all are final.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| United Airlines MileagePlus | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Aer Lingus Aerclub | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Iberia Plus | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
| Hotel Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| IHG Rewards Club | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| World of Hyatt | 1:1 | Almost Instant |
Diners Club International
Keep an eye out on those transfer ratios. Diners Club® International points sometimes don’t transfer at a clean 1:1 ratio.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio |
| Alaska Airlines MileagePlan | 5.4:5.5 |
| Delta Air Lines SkyMiles | 5.4:5.5 |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 5.375:5 |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | 6.8:5.5 |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | N/A |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| Icelandair Saga Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| SAS EuroBonus | 1:1 | N/A |
| South African Airways Voyager | 1:1 | N/A |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | N/A |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | N/A |
No hotel transfer partners.
Citi ThankYou Rewards
The Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer rate is 1:1 for most of their partners, except JetBlue. However, most transfer happen between one to three days, with some happening almost instantly.
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 10:8 | Almost Instant |
| Frequent Flyer Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | N/A |
| British Airways Executive Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| EL AL Matmid Frequent Flyer Club | 50:1 | N/A |
| Icelandair Saga Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| SAS EuroBonus | 1:1 | N/A |
| South African Airways Voyager | 1:1 | N/A |
| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | N/A |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1:1 | N/A |
| Hotel Program | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
| Best Western Rewards | 7.576:20 | N/A |
| Choice Privileges | 10:5.208 | N/A |
| Hilton Honors | 5:8 | N/A |
| IHG Rewards Club | 5:8 | N/A |
Frequent Flyer Programs
Hotel Loyalty Programs
List of Loyalty Rewards Programs & Guides
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Bottom Line
Points and miles don’t come easily, and that is because they tend to offer amazing rewards such as free upgrades on flights, free hotels stays, etc. Transferrable ones are even more complicated when you’re trying to redeem your points. However, if you want to maximize the value of your rewards, then you may want to transfer to airline or hotel partner. For more posts like this, check out our post on bank guides and credit card bonuses.
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