8 best ways to use Amex points
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 10:36 a.m. UTC Nov. 14, 2023
Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy.
Yurii Sliusar, Getty Images
American Express Membership Rewards® points, aka Amex points, are earned from numerous Amex credit cards and have multiple uses. You can redeem these points for everything from cash back to Amazon purchases and from travel purchases in the Amex Travel portal to paying yourself back for purchases you’ve already made.
But if we’re looking at the best way to use Membership Rewards points, nothing compares to the potential value of transferring your Amex points to one of the many airline or hotel partners Amex offers. Obtaining value here requires an understanding of how to use these partners, how to find the hotel nights or flights you want to book with your points and what represents good value on these redemptions.
How to redeem Amex points comes down to one of two situations: Either you have almost all the points you need for an award stay and just need to transfer a small amount from Amex, or you’ve found an opportunity where the cash price of the hotel is inflated while the points cost has remained at a standard amount. Notably, the latter is the only time it’s the best way to use Amex points for hotels.
Otherwise, using your Amex points for flights tends to provide the best value. Here are some of the best ways to use Amex points.
We currently value American Express Membership Rewards points at 1.275 cents per point, and as we discuss the best and worst ways to use Amex points, you’ll see that all of the uses come in below this number but one.
If all of those numbers are below our valuation of Amex points (1.275 cents per point), that might not seem to make sense. It’s the remaining option (which actually provides many options) that holds the potential for massive value: transferring Amex points to hotel and airline partners.
American Express® Gold Card
Book domestic flights on United Airlines using Avianca LifeMiles
It can be cheaper to book domestic United flights through a partner, rather than directly with United. And that’s advantageous for those with Amex points, because Amex points don’t transfer to United Airlines.
This generally applies to flights of 500 miles or less, so you won’t be going very far, but the more flying you do, the more you could save in the long run.
Consider a flight from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California (SNA) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO). United charges a minimum of 8,700 miles for this flight.
However, you can book the exact same flight by transferring Amex points to Avianca LifeMiles and paying just 6,500 miles instead.
You’ll need to find what’s called “saver” award space to book at the cheapest rates with partners, and luckily United makes it very obvious. You’ll see that the image above says Saver Award clearly, and those flights are available through United partners at their optimal rates.
Take short American Airlines flights in North America using British Airways Avios
Just as you can book United flights cheaper with a partner, the same applies to short American Airlines flights booked through British Airways. This is especially true on flights with inflated costs, such as near holidays or those with little competition from other airlines.
Consider this American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Oklahoma City (OKC). American Airlines is charging 9,500 miles for this flight.
However, British Airways, thanks to its distance-based pricing and the short distance of this flight, charges just 7,500 Avios.
A few items are worth noting. First, because British Airways uses a distance-based chart, you’ll pay more the farther you fly. That’s why short flights represent the best value. Additionally, British Airways charges by the distance of each segment, so prices can really inflate if you go out of your way for a connecting flight (such as flying from Kansas City to Cincinnati by way of Philadelphia).
Book Star Alliance around-the-world tickets in business class using All Nippon Airways (ANA) from Japan
Booking a trip around the world is a bucket list item for many, and you can save a ton of points and miles by booking your flights as part of an around-the-world ticket, rather than booking each piece separately. If you’re going to do this, ANA offers some of the best pricing.
There are a few rules to note, however. First, you must keep flying in the same direction; you cannot backtrack, flying east from New York to Paris, then west to Madrid before continuing east to Istanbul. You also must cross both the Atlantic and Pacific with these bookings and can have a maximum of eight stopovers (where you spend more than 24 hours at a stopping point), with a maximum of three stopovers in Europe and a maximum of four stopovers in Japan. The full rules are available here.
Pricing is based on the total distance of your flights, and you’ll pay based on the highest fare of any flight. Thus, if you take a single flight in first class, you’ll pay for first class on the whole itinerary.
Imagine flying from New York to London for a few days before continuing to Rome. Your next stop is Istanbul before spending time in Dubai, then a vacation to New Delhi and Bangkok. Your last country involves a stop in Sydney before flying through Los Angeles to get home to New York. This excellent holiday has a total flying distance of 24,903 miles. You’ll pay 100,000 miles to fly this route in economy, 145,000 per person in business class, or 220,000 miles each in first class. Do note that several of these routes don’t have an available airline flying first class.
Fly round-trip to Europe by booking with ANA
ANA also offers excellent rates on round-trip flights between the U.S./Canada on one side and Europe on the other. For this pricing, ANA treats the whole continental U.S. and Canada as the same zone, meaning this pricing applies broadly.
The airline you fly can change the taxes and fees added onto your redemption, so you might have a few hundred dollars to pay when flying with Lufthansa or less than $100 if you fly with United. Take this into consideration when booking.
However, the pricing can’t be beat. Paying 88,000 miles per person for round-trip tickets to Europe in business class is truly one of the best ways to use Amex points.
Book Iberia flights to/from Europe during off-peak dates
One of the craziest deals for using frequent flyer miles is flying from the U.S. to Spain with Iberia on off-peak dates. Iberia has lower prices during these dates, so if you can avoid Christmas and Spring Break, you might snag a round-trip ticket for what other airlines charge on a one-way trip.
Consider this business-class flight between Madrid and New York City for 34,000 Avios + $149.40 in taxes and fees. Paying 68,000 Avios for round-trip business class from the U.S. to Europe is incomparable.
Prices will climb if you fly further or fly on peak dates. Flights to Chicago, for example, would cost 42,500 Avios per person, while flights to the West Coast would cost as much as 51,000 Avios per person — all during off-peak (cheaper) pricing. You can view the current peak and off-peak calendar here.
Fly to Hawaii from the West Coast using Air Canada Aeroplan points
For those on the West Coast who can access nonstop United Airlines flights to Hawaii, using your Amex points with Aeroplan offers a great deal. You’ll pay just 12,500 Aeroplan points per person, plus roughly $45 in taxes and fees.
Prices jump to 22,500 points per person if you’re making a connection from the East Coast, so the best value is for those who can catch a nonstop flight to Hawaii. We consider taking a family of four to Hawaii and back for 100,000 points among the best ways to use Amex points.
Use monthly Air France–KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards for discounted deals on flights to/from Europe
Air France and KLM share a rewards program called Flying Blue. Each month, the program offers Promo Rewards, which can offer up to 50% discounts on award tickets — though a 25% discount is more standard. These represent incredible value if you are headed to one of the eligible destinations.
The discounts apply to a set list of flights and eligible dates, typically published for the next three months. And the discounts only apply to flights operated by Air France and KLM, meaning you’ll be flying to or through these airlines’ hubs in Paris and Amsterdam.
The list of eligible destinations changes monthly, but examples from current and previous deals highlight just how much value can be found. Flying from Houston to Paris for just 16,875 miles per person is a fantastic price.
You can view the current list of routes and dates here.
Pay for flights with points using the 35% points rebate
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express * The information for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply) provides a unique benefit in which cardholders get 35% of their redeemed points back (up to 1 million points back per calendar year) when paying with points for a flight via Amex Travel.
However, not all flights are eligible. This applies to first-class and business-class flights on any airline, as well as flights in any cabin on a preferred airline you choose in advance. This can make your points worth up to 1.54 cents each, and it presents a great opportunity to buy a flight with points when you’ve found a great deal.
When should you use this benefit? It’s most advantageous if the number of points you’d use to pay via Amex Travel is less than what you’d need to transfer to a rewards program and book the ticket as a redemption flight.
However, it’s worth pointing out that you must have the full number of points required (before the discount), because the discount is applied as a points rebate after the fact.
This business-class ticket from Madrid to San Francisco costs $1,108 or 110,750 points. You also could transfer points to Aeroplan and book a similar route for 90,000 points + $123 in taxes and fees.
But those with the Business Platinum Card would pay just 71,988 points in the end, thanks to the 35% points rebate. And that’s with everything included, no extra fees like you’ll pay when booking through partner airlines.
This benefit won’t always present cost savings, so it’s important to comparison shop. How many points would you pay if you transferred your Amex points to a partner airline for a redemption booking? Compare that to the points you’d pay (after the discount) by booking with Amex Travel. Choose whichever option costs less, which will vary.
This is a nice option for increasing your booking options. And when you can’t find award availability, this benefit is always available, so long as there’s a seat for sale.
Other ways to use Amex points
Transferring using your points for hotels and flights is the best way to use Amex points, but it’s not the only way.
The simplest way to use Amex points is redeeming them for cash, which you can do as a statement credit to offset your recent purchases. Points are worth only 0.6 cents apiece here — one of the lowest-value options available.
Other poor-value options for using Amex points include shopping with points at merchants like Amazon, where you can get 0.7 cents per point, or paying with points in Amex’s shopping portal, fetching the lowest value possible: half a cent per point. Amex also allows you to buy gift cards with your points, and the values here vary. You can use points between 0.5 cents and 1 cent apiece.
It’s also possible to use your points to pay for travel at Amex Travel, which offers flights, hotels, cruises and vacation packages. The value you’ll get from your points varies. They’re worth 1 cent each toward flights and hotel bookings with the Fine Hotels + Resorts® program. Points are worth just 0.7 cents each toward rental cars, cruises, hotels and vacation packages, however.
What are Amex Membership Rewards?
American Express Membership Rewards are the rewards currency earned with several Amex cards. Not all Amex credit cards earn these points, to be clear. Amex points have multiple uses, which is why they’re often called flexible points, and the best way to use them often involves flight redemptions with partner reward programs.
If you have multiple cards that earn Amex Membership Rewards points, the good news is that you can combine all of your cards into a single log-in on Amex’s website, thus putting all of your points together in one place. That makes it easy when it’s time to redeem them.
What Amex credit cards earn rewards points?
American Express issues numerous credit cards, but not all of them earn Membership Rewards points. Obvious examples include those with “cash” in the name of the card, and co-branded cards earning Delta SkyMiles, Marriott Bonvoy points, or Hilton Honors points also don’t earn Amex points.
You can earn Amex points with the following personal (consumer) cards (terms apply):
- American Express Centurion Black Card * The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab * The information for the The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley * The information for the The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express® Green Card * The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card * The information for the Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Amex EveryDay® Credit Card * The information for the Amex EveryDay® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Blue from American Express® (no longer available to new applicants)
The information for the American Express® Green Card * The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
And the following small-business cards earn Membership Rewards points (terms apply):
- Business Centurion® Card from American Express
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express * The information for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- American Express® Business Gold Card * The information for the American Express® Business Gold Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Business Green Rewards Card from American Express * The information for the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express * The information for the The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
How to earn Amex Rewards points
You can earn Membership Rewards in a few ways:
- Welcome offers. Like all issuers, Amex makes welcome offers to entice you to open one of its cards. The welcome offer typically looks like this: “Earn x points if you spend this amount of money in this amount of time, starting from the date your account is opened.” This can be the most straightforward way to earn a significant sum of Amex points quickly.
- Spending. You can also earn Amex points from spending on its credit cards. Each card has different features and different earning rates, with some cards having high-value bonus categories where you earn extra points. A good example is the American Express® Gold Card, which earns 4 Membership Rewards points per $1 at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 4 points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1 point), 3 points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express travel and 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases (terms apply, rates & fees). In contrast, the Amex Platinum Card earns only minimal rewards at U.S. restaurants.
- Referral bonuses. It’s also possible to earn Amex Rewards points by referring a friend (or another small business owner for business cards) to apply for a credit card. If your friend uses your referral link and then is approved for the card, you could earn a bonus. Bonus amounts vary and are targeted to individuals, but you may be able to earn $100 cash or as much as 20,000 bonus points from each referral.
- Amex Offers. Cardholders also can earn bonus points through targeted spending offers via Amex Offers. These offers, which you must add to your card before using them, can provide cash back or bonus points when making purchases at the merchant highlighted in the offer. These offers could be related to your local supermarket, a cruise line, or online streaming services.
You also may receive other offers of bonus points, such as Amex offering a retention bonus of points to convince you not to close your account (if you’re in the process of doing so) or offering a bonus to entice you to upgrade your card to a more premium version. Again, these offers are targeted to the individual, so what you see may vary from offers others receive.
Holding a combination of Amex cards can also accelerate your earnings. The so-called Amex Trifecta provides a solid example, using three cards with complimentary bonus categories that can help you earn extra rewards on every purchase you make.
The value of the points depends on how you use them. If you shop through Amex’s website and purchase goods with your points, they’re worth half a cent each — making 50,000 points worth $250. However, it’s also possible to redeem those 50,000 points for expensive flights, using Amex’s transfer partners, fetching thousands of dollars in value.
You can redeem points in many ways, with the worst option (shopping for gifts with Amex) providing just 0.5 cents in value per point — making 100,000 points worth $500. Conversely, 100,000 points is more than enough for a round-trip ticket from the U.S. to Europe in business class if you use the available airline transfer partners. That could make your 100,000 points worth $6,000 or more.
Points earned from an Amex Platinum card are the same Membership Rewards points that you’ll earn on other Amex cards. The best value redemptions for Membership Rewards points is typically booking airfare.
Points do not expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. However, if you close your account or Amex closes it due to a violation of program terms, failure to pay your bill or other negative reasons, you could forfeit your points. As long as you pay your credit card bill and follow the rules, points don’t expire.
American Express calls its annual fee a “membership fee” and it also issues several no-annual-fee credit cards.
For rates and fees for the American Express® Gold Card please visit this page.
*The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card, American Express® Business Gold Card, American Express® Green Card, Amex EveryDay® Credit Card, Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card, Business Green Rewards Card from American Express, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley and The Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
