Through October 31, 2026, AmEx Membership Rewards (MR) transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. Flying Blue has changed its mileage expiration policy: any qualifying activity within 24 months now keeps your miles from expiring. If you need Flying Blue miles, this is an opportunity to transfer:

Through 11:59 PM ET on October 24, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Japan Airlines (JL) earn a 30% bonus. With an annual-fee ThankYou card such as the Citi Strata Premier, the regular transfer ratio to JL is 1:1, so the bonus increases it to 1:1.3! That is an attractive ratio. JAL seems to have developed a taste for selling miles in recent years. If you have a redemption in mind, book sooner rather than later: an influx of miles could eventually make award availability much worse. JL became a Citi TYP transfer partner in September 2026.

Through 11:59 PM ET on September 30, 2026, Capital One miles transfers to Japan Airlines (JL) earn a 30% bonus. Note that the regular ratio is 1:0.75, not 1:1. With the bonus, it becomes 1:0.975, nearly 1:1. JL joined Capital One’s transfer partner lineup last year.

Through September 30, 2026, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. Chase Aeroplan Card holders can receive a total bonus of 30%. To qualify for the full 30%, you must meet these requirements:

• Hold the Chase Aeroplan Card;
• Transfer at least 50,000 UR points to Aeroplan;
• The additional 10% cardholder bonus is capped at 25,000 Aeroplan points. Thus, transferring up to 250,000 UR points earns 50,000 + 25,000 = 75,000 bonus Aeroplan points.

If you need Aeroplan points, a 1:1.3 transfer ratio is quite good. Qualifying activity within 18 months keeps Aeroplan points from expiring, so it is relatively easy to keep your balance active.

From July 27 through August 28, 2026, transfers from U.S. bank and hotel loyalty programs to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 10% bonus. Registration is required before transferring:

The link above was taken from the promotional email. Log in to your Asia Miles account to register. See the full terms and conditions here.

From June 1 through June 30, 2026, hotel points transfers to United MileagePlus (primarily from Marriott) earn a 25% bonus, capped at 25,000 bonus miles. This promotion used to run annually, but for some reason it has been absent for quite a while. Register before transferring at this link:

Is this promotion worthwhile?

Let’s review Marriott’s airline transfer ratios. The standard ratio is 3:1, and transferring 60K Marriott points earns 20K airline miles plus a 5K bonus, for an effective ratio of 3:1.25. United has a special arrangement: each 60K Marriott transfer earns an additional 10K United miles instead, making the effective ratio 3:1.5, or 2:1.

With the current 25% transfer bonus, the ratio becomes 3:1.75 (reportedly, the extra 10K miles no longer receive the 25% bonus). In other words, each 60K Marriott transfer earns a total of 35K United miles. The 25% bonus is capped at 25,000 miles, so you should transfer no more than 180K Marriott points to maximize this promotion.

This is a decent offer if you have excess Marriott points and need United miles. But there is no reason to force a transfer if you are short on Marriott points or have no use for United miles. For most people, Marriott points are probably harder to come by than United miles, so there is no need to stockpile United miles without an upcoming redemption.

Through 11:59 PM ET on June 13, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Wyndham transfer bonuses have been appearing quite frequently lately.

Through 11:59 PM ET on June 13, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ I Prefer Hotel Rewards earn a 30% bonus. The regular ratio of 1:2 increases to 1:2.6. Note that Citi’s standard I Prefer transfer ratio used to be 1:4 and was recently reduced to 1:2.

Through May 27, 2026, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From May 15 through 11:59 PM ET on June 5, 2026, Chase UR transfers to Southwest Rapid Rewards earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Southwest transfer bonuses are relatively uncommon. Its route network will be more useful to some readers than others, so consider this if Southwest serves the destinations you need.

From April 1 through April 30, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. If you hold the Chase Aeroplan Card and have not used up its additional 10% transfer bonus, capped at 25,000 bonus points, you can earn a total bonus of 30%. No registration is required, and the promotional bonus itself is uncapped.

Through April 18, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Since Citi TYP are now considerably more valuable to us than AmEx MR, we do not recommend transferring them to LifeMiles even with this bonus.

Through April 18, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Since Citi TYP are now considerably more valuable to us than AmEx MR, we do not recommend transferring them to Virgin even with this bonus.

Through 11:59 PM ET on March 31, 2026, Chase UR transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Wyndham recently joined Chase’s hotel transfer partner lineup. Citi frequently offers Wyndham transfer bonuses, usually 25%, so Chase’s 30% offer is decent. Transfer if you need the points, but do not stockpile them speculatively.

Through March 31, 2026, Chase UR transfers to British Airways Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, and Iberia Club earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Avios transfer bonuses are common, and 20% is nothing special. Transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through 8:59 AM ET on April 1, 2026, Capital One miles transfers to Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ I Prefer Hotel Rewards earn a 30% bonus. The regular ratio of 1:2 increases to 1:2.6. I Prefer joined Capital One’s transfer partner lineup in 2025.

Through 11:59 PM ET on March 21, 2026, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This is a decent offer if you need Wyndham points. These promotions seem to be running fairly frequently.

From February 14 through February 28, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 40% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, but most are 30%, so 40% is relatively generous. Transfer if you have a specific use in mind; we do not recommend stockpiling points.

Through 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2026, Capital One miles transfers to Japan Airlines (JL) earn a 30% bonus. Note that the regular ratio is 1:0.75, not 1:1. With the bonus, it becomes 1:0.975, nearly 1:1. JL joined Capital One’s transfer partner lineup last year.

Through 11:59 PM EST on January 5, 2026, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn up to a 25% bonus. This is a tiered bonus based on the size of each transfer:

• Transfer 1,000-74,000 UR points in one transaction: 15% bonus;
• Transfer 75,000-174,000 UR points in one transaction: 20% bonus;
• Transfer 175,000 UR points or more in one transaction: 25% bonus.

Chase Aeroplan Card holders can stack their additional 10% bonus for a total bonus of up to 35%.

From November 21 through December 31, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 40% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, but most are 30%, so 40% is relatively generous. Transfer if you have a specific use in mind; we do not recommend stockpiling points.

From November 7 through November 20, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 40% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, but most are 30%, so 40% is relatively generous. Transfer if you have a specific use in mind; we do not recommend stockpiling points.

Through November 30, 2025, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and the bonus is capped at 750,000 miles. We generally discourage speculative transfers, but given the recent wave of AmEx account shutdowns, readers worried about losing their accounts may want to consider LifeMiles. October’s transfer bonus was for Flying Blue; November’s is for Avianca LifeMiles.

From October 23 through 11:59 PM EST on November 6, 2025, Chase UR transfers to Southwest Rapid Rewards earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Southwest transfer bonuses are rare; the last one was five years ago. Consider it if you need Southwest points.

From October 19 through 11:59 PM EST on November 8, Citi TYP transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

From October 1 through October 31, Marriott points transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 15% bonus. Normally, transferring 60K Marriott points earns 20K airline miles plus a 5K bonus, for 25K miles total. With this promotion, each 60K Marriott transfer earns 28K Aeroplan points. Given Marriott’s transfer rules, try to transfer in multiples of 60K. Based on past experience, the promotional bonus can take a very long time to post, but it does eventually arrive.

The Marriott transfer page does not clearly display the 15% bonus. This offer was sent by email and is also available at this link.

Through October 31, 2025, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. We normally discourage speculative transfers, but given the recent wave of AmEx account shutdowns, readers worried about losing their accounts may want to consider this option.

Through 11:59 PM ET on October 22, 2025, Capital One miles transfers to Japan Airlines (JL) earn a 30% bonus. Note that the regular ratio is 1:0.75, not 1:1. With the bonus, it becomes 1:0.975, nearly 1:1. JL is a newly added Capital One transfer partner.

Through 11:59 PM ET on October 18, 2025, Citi TYP transfers to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (TK) earn a 50% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This is a generous transfer bonus and a good opportunity if you know how to use Turkish miles and have a redemption in mind.

Through 11:59 PM ET on October 18, 2025, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through 11:59 PM ET on October 18, 2025, Citi ThankYou Points transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling points.

Through 11:59 PM EST on September 20, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This is a decent offer if you need Wyndham points. These promotions seem to be quite frequent; there was another one just this May.

Offer ends July 19, 2025. Citi’s regular transfer ratio to Accor is 1:0.5; with the 50% bonus, it becomes 1:0.75. Accor points work differently from most hotel points: they are essentially cash toward hotel stays! Every 2,000 points offsets EUR 40, or 2 euro cents per point. With this Citi bonus, that gets you 1.5 euro cents per TYP, or roughly 1.6 U.S. cents per point. It is not an outstanding use of TYP, but some readers may appreciate this straightforward redemption.

Offer ends July 19, 2025. Citi TYP transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, and 20% is on the low side. We do not recommend stockpiling miles.

Offer ends June 30, 2025. Chase UR transfers to Marriott earn a 65% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.65. Is this worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each, so this transfer effectively buys Marriott points for about 0.97 cents each. That is expensive compared with our Marriott valuation of around 0.7 cents per point. A small top-up to complete a specific redemption can still make sense, though.

From June 5 through July 17, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. Chase Aeroplan Card holders who have not used up their additional 10% transfer bonus, capped at 25,000 bonus points, can earn a total bonus of 30%. No registration is required, and the promotional bonus itself is uncapped.

Through 11:59 PM EST on June 21, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This is a decent offer if you need Wyndham points.

Through 11:59 AM EST on May 31, Capital One miles transfers to Qantas Points earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Qatar Airways is offering a 30% bonus on transfers from selected partners to Qatar Avios. The official promotion page is here; the two partners relevant to us are Citi TYP and HSBC. Since Qatar is awarding the bonus, the 30% offer may not appear on Citi’s or HSBC’s transfer page. Qatar Airways adopted Avios in early 2022, and these can be transferred 1:1 to British Airways Avios, effectively making this a 30% Citi-to-BA transfer bonus as well. The offer ends May 31, 2025. One frustrating term says the bonus may not post until June 30. We do not know whether it really takes that long or whether the terms simply allow extra processing time. Avios transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From May 1 through June 15, 2025, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are frequent, and 30% offers have been common, so this one is not particularly compelling.

From May 1 through May 31, 2025, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer promotions are frequent, so we do not recommend stockpiling miles without an upcoming redemption.

Through 11:59 PM EST on May 17, Citi ThankYou Points transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin bonuses are frequent; transfer when you need the points rather than stockpiling them.

Through April 12, 2025, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From March 1 through March 31, Chase UR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 20% bonus. Avios transfer bonuses are common, and 20% is a fairly ordinary offer. Transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From March 1 through March 31, AmEx MR transfers to Qatar Airways (QR) Avios earn a 20% bonus. Qatar Avios work within the same Avios ecosystem as BA Avios. Avios transfer bonuses are common, and 20% is a fairly ordinary offer. Transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From February 3 through February 28, 2025, AmEx transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 15% bonus. This bonus is awarded by LifeMiles, so it will not appear on AmEx’s transfer page. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are often higher than 15%, so unless you need miles immediately, you can wait for a better offer rather than stockpiling them now.

From February 3 through February 17, 2025, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through December 31, 2024, AmEx transfers to JetBlue earn a 25% bonus. Like Delta, JetBlue is a U.S. airline, so AmEx charges an excise tax offset fee of $6 per 10,000 MR points transferred, capped at $99 (reached at 165K points). JetBlue transfers can be made in increments of 250 points rather than the 1,000-point increments required by many other partners, giving you more flexibility. JetBlue points have a relatively predictable redemption value, so a transfer can make sense for a specific booking. Given the transfer fee, though, we do not recommend moving points just to stockpile them.

Through January 15, 2025, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. Chase Aeroplan Card holders transferring at least 50K UR points to Aeroplan can earn an additional 10%, capped at 25K bonus points. Thus, a 250K UR transfer earns 325K Aeroplan points, while a 50K transfer earns 65K. One advantage of transferring UR to Aeroplan is the Aeroplan Card’s Pay Yourself Back option, currently available through December 31, 2024. Aeroplan Pay Yourself Back offers 1.25 cents per point toward eligible travel purchases; combined with a 30% transfer bonus, this yields 1.625 cents per UR point.Note: only points earned directly with Aeroplan, such as from flights or the co-branded card, or transferred from Chase UR qualify for Pay Yourself Back. Points transferred from AmEx MR do not qualify.

Of course, AmEx MR are generally much easier to earn than Chase UR. If you simply need miles, particularly Flying Blue miles, we would still suggest transferring from AmEx instead. AmEx also regularly offers 20% transfer bonuses.

Through December 31, 2024, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a generous 40% bonus. Virgin can book many of the same flights as Flying Blue, often for fewer points, and cancellations can be easier. The downside is that some bookings require a phone call. If you have a specific redemption in mind, this is a good opportunity to transfer.

From October 1 through October 31, Marriott points transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 15% bonus. Normally, transferring 60K Marriott points earns 20K airline miles plus a 5K bonus, for 25K miles total. With this promotion, each 60K Marriott transfer earns 28K Aeroplan points. Given Marriott’s transfer rules, try to transfer in multiples of 60K. Based on past experience, the promotional bonus can take a very long time to post, but it does eventually arrive.

Through 11:59 PM MT on November 30, selected AmEx members receive a 15% bonus on MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Avianca LifeMiles. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through 11:59 PM EST on November 16, Citi TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Note that Chase UR currently offers a 40% bonus.

From October 15 through November 30, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 40% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, but most are 30%, so this 40% offer is relatively generous. Transfer as needed rather than stockpiling points.

Through 11:59 PM EST on November 16, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

 

Through November 10, 2024, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through October 31, Citi TYP transfers to Qatar Airways (QR) Avios earn a 25%-35% bonus. Transfers of fewer than 100,000 base Avios receive a 25% bonus. Each full 100,000 Avios transferred earns another 10,000 bonus Avios, bringing the bonus to 35% at those increments.

Through October 19, 2024, Citi TYP transfers to Leading Hotels of the World’s Leaders Club earn a 20% bonus. The regular 5:1 ratio improves to 4:1. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. That ratio may look terrible at first glance, but Leaders Club points are unusual: their redemption value can reach about 8.0 cents each. With this bonus, that translates to around 2.0 cents per TYP. LHW properties are generally very expensive, so identify a specific redemption and confirm you can use the points before transferring.

Through October 19, 2024, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through 11:59 AM EST on September 29, Capital One miles transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through September 30, AmEx MR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through 11:59 AM EST on September 1, Capital One miles transfers to Qantas Points earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through August 31, AmEx MR transfers to Hawaiian Airlines (HA) earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

From August 1 through August 14, UR transfers to Marriott earn a 70% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.7. Is this worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each. Even without traveling, CSR holders can redeem them at a fixed 1.5 cents each through Pay Yourself Back. At 1:1.7, you are effectively buying Marriott points for at least 0.88 cents each, above our Marriott valuation of about 0.7 cents per point. A small top-up to complete a specific redemption can still make sense, though.

Through July 21, 2024, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 20% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.2. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Consider transferring if you have a specific hotel redemption in mind.

Through August 17, 2024, Citi TYP transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From June 15 through 11:59 PM EST on July 31, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This can be stacked with the Chase Aeroplan Card’s additional 10% bonus on the first 250K UR points transferred.

From June 3 through June 30, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. See the terms here. This bonus is awarded by LifeMiles, so it will not appear on AmEx’s transfer page. If you are unsure, try transferring 1,000 points first; the miles should post instantly. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From May 15 through June 15, Citi TYP transfers to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (TK) earn a 50% bonus. No registration is required, and the bonus is capped at 50,000 miles. See the details here. This is a Turkish Airlines promotion, so the bonus will not appear on Citi’s transfer page.

Through May 31, 2024, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Consider it if you need Virgin points, but remember that these promotions are frequent.

Offer ends May 11. Citi’s regular transfer ratio to Accor is 1:0.5; with the 50% bonus, it becomes 1:0.75. Accor points work differently from most hotel points: they are essentially cash toward hotel stays! Every 2,000 points offsets EUR 40, or 2 euro cents per point. With this Citi bonus, that gets you 1.5 euro cents per TYP, or roughly 1.6 U.S. cents per point. It is not an outstanding use of TYP, but some readers may appreciate this straightforward redemption.

Through 11:59 AM EST on May 1, 2024, Capital One miles transfers to Virgin Red earn a 30% bonus in Virgin Points. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through April 14, 2024, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through April 30, 2024, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through March 31, transfers from bank points programs (AmEx MR or Citi TYP) to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 10% bonus. Register first at this link. According to the promotion page, bonus miles will post within 10 weeks after the promotion ends.

Through April 4, AmEx MR transfers to Etihad Guest (EY) earn a 20% bonus. This appears to be a targeted offer.

From February 26 through March 15, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. See the terms here. LifeMiles is awarding the bonus, so it will not appear on AmEx’s transfer page. If you are unsure, try transferring 1,000 points first; the miles should post instantly.

Through February 18, 2024, Citi TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling points.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is offering a 10% bonus on transfers from several partners. Registration is required at this link:

The promotion runs from December 29, 2023, through March 31, 2024. See participating transfer partners at this link. Those relevant to U.S. readers include:

• AmEx MR points
• Capital One miles
• Citi TYP
• Bilt points
• Brex points

HT: IcyJ on USCardForum.

 

This 10% bonus can also be stacked with another ongoing Cathay promotion offering up to 8,500 miles for transferring points. The details are targeted. Promotion link:

That offer ends January 31, 2024.

HT: CWC on USCardForum.

Through December 31, AmEx MR transfers to Hilton Honors earn a 30% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:2,000 to 1,000:2,600. Overall, we consider this a fairly ordinary offer. At our Hilton valuation of about 0.4 cents per point, a 2.6x transfer ratio gets you only slightly more than 1 cent per MR point. A transfer can still make sense if you need a small top-up for a Hilton booking or find an unusually valuable hotel/date combination. Otherwise, we generally do not recommend it.

Through December 31, AmEx MR transfers to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (SQ) earn a 20% bonus. This appears to be highly targeted, and even targeted offers may disappear after a few days. If you are eligible and need the miles, consider transferring promptly before the offer vanishes.

December 7 Update: Aeroplan has just sent out promotional emails. The bonus appears to be awarded by Aeroplan, which explains why it is not shown on Chase’s UR transfer page. The offer ends January 15, so keep the deadline in mind.

This promotion may not be fully live yet, or there may be a bug. We have not seen official publicity, but Miss on USCardForum discovered a 20% bonus on Chase UR transfers to Air Canada. We strongly suggest testing a 1,000-point transfer and confirming that the bonus posts before transferring a larger amount.

Although Chase offered a higher 30% Aeroplan transfer bonus in November 2022, 20% is still decent. Aeroplan is one of the more useful mileage programs right now, so this could be a good opportunity if you have upcoming travel plans.

Through December 31, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Consider it if you need Virgin points, but remember that these promotions are frequent.

From November 15, 2023, through January 10, 2024, Chase UR transfers to JetBlue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

From November 13 through December 10, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. Note that LifeMiles is awarding this bonus, so the offer will not appear on AmEx’s transfer page. Consider moving some points if you expect to use the miles.

Promotion link: here. Offer ends November 30. Accor is awarding the bonus, so the 50% offer may not appear on Citi’s transfer page. This appears to be Accor’s first transfer bonus promotion.

Citi’s regular transfer ratio to Accor is 1:0.5; with the 50% bonus, it becomes 1:0.75. Accor points work differently from most hotel points: they are essentially cash toward hotel stays! Every 2,000 points offsets EUR 40, or 2 euro cents per point. With this Citi bonus, that gets you 1.5 euro cents per TYP, or roughly 1.61 U.S. cents per point. It is not an outstanding use of TYP, but some readers may appreciate this straightforward redemption.

Qatar Airways is offering a 30% bonus on transfers from selected partners to Qatar Avios. The official promotion page is here; the two partners relevant to us are Citi TYP and HSBC. Since Qatar is awarding the bonus, the 30% offer may not appear on Citi’s or HSBC’s transfer page. Qatar Airways adopted Avios in early 2022, and these can be transferred 1:1 to British Airways Avios, effectively making this a 30% Citi-to-BA transfer bonus as well. The offer ends November 10, 2023. One frustrating term says the bonus may take up to 45 days to post. We do not know whether it really takes that long or whether the terms simply allow extra processing time. Avios transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through November 4, 2023, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through November 30, 2023, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through November 30, 2023, MR transfers to JetBlue TrueBlue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. The bonus improves the regular 1:0.8 transfer ratio to 1:1. JetBlue redemptions generally track cash fares and offer around 1.3 cents per point, so transfer according to your needs.

From October 1 through October 31, 2023, hotel points transfers to United MileagePlus (primarily from Marriott) earn a 30% bonus, capped at 25,000 bonus miles. This promotion runs roughly once a year. Register before transferring at this link:

Is this promotion worthwhile?

Let’s review Marriott’s airline transfer ratios. The standard ratio is 3:1, and transferring 60K Marriott points earns 20K airline miles plus a 5K bonus, for an effective ratio of 3:1.25. United has a special arrangement: each 60K Marriott transfer earns an additional 10K United miles instead, making the effective ratio 3:1.5, or 2:1.

With the current 30% transfer bonus, the ratio becomes 3:1.95, or approximately 3:2. Each 60K Marriott transfer therefore earns 39K United miles. The 30% bonus is capped at 25,000 miles; based on past experience, this cap is applied before the special United partnership bonus, making the effective maximum 25,000 * 1.1. To maximize the offer, transfer no more than 180K Marriott points; larger transfers will not earn additional promotional bonus miles.

This is a decent offer if you have excess Marriott points and need United miles. But there is no reason to force a transfer if you are short on Marriott points or have no use for United miles. For most people, Marriott points are probably harder to come by than United miles, so there is no need to stockpile United miles without an upcoming redemption.

Offer ends October 15. Promotion link:

Choice Privileges normally transfers to United at a poor ratio of 5,000:1,000, so this option gets little attention. The promotion improves that to 5,000:2,000, making it worth considering. Citi TYP can transfer to Choice at 1:2, so the effective Citi-to-United ratio is 5:4. That is worse than Chase UR’s 1:1 ratio, but it could be useful if you have a large TYP balance and few other uses for it.

We are not sure whether this can be stacked with the 30% hotel-to-United transfer bonus above. If it can, the effective ratio would be even better.

Through November 15, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling points.

Through September 30, Capital One miles transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Avianca describes the promotion here, but it will not appear on Capital One’s transfer page. Bonus miles will post within 24 hours of the transfer. LifeMiles bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through October 14, Citi TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling points.

Through September 22, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

From August 28 through September 22, Chase UR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 30% bonus. Avios transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

Through September 16, 2023, Citi TYP transfers to Wyndham Rewards earn a 20% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.2. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Consider transferring if you have a specific hotel redemption in mind.

Through August 31, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles has offered transfer bonuses frequently lately, and 15% is not the best we have seen. Unless you need miles immediately, you can wait for a better offer.

From July 1 through August 31, AmEx MR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 30% bonus. Avios transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed. We do not recommend stockpiling miles without a specific near-term redemption.

 

From July 1 through July 31, Capital One miles transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus, for an effective transfer ratio of 1:1.2. Flying Blue transfer bonuses are common, so transfer as needed. We do not recommend stockpiling miles without a specific near-term redemption.

Through July 31, Chase UR transfers to IHG earn a 70% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.7.

Even with the bonus, transferring to IHG is not worthwhile. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each and IHG points at about 0.5 cents each. A 70% transfer bonus yields just 0.85 cents per UR point, less than redeeming UR directly for cash, so there is no reason to transfer to IHG. Still, this is a start: at least Chase is doing better than the absurd standard 1:1 ratio. Hopefully future promotions will offer something like 1:3, which could make a transfer worthwhile.

Through July 22, 2023, Citi TYP transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Asia Miles can now be kept from expiring and are useful for Cathay’s own flights. We still suggest transferring only for a specific redemption: 15% is not especially high, and AmEx recently offered a 20% Asia Miles bonus.

Through 11:59 PM on July 31, 2023, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Although Chase offered a higher 30% Aeroplan transfer bonus in November 2022, 20% is still decent. Aeroplan is one of the more useful mileage programs right now, so this could be a good opportunity if you have upcoming travel plans.

Is this targeted? Some members initially received promotional emails, but sakura0 on USCardForum reported receiving the bonus without an email: the 20% bonus did not appear on the first transfer screen, but did appear on the final screen, and Aeroplan credited it. If you are unsure, test a 1,000-point transfer and confirm the bonus in Aeroplan before transferring more.

From June 5 through June 30, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Official promotion page:

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

Qatar Airways is offering a 30% bonus on transfers from selected partners to Qatar Avios. The official promotion page is here; Citi TYP is the only partner relevant to us. Qatar is awarding the bonus, so the 30% offer may not appear on Citi’s transfer page. Qatar Airways adopted Avios in early 2022, and these can be transferred 1:1 to British Airways Avios, effectively making this a 30% Citi-to-BA transfer bonus as well. The offer ends June 30, 2023. One frustrating term says the bonus may take up to 45 days to post. We do not know whether it really takes that long or whether the terms simply allow extra processing time.

HT: OMAAT.

Through June 14, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a 30% bonus. A 30% Virgin transfer bonus is a common offer.

AmEx MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles currently earn a 20% bonus. This offer is targeted, and Cathay transfer bonuses tend to be short-lived.

Through May 31, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

Through May 22, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

From April 12 through April 22, transfers from all U.S. transfer partners, primarily AmEx MR, Citi TYP, and Capital One, to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 10% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This is not especially generous compared with past offers, and the promotion is short, so participate only if you need the miles. See the details here.

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

Through April 30, 2023, Capital One miles transfers to Etihad Guest earn up to a 30% bonus, with the following tiers:

• Transfer 0-10,000 miles: 15% bonus;
• Transfer 10,001-50,000 miles: 25% bonus;
• Transfer more than 50,000 miles: 30% bonus.

The tier is determined by each individual transfer, not your cumulative transfer total. Etihad is awarding the bonus, so it will not appear on Capital One’s transfer page.

Through 11:59 PM EST on May 15, 2023, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Through 11:59 PM Eastern Time on March 18, 2023, Citi TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Virgin can book Delta partner awards, but nonstop flights to mainland China are not currently available through this option. Transfer according to your actual needs.

One of Bilt’s February Rent Day offers increases transfers to Hawaiian Airlines from the standard 1:1 ratio to 1:2. The offer ends at 4:59 AM EST on February 2. Hawaiian Airlines flights between the West Coast and Hawaii cost 20K miles in economy (10K Bilt points) or 25K miles in business class (12.5K Bilt points). Transfer for a specific booking, not to stockpile miles.

Through January 30, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer earn a 10% bonus. MR transfers to Singapore are not instant and generally take around 2-3 days. Consider this if you need KrisFlyer miles.

Through January 31, 2023, credit card points transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 10%-15% bonus. Transfers yielding fewer than 20,000 miles earn 10%; those yielding more than 20,000 earn 15%, with the bonus applying to no more than 140,000 miles. Transfers above 140,000 miles also qualify for lunch for two at The Lobby at The Peninsula Hong Kong. This may be a targeted offer, so it is best to participate only if you received the email and registered at this link.

HT: DEU’s forum post.

Through January 31, 2023, AmEx MR transfers to Hawaiian Airlines earn a 20% bonus.

Through December 29, 2022, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a 30% bonus. A 30% Virgin transfer bonus is a common offer.

On December 1 only, Bilt transfers to IHG earn a 100% bonus, increasing the transfer ratio from 1:1 to 1:2.

Even with the bonus, transferring to IHG is not particularly worthwhile. We value Bilt points at about 1.6 cents each and IHG points at about 0.5 cents each. Unless you need a tiny top-up, we would avoid this transfer. Still, it is a start: at least Bilt is doing better than the absurd standard 1:1 ratio. Hopefully a future promotion will offer something like 1:3, which could make the transfer worthwhile.

From November 16 through December 7, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. LifeMiles transfer bonuses at this rate have become quite common.

From November 16 through December 7, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus.

From November 1 through 11:59 PM EST on November 30, 2022, Chase UR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

A 30% Aeroplan bonus is generous and relatively uncommon. If you expect to use the points, it may be worth moving some over.

From October 24 through 11:59 PM EDT on November 13, transfers from the following hotel programs to Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus:

• Accor All Live Limitless
• Best Western Rewards®
• Choice Privileges®
• Coast Rewards
• Hilton Honors Member Reward Program
• IHG One Rewards®
• Radisson Rewards Americas (the Americas program, not the international program)
• Shangri-la Golden Circle
• Wyndham Rewards®

For some reason, Marriott is specifically excluded this time. Without Marriott, the offer is fairly ordinary, but it may be useful for clearing out small hotel points balances. Transfer early: deadlines generally depend on when the points arrive.

From October 1 through 11:59 PM EST on November 12, 2022, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (VS) earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Promotion link:

You must register through this link to receive the bonus. Transfers below 30K miles earn a 10% bonus, while transfers above 30K earn 15%. The promotion runs from September 13 through November 12.

AmEx offered a 20% Asia Miles bonus just last month, so 15% is only an average offer. Still, if you were already going to transfer during this period, registering for extra miles is worthwhile. Asia Miles can now be kept from expiring, but long-haul award availability has been scarce since the pandemic, so consider your redemption options carefully.

Through September 30, 2022, hotel points transfers to United, usually from Marriott, earn a 30% bonus.

Let’s review Marriott’s airline transfer ratios. The standard ratio is 3:1, and transferring 60K Marriott points earns 20K airline miles plus a 5K bonus, for an effective ratio of 3:1.25. United receives an additional 10% bonus, bringing the effective ratio to 3:1.375.

With the current 30% transfer bonus, the ratio becomes 3:1.7875, or approximately 1:0.6. Each 60K Marriott transfer therefore earns a total of 35,750 United miles. The 30% bonus is capped at 25,000 miles. Based on past experience, this cap is applied before the additional 10% partnership bonus, making the effective maximum 25,000 * 1.1.

This is a decent offer if you have excess Marriott points and need United miles. But there is no reason to force a transfer if you are short on Marriott points or have no use for United miles.

As shown above, AmEx launched a whole batch of MR transfer bonuses today, all ending September 30. Aeroplan transfer bonuses are relatively rare, so consider moving some points if you expect to use them. The bonuses for Avianca LifeMiles, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and Air France-KLM Flying Blue are also decent if you have specific redemptions in mind.

From 12:00 AM MT on August 1 through 11:59 PM MT on August 31, 2022, AmEx MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 20% bonus. Asia Miles can now be kept from expiring, but long-haul award availability has been scarce since the pandemic, so consider your redemption options carefully. MR transfer bonuses are targeted.

From August 1 through August 31, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus. Official promotion page:

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

From August 1 through August 31, Capital One miles transfers to British Airways Avios and Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus, for an effective transfer ratio of 1:1.2. We do not recommend stockpiling miles without a specific near-term redemption.

UR transfers to IHG currently earn a 50% bonus through August 15, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.5. Is this worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each. Even without traveling, CSR holders can redeem them at a fixed 1.5 cents each through Pay Yourself Back. A 1:1.5 transfer effectively buys IHG points for at least 1 cent each, far above our IHG valuation of about 0.5 cents per point. Even for a small top-up, you would be better off buying IHG points directly during a sale at 0.5 cents each.

Promotion link:

Choice Privileges normally transfers to United at a poor ratio of 5,000:1,000, so this option gets little attention. The promotion improves that to 5,000:2,000, making it worth considering. Citi TYP can transfer to Choice at 1:2, so the effective Citi-to-United ratio is 5:4. That is worse than Chase UR’s 1:1 ratio, but it could be useful if you have a large TYP balance and few other uses for it. The offer ends August 31.

This is a targeted offer: from 12:00 AM MT on June 30 through 11:59 PM MT on July 30, 2022, MR transfers to Etihad Guest (EY) again earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Qatar Airways is offering a 40% bonus on transfers of more than 20K Avios from selected partners. The official promotion page is here; Citi TYP is the only partner relevant to us. Qatar is awarding the bonus, so the 40% offer may not appear on Citi’s transfer page. Qatar Airways adopted Avios in early 2022, and these can be transferred 1:1 to British Airways Avios, effectively making this a 40% Citi-to-BA transfer bonus as well. The offer ends June 30, 2022. One frustrating term says transfers may take up to 45 days. We do not know whether it really takes that long or whether the terms simply allow extra processing time.

HT: OMAAT.

Through July 31, Chase UR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 30% bonus. Transfer as needed rather than stockpiling miles.

This offer ran last year and has returned through August 19. UR transfers to Marriott earn a 50% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.5. Is it worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each. Even without traveling, CSR holders can redeem them at a fixed 1.5 cents each through Pay Yourself Back. This transfer effectively buys Marriott points for at least 1 cent each, above our Marriott valuation of about 0.7 cents per point. A small top-up to complete a specific redemption can still make sense, though.

Through 11:59 PM Eastern Time on May 31, Marriott points transfers to Aeroplan earn a 20% bonus. For example, transferring 60K Marriott points earns 30K Aeroplan points. The terms require a minimum transfer of 3,000 Marriott points and limit transfers to 240K points per 24 hours, but there is no overall cap. Bonus points will post 4-6 weeks after the promotion ends. Based on past experience, the bonus can take a very long time to arrive, but it does eventually post.

See the promotion details at this link.

Through June 15, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus.

Through May 31, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus.

Through June 15, Chase UR transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a 30% bonus. Citi and AmEx have offered many Virgin transfer bonuses in the past, and now Chase is joining in.

Through May 20, Citi TYP transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus.

From April 1 through April 30, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) transfers to Avianca LifeMiles (AV) earn a 25% bonus.

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

Through May 15, Chase UR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus.

Through May 15, AmEx MR transfers to the Avios programs of British Airways and Aer Lingus earn a 40% bonus. Each transfer, including the bonus, cannot exceed 999,000 Avios.

Through March 31, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic (VS) earn a 30% bonus. There is no overall cap, but each transfer cannot exceed 999,999 Virgin points.

Through March 31, Capital One transfers to Wyndham Rewards, Avianca LifeMiles, and Aeromexico earn a 20% bonus, increasing their regular 1:1 ratios to 1:1.2. Wyndham and LifeMiles are reasonably useful programs, so consider transferring if you need the points. Capital One keeps getting stronger and is increasingly competitive with UR, MR, and TYP!

Through March 31, AmEx MR transfers to Hilton Honors earn a 30% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:2,000 to 1,000:2,600. Overall, we consider this fairly ordinary. At our Hilton valuation of about 0.4 cents per point, 2,600 Hilton points are worth $10.40, while 1,000 MR points should be worth at least $15. We generally do not recommend this transfer unless you have a specific need.

Through March 21, 2022, AmEx MR transfers to Hawaiian Airlines earn a 20% bonus. Consider it if you need Hawaiian miles. For more details, see our Hawaiian Airlines Miles Guide. Hawaiian miles have a relatively narrow range of uses, so we do not recommend stockpiling them without a specific redemption.

Through February 15, 2022, AmEx MR transfers to Aeromexico earn a 20% bonus. Consider it if you need Aeromexico miles, and see our Aeromexico Miles Guide for details. Aeromexico miles have a relatively narrow range of uses, so we do not recommend stockpiling them without a specific redemption.

AmEx MR transfers to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer currently earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Transfers take around 2-3 days. As a reminder, transferring 250K miles to KrisFlyer can currently earn 25K Elite miles, enough for Star Alliance Gold, provided each transfer is at least 10K miles. Because AmEx is awarding the bonus, the bonus miles also count toward this promotion. Data points confirm that transferring 209K MR points is enough.

No registration is required, but KrisFlyer miles have a strict 36-month expiration period that ordinary account activity cannot reset. Transfer thoughtfully. Star Alliance Gold status lasts only a year, so later transfers give you more time with the status. However, AmEx has not published an end date for this bonus, and it could disappear without notice.

Through December 31, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, there is no bonus cap, and transfers are instant.

From November 15 through December 17, Citi ThankYou Points (TYP), Capital One miles, and Brex points transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. Official promotion page:

This promotion is offered by Avianca, not the bank. The bonus will not appear on the bank’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

This offer ran a few months ago and has returned. UR transfers to Marriott earn a 50% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1:1 to 1:1.5. Is it worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each. Even without traveling, CSR holders can redeem them at a fixed 1.5 cents each through Pay Yourself Back. This transfer effectively buys Marriott points for at least 1 cent each, above our Marriott valuation of about 0.7 cents per point. A small top-up to complete a specific redemption can still make sense, though.

Through December 1, Capital One miles transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus, for an effective transfer ratio of 1:1.2. We do not recommend stockpiling miles without a specific near-term redemption.

Through November 22, bank points transfers to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer earn the following bonuses:

• Transfer 10,000-49,999 points in one transaction: 12% bonus;
• Transfer 50,000 points or more in one transaction: 15% bonus.

No registration is required, and you can make as many qualifying transfers as you like. See the terms here.

AmEx MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles currently earn a 20% bonus, but oddly, only one transfer is allowed! No registration is required.

Etihad is offering a 50% mileage bonus on Marriott Bonvoy points transfers. Official promotion page. HT: FM:

• Marriott Bonvoy -> Etihad Guest: 50% bonus (standard effective ratio: 3:1.25).

Offer ends October 31. See our Etihad Guest Miles Guide for redemption ideas. This may be worth using for an upcoming booking, but we would avoid stockpiling a currency with a more limited range of uses.

Transfer promotions have been frequent lately. Marriott normally transfers to United at 3:1.1, plus Marriott’s own 5K-mile bonus for each 60K points transferred. With another 30% bonus, transferring in 60K Marriott increments yields 35,750 United miles per increment. This used to be an annual promotion, was interrupted by the pandemic last year, and has returned this year. There are several details to watch; see the analysis below. Even if you do not have Marriott points or need a top-up, you could combine this with AmEx’s 30% MR-to-Marriott bonus.

Promotion terms:

1. Offer ends September 30. Marriott Travel Packages can take time to process, so do not leave this until the last minute.
2. Register before transferring at https://promo.united.com/offers/p2m
3. Transfers in multiples of 60K Marriott points maximize the bonus. Each increment receives Marriott’s additional 5,000 United miles, followed by the 30% promotional bonus: (22,000 + 5,000) * 30% = 8,250 bonus miles. The bonus is capped at 25,000 United miles per account, so three 60K transfers, or 180K Marriott points, maximize the offer and yield a total of 107,250 United miles.
4. If you have fewer than 180K Marriott points, consider using AmEx’s 30% MR-to-Marriott transfer bonus to top up. That transfer is not worthwhile on its own, but combining it with United’s 30% bonus can be decent. At a United valuation of 1.8 cents per mile, the effective MR redemption value is about 1.4 cents per point.

A few days ago, AmEx launched transfer bonuses for many airline partners, including a 15% LifeMiles bonus. Avianca is also running its own 15% transfer bonus through September 30. Promotion page:

At first glance, this may look like the same promotion, but these are separate offers that can be stacked: AmEx adds 15%, then Avianca adds another 15%, for a combined bonus of roughly 32%! Readers in the comments have already received both bonuses, some without realizing it. That is a pretty good rate.

It appears that receiving two 15% bonuses was a glitch. LifeMiles has now started clawing back the second 15% bonus.

September 1 is here, and the Schwab Platinum cash-out rate for MR points has dropped from 1.25 to 1.1 cents each. Unexpectedly, AmEx also launched a whole batch of good transfer bonuses on the same day! HT: FM. We have never seen so many at once. Some of the more appealing offers include:

• Air Canada Aeroplan: 20% bonus.
• Avianca LifeMiles: 15% bonus.
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 30% bonus.
• British Airways Avios: 40% bonus.

These offers end September 30. If you have an upcoming redemption, now is a good time to transfer!

Through September 26, Chase UR transfers to British Airways (BA) Avios earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required. Transfer as needed for your planned redemptions.

Chase UR-to-Marriott transfer bonuses are relatively rare. This 50% offer increases the regular 1:1 ratio to 1:1.5 and ends August 31, 2021. Is it worthwhile? In our view, no. We value UR points at about 1.6 cents each. Even without traveling, CSR holders can redeem them at a fixed 1.5 cents each through Pay Yourself Back. This transfer effectively buys Marriott points for at least 1 cent each, above our Marriott valuation of about 0.7 cents per point. A small top-up to complete a specific redemption can still make sense, though.

From August 9 through August 20 August 27 (extended), Citi ThankYou Points transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. Official promotion page. The bonus will not appear on Citi’s transfer page; Avianca will credit the bonus miles separately after the transfer.

For the next 30 days, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. See the offer details here. Each transfer is limited to 799,000 points, and only one transfer is allowed per 24 hours.

Capital One normally transfers to Aeromexico at 1:1; with this 20% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:1.2. This is probably a less frequently used mileage currency. The offer ends August 8.

Also, Capital One will offer a 33% transfer bonus to British Airways from August 1 through August 31.

Brex is a relatively new business card. It normally transfers to Avianca at 1:1; with this 20% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:1.2, which is quite decent. The offer ends August 8. A previous 25% transfer bonus just expired.

Through July 2, Capital One miles transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. The standard 1:1 ratio becomes 1:1.25, which is quite attractive. Capital One has really been stepping up its game lately!

From May 3 through May 31, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. See the official promotion here. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Avianca awards the bonus miles within 24 hours after the transfer.

Etihad is offering a 50% mileage bonus on hotel points transfers. Official promotion page. HT: FM. The main option relevant to us is:

• Marriott Bonvoy -> Etihad Guest: 50% bonus (standard effective ratio: 3:1.25).

See our Etihad Guest Miles Guide for redemption ideas. This may be worth using for an upcoming booking, but we would avoid stockpiling a currency with a more limited range of uses.

Through April 16, TYP transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. We do not recommend stockpiling miles without a specific near-term redemption.

MR normally transfers to Hilton at 1:2. With this 40% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:2.8 through June 15, 2021. Readers sometimes ask, here and on the forum, whether this is worthwhile. In our view, no. At a Hilton valuation of 0.4 cents per point, this yields 1.12 cents per MR point, less than the 1.25-cent cash-out rate available for MR.

MR normally transfers to Marriott at 1:1. With this 40% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:1.4 through June 15, 2021. Readers sometimes ask, here and on the forum, whether this is worthwhile. In our view, no. At a Marriott valuation of 0.7 cents per point, this yields 0.98 cents per MR point, less than the 1.25-cent cash-out rate available for MR.

From January 27 through 11:59 PM EST on February 25, Citi TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. See the terms here. Only Citi TYP transfers qualify; AmEx MR is not participating this time. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

A belated update: through January 31, bank points transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 15% bonus. Register here first. If you received the email, its registration button lets you enroll with one click. Make sure to register before transferring! Asia Miles can now be kept from expiring, so consider transferring if you need the miles.

MR normally transfers to Hilton at 1:2. With this 40% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:2.8 through January 31, 2021. Readers sometimes ask whether this is worthwhile. In our view, no. At a Hilton valuation of 0.4 cents per point, this yields 1.12 cents per MR point, less than the 1.25-cent cash-out rate.

MR normally transfers to Marriott at 1:1. With this 30% bonus, the ratio becomes 1:1.3 through December 31, 2020. Readers sometimes ask whether this is worthwhile. In our view, no. At a Marriott valuation of 0.7 cents per point, this yields 0.91 cents per MR point, less than the 1.25-cent cash-out rate.

Official promotion page:

From November 23 through December 15, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, there is no bonus cap, and the offer is available to everyone.

Official promotion page:

In the U.S., UR, MR, TYP, and Capital One can all transfer to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and all qualify for a 15% bonus. The deadline has been extended from December 27, 2020 to January 16, 2021. Remember that KrisFlyer miles expire after three years, and ordinary account activity does not reset their expiration. Transfer only with a clear redemption plan rather than stockpiling miles that cannot be kept alive through activity.

Through 11:59 PM EST on December 9, 2020, Chase UR transfers to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus Avios earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Transfer as needed for your planned redemptions.

Etihad is offering a 20%-30% mileage bonus on transfers from various bank and hotel points programs. Official promotion page. HT: OMAAT. The main options relevant to us are:

• Capital One -> Etihad Guest: 30% bonus (standard ratio: 2:1.5).
• Citi TYP -> Etihad Guest: 20% bonus (standard ratio: 1:1).
• Marriott Bonvoy -> Etihad Guest: 20% bonus (standard effective ratio: 3:1.25).

See our Etihad Guest Miles Guide for redemption ideas. This may be worth using for an upcoming booking, but we would avoid stockpiling a currency with a more limited range of uses.

UR transfer bonuses are rare, and this is the first Southwest transfer bonus we have seen. This 20% offer ends October 31. Consider transferring if you need Southwest points. Note that points received through transfers do not count toward Companion Pass qualification.

The last update to this post was in February 2020, half a year ago! It is exciting to finally see another transfer bonus.

Through September 18, 2020, TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Consider it if you need LifeMiles. See the offer details here.

MR transfers to Qantas currently earn a 20% bonus. No end date has been announced. Consider it if you need Qantas Points.

MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles currently earn a 10% or 25% bonus. This can be stacked with Cathay’s separate 10% transfer bonus for a combined bonus of up to 37.5%. The AmEx offer is highly targeted, so check your account.

Asia Miles can now be kept from expiring, so readers who expect to use them may consider transferring some points. The offer has no published end date and no bonus cap. Cathay’s MR transfer bonuses tend to be short-lived.

Through January 31, transfers from any credit card points program to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 10% bonus. Register at this link before transferring.

Miles earned from spending on Cathay’s own co-branded credit card do not qualify. This offer applies only to points transfers.

Another 30% Virgin bonus already! At this rate, a devaluation may not be far off. The previous 30% offer was this May, but the one before that was three years earlier.

Through December 28, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, there is no bonus cap, and transfers are instant.

Through December 11, Citi TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap.

Note: The terms often say these promotions cannot be combined, but they generally have stacked in practice, including on past occasions. This time, only the 20% bonus has posted instantly so far; we do not know whether the additional 15% will arrive later. We will report further data points, so you may want to wait for now.

Qantas has another potentially stackable transfer bonus. First, Qantas recently sent an email offering a 20% bonus on MR transfers through November 30. The website also describes it, as shown above.

A second email and webpage offer a further 15% or 25% bonus on bank points transfers, also through November 30. Most readers can ignore the 25% tier: it requires 500K points.

If both stack, the combined bonus is 1.2 * 1.15 – 1 = 38%. Consider it if you need the points!

From October 28 through December 2, 2019, transfers from the following hotel programs to British Airways Avios earn a 35% bonus:

• Marriott Bonvoy
• IHG Rewards Club
• Radisson Rewards
• Shangri-La’s Golden Circle
• MeliaRewards
• Best Western Rewards

Marriott is probably the only useful option for most of us. A 60K Marriott transfer, including Marriott’s own 5K-mile bonus, earns (20 + 5) * 1.35 = 33.75K Avios. However, U.S. readers can earn plenty of Avios through MR and UR, so giving up Marriott points may not be particularly worthwhile. AmEx recently offered a 40% BA transfer bonus, which was a better option, although MR-to-BA transfers have temporarily stopped working over the past couple of days.

Through November 30, MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. The effective transfer ratio is 1:1.25. Flying Blue’s SkyTeam awards can be expensive, but discounted awards appear regularly, so transfer according to your redemption plans.

Through November 30, MR transfers to JetBlue TrueBlue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. The effective ratio becomes 1:1. JetBlue awards generally track cash fares and offer around 1.6 cents per point, so transfer according to your needs.

Similar to the recent 30% hotel-to-United bonus, hotel points transfers to American Airlines earn a 25% bonus through the end of October. Marriott is generally the only worthwhile option. Registration is required, but there is no bonus cap. We have not found a direct registration link yet. Log in to your AAdvantage account, select Your account, and open the Promotions tab shown above to register.

Marriott-to-AA transfers do not receive the additional 10% partnership bonus available with United, and United’s promotional bonus is 30%, so the AA option is less attractive. Still, consider it if you specifically need American miles.

Through November 30, 2019, hotel points transfers to United, usually from Marriott, earn a 30% bonus. Each 60K Marriott transfer yields 35,750 United miles. The 30% bonus is capped at 25,000 miles. Based on past experience, this cap is applied before the additional 10% partnership bonus, making the effective maximum 25,000 * 1.1.

Register first! Register first! Register first! The registration link is here.

The terms do not make clear whether Marriott Travel Packages qualify this time. Aeroplan’s recent promotions explicitly excluded them, so we will need reader data points for United.

Through October 31, 2019, AmEx MR transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 15% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. LifeMiles does not charge a close-in booking fee for Star Alliance awards, though it does charge a $25 booking fee, and award sales are frequent. This can be a useful option.

Selected AmEx members are receiving a targeted 20% bonus on MR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan. There is no bonus cap and no published end date.

Consider it if you need Star Alliance awards; it is especially useful for booking Air China flights.

Through October 31, Capital One transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer earn a 33.3% bonus. The regular 2:1.5 ratio improves to 1:1. Qantas is also offering a targeted 15% bonus on bank points transfers that can be stacked; see here. Like BA, Qantas uses distance-based award pricing and can be especially useful for short-haul flights. See this guide for details. Qantas Points are not the easiest currency to use, so transfer only for a specific redemption.

Selected AmEx members currently receive a 40% bonus on MR transfers to British Airways Executive Club. There is no bonus cap or published end date, so transfer according to your needs. Similar targeted 40%-50% bonuses appeared fairly recently, in June 2019.

Through October 19, 2019, Citi ThankYou Points transfers to JetBlue earn a 25% bonus. JetBlue points function much like cash toward its own flights, so consider this if you have a specific trip in mind.

Through October 7, 2019, AmEx MR transfers to Hawaiian Airlines earn a 25% bonus. Consider it if you need Hawaiian miles, and see our Hawaiian Airlines Miles Guide for more details. In addition to Hawaiian’s own flights, its miles can be used on partners such as Japan Airlines, JetBlue, Korean Air, and Virgin Atlantic.

Aeroplan is again offering a 30% bonus on hotel points transfers, including Marriott, through September 22, 2019. See the official promotion page for details. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Marriott Travel Packages are explicitly excluded; only direct points transfers qualify.

For example, transferring 60K Marriott points normally earns 25K Aeroplan miles. With the 30% bonus, you receive 32.5K miles. As always, transfer according to your actual redemption needs.

Capital One transfers to Avianca LifeMiles currently earn a 25% bonus from July 1 through July 31, 2019. Capital One’s regular ratio is 2:1.5, not 1:1, so the bonus improves it to 2:1.875. LifeMiles really seems to love selling miles…

Citi TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles currently earn a 30% bonus. Promotion link. This is a two-day offer only: June 27-28, 2019! LifeMiles has been running many transfer bonuses lately; a 25% Citi bonus was still live just a few days ago. LifeMiles is one of the more useful Star Alliance currencies; see our LifeMiles Guide. It was already one of the best uses of TYP, and this bonus makes it even better. The concern is whether all these partnerships and promotions will be followed by a devaluation. If you can redeem the miles promptly, it is worth considering.

Through 11:59 PM EST on July 20, TYP transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Flying Blue redemptions can be expensive, but take a look at our new monthly Promo Rewards roundup.

Aeroplan is again offering a 35% bonus on Marriott points transfers through June 26, 2019. Yes, this offer lasts only six days! Other hotel programs do not qualify. See the official promotion page for details. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Marriott Travel Packages are explicitly excluded; only direct points transfers qualify.

For example, transferring 60K Marriott points normally earns 25K Aeroplan miles. With the 35% bonus, you receive 33.75K miles. As always, transfer according to your actual redemption needs.

June 13 Update: Qantas Frequent Flyer members should have recently received the email shown above. It says:

For the first-time, you can transfer your American Express® Membership Rewards points into Qantas Points.

And for a limited time, earn 20% more Qantas Points when you transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to Qantas Points*. Offer ends 30 June 2019.

Now your American Express® card can take you that extra mile.

The email refers to the previously announced MR-to-Qantas promotion, but transfers have been receiving a 20% bonus from AmEx and another 20% from Qantas, for a combined 44% bonus. If you also have Qantas’s targeted 15%-30% transfer bonus, the total can be even higher. However, the terms explicitly prohibit combining these offers, so the extra miles could be clawed back later. Decide for yourself whether to take that risk.

Through June 30, AmEx MR transfers to Qantas earn a 20% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. This can be stacked with the previously posted bank-points-to-Qantas bonus, though that offer is targeted. See our Qantas Miles Guide to learn how to use Qantas as an alternative to BA for short-haul American Airlines awards.

Some readers received a targeted bonus of up to 50% on AmEx MR transfers to Marriott today. The regular 1:1 ratio improves to as much as 1:1.5. There is no bonus cap or published end date. This is the highest MR-to-Marriott transfer bonus we have seen. However, at our valuations of 1.6 cents per MR point and 0.7 cents per Marriott point, it is still not especially worthwhile. A small top-up for a specific Marriott stay can make sense; otherwise, we would avoid the transfer.

Selected AmEx members currently receive up to a 50% bonus on MR transfers to British Airways Executive Club. This appears to be a tiered, targeted offer, with no bonus cap or published end date. Transfer according to your needs. This is the best MR-to-BA ratio we have seen. A 50% bonus also appeared back in August 2016, but the base ratio was then 1:0.8, so the effective ratio was only 1:1.2. This time it is a genuine all-time high.

You may recall the recent BA devaluation that was supposed to eliminate 7,500-Avios short-haul economy awards within the U.S. The new pricing was officially due to begin May 30, but BA has not actually implemented it for U.S. domestic flights yet, even though it has elsewhere. The JFK-CLT search shown above is an example. This is only a search result; I have not completed a booking and do not know whether an error might appear at checkout. Please share any booking data points in the comments.

Like BA, JetBlue is currently offering up to a 50% bonus on AmEx transfers, and readers have also reported 40% offers. MR normally transfers to JetBlue at 1:0.8, so even a 50% bonus produces only a 1:1.2 ratio, but that is still relatively rare. There is no bonus cap or published end date. Transfer according to your needs, especially if you are based at JetBlue’s Boston hub. JetBlue Mint has consistently received good reviews, particularly on transcontinental routes; see this review.

Some members received an email today offering a 25% bonus on Citi TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles from June 3 through July 5, 2019. LifeMiles is one of the more useful Star Alliance currencies; see our LifeMiles Guide. It was already one of the best uses of TYP, and this bonus makes it even better. The concern is whether all these partnerships and promotions will be followed by a devaluation. If you can redeem the miles promptly, it is worth considering.

Through the early hours of June 30, Eastern Time, Capital One miles transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 20% bonus. The effective transfer ratio is 1:0.9. Since the Capital One Venture earns 2 miles per dollar, this is still decent. Flying Blue has been less attractive lately, with awards generally expensive outside promotional sales, so transfer according to your actual redemption needs.

Through June 30, transfers from bank points programs, including Citi TYP and newly added AmEx MR in North America, to Qantas earn a 15%, 20%, or 30% bonus. This is Qantas’s own promotion, and you must receive the email shown above to qualify. Members who previously transferred to Qantas may be more likely to receive it. The bonus tiers are:

• Transfer up to 500K get a 15% bonus
• Transfer between 500,001 and 1,999,999 and get a 20% bonus
• Transfer 2,000,000 or more and get a 30% bonus

I doubt many readers will transfer 2 million points to Qantas, and even 500K is a lot. For most targeted members, this is effectively a 15% bonus. It will not appear on Citi’s or AmEx’s transfer page. After BA’s short-haul devaluation, Qantas offers another useful option for U.S. domestic awards. See our Qantas Miles Guide for more details.

 

Through July 1, 2019, AmEx MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic earn a 30% bonus. Virgin miles are useful not only for its own flights but also for ANA and Delta premium-cabin awards. Consider transferring if you have a booking in mind. Like BA Avios, Virgin miles remain valid for 36 months, and account activity extends their expiration, making them relatively easy to keep active.

 

Through 11:59 PM Eastern Time on June 22, TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Before transferring, check that your account displays the bonus shown above. See the earlier MR bonus section for Virgin redemption ideas. Virgin is really stepping things up: AmEx and Citi are both offering 30% bonuses at the same time!

 

Selected AmEx members currently receive a 10%-20% bonus on MR transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan. Aeroplan is a useful Star Alliance program, especially for Air China awards. No registration is required, there is no bonus cap, and no end date has been published.

Through 11:59 PM EST on June 19, Chase UR transfers to British Airways Avios earn a 30% bonus. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. Transfer as needed for your planned redemptions. This is a first: we have never seen a UR transfer bonus before!

Through May 31, 2019, Capital One transfers to JetBlue earn a 50% bonus. JetBlue was added as a transfer partner today. The normal 2:1 ratio improves to 2:1.5 with the bonus.

April 2019 Update: Extended through April 26!

Aeroplan is again offering a 30% bonus on hotel points transfers through April 22, 2019. See the official promotion page for details. No registration is required, and there is no bonus cap. However, readers’ emails show a 35% bonus, so we suspect one of the figures is a typo; we do not know which. Aeroplan has not previously run targeted transfer bonuses.

For example, transferring 60K Marriott points normally earns 25K Aeroplan miles. At a 30% bonus, you receive 32.5K miles. As always, transfer according to your actual redemption needs. Marriott Travel Packages are excluded; only direct transfers qualify.

Through April 29, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. Flying Blue has relatively few standout uses at the moment, but its own premium-cabin Promo Rewards and domestic mainland China economy awards can offer value. One-way economy awards on China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines, and XiamenAir within mainland China cost around 11.5K-14.5K miles, considerably less than Delta’s 17.5K. See this article for details. Overall, this is not the easiest currency to use, so transfer only for a specific redemption.

 

Through April 13, TYP transfers to Qantas Frequent Flyer earn a 25% bonus. Like BA, Qantas uses distance-based award pricing and can be especially useful for short-haul flights. See this guide for details. Qantas Points are not the easiest currency to use, so transfer only for a specific redemption.

Offer ends April 1, apparently with no bonus cap. The highest previous bonus seems to have been 25%, so we suggest participating only if you need the miles.

MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles currently have targeted bonuses of 10%, 15%, 20%, or 30%. No end date is published. The last offer disappeared after just one day, so act promptly if you have a redemption in mind!

Through Valentine’s Day, February 14, bank points transfers to Qantas earn a 15%-40% bonus. The tiers are shown below, but most readers will fall below 500K points and receive only 15%. Citi TYP is the only relevant U.S. transfer partner. Transfers are generally instant, though timing can vary. Like BA, Qantas uses distance-based award pricing and can be especially useful for short-haul flights. See this guide for details.

MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic currently have targeted bonuses of 10%, 20%, or 30%. Your account may not have any bonus at all. As usual, no end date is published, so act promptly if you need the miles. The recent MR-to-Aeroplan offer lasted only a few days.

Through December 12, 2018, TYP transfers to Avianca LifeMiles earn a 25% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:1,000 to 1,000:1,250. LifeMiles is one of the more useful Star Alliance currencies; see our LifeMiles Guide. It was already one of the best uses of TYP, and this bonus makes it even better. The concern is whether all these partnerships and promotions will be followed by a devaluation. If you can redeem the miles promptly, it is worth considering.

Like United, Aeroplan is offering a 30% bonus on hotel points transfers through December 3, 2018. See the official promotion page for details.

For example, transferring 60K Marriott points normally earns 25K Aeroplan miles; the 30% bonus increases that to 32.5K. A 60:32.5 ratio is quite decent. United’s current 30% promotion yields 35.75K United miles for the same 60K Marriott points. Although United gives you more miles, the better choice depends on your actual redemption needs.

United is offering a limited-time promotion: hotel points transfers to MileagePlus earn a 30% bonus through November 30! Official promotion page: https://promotions.united.com/offers/P2M.

A few terms to note:

 

This is a targeted 10% or 20% bonus. There is no bonus cap or published expiration date. Consider it if you have a specific redemption in mind!

Through November 30, 2018, AmEx MR transfers to Hilton HHonors earn a 30% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:2,000 to 1,000:2,600. Overall, we consider this fairly ordinary. Even at a Hilton valuation of 0.5 cents per point, 2,600 Hilton points are worth $13, while 1,000 MR points should be worth at least $15. We generally do not recommend this transfer without a specific redemption.

Through November 15, 2018, AmEx MR transfers to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus Avios earn a 40% bonus. Consider it if you need Avios.

 

Through October 13, 2018, TYP transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club earn a 30% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:1,000 to 1,000:1,300. Virgin miles are particularly useful for ANA awards: round-trip ANA first class between China and the U.S. costs roughly 120K-140K miles plus fuel surcharges. See our Virgin Atlantic Miles Guide for details. Virgin miles remain valid for three years, and any account activity extends their expiration, just like BA Avios. That is fairly generous, but we still recommend transferring only for a specific redemption.

Through October 1, 2018, MR transfers to JetBlue TrueBlue earn a 25% bonus, increasing the ratio from 250:200 (1:0.8) to 250:250 (1:1).

 

From September 13 through September 17, Marriott points, including balances from SPG and Ritz-Carlton, transferred to Aeroplan earn a 35% bonus. The deadline is 11:59 Eastern Time, which I understand to mean PM. See the terms here. The promotional email gives this example: transfer 60,000 Marriott points, retain the 5,000-mile bonus associated with the equivalent 20K-SPG transfer, and receive another 8,750 miles from the 35% promotion, for 33,750 miles total. At an Aeroplan valuation of 1.5 cents per mile, that values Marriott points at about 0.84 cents each, which is quite decent. Consider it for Star Alliance awards, especially since Marriott Travel Packages are harder to assemble now and compare less favorably with this promotion. Bonus miles take 4-6 weeks to post.

We have not yet found a bonus cap and will update if there is one. The terms include an example using a 120,000-point transfer, so at least that amount should qualify.

Through September 12, 2018, MR transfers to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club earn a 30% bonus, increasing the ratio from 1,000:1,000 to 1,000:1,300. Virgin miles are particularly useful for ANA awards: round-trip ANA first class between China and the U.S. costs roughly 120K-140K miles plus fuel surcharges. See our Virgin Atlantic Miles Guide for details. Virgin miles remain valid for three years, and any account activity extends their expiration, just like BA Avios. That is fairly generous, but we still recommend transferring only for a specific redemption.

Through August 29, 2018, Citi ThankYou Points transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 30% bonus, the highest Flying Blue transfer bonus we have seen. Flying Blue is useful for domestic mainland China awards on China Eastern and China Southern. Following a recent substantial devaluation, these flights cost 13.5K-17.5K Flying Blue miles, but this bonus reduces the effective cost to around 10K-13K TYP. That is still attractive if you need domestic flights in China. Remember that Flying Blue miles expire after 20 months, and only qualifying mileage-earning activity such as flights extends their validity. UR, MR, and TYP transfers do not extend expiration.

Unfortunately, this offer disappeared after just one day. We are not sure what AmEx was thinking.

MR transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles currently earn up to a 30% bonus, with no deadline stated on AmEx’s website. Most members reportedly see offers between 10% and 30%, so check your MR account. Colin received a 20% offer, while his spouse received 30%. Citi previously offered two 15%-20% transfer bonuses, so AmEx’s offer of up to 30% is quite generous. Consider it if you need the miles. Asia Miles recently overhauled its award chart, improving short-haul pricing but devaluing long-haul awards, especially premium cabins, making the program less attractive for North American readers. Still, Cathay releases many China-U.S. awards, often four or more business-class seats on one flight, and changes are convenient: changes within the same routing cost only 1,000 Asia Miles. Improved short-haul pricing is especially attractive for Hong Kong-based travelers. Remember that Asia Miles expire after three years and cannot be kept alive through account activity, so avoid large speculative transfers.

Through June 26, 2018, MR transfers to Hawaiian Airlines improve to 1,000:1,250, or 1:1.25. If you are unfamiliar with Hawaiian miles, see the award chart here. One-way interisland flights start at 7,500 miles, and North America-Hawaii flights start at 20,000 miles.

Through July 4, 2018, TYP transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles improve to 1,000:1,150, or 1:1.15. This is Citi’s second Asia Miles transfer bonus, but 15% is less generous than the previous 20%. Asia Miles recently overhauled its award chart, improving short-haul pricing but devaluing long-haul awards, especially premium cabins, making the program less attractive for North American readers. Still, Cathay releases many China-U.S. awards, often four or more business-class seats on one flight, and changes are convenient: changes within the same routing cost only 1,000 Asia Miles. Improved short-haul pricing is especially attractive for Hong Kong-based travelers. Consider it for a specific redemption, but remember that Asia Miles expire after three years and cannot be kept alive through account activity. We do not recommend stockpiling them.

Through June 15, 2018, AmEx MR transfers to Air France-KLM Flying Blue earn a 25% bonus. Flying Blue is useful for domestic mainland China awards on China Eastern and China Southern, so consider it if you have a trip in mind. See our Flying Blue Miles Guide for details. Remember that Flying Blue miles expire after 20 months, and only qualifying mileage-earning activity such as flights extends their validity. UR, MR, and TYP transfers do not extend expiration.

Aeroplan typically offers hotel transfer bonuses once or twice each year, and this year is no exception. Eligible partners include Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors, Club Carlson, Wyndham Rewards, and others. MR transfers do not qualify.

Through April 16, 2018, hotel points transfers to Aeroplan earn a 25% bonus. Promotion link.

SPG transfers can be worthwhile; most other hotel transfer ratios are poor. The big question is whether miles from Marriott Travel Packages qualify. Unfortunately, this year’s terms are unclear, so we will need someone to test it and share a data point:

Please note that some hotel loyalty programs have hotel and flight redemption packages where Aeroplan Miles are issued. It is at the discretion of each Hotel Program if these miles are deemed a conversion of points to miles or simply a bonus earned for the redemption.

HT: Frequent Miler.

Through December 10, 2017, selected AmEx members receive an improved MR-to-Aeroplan ratio of 1,000:1,200, or 1:1.2. This is the first AmEx Aeroplan bonus in many years. Colin received the offer, so check your account if you need Aeroplan miles. Remember that Aeroplan miles expire after one year, although any account activity extends their validity. Air Canada is set to leave Aeroplan for its own loyalty program in 2020, so we do not recommend stockpiling Aeroplan miles.

Promotion dates: October 21-December 5, 2017.

Link:

The 30% bonus appears to be uncapped. The transfer chart is available at the link. The most attractive tier converts 70,000 Marriott points into 32,500 American miles, equivalent to an SPG-to-AA ratio of about 1:1.39, slightly better than the usual 1:1.25. It is not spectacular, though. With a large points balance, Marriott Travel Packages still offer better value.

Most importantly, the terms explicitly limit the 30% bonus to direct Marriott points transfers. Marriott Travel Packages do not qualify!

United is offering a limited-time promotion: hotel points transfers to MileagePlus earn a 30% bonus through November 30! Official promotion page: https://promotions.united.com/offers/p2m. A few terms to note:

Promotion dates: October 10-November 30, 2017.

If you need Virgin Atlantic miles, this is a good time to transfer. Virgin miles can offer excellent value for ANA first-class awards.

Promotion dates: September 1-October 15, 2017.

Promotion link:

Promotion rules:

• Each transfer earns a 20% bonus. This stacks with SPG’s additional 5,000 miles for each 20,000 points transferred, so 20,000 SPG points yield 20,000 * 1.25 * 1.2 = 30,000 American miles.
• For every 100,000 American miles received through transfers, you earn another 10,000 miles. For example, transferring 80,000 SPG points initially yields 80,000 * 1.25 * 1.2 = 120,000 American miles, followed by another 10,000, for 130,000 miles total. Without this promotion, 80,000 SPG points would yield 100,000 American miles, so the overall increase is 30%. That is how the 30% bonus in the heading is calculated.

If you need an American Airlines award soon, the 20% bonus is decent. However, the 30% tier is not worthwhile: it requires at least 80K SPG points. With that many points, you would be better off saving a little more and using 90K for a Marriott Travel Package. We strongly discourage converting valuable SPG points into American miles without a near-term redemption. If you want to earn American miles, consider the Citi AA cards and Barclaycard AA cards instead.

Through September 6, 2017, TYP transfers to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles improve to 1,000:1,200, or 1:1.2. This is Citi’s first Asia Miles transfer bonus. Cathay offers plentiful China-U.S. award availability, often four or more business-class seats on one flight. Changes are convenient, with changes within the same routing costing only 1,000 Asia Miles. Consider it if you need China-U.S. flights. Remember that Asia Miles expire after three years and cannot be kept alive through account activity, so we do not recommend stockpiling them.

Citi has also doubled the Hilton transfer ratio: 1,000 TYP now yields 2,000 Hilton points. Hilton points have a low value, though, so even a 1:2 ratio is not worthwhile.

Through September 17, 2017, MR transfers to British Airways improve to 250:350, or 1:1.4. Before this promotion, the regular MR-to-BA ratio had already returned from 1:0.8 to 1:1. A 1:1.4 ratio is quite attractive: short-haul awards costing 4,500, 7,500, or 10,000 Avios require only about 3,300, 5,400, or 7,200 MR points. Even one-way business- and first-class awards between China and the U.S. West Coast require only about 75,000 and 100,000 MR points, respectively, making them competitive with AA awards! BA blocks close-in Cathay awards, so transfer only for a specific redemption rather than stockpiling Avios.

Through August 21, hotel points transfers to Aeroplan earn a 35% bonus. A 270K Marriott Travel Package, equivalent to 90K SPG points, yields 120K * 1.35 = 162K Aeroplan miles plus a seven-night hotel certificate! That is an effective SPG-to-Aeroplan ratio of 1:1.8, with the hotel stay on top. It is an attractive offer. However, Air Canada is set to leave Aeroplan in 2020, so transfer for a specific redemption rather than stockpiling miles.

Through April 17, hotel points transfers to Aeroplan earn up to a 30% bonus.

Aeroplan typically offers hotel transfer bonuses once or twice a year, and this year is no exception. Eligible partners include Starwood Preferred Guest, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors, Club Carlson, Wyndham Rewards, and others; MR transfers do not qualify. Transferring 160K SPG points normally earns 200K Aeroplan miles. With a 30% bonus, that becomes 260K, an impressive ratio of 1:1.625. An 80K SPG transfer normally earns 100K miles; with a 25% bonus, it yields 125K, for a ratio of 1:1.5625.

Marriott Travel Packages can be even better! For 500K Marriott points, equivalent to about 167K SPG points, you can get two Category 5 seven-night certificates plus 260K Aeroplan miles. Compared with a direct SPG transfer, an extra 7K SPG points gets you 14 hotel nights! A 270K Marriott package, equivalent to 90K SPG points, yields 150K Aeroplan miles plus a seven-night certificate, an effective ratio of about 1:1.67 with the hotel stay on top.

Through April 30, ThankYou Points transfers to JetBlue earn a 50% bonus. With a Citi Prestige or Citi Premier card, the ratio increases from 1,000:800 to 1,000:1,200. At a JetBlue valuation of about 1.2 cents per point, that gets you roughly 1.5 cents per TYP. For example, a JFK-SFO Mint award costs 42.2K JetBlue points, requiring only about 35K TYP. With a cash fare around $560, that yields about 1.6 cents per TYP. As always, transfer only for a specific redemption; being stuck with an airline currency you cannot use is frustrating.

Note: Virgin America has been acquired by Alaska Airlines.

According to OMAAT, SPG transfers to Virgin America will end on January 6:

SPG has a long-standing partnership with both Alaska Airlines and Virgin America, and was excited to hear the news about the official close of their merger. This presents a great opportunity for Elevate members to join and enjoy all the benefits of Alaska’s award-winning Mileage Plan starting January 9^th.  Instead, SPG has decided to focus its partnership on Alaska Mileage Plan and end its partnership with Virgin America’s Elevate program. This means SPG members will no longer be able to earn Elevate points on hotel stays, or directly transfer Starpoints into Elevate accounts after January 6, 2017.

SPG members will be able to use Starpoints to travel on Virgin America by transferring Starpoints to Alaska Mileage Plan miles and redeeming them for Virgin America flights on alaskaair.com starting January 9, 2017.  Furthermore, SPG members can continue to transfer Starpoints to Alaska Mileage Plan at a 1:1 ratio – and earn a 5,000 bonus miles when they transfer 20,000 Starpoints to Alaska Mileage Plan.

Transferring 20,000 SPG points yields 25,000 Virgin America points, which convert to Alaska miles at 1:1.3. Thus, 20,000 SPG points become 32,500 Alaska miles, an effective ratio of 1:1.625. Act promptly if you need Alaska miles!

Transfers from various hotel programs, including SPG, to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles earn a 30% bonus through December 31, 2016. Most transfer ratios are poor, but SPG’s effective 1:1.3 ratio is decent: 20K SPG points earn 25K * 1.3 = 32.5K Asia Miles. Consider it if you need the miles, and see our Asia Miles Guide for redemption ideas.

Following yesterday’s United promotion, American is now offering a 20% bonus on Marriott points transfers. See the official promotion page. This is less attractive than United’s offer. In my view, only the 270K Marriott Travel Package tier offers reasonable value, and even that is worse than United’s promotion. If you do not have enough Marriott points for a package, you can simply transfer Marriott to SPG at 3:1 and then SPG to AA at an effective 1:1.25; there is no need to use this promotion.

United is offering a limited-time promotion: hotel points transfers to MileagePlus earn a 25% bonus through November 30! Official promotion page: www.united.com/pointstomiles. A few terms to note:

Many hotel programs can transfer to United, including Marriott, Hyatt, and SPG, but the ratios are not 1:1, and most are poor. We will not list them all here.

Marriott is the exception. Its standard ratio is already reasonable, and the additional 25% makes it attractive! At our valuations of 0.7 cents per Marriott point and 1.6 cents per United mile, any Marriott-to-United ratio above 1:0.44 increases the value of the points.

This is a good offer. See our detailed analysis: Hotel Points to United: 25% Bonus Miles!

AmEx MR transfers to SPG earn a 50% bonus through November 17, 2016. The standard 3:1 ratio improves to 2:1, but that is still poor and not very useful for most people. Only selected Platinum cardholders who received the email qualify. HT: Reddit.

AmEx MR transfers to Alitalia earn a 25% bonus through October 31, 2016. Alitalia’s award price increases of more than 200% have been brutal; do not transfer. Alitalia is an excellent option for round-trip SkyTeam awards between China and the U.S. See our Alitalia Miles Guide. Just 95K Alitalia miles, or 76K MR points, can book round-trip business class between China and the U.S. on China Southern, China Eastern, or China Airlines! Alitalia cannot book domestic mainland China awards, so keep phone bookings as simple as possible, ideally nonstop round trips on China Eastern or China Southern.

Recent data points suggest Alitalia’s China call center cannot issue award tickets, but the headquarters’ English-language line is reasonably easy to reach, and the agents speak good English.

Note: Virgin America has been acquired by Alaska Airlines.

AmEx MR transfers to Virgin America earn a 25% bonus through October 10, 2016. This may be useful for frequent Virgin America flyers or readers based in SFO or LAX. Like Delta, Virgin America is a U.S. airline, so AmEx charges an excise tax offset fee for transfers. An 80K MR transfer would incur a $48 fee.

MR normally transfers to Virgin America at 200:100. With this offer, 200 MR points yield 125 Virgin America points. Transferring 80K MR points therefore yields 50K Virgin America points and qualifies you for Elevate Gold status. Virgin America points are worth about 2.2 cents each toward its own flights, so 50K points are worth $1,100. That gives you about 1.37 cents per MR point plus Gold status. The 25% transfer bonus ends October 10, 2016, and Gold status is valid through January 1, 2018. However, only members who register by September 30 qualify for Gold, so register your Virgin America account promptly if interested.

Alaska has acquired Virgin America, and the airlines and loyalty programs are expected to merge. We all know how useful Alaska miles can be! For Virgin America redemption ideas, see ThunderFat’s Virgin America Elevate Guide. What does Elevate Gold offer? Here are the main benefits:

• A 140% mileage bonus on Virgin America flights: earn 1,200 points per $100 in flight spending, versus 500 points for regular members.
• Priority treatment on Virgin America flights, including priority check-in and three free checked bags.
• Priority security screening and baggage handling.
• Complimentary access to the Virgin America Loft Lounge at LAX.
• Two 25%-off discounts on nonrefundable economy tickets each year.
• Free award ticket cancellations.
• Priority check-in, boarding, and security on Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia. Virgin Australia also offers priority baggage handling and complimentary access to its domestic lounges in Australia.

AmEx MR transfers to British Airways earn a 50% bonus through October 10, 2016! This limited-time offer converts 250 MR points into 300 Avios, an effective ratio of 1:1.2. Consider it if you need Avios. Since last year’s standard ratio fell from 1:1 to 1:0.8, this 50% headline bonus is less impressive than it sounds; we may see similar offers several times a year. With American’s domestic saver availability shrinking and BA blocking close-in Cathay Dragon awards from Hong Kong, Avios have become much less useful. On the other hand, this offer allows transfers in 250-point increments rather than the usual 1,000-point minimum, so it may be useful for MR balances below 1,000 points.

Offer ends October 10.

AmEx is offering a 50% bonus on MR transfers to Plenti through December 31, 2016. Transfers must be in increments of 500 MR points; each 500 MR points yields 750 Plenti points.

Official link: https://rewards.americanexpress.com/myca/loyalty/us/catalog/view/ptlanding/detail/5629f2afe4b0b3d3bd79cdd5

We previously introduced Plenti in our Plenti Points Guide. Plenti points are worth 1 cent each, so this bonus yields 1.5 cents per MR point.

Although there are many ways to earn Plenti points, redemption options are limited. They can be redeemed at 1 cent each at Macy’s, Exxon/Mobil, Rite Aid, and AT&T. The minimum redemption is only 200 points, or $2, and any amount above $2 can be redeemed without rounding to fixed increments. That makes small leftover balances easy to use.

This is clearly not the best use of MR points, but many people prefer not to spend time researching award redemptions. For those readers, transferring MR to Plenti during this promotion is a reasonable option.