How can you get the best value when converting American Express points for airfare?

My wife's 60th is coming up and we'd like to fly to London (from Denver, CO). My physical limitations require business class. Is it best to buy cheapest ticket, then upgrade using American Express points?

Best Answer

Assuming you are a member of the Membership Rewards program, and assuming that you wish to travel to London, UK:

I have found that one of the most lucrative ways to use American Express points is to transfer them to ANA's membership rewards program (which you can do one-to-one for free). ANA's program allows you to purchase any Star Alliance flight, and I have found that they have some of the best availability and pricing. For example, most round-trip trans-continental flights originating from the US are 68k points per person for business class, which is an excellent deal. If you don't quite have enough points to get your desired number of tickets, AmEx will even loan you some points that you will have to re-accrue within the next year (or else you pay a penalty). The downsides are that:

it can take a week or two for the points to transfer from AmEx to ANA;
there is no way to hold a flight reservation during that time;
once you transfer the points to ANA there is no way to transfer them back; and
it is difficult to search for rewards flights on ANA without already having an ANA frequent flier account with at least one frequent flier mile.

Pictures about "How can you get the best value when converting American Express points for airfare?"

How can you get the best value when converting American Express points for airfare? - Pile of American paper money on black surface

How can you get the best value when converting American Express points for airfare? - From above of United States currency folded in roll placed on USA flag illustrating concept of business profit and wealth

How can you get the best value when converting American Express points for airfare? - Overjoyed African American graduate tossing copies of resumes in air after learning news about successfully getting job while sitting in green park with laptop

What is the most efficient way to use American Express points?

Transfer to airline partners

The hands-down best way to spend your Amex points is to redeem them with a travel partner instead of booking through Amex Travel. ...

Amex partners with 19 airlines including AeroMexico, ANA, British Airways, Delta, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic.

How much is 50000 Amex points worth for travel?

How much are 50,000 American Express points worth? At a minimum, 50,000 American Express Membership Rewards points are worth $500 when you use them in the Amex Travel portal. If you're looking for even more value, you'll want to transfer them out to an Amex hotel and airline partner.

How much are Amex points worth flights?

This is simple: American Express Membership Points are worth exactly 1 cent apiece when booking travel through the issuer's portal. This math is made explicit when booking a flight or hotel while logged in. For example, a $210 flight will cost 21,000 points.

How much are 75000 Amex points worth?

Amex Gold 90,000- or 75,000-point offers Those targeted for the 75,000-point offer will have the same spending requirement and timeline. TPG values 90,000 Membership Rewards points at an impressive $1,800, while 75,000 points are worth a solid $1,500.

How to Transfer American Express Points to Airline and Hotels [Step By Step]

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska, Ketut Subiyanto