Transfer Bonuses for Flexible Point Currencies
Point currencies such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards are some of the most valuable. The extra value of these programs is the long list of travel partners. This is where you can usually get the best value for your points.
If your goal is to maximize your points, taking advantage of transfer bonuses is one of the best things that you can do. You can often get up to 50% more value when you transfer your points to an airline or hotel partner. These transfer bonuses usually run for a short time, between a couple or week or one or two months.
To make it easier for you to figure out which points to transfer, I have compiled a list of all the current transfer bonuses for the major flexible currencies. Check out the list below and some more tips on best practices.
List of Transfer Bonuses for May 2023
Each month we usually see transfer bonuses from flexible currencies. There’s no exact schedule, so it’s hard to predict when a certain bonus will return. Sometimes transfer bonuses are targeted, so they might not shopw up for everyone.
Here’s the full list of current bonuses, ordered by expiration date:
| From | To | Bonus | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Membership Rewards | Avianca LifeMiles | 15% | 05/31/23 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Asia Miles | 20% | 06/14/23 |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Virgin Atlantic | 30% | 06/14/23 |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | Virgin Atlantic | 30% | 06/15/23 |
| Citi ThankYou | Air France/KLM Flying Blue | 25% | 06/17/23 |
If you see a bonus that is not listed here, please let me know in the comments.
Transfer Bonus History
Check out the previous transfer bonuses for some of the major airline and hotel programs so you have an idea how the current offers compare.
| Hotel/Airline | Transfer from | Bonus | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Miles | Amex Membership Rewards | 20% | 06/01-06/14, 2023 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Amex Membership Rewards | 30% | 05/23-06/14, 2023 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Chase Ultimate Rewards | 30% | 05/15-06/15, 2023 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Amex Membership Rewards | 25% | 04/01-05/22, 2023 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Chase Ultimate Rewards | 25% | 04/01-05/15, 2023 |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Bilt Rewards | 100% | 05/01-05/01, 2023 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Chase Ultimate Rewards | 50% | 04/01-05/15, 2023 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Citi ThankYou | 25% | 05/01-06/17, 2023 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Chase Ultimate Rewards | 10% | 04/12-04/22, 2023 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Amex Membership Rewards | 15% | 05/01-05/31, 2023 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Amex Membership Rewards | 10% | 04/12-04/22, 2023 |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Capital One Miles | 10% | 04/12-04/22, 2023 |
Should You Transfer Points?
This is a question that everyone should ask themselves before transferring points. You should only transfer points from a flexible currency into a hotel or airline program if you have a certain redemption in mind, or if you know for sure that you will use your points.
It’s best not to transfer speculatively, because these transfers are not reversible. If you don’t use the points in a timely manner after transferring them, then you have to worry about devaluations and expiration dates. Plus they lose value because those points are stuck in that one program.
