The Amex ecosystem
The broadest airline transfer list in the game and the most frequent transfer bonuses — Amex is the bonus-chaser's currency.
Last reviewed Jul 12, 2026
The Map
Hub currency: Amex Membership Rewards. Everything it reaches, rendered from the program records:
| Transfer from | Into | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Membership Rewards | Delta SkyMiles | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Air Canada Aeroplan | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | British Airways Executive Club | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Marriott Bonvoy | Not verified |
| Amex Membership Rewards | Hilton Honors | Not verified |
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratio: Not verified
Ratios shown are those stated on the site; “Not verified” means we haven't sourced that ratio yet.
The Arbitrage
Where the entry door changes the price. Each play links to its Sweet Spot card where one exists.
ANA First to Tokyo via Virgin
- The setup
- Amex transfers to Virgin Atlantic — the cheapest door to ANA first class, and the reason Amex breadth matters.
- The numbers
- ≈120,000 points round-trip against $18,000+ — roughly 15¢ per point.
- The door to use
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Confirm space before transferring.
Lufthansa First via LifeMiles
- The setup
- Amex reaches Avianca LifeMiles, the surcharge-free way into Lufthansa first class.
- The numbers
- ≈87,000 points one-way against $9,000+ — roughly 10.3¢ per point.
- The door to use
- Avianca LifeMiles.
Aeroplan stopovers
- The setup
- Amex feeds Aeroplan, unlocking the paid-stopover mini round-the-world.
- The numbers
- ≈87,500–102,500 points one-way in business against $5,000+ — about 5.5¢, more with stopovers.
- The door to use
- Air Canada Aeroplan.
The Earning Angle
EditorialAmex's edge is breadth and bonuses. It reaches Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic, and Avianca LifeMiles — the three programs behind the plays above — and runs transfer bonuses far more often than Chase. Time a transfer to a live bonus and the effective rate improves further; that timing is the whole discipline of the Amex ecosystem. Every one of these plays also appears in the Star Alliance playbook, because breadth is exactly the point.
The Routing Tricks
Aeroplan's 5,000-point stopover (Amex → Aeroplan)
Amex feeds Aeroplan, so it inherits the stopover trick: break a North America → Asia business award with a stopover for a flat 5,000 points. Price the full itinerary on Aeroplan first, then transfer.
What Breaks It
The changes that would kill each play — cross-linked to Devaluation Watch and current News so this playbook stays honest.
The ANA-via-Virgin chart is rumored to jump up to 60%
Amex's flagship play rests on the ANA partner chart, and that chart is rumored to rise sharply this quarter. Book Tokyo first if it's on your list.
Aeroplan is creeping toward dynamic pricing
Partner awards pricing above the published chart threaten the stopover play. It still works today — book firm plans and stop stockpiling speculatively.