This is just a quick reminder that the last day to transfer your American Express Membership Reward points to British Airways for a 40% bonus is TODAY! I am personally not transferring any of my points as I took advantage this past Spring when they were offering a 50% bonus. I transferred them speculatively as I did not have any immediate need (and still have not utilized them), but I thought the 50% bonus was well worth it. I transfered about half my Amex balance as I did not want to tie up all my points in the British Airways Avios program.
There haven’t been too many transfer promotions, so this is one of the better offers on the table. It is has been close a year now since we’ve seen a Delta transfer bonus and all of the other bonuses are no where as lucrative (SPG, KLM, etc.). I hope this British Airways promotion becomes a tradition with the American Express program, but there is no way of knowing.
If you currently are short of American Express points you can actually do a Membership Rewards point advance. Depending on the card you have determines the amount you can advance in a calendar year: Amex Platinum = 60,000 points; Amex Gold = 15,000 points; Amex Green = 5,000 points. Even if you have multiple cards you can only cash advance to the amount of the highest card you have. You must earn the number of points advanced back within 12 months or you will be charged purchase points transaction rate, which can be quite expensive. To do this though, you must have been a card member for at least 6 months and your account must be in good standing. This is a good option if you are looking to apply, or just recently applied, for an American Express Membership Rewards card, but clearly do not have the new applicant bonus posted yet. Or, if you are planning on earning many Amex points through the next year on general spend.
Remember, using your Avios points for flights via London come with very expensive fuel/tax surcharges, but using them for domestic travel on partner American Airline can be amazing! If you are new to the British Airways program, check out this series to learn more:
- Overview of the British Airways Program
- Earning and Redeeming a British Airways Companion Ticket
- Creating a Household Account with British Airways
- Top 10 Redemption Opportunities for British Airways Avios Points
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.