This is a reminder that this promotion ends Tuesday, December 31, 2013. For those looking to unload their American Express points this is a great way to get some bonus Avios points. While we’ve seen better than 20% bonuses in the past, it is still better than no bonus. I know many are contemplating canceling their Amex Platinum card due to the loss of American Airlines and US Airways lounge access.
American Express just announced a bonus offer for transferring Membership Reward points to British Airways Avios points. From now until December 31, 2013 you will receive a 20% bonus for all transfers. The last time Amex offered a BA Avios transfer bonus last spring it was a 35% bonus.
I personally transferred about half of my Amex point balance a year and a half ago when there was a 50% transfer bonus. There haven’t been too many transfer promotions, so this is one of the better offers on the table. It has been three years or so since we’ve seen a Delta transfer bonus and all of the other loyalty partner bonuses are no where as lucrative. While I would prefer transferring during a 50% bonus offer, there really is no way of knowing if that will ever come back. With any other bonus opportunities, it is always like playing the lottery.
I personally like that my American Express Membership Reward points have the flexibility to be used for many programs, so I will not be transferring anymore points from my account since I already have a ton of BA Avios points. However, my husband has The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN and we are thinking about canceling it. While it was a great card to open for the bonus points, we do not use it enough for the $175 annual fee to be worth it. This means we will need to transfer the points prior to canceling and I think British Airways will be the best option. The annual fee is in November so 20% bonus is the best option we have right now.
If you are not as aware of the British Airways Avios points program, make sure to read these prior posts. It really can be a great program for many!
- Earn Avois Points for the British Airways Credit Card
- Earning and Redeeming a British Airways Companion Ticket
- Creating a Household Account with British Airways
- Top 10 Redemption Opportunities for British Airways Avios Points
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting the blog as my goal for you is to travel on a deal!
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.
Not sure why you would call this a great bonus offer, and then continue to say that there was better offer earlier this year and en even better one before that. This offer’s meh for me, but great for those who can use it.
Just a heads up… I have an AMEX Platinum and Gold. I got both with the 50k promo offers. A month ago my Gold came up for renewal and I opted to cancel it instead of paying the fee.
After calling AMEX and speaking with someone they offered to waive the fee if I keep it. I spend about 10k a month between my two AMEX cards so maybe that has something to do with it but just something to keep it mind.
If you’re going to close the account anyhow it doesn’t hurt to at least try and see if they offer the free year plus keeping the card open helps your average age of account (assuming it’s your only AMEX).