Got a stash of transferable points from banks like American Express, Capital One, or Chase? Take advantage of these current transfer bonuses to get even more out of them.
Think of transfer bonuses as a way to get free miles. The big banks routinely roll out bonuses of 10% to as much as 40% – and sometimes even more! – when transferring points to a specific airline or hotel partner. With a 25% transfer bonus, for example, you'd only need to transfer 40,000 points to get the 50,000 miles you may need to book an award ticket.
Here are all the current transfer bonuses available as of publication, broken down by bank.
| Transfer from | Transfer to | Bonus | Expires | More info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amex | Aeromexico | 20% | April 30, 2025 | 1,000 Amex points = 1,920 Aeromexico Rewards (with bonus) |
| Amex | Etihad | 20% | April 30, 2025 | |
| Chase | IHG | 80% | April 30, 2025 | |
| Citi | Virgin Atlantic | 30% | May 17, 2025 |
Wondering why you should transfer your points? Read up on how it can help you book flights for less!
But before you rush to send your points somewhere with a bonus, remember: These transfers are a one-way street. Once you send the points to an airline partner, you cannot get them back to your Capital One, Chase, or other credit card account. That means you'll generally want to have a redemption in mind (and make sure the flights or hotels you want are actually available to book) before transferring your points.
Let's take a closer look at each of the current transfer bonuses and how you may (or may not) want to use them.
Get a 20% Bonus on Amex Transfers to Etihad Guest Miles
Through the end of April, you can get a 20% bonus for moving Amex Membership Rewards to Etihad.
Etihad Airways offers one of the most luxurious first class seats in the sky – but flying at the pointy end of the plane doesn't come cheap no matter if you're paying with cash … or miles. With the Airbus A380 and its coveted First Class Apartments moving from New York City (JFK) to Toronto (YYZ) this summer, you could use this bonus to fly to the airline's hub in Abu Dhabi (AUH) or connect to other parts of the world.
A one-way, first class seat from Toronto to Abu Dhabi can be had for a cool 200,000 Guest Miles. After factoring in the up to 20% transfer bonus, you'd need to transfer a more reasonable 167,000 Amex points to make it happen – not exactly cheap, but certainly cheaper.
The catch? Taxes and fees are a whopping $565 in addition to all those miles. And while change fees are reasonable, Etihad charges a punishing cancellation fee if your plans change: You’ll need to forfeit at least 50k miles per person to cancel … or up to 150k if you cancel last-minute.
Business class seats on this same route can be booked for 120,000 Etihad Guest miles each way – or, with this bonus, transferring 100,000 points (but pay the same $565 in taxes and fees). While neither of these first or business class awards would be considered a steal, this transfer bonus certainly makes flying this world-class airline more attainable.
30% Citi Transfer Bonus to Virgin Atlantic
Citi recently rolled out a big 30% bonus when transferring points to your Virgin account. That means if you've got ThankYou Points from cards like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card or the now longer available Citi Prestige Card you've got the points needed to take advantage of this offer.
This transfer bonus expires on Saturday, May 17.
Not only will your Citi points go even further, but Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is arguably better than ever, too.
After introducing dynamic award pricing last year, the airline ushered in some of the best deals to cross the pond we've ever seen:
- Economy flights to London-Heathrow (LHR) start as low as 6,000 miles and just $75
- You can book Virgin Atlantic Upper Class for as low as just 29,000 miles and $254 – half the mileage and a quarter of the taxes and fees the airline previously charged
With a 30% bonus, this business class ticket to London would cost you just 23,000 Citi points. That's an absurdly, unbelievably good deal.
The savings spread to Virgin's bevy of excellent airline partners. A few other standouts include:
- While Virgin nuked many previous sweet spots to save on Delta flights, short flights are still worthwhile for as low as 7,500 points each way – or 6,000 Citi points after this bonus
- Short Delta flights are a bargain for as low as 7,500 points each way – or 6,000 Citi points after this bonus
- Even after raising award rates earlier this year, booking ANA business class to Tokyo starts from 52,500 points each way, transferring just 41,000 Citi points
- Ditto for ANA first class, which will now run you at least 72,500 points each way … but just 56,000 Citi points with a 30% bonus
80% Bonus on Chase Transfers to IHG One Rewards
Chase is currently offering an 80% transfer bonus when moving Ultimate Rewards points to the IHG One Rewards program. It's easy to see a 80% bonus and get excited, but be warned that not all points are created equal and this is especially true with IHG.
There are very few situations where transferring points to IHG will make sense – even with a 80% transfer bonus. Considering IHG frequently sells points with a 100% bonus, you'd even be better off cashing out your Chase Ultimate Rewards at one cent per point and then using that money to buy IHG points.
Still, if you have a particular hotel in mind and need to top off your account with a few extra points in order to make it a reality, transferring Ultimate Rewards to IHG with an 80% bonus is better than nothing. Just be sure to make your transfer before this bonus expires on April 30!
Read more: When Does It Make Sense to Buy Hotel Points?
Bottom Line
Transfer bonuses can be a great way to get more value from your points and help you realize your dream vacation even sooner. These bonuses are constantly coming and going, so it's important to stay up-to-date on the current promotions before moving your points to ensure you're not leaving any free points on the table.
But it's always best to keep your points flexible until you're ready to book. Due to constant loyalty program devaluations, transferring points without an immediate plan to use them will rarely be a good option.
Please advise when they are any good transfer bonus from Chase!
Hi we’ve accumulated a lot of Capital One Venture points over the years. Are they transferable or should I have the Venture X or Amex or other cards instead? Ty!
They are also transferrable – identical, in fact, to the Venture X. Capital One just isn’t quite as generous with transfer bonuses as other banks, which is why you don’t see them in this story. Here’s our guide on Capital One transfer partners.
Flying Blue charges as LITTLE as 50k for biz to Europe. Redemptions increase significantly from that amount.
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t realize my Citi card was ineligible for points transfer until I read “To take advantage of this bonus you’ll first need to have a card that earns transferable ThankYou points like the Citi Premier® Card.” So although I am disappointed to not have flexible use of those ThankYou points, now I know to spend instead on my more flexible cards!
Hi! This is super helpful, thank you! Quick question – do you simply need to transfer the points from the card to the hotel or airline stated above by the deadline/deal expiration, or do you need to actually travel between the transfer bonus announcement and their expiration date? Thank you!
Hi Amy. You just need to transfer them. No requirement to use them by the expiration date for the transfer bonus.