Chase Ultimate Rewards
14 partnersAll 1:1 ratioMin 1,000 pts · No fees
✈️ Airline partners
| Loyalty Program | Airlines Covered | Ratio | Speed | Surcharges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avios (IAG group) | British Airways · Iberia Aer Lingus Finnair Qatar Airways | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on AA/Alaska |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air Canada · United SWISS · Lufthansa + 35 Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on partners |
| Flying Blue | Air France · KLM + SkyTeam partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| United MileagePlus | United + Star Alliance partners | 1:1 | Instant* | ⚡ Zero |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Virgin Atlantic Delta | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on Delta |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines + Star Alliance partners | 1:1 | ~48 hrs ⚠️ | ⚠️ Moderate–High |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Southwest | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | JetBlue | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
*United usually instant; occasional delays on first-time or large transfers.
🏨 Hotel partners| Loyalty Program | Brands Covered | Ratio | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt ⭐ | Park Hyatt · Grand Hyatt Andaz · Hyatt Regency Hyatt Ziva · Alila | 1:1 | Instant | Best hotel value · Chase exclusive |
| IHG One Rewards | InterContinental · Kimpton Hotel Indigo · Six Senses | 1:1 | Instant | Better with IHG Premier card |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott · Sheraton · Westin W Hotels · St. Regis | 1:1 | Instant | Generally poor value |
| Wyndham Rewards | Wyndham · La Quinta Ramada · Days Inn · Super 8 | 1:1 | Next biz day | Limited sweet spots |
Amex Membership Rewards
17 airline + 3 hotelMin 1,000 ptsExcise tax on Delta + JetBlue
✈️ Airline partners
| Loyalty Program | Airlines Covered | Ratio | Speed | Surcharges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air Canada · United SWISS · Lufthansa + 35 Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on partners |
| Flying Blue | Air France · KLM + SkyTeam partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| ANA Mileage Club | ANA · United + Star Alliance partners | 1:1 | 24–48 hrs | 🔴 High on ANA |
| Avios (IAG group) | BA · Iberia · Aer Lingus Qatar Airways | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on AA/Alaska |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Avianca · United SWISS · Lufthansa + Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Virgin Atlantic Delta | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on Delta |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines + Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Delta SkyMiles | Delta + SkyTeam partners | 1:1 + tax | Instant | ⚡ Low |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Qantas · American + Oneworld partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Etihad Guest | Etihad Airways | 1:1 | Instant | 🔴 High |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates | 5:4 | Instant | 🔴 Very high |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | Cathay Pacific + Oneworld partners | 5:4 | 4–12 hrs | ⚠️ Moderate |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | JetBlue | 250:200 + tax | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
| Loyalty Program | Brands Covered | Ratio | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Honors | Hilton · Conrad · Waldorf DoubleTree · Hampton Inn Embassy Suites · Curio | 1:2 ✓ | Instant | Best hotel option for Amex |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott · Sheraton · Westin W Hotels · St. Regis | 1:1 | Instant | Generally poor value |
| Choice Privileges | Comfort Inn · Quality Inn Clarion · Cambria · Radisson | 1:1 | Instant | Budget-tier; limited value |
Capital One Miles
22 partners — most of any programMin 1,000 miles · No fees
✈️ Airline partners
| Loyalty Program | Airlines Covered | Ratio | Speed | Surcharges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Air Canada · United SWISS · Lufthansa + 35 Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on partners |
| Turkish Miles&Smiles | Turkish · United + Star Alliance partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on United |
| Qatar Privilege Club | Qatar Airways American · BA · Iberia + Oneworld partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Avios — BA / Iberia / Aer Lingus / Finnair | BA · Iberia · Aer Lingus Finnair American · Alaska | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on AA/Alaska |
| Flying Blue | Air France · KLM + SkyTeam partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Avianca · United SWISS · Lufthansa + Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Singapore Airlines + Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Virgin Red | Virgin Atlantic Delta | 1:1 | Instant | ⚡ Zero on Delta |
| Aeromexico Rewards | Aeromexico + SkyTeam partners | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| TAP Miles&Go | TAP Air Portugal + Star Alliance | 1:1 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Etihad Guest | Etihad Airways | 1:1 | Instant | 🔴 High |
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | Japan Airlines + Oneworld partners | 4:3 | Instant | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Emirates Skywards | Emirates | 4:3 | Instant | 🔴 Very high |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | JetBlue | 5:3 | Instant | ⚡ Zero |
| Loyalty Program | Brands Covered | Ratio | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | Preferred Hotels Legend · LVX · Lifestyle | 1:2 ✓ | Instant | Boutique luxury globally |
| Wyndham Rewards | Wyndham · La Quinta Ramada · Days Inn · Super 8 | 1:1 | Instant | Fixed 3-tier chart |
| Choice Privileges | Comfort Inn · Quality Inn Clarion · Cambria · Radisson | 1:1 | ~24 hrs | Budget-tier; limited value |
| Accor Live Limitless | Sofitel · Novotel Fairmont · Raffles · Swissôtel | 2:1 | 2+ biz days | Poor transfer value |
A $300/person surcharge is $1,200 across four tickets — enough to erase the entire points value. Know which airlines charge them before you transfer anything.
⚡ Zero surcharges — family-friendly routes
- AA / Alaska — booked via any Avios program
- United — booked via Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, or Turkish Miles&Smiles
- Delta — booked via Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Virgin Red
- Southwest — all bookings
- JetBlue — all bookings
Award taxes on these routes typically run $5–$20 per person total.
⚠️ Low–Moderate ($50–$300/person) — often still worth it
- Iberia flights
- Aer Lingus flights
- Air France / KLM flights
- Qatar Airways flights
- Singapore Airlines flights
- Virgin Atlantic (flying their own flights, not Delta)
Run the full math. At $150/person × 4 = $600 in fees, you need a high CPP to stay above 2.0¢.
🔴 High — avoid for families unless you've run the numbers
- British Airways long-haul flights ($400–$2,000+ per person)
- Emirates flights (surcharges can exceed the value of the award)
- ANA flights to Japan (~$500 roundtrip per person)
- Etihad flights
At $400+ × 4 people, you're often better off paying cash. Always route via a partner airline where possible.
⚠️ The rule that never changes: Never transfer points before you've confirmed 4 seats on your target dates. Find the award, verify the space, then transfer. Once points move, they don't come back.
Airlines form alliances and share award space. That's why United shows up under Aeroplan, Avianca, and Turkish Miles&Smiles — they're all Star Alliance. The colored dots in the partner tables show which alliance each airline belongs to. Once you see it, it clicks.
Star Alliance
Major airlines
United · Air Canada · Lufthansa · SWISS · ANA · Singapore + 26 others
Book with
Aeroplan · Avianca LifeMiles · Turkish Miles&Smiles
Oneworld
Major airlines
American · British Airways · Iberia · Qantas · Finnair · Alaska + others
Book with
Avios · Qantas FF · Asia Miles · JAL Mileage Bank
SkyTeam
Major airlines
Delta · Air France · KLM · Aeromexico + others
Book with
Flying Blue · Delta SkyMiles · Virgin Atlantic (Delta only)
Independent
Airlines
Southwest · JetBlue · Emirates · Etihad · Qatar · Virgin Atlantic
What this means
No alliance. Book through each airline's own program only.
The practical upshot: If you want to fly United, five different loyalty programs can book it — pick whichever offers the best price and lowest surcharges for your route. That's the whole point of transferable points.