How to convert points into airline miles

Got a whole bunch of credit card points but aren’t sure how to spend them? PointsYeah’s search tool is a foolproof way to make your travel planning easier. From converting points into airline miles to formally booking your travel, we hold your hand the whole way.

Although PointsYeah does the heavy lifting, it’s still worth understanding simple details like:

• Which airlines partner with each points program?
• Which credit cards can you open to quickly amass the points that’ll best fit your travel goals?

American Express Membership Rewards points

Which airlines partner with Amex Membership Rewards?
Aer Lingus	Cathay Pacific	Iberia
Aeromexico	Delta	JetBlue
Air Canada	Emirates	Qantas
ANA	Etihad	Qatar Airways
Avianca	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)	Singapore Airlines
British Airways	Hawaiian Airlines	Virgin Atlantic

While looking for award flights, PointsYeah displays live search results that show you how many points you’ll need to transfer to each specific airline program. It even shows you active transfer bonuses.

Most transfers are instant — so you can book your travel immediately after you initiate the conversion.

Another quick note: When transferring Amex points to a U.S. airline (like Delta or JetBlue or Hawaiian Airlines), you’ll be subject to a fee of 0.06 cents per point. For example, you’ll pay $60 for every 100,000 points you transfer. You’ve also got the option to redeem Amex points at a rate of 0.5 cents each to offset the fee.

Again, this doesn’t apply to foreign airlines — only those based in the U.S.

Which credit cards earn Amex Membership Rewards?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
The Platinum Card® from American Express	$695 (rates and fees)	80,000 bonus points(limited Offer)
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	$695 (rates and fees)	60,000 bonus points
American Express® Gold Card	$325 (rates and fees)	150,000 bonus points
American Express® Business Gold Card	$375 (rates and fees)	100,000 bonus points
American Express® Green Card	$150 (rates and fees)	40,000 bonus points
American Express® Business Green Rewards Card	$95 (rates and fees)	15,000 bonus points
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	$0 (rates and fees)	15,000 bonus points

How to transfer American Express Membership Rewards to airlines

Step 1. Log into your American Express online account and select a Membership Rewards-earning card (like the Amex Platinum Card).

Step 2. Click the “Rewards & Benefits” tab. Under the “Earn and Redeem” drop-down menu, find the “Transfer Points” option. This will take you to a page listing all Amex transfer partners.

Step 3. Choose the airline program you’d like to transfer your points to. Before you transfer, Amex will ask you to enter your airline loyalty number. It’ll save your info for future use.

Step 4. Review and submit your transfer. You’ll need to authenticate the transfer by inputting the three-digit code on the back of your card, entering a temporary code sent to your email, or completing another verification method.

Bilt Rewards

Which airlines partner with Bilt Rewards?
Aer Lingus	Cathay Pacific	TAP Portugal
Alaska Airlines	Emirates	Turkish Airlines
Avianca	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)	United Airlines
Air Canada	Iberia	Virgin Red (Virgin Atlantic)
British Airways	Southwest

Again, PointsYeah will show you live award inventory and give you links to help you transfer your points instantly (in most cases) to your preferred airline program — and even alert you of transfer bonuses to make your flight even cheaper.

Which credit cards earn Bilt Rewards?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
Bilt Mastercard®	$0	N/A

How to transfer Bilt Rewards to airlines

Step 1. Open the Bilt Rewards app on your phone and click the “Rewards” tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2. Find the “Transfer” button at the top of the screen and select it. This will bring you to a page with all of Bilt’s transfer partners.

Step 3. Choose the airline you want to transfer your points with. Input the number of points you’d like to transfer.

Step 4. Review and submit your transfer.

Capital One miles

Which airlines partner with Capital One miles?
Aeromexico	Etihad	Singapore Airlines
Air Canada	EVA Air	TAP Portugal
Avianca	Finnair	Turkish Airlines
British Airways	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)	Virgin Red (Virgin Atlantic)
Cathay Pacific	JetBlue
Emirates	Qantas

Transferring Capital One miles to airlines is typically instant. And because PointsYeah displays live award availability, you can transfer your miles to the airline and book your trip in just a minute or two. We’ll tell you how many miles you need to convert for your desired flight — and also let you know of any Capital One miles transfer bonuses.

Which credit cards earn Capital One miles?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	$95	75,000 bonus miles
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	$395	75,000 bonus miles
Capital One Venture X Business Card	$395	75,000 bonus miles
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card	$0	20,000 bonus miles
Capital One Spark Miles for Business	$95 (waived the first year)	50,000 bonus miles
Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business	$0	50,000 bonus miles
Capital One Spark Cash Plus	$95 (waived the first year)	$750*
Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card	$0	$200*
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card	$0	$200*
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card	$39	N/A*

*You can convert the cash back you earn with Capital One credit cards into transferable miles as long as you also hold a Capital One miles-earning card, like the Capital One Venture. The transfer rate  is 1 mile per cent. For example, you could convert $50 in cash back into 5,000 Capital One miles.

In other words, even cash back Capital One cards are great for earning travel rewards.

How to transfer Capital One miles to airlines

Step 1. Log into your Capital One online account and click the “View Rewards” button on your dashboard. You’ll then be taken to the rewards page with several different redemption options.

Step 2. Click the “Transfer rewards” box to find the list of all Capital One airline partners.

Step 3. Choose the airline program you’d like to transfer your miles to. You’ll need to enter your airline loyalty number if you haven’t previously linked it to your Capital One account.

Step 4. Enter the number of miles you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Which airlines partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards?
Aer Lingus	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)	Southwest
Air Canada	Iberia	United Airlines
British Airways	JetBlue	Virgin Atlantic
Emirates	Singapore Airlines

Chase Ultimate Rewards points convert to airlines programs instantly. PointsYeah gives you a live look at award seats — so when you find the flight you want, you can have it reserved in minutes. The search results will tell you how many Chase points you’ll need to book the flight, as well as any current transfer bonuses.

Which credit cards earn Chase Ultimate Rewards?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	$95	75,000 bonus points
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	$550	75,000 bonus points
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	$95	90,000 bonus points
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	$0	Up to $300*
Chase Freedom Flex℠	$0	$200*
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card	$0	$750*
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card	$0	$750*

*You can convert the cash back you earn with Chase credit cards into transferable points — but you must have a Chase Ultimate Rewards point-earning credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. You’ll get 1 point per cent, meaning, you could convert $100 in cash back into 10,000 Chase points.

How to transfer Chase points to airlines

Step 1. Log into your Chase online account and click on an Ultimate-Rewards credit card. You’ll see a “Redeem” button near the top of the page. Alternatively, you can head directly to the Chase Ultimate Rewards website and choose your Ultimate Rewards credit card.

Step 2. On your account dashboard, you’ll see a “Travel” tab at the top of the page. Find and click the “Transfer points to partners” link from the drop-down menu.

Step 3. From Chase’s list of airline partners, choose the program you’d like to transfer your points to. You’ll need to link your airline account to Chase if you haven’t already. Just enter your loyalty number when prompted.

Step 4. Enter the number of points you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

Citi ThankYou points

Which airlines partner with Citi ThankYou points?
Aeromexico	EVA Air	Singapore Airlines
Avianca	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)	Thai Airways
Cathay Pacific	JetBlue	Turkish Airlines
Emirates	Qantas	Virgin Atlantic
Etihad	Qatar Airways

Citi ThankYou points generally transfer to programs instantly. PointsYeah will quickly show you how many points you’ll need for your flight (accounting for active transfer bonuses), and it’ll display live award availability. Just choose your flight, and we’ll show you how to quickly book it.

Which credit cards earn Citi ThankYou points?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card	$95	75,000 bonus points
Citi Prestige® Card	$495	N/A
Citi Rewards+® Card	$0	20,000 bonus points*
Citi Double Cash® Card	$0	$200*
Citi Custom Cash® Card	$0	$200*

*You can turn any rewards you earn with Citi’s cash back cards into transferable ThankYou points as long as you also hold a ThankYou points-earning credit card like the Citi Strata Premier. You’ll get 1 point per cent, meaning, you can turn $100 in cash back into 10,000 Citi points.

It’s also worth noting that the Citi Rewards+ Card’s redemption options are effectively identical to Citi’s cash back credit cards. So to unlock the full potential of that card’s rewards, you’ll also need to hold a card like the Citi Strata Premier.

How to transfer Citi points to airlines

Step 1. Navigate to ThankYou.com and login with your Citi credit card credentials. You may need to manually select the Citi Strata Premier — or another card that earns fully transferable points, like the Citi Prestige.

On the home page is a “More Ways to Redeem” tab. Click “Points Transfer” from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. You’re now looking at a list of all Citi transfer partners. Find the airline you want to transfer to and click “Continue.” Link your airline loyalty account (if you haven’t already) by entering it into the ThankYou website when prompted.

Step 3. Enter the number of points you’d like to convert. Review and confirm your transfer.

Wells Fargo Rewards

Which airlines partner with Wells Fargo Rewards?
Aer Lingus	Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)
Avianca	Iberia
British Airways	Virgin Atlantic

In most cases, rewards will deposit into your airline account immediately after initiating a transfer from Wells Fargo. Take a quick look at available flights through PointsYeah’s live award search, and we’ll give you instructions for how to quickly transfer points and book your travel. We’ll even tell you when there’s a hard-to-ignore transfer bonus.

Which credit cards earn Wells Fargo Rewards?
Card	Annual fee	Welcome bonus
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	$0	20,000 bonus points
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card	$95	60,000 bonus points
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card	$0	$200*
Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card	$0	$100*

Even Wells Fargo’s cash back cards that aren’t marketed as “travel” credit cards can be a boon for collecting travel rewards. If you’ve got a Wells Fargo points-earning card, like the Wells Fargo Autograph Card, you can convert the cash back you earn into Wells Fargo points at a rate of 1 point per cent — meaning $20 equals 2,000 travel points.

How to transfer Wells Fargo points to airlines

Step 1. Sign into your Wells Fargo online account and roll over the “Use Rewards” tab at the top of the page.

Step 2. From the drop-down menu, find and click the “Rewards Points Transfer” link. This will take you to a list of Wells Fargo transfer partners.

Step 3. Choose the airline you want to use and enter the number of points you’d like to transfer.

Step 4. Review your transfer and click “Submit.”

Cautions, caveats, and advice

Take advantage of transfer bonuses

Banks often publish bonuses which can help to stretch the rewards you earn by rewarding you for transferring your flexible points to specific airline partners.

For example, you may find that American Express is offering a 30% bonus when transferring to Virgin Atlantic. This improves the standard 1:1 transfer ratio to 1:1.3. That’s an extra 300 miles for every 1,000 points you transfer.

Transfers are final

When you convert transferable points to an airline, you can’t convert them back. For this reason, we don’t recommend transferring points until you’re ready to book.

Some points take a while to transfer

In most cases, transferable points deposit into your airline account within a day (typically within minutes). But some partners may take longer to process. If you’re uniquely cursed, the award seats you want may have disappeared by the time you get your miles.

It probably won’t happen to you, but it’s something to be aware of.

Pretty simple, Yeah?

Transferring bank points to an airline is simple and takes only a minute or two. The stressful part is trying to figure out how to best use those rewards. PointsYeah eliminates all that mental strain and feeds you the top options in seconds.

Save your brainpower for earning travel rewards. We’ll do the rest.