American Express Rewards UK

How to Maximise the Value of Your Amex UK Membership Rewards Points

Want to get the most out of your Amex points? The best value almost always comes from transferring points to airline partners for flight redemptions — especially in premium cabins. Below is everything you need to know about where to transfer, how to value your points, when to request retention offers, and how to plan around your Amex renewal.

Best Use: Airline Transfers

Transferring your Membership Rewards points to airline programs gives the highest potential value, sometimes over 2p per point.

Airline Transfer Partners:

• Aer Lingus AerClub – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Avios

• Aeromexico Rewards – 1,000 Points = 1,600 AeroMexico Points

• Air Canada Aeroplan – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Aeroplan Points

• Air France-KLM Flying Blue – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Flying Blue Miles

• ANA Mileage Club – 1,000 Points = 1,000 ANA Miles

• Avianca LifeMiles – 1,000 Points = 1,000 LifeMiles

• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Asia Miles

• Delta SkyMiles – 1,000 Points = 1,000 SkyMiles

• Emirates Skywards – 1,000 Points = 750 Skywards Miles (4:3 rate)

• Etihad Guest – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Guest Miles

• Iberia Plus – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Avios

• JetBlue TrueBlue – 250 Points = 200 TrueBlue Points

• Qatar Airways Privilege Club – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Avios

• Qantas Frequent Flyer – 500 Points = 500 Qantas Points

• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer – 1,000 Points = 750 KrisFlyer Miles (3:2 rate)

• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Virgin Points*

*Virgin Atlantic occasionally runs 30% bonus transfer promotions, boosting the value to over 1.5p per point.

Hotel Partners (Decent Value)

Hotel Transfer Partners:

• Hilton Honors – 1,000 Points = 2,000 Points

• Marriott Bonvoy – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Points

• Choice Privileges – 1,000 Points = 1,000 Points

These transfers typically give 0.5p–1p value per point depending on redemption.

Points Value Guide

Estimated Value per 25,000 Points:

• Airline transfers (premium cabin): £250–£500+

• Airline transfers (economy): £125–£325

• Hotel partner transfers: £100–£250

• Gift cards: ~£125

• Shop with points: ~£113

• Cover charges with points: ~£100

Retention Offers Script

You can sometimes get bonus points for staying when your annual fee hits. Try this Amex chat message:

Hi, my annual membership is approaching, and I’m exploring my options. Before I decide whether to renew, I wanted to inquire if there are any retention offers available. Thank you.

Reported retention offers include:

• 12,000 points for £1,000 spend in 3 months (usually 1–2 months before renewal)

• 50,000 points completely free

• Yearly fee waived

Useful Tools

• SeatSpy: £2.99/month to see Avios availability quickly

• Reward Flight Finder: another tool to check for BA Avios redemptions

When Will My Amex Renew?

Your card renews automatically on your anniversary date — the same day every year you opened your account. There's no notification unless you're checking your account. You can:

• Find the date in your T&Cs

• Message Amex on live chat and ask directly

What If You Want to Cancel?

You can cancel your Amex card at any time — but if you do, make sure your points are safe first.

If you cancel a card that earns Membership Rewards points (like the Gold or Platinum), your points will be lost unless:

• You transfer them to a partner before cancelling

• Or you hold another card that earns Membership Rewards

The American Express Rewards Credit Card is free — not just free in the first year, but permanently free. You earn Membership Rewards points on your spending, and it’s an excellent fallback option for anyone considering cancelling a fee-paying card. While you wouldn’t qualify for a sign-up bonus if you currently hold another MR-earning card, getting the free American Express Rewards Credit Card keeps your points balance active.

If you don’t do this, you’ll need to use or transfer all of your points before closing your current card — otherwise they’ll be lost.

Calculators: How Much Are Your Amex Points Worth?