Best Uses of Amex Membership Rewards for Flights (2025)

Why Amex MR remains a powerhouse

American Express Membership Rewards transfers to a wide range of airline partners across all three alliances. With frequent transfer bonuses and instant transfers to many programs, it’s one of the most versatile currencies for flight awards.

Top Amex MR partners for 2025 (flight value)

Air Canada Aeroplan: Excellent partner access, simple pricing, 5k stopovers on one‑way, broad bank transfer support.
Ana Mileage Club: Roundtrip business to Japan remains a standout if you can work within ANA’s rules and timing.
Avianca LifeMiles: No surcharges on many partners, frequent promos, good for cherry‑picking long‑hauls.
British Airways / Iberia / Qatar (Avios): Distance‑based pricing and the ability to move Avios between brands for tailored value.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: Occasionally stellar partner redemptions (watch for chart changes and promos).

When to transfer (and when not to)

Only transfer once you’ve found the award seats you want. Prefer instant partners (Aeroplan, Avios programs, LifeMiles, Virgin) to minimize the risk of space disappearing mid‑transfer. Use transfer bonuses to tilt the math in your favor.

Example plays

Aeroplan to Europe: Reasonable pricing, lots of partners, and that 5k stopover makes creative routings compelling.
ANA roundtrip to Japan: If you can plan roundtrip and book early, ANA’s business class pricing remains hard to beat.
Avios for Iberia off‑peak: East Coast to Madrid business can price very attractively with manageable fees.
LifeMiles cherry‑picks: Combine segments where LifeMiles shows better pricing/availability than peers.

Execution checklist

Define goals: route, date window, cabin, max connections, alternate airports.
Search broadly: validate space across multiple partner sites.
Set alerts: use precise filters (route/date/cabin/stops) to catch new space.
Leverage bonuses: move MR during transfer promos to stretch value.
Transfer + book: act quickly after verifying seats.