Every Amex Transfer Partner in Canada, Ranked and Explained
If you have been collecting Amex Membership Rewards points and wondering what to actually do with them, this is the post for you.
American Express Membership Rewards points are especially valuable in Canada not just because they are relatively easy to earn, but because you can transfer them to eight different loyalty programs, six airlines and two hotels, giving you flexibility that no other Canadian credit card currency can match. Your Aeroplan points or Avion points typically transfer to one or two places. American Express MR points can move to many destinations.
Below is a breakdown of every transfer partner available to Canadians, what each is good for, and which ones you can generally ignore.
The Full List of Transfer Partners
Amex Canada transfers to the following programs:
Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1)
Air France KLM Flying Blue (1:1)
British Airways Avios (1:1)
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (1:0.75)
Delta SkyMiles (1:0.75)
Etihad Guest (1:0.75) — being removed June 20, 2026
Marriott Bonvoy (5 MR → 6 Bonvoy points)
Hilton Honors (1:1)
The difference between the 1:1 partners and the 0.75 partners matters a lot. If you transfer 10,000 Amex points to Aeroplan, you get 10,000 Aeroplan points. If you transfer 10,000 points to Delta, you only get 7,500. That gap compounds quickly.
The Partners Worth Using
Aeroplan — The Default for Most Canadians
Aeroplan is the obvious starting point. It transfers at 1:1, it is well understood by most Canadians, and it gives you access to every Star Alliance airline — that means Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, ANA, United, and more.
The real power of Aeroplan is that it still uses fixed pricing for most partner airlines. So when you book Singapore Airlines business class or ANA first class through Aeroplan, you are paying a known number of points rather than a dynamic price that changes based on demand.
If you are not sure where to send your Amex points, Aeroplan is a safe default. It is the most versatile option for Canadians planning any kind of long haul trip.
Air France KLM Flying Blue — Best for Europe in Business
Flying Blue transfers at 1:1 and it is genuinely excellent for booking transatlantic flights. Air France and KLM in business class out of Canadian cities is often available through Flying Blue at pricing that is hard to beat through other programs.
Flying Blue also runs monthly Promo Rewards that discount specific routes by 25 to 50 percent. If you catch a good promo, the value you can unlock is exceptional.
This is the program most people overlook, and it is consistently one of the top two or three redemptions available to Canadians.
British Airways Avios — Best for Short Haul and Qatar Airways
British Airways Avios also transfers at 1:1, which makes it a strong option in two specific situations.
First, Avios pricing is based on distance, which means short haul flights can be incredibly cheap in points. Booking a quick hop within Europe or within Asia in business class using Avios can cost a fraction of what an Aeroplan booking would.
Second, British Airways Club is one of the only programs in the world that lets you book Qatar Airways Qsuites — widely considered the best business class product flying right now. If booking Qsuites is on your list, Avios is how you get there.
The Partners to Skip
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Delta SkyMiles
Both of these transfer at 1:0.75, which immediately puts you behind. You are giving up 25 percent of your points just to get them there. In most cases, whatever you are trying to book through Cathay or Delta can be accessed more efficiently through Aeroplan or Flying Blue.
Etihad Guest — Act Fast or Don’t Bother
This one also transfers at 1:0.75, and it is being shut down entirely as an Amex Canada transfer partner on June 20, 2026. If you have a specific Etihad redemption in mind, you need to complete your transfer before that date. Otherwise, skip it.
Hotel Programs
Transferring Amex points to Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors is almost never the right move. Hotel programs typically deliver far less value per point than airline programs, and you are usually better off earning hotel points directly through a hotel credit card or the Marriott or Hilton programs themselves.
There are niche situations where a Marriott transfer makes sense, but in general, your Amex points are too valuable to be spending on hotel nights. Use them for flights.
The One Thing Most People Miss
Amex MR points are the only Canadian bank points currency that covers all three major airline alliances. Star Alliance through Aeroplan. SkyTeam through Flying Blue. oneworld through British Airways Avios.
That is significant. It means that no matter what airline you want to fly — and there are hundreds of them across those three alliances — there is a realistic path to booking it with Amex points.
Most other Canadian points programs are locked into one alliance. Amex gives you the whole map.
My Take
If you are sitting on a pile of Amex points and not sure what to do with them, here is the short version: transfer to Aeroplan for most things, transfer to Flying Blue if you are going to Europe, and transfer to Avios if you want Qatar Airways Qsuites or a short haul bargain.
The other partners exist but they are not where most Canadians should be sending their points most of the time.
If you want to talk through your specific situation — how many points you have, where you are trying to go, which program makes the most sense — that is exactly what I help with at Redemption Lab. Book a free intro call at redemptionlab.ca and we can figure it out together.