LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products.
Cheat Sheet: How Long Airline Point Transfers take for Amex, Chase and Citi Points
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.
It’s always fun to have a credit card that gives you a lot of flexibility when it comes time to redeem the points you’ve earned. The opportunity to transfer your card points to an airline frequent flyer program can add up, allowing you to do everything from book a business class reward seat to bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
American Express Membership Rewards®, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® are three popular programs for points transfers to airline partners worldwide. But once you’ve decided to transfer your points to your airline of choice, how long will it take before they’re available for redemption?
It depends on the airline. Some transfers happen immediately, but others can take weeks for your points to be available to redeem. Below, we’ll go over the times for the airlines covered under each credit card rewards program.
In this article:
American Express Membership Rewards
Cards eligible for airline points transfers:
- American Express® Gold Card
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
American Express allows cardmembers to transfer their Membership Rewards points to 18 airline loyalty programs. Cardmembers must link their airline loyalty and Membership Rewards accounts in order to make any transfers. Most of these carrier transfers, at a minimum of 1,000-point increments, are 1,000 points to 1,000 miles. However, the airlines below have the following exceptions:
- Aeromexico: 1,000 points equals 1,600 Club Premier points
- El AL Israel Airlines: 1,000 points equals 20 Matmid points
- JetBlue Airways: 250 points = 200 JetBlue TrueBlue® points; must be transferred in 250-point increments
American Express says it generally takes up to 24 to 48 hours to transfer Membership Rewards points to its airline partners, which can be done here. Below is our list of how long it takes to redeem after the miles are transferred to each airline.
| Transferring American Express Membership Rewards Points | |
| Airline | Points Transfer Policy |
| AerClub (Aer Lingus) | At the end of the monthly billing cycle |
| Aeroplan (Air Canada) | Immediately |
| Aeromexico | Up to seven days |
| Alitalia Millemiglia | Between 3 and 20 working days |
| ANA Mileage Club (All Nippon Airways) | Up to 5 business days |
| Asia Miles (Cathay Pacific) | Between 3 and 7 days |
| Avianca Life Miles | Immediately |
| British Airways Executive Club | Immediately |
| Delta Air Lines | Immediately, but allow for up to 48 hours |
| El Al Matmid | Immediately |
| Etihad Guest | 3 days |
| Flying Blue – Air France/KLM | Immediately |
| Emirates Skywards | Immediately |
| HawaiianMiles | Immediately |
| Iberia Plus | 3 days |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Immediately |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Between 2 and 4 weeks |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Immediately in the UK, U.S., and Mexico |
Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Cards eligible for airline points transfers:
Chase Ultimate Rewards allows members to transfer their points to nine airline partners at a full 1:1 value, considered one of the best redemptions in the industry. Points are transferred to the airlines immediately, but may not be able to be redeemed as quickly. Here’s how long it takes for redemption.
| Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points | |
| Airline | Points Transfer Policy |
| AerClub (Aer Lingus) | At the end of the monthly billing cycle |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Immediately in most cases |
| British Airways Executive Club | Immediately |
| Emirates Skywards | Immediately |
| Flying Blue – Air France/KLM | Immediately |
| Iberia Plus | Immediately |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Immediately |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Between 2 and 4 weeks |
| Southwest Airlines | Up to 72 hours |
| United Airlines | Immediately, although it can sometimes take up to 7 business days. |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Immediately |
Citi ThankYou®
Card eligible for airline points transfers:
- Citi Premier® Card
- Citi Prestige® Credit Card
Citi allows cardmembers to transfer their ThankYou points to 15 airline partners in 1,000-mile increments. Once a request is completed here, points are transferred to a chosen airline partner immediately. Below we outline how long it will take to redeem your miles once they’re in your airline account.
| Transferring Citi ThankYou Points | |
| Airline | Points Transfer Policy |
| Asia Miles | At the end of the monthly billing cycle |
| Avianca Life Miles | Immediately |
| Etihad Guest | Up to 10 days |
| EVA Air | 1-2 business days |
| Flying Blue – Air France/KLM | Immediately |
| Garuda Indonesia | 2 days |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Immediately |
| JetPrivilege | Immediately |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 7 days |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 5 days |
| Qatar Privilege Club | Up to two days |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | Between 2 and 4 weeks |
| Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 7 days |
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 1-2 business days |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Immediately |
The bottom line
In the end, it’s good to have a card that gives you the option to move your points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. But look at the transfers carefully, because some miles are more equal than others.
Among the three cards, Chase offers the best value by offering 1:1 transfers. But it also has the least number of transfer partners. American Express and Citi are just about even with the number of airline partners, offering 1,000 points to 1,000 miles transfers.
But what’s most important is to know how long it will take for an airline to accept your transferred points, especially if you’re trying to book a quick trip or snag an upgrade on a planned flight. Knowing this will allow you to plan ahead and avoid any problems when it comes time to make your points transfers.
The information related to the The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express and the Citi Prestige® Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.