American Express is dropping an airline transfer partner

For many miles and points enthusiasts, transferable points currencies are often an favorite. They offer a great deal of flexibility and act as a hedge against any airline or hotel devaluation. In previous posts, I’ve often written about how Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points and Amex Membership Rewards points continue to be two of my favorite points currencies. I’ve used them to book several memorable trips. I love Amex’s Membership Rewards points particularly for their wide variety of airline transfer partners on offer. However, this seems to be changing as American Express is set to drop an airline transfer partner from their Membership Rewards program.

American Express dropping El Al as an Airline Transfer Partner

Travel with Grant spotted the upcoming change while having a look at his latest cardmember statement from American Express.

We are making changes to how you can use Membership Rewards points. El Al Israel Airlines will no longer be listed under the Transfer Points subsection of the Use Points section.

If you’re looking to transfer your Membership Rewards points to hotels, then Amex is currently running a couple of transfer bonuses. If you transfer to Hilton Honors, you’ll get a transfer ratio of 1:2.8 instead of the usual 1:2. Similarly, if you transfer to Marriott Bonvoy, you’ll get a transfer ratio of 1:1.4 instead of the usual 1:1. You can read the details about the promotion in this post here.

The Pundit’s Mantra

If you’re still looking to transfer points after December 31st, you won’t be able to use your Membership Rewards points. I haven’t used El Al points in the past, so this isn’t really a great loss for me on the award redemption side with Membership Rewards. But your situation may be different.

Have you transferred your Amex Membership Rewards points to El Al before? If yes, what’s your favorite use of their miles to book award flights? Tell us in the comments section.

Hat Tip to Travel with Grant

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Disclosure: The Points Pundit receives NO compensation from credit card affiliate partnerships. Support the blog by applying for a card through my personal referral links. This article is meant for information purposes only and doesn’t constitute personal finance, health or investment advice. Please consult a licensed professional for advice pertaining to your situation.