Amex Has Paused Points Transfers to This Partner, Here’s What I Find Really Odd..

Wow, this has been a frenetic week in the world of points. At the start of the week, I wrote about the fact that Amex’s ratio to Cathay Pacific is about to reduce in value very soon. Then, two days ago, Hyatt announced changes to their award chart, triggering a massive 67% increase in prices at the opt end. Now, American Express has paused transfers to ANA Mileage Club temporarily.

Chase Has Added a Brand New Points Transfer Partner!

Amex Pauses ANA Mileage Club Transfers

As per the notice, Amex specifies that this pause is only due to planned maintenance. However, is there there more to the story?

Previously, we’ve seen these pauses prior to a devaluation of points transfer programs. So, one can probably speculate like Amex could drop the hammer on this transfer ratio as well, like they did with Cathay Pacific.

However, here’s what I find really odd about this whole thing. This points transfer pause is happening right during a time when ANA is running their campaign. With this campaign, members can enjoy 50% off on qualifying award flights with ANA.

As per the campaign, the ticketing period is between February 20 and February 28, 2026. So, it’s really odd that they’re doing a ‘planned maintenance’ during the promo period.

You can read all the terms and conditions of the campaign here.

Why would you want to pause transfers in the middle of a campaign, especially during a time when members you want to transfer points over to book their flights with ANA?

The Pundit’s Mantra

Overall, I find it really really odd that this planned maintenance has gone into effect when ANA is running a campaign. Perhaps, ANA saw too many points transfers happening and decided to pull the plug? I’m not privy to the dynamics between Amex and ANA Mileage Club, so this is pure speculation, but doing a planned maintenance while the airline is offering 50% off on award tickets just doesn’t sound right. Like snatching candy from a kid and running away. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________