Transfer Partner Guide: Where to Send Your Points in 2026

Transferable points currencies -- Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Points -- are the backbone of any serious points strategy. Their value comes not from what they are worth in a portal, but from the 40+ airline and hotel programs they can be converted into at the moment of booking. The trick is knowing which partner to send your points to and when. This guide maps out every major transfer partner across all three currencies, highlights the best uses for each, and explains when transferring beats cashing out.

The Big Three: Side by Side

Each of these cards unlocks a different set of transfer partners. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Preferred unlock UR transfers, the Amex Gold and Platinum unlock MR transfers, and the Citi Premier unlocks ThankYou Point transfers. Holding at least one card from each ecosystem gives you maximum flexibility.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners

Chase UR points transfer 1:1 to 14 partners. Here are the ones that matter most:

World of Hyatt (Best Overall Partner)

Hyatt is the single best reason to hold a Chase Sapphire card. Points consistently deliver 2-4 cents each, with aspirational properties pushing past 5 cents. Category 1-4 hotels (5,000-15,000 points per night) are the sweet spot for everyday travel, while properties like the Park Hyatt Tokyo (25,000 points) or Andaz Maui (25,000-30,000 points) deliver extraordinary value against $600-1,200 nightly cash rates.

Hyatt also offers an annual free night certificate on select co-branded cards, but even without that, transferring UR to Hyatt is the most reliable way to get outsized value from your Chase points.

United MileagePlus

United miles unlock the entire Star Alliance network -- 26 airlines including ANA, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and Turkish Airlines. The best uses are partner awards: ANA business class to Tokyo for 75,000-88,000 miles one-way, Lufthansa first class to Europe for 80,000-110,000 miles, or Turkish business class via Istanbul to Africa. United's own Polaris business class is solid at 60,000-80,000 miles one-way to Europe.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

If you fly Southwest domestically, this is a reliable transfer at roughly 1.4 cents per point with no blackout dates. Transfer 40,000 UR and you have 2-3 domestic round trips. Not glamorous, but consistent.

Other Notable UR Partners

• Air Canada Aeroplan: Useful for Canadians or for booking Star Alliance awards with different routing rules than United.
• British Airways Avios: Excellent for short-haul flights. Avios pricing is distance-based, so flights under 1,150 miles cost just 7,500 Avios one-way in economy.
• IHG One Rewards: Transfers at 1:1 but IHG points are worth roughly 0.5 cents each -- only worth it if you have a specific high-value IHG redemption in mind.

Amex Membership Rewards Transfer Partners

Amex MR has the broadest partner list of the three currencies, with 21 airline and hotel partners. The standout partners are:

ANA Mileage Club (Best Sweet Spot)

ANA's award chart is one of the most generous in the world when booked through their own program. Round-trip business class from North America to Japan costs just 75,000-90,000 ANA miles (vs. 150,000+ through most other programs). First class round-trip is 105,000-165,000 miles. The catch: ANA requires round-trip bookings for partner awards, and you can only book flights originating from your region. But if you are planning a round-trip to Japan, the value is extraordinary.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue runs monthly "Promo Rewards" with 25-50% discounts on specific routes. A business class award to Europe that normally costs 70,000 miles might drop to 45,000 during a promo. Set up alerts for these monthly deals -- they represent some of the cheapest business class awards available anywhere.

Avianca LifeMiles

LifeMiles is a Star Alliance program with generally competitive pricing and no fuel surcharges on partner awards. Business class to Europe runs 63,000 miles one-way, and to Asia 75,000 miles. LifeMiles also does not charge close-in booking fees, making it excellent for last-minute trips.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

The only way to book Singapore Airlines first class and the new Suites product is through KrisFlyer or certain Star Alliance partners. Transferring MR to KrisFlyer lets you access Singapore Suites (the double-bed first class) from New York to Frankfurt for 86,000 miles one-way. This is widely considered the most luxurious commercial flight experience in the world.

The Amex Platinum is the premium MR earning card with 5x on flights booked directly with airlines and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Its real value is in the credits: $200 airline incidental credit, $200 Uber credit, $240 digital entertainment credit, and lounge access through Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta). If you use even half the credits, the effective annual fee drops well below $300.

Citi ThankYou Points Transfer Partners

Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) have the smallest partner list of the three, but the partners that matter are strong:

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

Turkish has one of the most generous award charts remaining in the industry. Business class from the US to Europe runs just 45,000 miles one-way, and to most of Asia and Africa it is 52,500-63,000 miles. Turkish also does not pass through fuel surcharges on most partner awards. Istanbul is a natural hub for connections to the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Africa.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue is also a Citi partner (shared with Amex). Same promo rewards deals apply. This is useful if you hold both MR and TYP and want to combine them into a single Flying Blue booking.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Also shared with Amex. The ability to transfer from multiple currencies to the same partner is powerful when you need a large number of miles for a premium cabin booking.

JetBlue TrueBlue

TrueBlue points have no blackout dates and are worth about 1.3-1.5 cents each. Useful for domestic and Caribbean travel. Transfer 20,000 TYP for a round-trip to the Caribbean during off-peak.

When to Transfer vs. Cash Out

Transferring to partners is not always the right move. Here is a framework for deciding:

Transfer When:

• You are booking premium cabins (business or first class) where cash prices are $3,000+ and the points cost is reasonable. This is where you get 3-8 cents per point.
• You found a Hyatt property where the cash rate significantly exceeds the points cost times 1.5 cents.
• A transfer bonus is active and you have a specific booking in mind.
• You are booking a partner airline with no fuel surcharges (like through Avianca LifeMiles or Turkish Miles&Smiles).

Use the Portal or Cash Out When:

• You are booking economy flights where the cash price is reasonable and award availability is limited. Portal bookings at 1.5x (CSR) give you 1.5 cents per point with the flexibility of a paid ticket.
• You want to earn airline status credits -- award tickets do not count toward status, but portal bookings do.
• The hotel you want is not in a transferable loyalty program (e.g., boutique hotels, Airbnb).
• You need to pay for a non-travel expense and can get statement credits at par. This should be rare, but life happens.

Building the Optimal Multi-Currency Portfolio

The ideal setup for a serious points optimizer in 2026 is one card from each ecosystem. The Chase Sapphire Preferred gives you access to Hyatt and United. The Amex Gold gives you 4x on dining and groceries plus ANA, Flying Blue, and Singapore transfers. The Citi Premier gives you 3x on dining, hotels, and flights plus Turkish and additional KrisFlyer access.

Total annual fees: roughly $590 ($95 + $250 + $95 after Citi's fee increase). Total transfer partners: 35+ airlines and hotels. Total signup bonuses in a single year: 150,000-200,000+ points across the three cards. That is enough for multiple round-trip flights in premium cabins or a week at a world-class Hyatt property.