10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All values of Membership Rewards are assigned based on the assumption, experience and opinions of the 10xTravel team and represent an estimate and not an actual value of points. Estimated value is not a fixed value and may not be the typical value enjoyed by card members.
American Express has temporarily paused point transfers to ANA Mileage Club, Japan’s largest frequent flyer program. This means that if you have Amex Membership Rewards points and were planning to move them over to ANA, you cannot do that right now. Amex has not given a clear end date for the pause, and no official reason has been shared publicly. Pauses like this have happened before with other airline partners, and they sometimes signal that a big change is coming to how points are valued or how transfers work.
ANA Mileage Club has long been one of the best ways to use Amex points, especially for booking flights in business and first class on Star Alliance airlines like United and Lufthansa. The standard transfer ratio from Amex to ANA is 1,000 Membership Rewards points to 1,000 ANA miles. ANA miles are known for offering strong value on premium cabin redemptions, which is why this program has been a favorite for people who want to get the most out of their points. A devaluation to this program would be a significant loss for anyone building up Amex points with ANA redemptions in mind.
Our Take
Our best guess is that this pause is not a good sign. When transfer partners go quiet like this, it usually means something is changing behind the scenes, and changes to loyalty programs rarely benefit the member. We think it is smart to pay close attention to any announcements from ANA Mileage Club in the coming weeks, because if a devaluation is on the way, you will want to know about it before it happens so you can make a move with your points while the current rates still apply.
If you have been sitting on a pile of Amex Membership Rewards points and ANA was part of your redemption plan, now is the time to revisit that strategy. We recommend looking at your options across all of Amex’s transfer partners and not putting all your eggs in one basket. Programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer are all strong alternatives that also transfer from Amex and offer great value on premium cabin bookings. Stay flexible, stay informed, and be ready to act fast if ANA makes an announcement.
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Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All values of Membership Rewards are assigned based on the assumption, experience and opinions of the 10xTravel team and represent an estimate and not an actual value of points. Estimated value is not a fixed value and may not be the typical value enjoyed by card members.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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