Got a stash of transferable points but find yourself still shy of that dream getaway? Don't write it off just yet.
Banks like American Express, Chase, and Capital One routinely roll out bonuses when transferring points to a specific airline or hotel partner, meaning you won't have to transfer as many points as you normally need to book an award flight. Think of these transfer bonuses as a way to get free miles.
Just how good of a transfer bonus you'll get will vary from bank to bank and program to program, but you can generally expect to see bonuses in the range of 10% to 40% – sometimes even more. They're typically offered for a limited time, and it can be tough to keep track of them all – especially if you have transferrable points with multiple credit card companies.
Here are all the current transfer bonuses available as of publication, broken down by bank.
| Transfer from | Transfer to | Bonus | Expires | More info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | Aeroplan | 20% | Jan. 15, 2024 | Full details |
| All bank partners | Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 10% | Mar. 31, 2024 | Bonus miles take 8-10 weeks to post (full terms and conditions) |
Wondering why you should transfer your points? Read up on how it can help you book flights for less!
Taking advantage of these transfer bonuses can be critical to getting even more value out of your points. But there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind before rushing to transfer your points.
Here's the most important one: These transfers are a one-way street. Once you send the points to an airline partner, you cannot get them back to your Capital One, Chase, or other credit card account. That means you'll generally want to have a redemption in mind (and make sure the flights you want are actually available to book) before transferring your points.
Time and time again, we've seen loyalty programs devalue their points by raising award rates with little to no warning. The best way to safeguard against these sudden devaluations is to keep your points safe (and flexible) in your bank account until you're ready to use them.
Read next: When Does it Make Sense to Speculatively Transfer Your Points?
And keep in mind that you'll still have to pay taxes and fees on when booking an award ticket. For some airlines, those fees are negligible. But others charge much more when booking award flights with points and miles – especially if you're flying business or first class with your miles.
Let's take a closer look at each of the current transfer bonuses and how you might want (or not want) to use them.
20% Bonus on Chase Transfers to Aeroplan
Chase recently rolled out a 20% bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to your Air Canada Aeroplan account. This bonus is widely available so long as you've got a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points like the *chase sapphire preferred* or *chase sapphire reserve*. It's available through Jan. 15, 2024.
Aeroplan is one of the best mileage programs on the planet – and not just to fly Air Canada. You can use it to book cheap United award tickets for domestic flights, business class flights to Europe from 60,000 miles each way or to Asia as low as 55,000 miles one-way.
Factor in that 20% transfer bonus and you can score a business class flight to Europe for as few as just 50,000 Chase points.
If Hawaii has been on your radar, you're in luck. Due to Aeroplan's distance-based pricing model, you'll want to start from the West Coast where flights are shorter. Your best bet is looking for flights from Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) flying United Airlines.
You can book a one-way flight for just 12,500 miles in economy – roughly half of what United itself would normally charge. Factor in this transfer bonus, and you can book roundtrip flights to Hawaii using just 21,000 Chase points.
Bottom Line
Transfer bonuses can be a great way to get more value out of your points and help you realize your dream vacation even sooner. These bonuses are constantly coming and going, so it's important to stay up-to-date on the current promotions before moving your points to ensure you're not leaving any free points on the table.
But it's always best to keep your points flexible until you're ready to book. Due to constant loyalty program devaluations, transferring points without an immediate plan to use them will rarely be a good option.
Hi! This is super helpful, thank you! Quick question – do you simply need to transfer the points from the card to the hotel or airline stated above by the deadline/deal expiration, or do you need to actually travel between the transfer bonus announcement and their expiration date? Thank you!
Hi Amy. You just need to transfer them. No requirement to use them by the expiration date for the transfer bonus.