Charging It

I have several hundred thousand American Express points that I would like to turn into two non-stop first class tickets to France, Italy, Switzerland, or Germany from San Francisco.

My Rewards guidebook only lists economy or business class packages. Can I switch points into a domestic Amex partner that has agreements with international carriers to redeem points for first class travel?

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

Now I call that charging it! It is a fairly easy process to transfer your American Express points into an airline’s mileage program. Currently, a number of airlines are offering bonus miles for transferring Amex points into their programs. Check with your airline for transfer details.

Instead of transferring your points you can contact American Express and ask them to design an award for you. For high volume card users (having a few hundred thousand points qualifies), American Express will tailor a reward to your liking. If for some reason the membership agent can’t help you, ask to speak to a supervisor.

Have a good trip—you’ve earned it.

Joel