The Six Transferable Point Currencies and What Each Is Best For

Bilt and Amex lead this comparison, while Citi has the most useful single confirmed edge through American AAdvantage.

These findings use AwardMath transfer data observed on August 12, 2026. The graph rows supplied for this page are not complete partner rosters, so absence from the table does not prove that a transfer path does not exist.

Amex is best when you want many airline options and do not yet know which alliance or carrier will have the award you need.

Our graph confirms 1:1 Amex transfers to ANA Mileage Club, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Etihad Guest, Delta SkyMiles, Qantas Frequent Flyer, and several Avios programs. That breadth matters because the same flight can have different prices, fees, and availability through different airline programs.

ANA is the most distinctive confirmed option in this group. A direct transfer lets you use ANA's own program rather than relying on a partner to see and price the flight. The tradeoff is that program rules, award pricing, fuel surcharges, and transfer times can erase an attractive headline price. Check the complete itinerary before moving points.

Not every Amex ratio is favorable. Cathay Asia Miles, Emirates Skywards, and JetBlue TrueBlue transfer at 5:4 as of August 12, 2026. You would receive 8,000 miles from 10,000 Amex points. The Leaders Club transfers at 4:1. Aeromexico transfers at 5:8, but a larger numerical balance does not by itself mean a better redemption.

Amex also transfers to Hilton at 1:2 and Marriott at 1:1. The Hilton ratio looks generous, but hotel programs generally require more points per night than airline programs require per flight. Compare the cash price with the full hotel award cost instead of judging the transfer by the ratio alone.

Chase cannot be ranked fairly from the current AwardMath graph snapshot because the supplied data contains no verified Chase transfer rows.

A dated report confirms that Chase offered an Aeroplan transfer promotion ending April 30, 2026, but that does not establish a current bonus or complete August partner roster. Do not use that expired promotion when valuing a transfer today.

Older partner guides also need careful handling. A July 2025 community guide described United as unique to Chase, but our graph shows a corroborated 1:1 Bilt to United transfer observed August 12, 2026. The old exclusivity claim is no longer safe to use.

If you hold Chase points, check Chase's current transfer page and the airline's award search before deciding where to send them. The absence of Chase rows here is a data boundary, not a recommendation to avoid the currency.

Citi is the best confirmed currency for direct American AAdvantage transfers.

Our graph shows Citi ThankYou Points transferring to American AAdvantage at 1:1, corroborated on August 12, 2026. That route matters because American miles can otherwise be harder to assemble from the major transferable currencies covered here.

Direct access does not guarantee a cheap award. American controls its own award pricing, and partner seats depend on what the operating airline releases. Search the exact itinerary through American before transferring.

The supplied graph contains only the American edge for Citi. It does not support a full comparison of Citi's other partners against Amex, Capital One, or Wells Fargo.

Capital One is not the currency to use for JAL if you also have Bilt points.

Capital One transfers to JAL Mileage Bank at 1.333:1, corroborated on August 12, 2026. At that ratio, you need about 13,330 Capital One miles to produce 10,000 JAL miles. Bilt transfers to JAL at 1:1, so the same 10,000 JAL miles require 10,000 Bilt points.

That difference is a 33.3 percent higher transferable-points cost through Capital One. It can still be useful when Capital One is the balance you have, but it is not the efficient route when both currencies are available.

Our supplied graph does not include enough other Capital One rows to name its best overall partner. Treat this as a specific JAL comparison rather than a verdict on the entire program.

Bilt has the strongest confirmed collection of partners that are difficult to replace with another currency in this dataset.

Bilt transfers at 1:1 to JAL Mileage Bank, Alaska Mileage Plan, United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and World of Hyatt as of August 12, 2026. It also has confirmed 1:1 paths to British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Turkish Miles&Smiles, TAP Miles&Go, and several hotel programs.

JAL is the clearest mathematical advantage. Bilt's 1:1 ratio beats Capital One's 1.333:1 ratio. Hyatt is another practical strength because a hotel transfer can make sense when the points price is low relative to the cash rate, though you still need to price the specific night.

Bilt also transfers 1:1 to Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham, Accor, and Preferred Hotels' I Prefer program. Do not assume these are all equal uses. A transfer ratio only tells you how many hotel points arrive. It does not tell you what room those points can buy.

Wells Fargo is the better confirmed route to Cathay Asia Miles than Amex.

Our graph shows Wells Fargo transferring to Cathay at 1:1, while Amex transfers at 5:4. A 20,000-point transfer would therefore produce 20,000 Asia Miles from Wells Fargo but only 16,000 from Amex.

Cathay can price its own flights and partner awards differently from other Oneworld programs, so direct Asia Miles access can be useful. It does not mean Cathay will have the seat you want or charge the lowest total cost.

The supplied graph contains only the Cathay edge for Wells Fargo. That is enough to identify a specific advantage over Amex, but not enough to rank Wells Fargo's full transfer roster.

Choose the currency by the airline or hotel program required for the award, not by a generic cents-per-point ranking.

Use Bilt when you need JAL, Alaska, United, Southwest, or Hyatt and the award math works. Use Amex when you need ANA or want to compare several international airline programs before committing. Use Citi for a confirmed direct transfer to American AAdvantage. Use Wells Fargo rather than Amex for Cathay at the observed ratios.

Use Capital One for JAL only when you lack Bilt points or another practical way to obtain JAL miles. The 1.333:1 ratio imposes a real points penalty.

For Chase, verify the current roster directly. The data supplied for this page does not justify naming a best partner, and an Aeroplan promotion reported earlier in 2026 has already ended.

Confirm the exact award seat and total cash charge before moving any bank points.

Airline award inventory can disappear, transfer times vary, and transfers are generally irreversible. Search the operating airline and relevant partner programs, compare mileage prices and surcharges, and make sure the itinerary is bookable for your dates.

AwardMath verifies transfer ratios and the resulting math. We do not show live seats. Use an airline search or an award-search tool to confirm availability, then transfer only the amount you need.