How to Use Up to 100,000 American Express Membership Rewards® Points: Real-Life Travel Redemptions
At Travel Freely, we love helping travelers turn their everyday spending into meaningful travel experiences. American Express Membership Rewards® points are some of the most flexible rewards out there – and if you’ve earned one of their “As High As” welcome bonuses recently from the American Express® Gold Card or the American Express Platinum Card®, you may be wondering the best way to redeem those points. (Keep in mind: welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.) If so, you’re in luck! We’re here to share some ideas.
These points can be used for flights and hotels that would normally cost thousands of dollars. If you’re ready for your next redemption, here are some of the smartest and most inspiring ways to use 100,000 Membership Rewards points (or less – and in one example below, slightly more).
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How to Use Up to 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards Points
From family-friendly getaways to bucket-list luxury experiences, here are 8 real-world examples inspired by the Travel Freely team, Travel Freely members, and our community – showing just what’s possible with 100,000 Membership Rewards points or less.
1) Business Class to Milan on Emirates — $8,000+ Value
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Travel Freely founder Zac’s proposal to his wife Virginia, he took her on an epic trip. That trip started with a business class flight from JFK to Milan for 87,000 Amex Membership Rewards points per person, transferred to Emirates. Each ticket came with access to the luxurious Emirates lounge in JFK and the Emirates bar lounge in the sky.
2) JetBlue Mint (business class) from Paris to Boston — $5,000+ Value
Zac and Virginia’s return from Paris to Boston on that same anniversary trip cost 80,000 Amex Membership Rewards points per person with a transfer to Etihad to book JetBlue Mint business class. Zac noted that JetBlue Mint had a really cool and modern luxury feel and that the seats were huge with tons of room to lie down and sleep.
In both of the above examples, doubling up on points will get you and your travel companion to your destination in style. Check out this article on the best strategy for doubling your points.
3) 4 Economy Flights from Costa Rica — $1,200+ Value
For Travel Freely member Allison’s return flights from Liberia, Costa Rica to Denver, they transferred Amex Membership Rewards points from an Amex Gold Card to Air Canada Aeroplan to book United flights for their family of 4. Because both United and Air Canada are part of the Star Alliance, it’s possible to use points from one airline’s program to book flights operated by another partner — a flexible strategy that makes it easier to find award seats and maximize your points.
4) Business Class Flight to Munich — $4,000+ Value
Travel Freely members Nathan and Christine transferred 100,000 Amex Membership Rewards points each to one of Amex’s airline transfer partners, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, which was running a limited-time award sale. Through Virgin Atlantic, they were able to book Delta One® (business class) seats from Salt Lake City to Munich, Germany — a premium experience they never imagined they’d be able to afford without points.
5) 4 nights at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe through Amex Portal — $4,000+ Value
Travel Freely team member Madison used 88,000 Membership Rewards points (22,000 points x 4 nights) earned through her American Express Platinum card via the Amex travel portal to book the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. As a result, they could take advantage of the $100 experience credit through the Fine Hotels and Resorts Program and got a room upgrade to a lakeside cottage. They also got free breakfast each morning and several welcome gifts during their stay.
6) Luxury Japan Stay with Hilton Honors — $3,500+ Value
When Zac went to Kyoto and Tokyo a few years ago, he researched a number of aspirational hotels for his stay. On his list: The Conrad Tokyo. By transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors (1:2 ratio), Zac could have booked 4 nights, where rooms often run over $800 per night.
A redemption like this uses 95,000 Amex points for 190,000 Hilton points — enough for a breathtaking city-view room with lounge access and breakfast included.
Pro Tip: Hilton transfers are best used for high-end properties in expensive cities. Even after factoring in resort taxes and fees, this is a great example of maximizing points value for a dream luxury trip.
7) Business Class to Japan on ANA via Virgin Atlantic — $4,000+ Value
This is one of the best-known Amex “sweet spots.” By transferring 105,000 Amex Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, you can book a round-trip business-class ticket from the West Coast to Japan on ANA (All Nippon Airways). (We realize this is a bit more than 100K points!)
A comparable ticket in cash would easily run $4,000 or more, and yet with Amex points and a simple transfer to Virgin Atlantic, you can experience lie-flat seats, premium meals, and a full international business-class experience for almost no out-of-pocket cost.
8) Family Trip to Hawaii Using Transfer to Air France/KLM Flying Blue — $2,400+ Value
Families can unlock big savings on Hawaii flights by transferring Amex Membership Rewards points to Air France/KLM Flying Blue. Even though these awards are for Delta-operated flights, Flying Blue often charges far fewer miles than Delta itself.
By transferring 70,000 Amex points, you can book 4 one-way economy tickets from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii for as little as 17,500 miles per person – a huge discount compared to cash prices that often exceed $600 per ticket.
Award availability can be tricky, but when you catch it, the value is outstanding – easily $2,400+ compared to buying the same flights with cash.
Pro Tip: Use Virgin Atlantic’s 5-week award search to find Delta award space, then confirm the availability at AirFrance.us before transferring points. Flying Blue’s site can be glitchy – if you run into errors, try the app or give Air France/KLM a call.
Or, even easier – use an award search tool like PointsYeah or Roame to simplify your search and set up alerts to alert you when availability opens up.
Bottom Line: Amex Points = Free Travel
100,000 American Express Membership Rewards points can open the door to almost any kind of travel – whether that’s luxury hotels, long-haul business class flights, or family trips closer to home.
The best part? Some of these redemptions come from beginners who simply followed a plan, stayed organized, and used their points strategically.
If you’re ready to start your own story, check out the latest American Express card offers and learn how to earn your first big bonus with confidence.
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