Here’s how I turn my Amex points into $10,000 flights.

14 Dec 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:01

Dan Novaes argues that redeeming Amex Membership Rewards through Amex’s portal (gift cards, statement credits) is inefficient. He explains that point valuations range from about 0.6¢ to over 10¢ per point and that transferring points to airline partners (e.g., Emirates, ANA) can convert 200,000 points from roughly $1,200 to as much as a $10,000 premium-ticket trip; he frames this as a strategic difference used by sophisticated travelers and concludes with a follow/CTA.

Chapters

Most people think they're winning when they use their Amex points for flights, gift cards, or even statement credits. But the truth is that's exactly what Amex wants you to do because it's the worst way to use your points. Let's talk about point value. Depending on how you redeem them, Amex points can be worth as little as 0.6 cents to over 10 cents per point. That means two people could have the same number of points, but one ends up throwing first class and gets all this value and someone gets $100 Best Buy gift card. It all comes down to how you use them. Here's the play that the 1% know transfer to airline partners Instead of redeeming your points AMEX portal, you send them to the airline partners like emirates, ANA, etc. And that's where the magic happens and the difference adds up fast. 200,000 points could be $1200 or a $10,000 trip. It's not about having the points, it's knowing how to leverage them. And I've flown round trip business class to Europe for less than most people pay for economy and the reason that I'm able to do that is because I always transfer to partners strategically. If you want to get more of this, follow us and get all of our hacks for free.