International Airfare Points Rankings

Citi points are increasing in value with the addition of American Airlines as a transfer partner, though limited partner-transfer cards still hold them back.

• Only the Strata Premier and Strata Elite are worth it; they’re the only Citi cards with transferable miles to all partners and a 60k–80k point signup bonus.
• You can combine cash back points from other Citi cards with Strata Premier or Elite and then transfer to partners, but none of the cash back cards offer strong bonuses.
• Citi has expanded its transfer partner network, adding several high-value options it once lacked.
• Points are flexible with many airline partners, and Citi is the only credit card system that transfers to American Airlines.

Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines have some great sweet spots, but understanding their award charts is key.

• A key factor in their value is whether either airline flies from your home airport.
• Alaska often has the best pricing available for international business class. Using an award search tool will help maximize.
• Their award chart also allows for some great finds on short-haul domestic flights.
• The one downfall of the program is that only Bilt and Marriott are transfer partners, making collecting points or topping up more difficult
• One-way award tickets with a stopover allows you to visit two destinations for the price of one.

Amex points are great in theory. We just find them harder to collect and more expensive to hold than Chase points.

• If you’re in the points game long enough, you’ll dabble in both main systems (Chase & Amex).
• Amex has a one card bonus every 7 years rule, so ultimately, there will be more of a limit to how many you can collect via sign-up bonuses.
• There is only one no-fee card that allows you to earn and keep Membership Rewards points - the Blue Business Plus card.
• Delta and Hilton are solid transfer values and having Amex points gives you top-off flexibility if you are invested in either of those systems.
• We do find Amex travel a higher quality of service over the Chase travel portal.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is our most valued point system.

• These points are the most flexible of any credit card points. You can transfer points to their partners (the most valuable way to redeem)
• Or you can book travel directly through the Chase portal, including cruise, car rental, or specialty hotels.
• The quality of their transfer partners (Hyatt, United & Southwest) is unmatched. As is the value you can get when you transfer.
• You can get a “multiplier effect” on your Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you have either of Chase’s Sapphire cards by taking advantage of Points Boost.
• We view Ultimate Rewards as the points “savings account” to top off a partner reward system for a flight or hotel. Or to book travel items directly through the Chase travel portal.

United is a solid option for international flights, especially for business class.

• United has ample cards for collecting large sums of points.
• International business class seats can be found for as low as 60,000 points to South America and 80,000 to Europe.
• They’re a partner in our favorite rewards system, making top offs from Chase Ultimate Rewards both easy and a good value.
• United is also a decent option for domestic flights and standard international fares, but we generally use Southwest, American or Delta for those.
• We save our United points for those long international flights where business class is a difference maker.

American Airlines is a great utility point system.

• Points are relatively easy to collect, though we don’t love the bank partners or transfer options as much.
• We love direct flights, and American can be a good option for finding those with points.
• Rewards flights start at 7500 miles each way.
• You can use AA miles to travel with eligible Oneworld partner airlines worldwide.

Bilt Rewards are quickly becoming valuable in the points and miles world, but only if you’re a renter.

• Earn up to 100,000 points in rewards from your monthly rent payments by putting it on the Bilt Mastercard
• There is no annual fee or extra charge for doing this as Bilt acts as an intermediary and sends a check if your landlord doesn’t accept credit cards or charges a fee for using one
• You can then cash those points in for high value redemptions
• Bilt has an impressive array of transfer partners that rivals Chase and American Express, so you can turn that rent payment into free airfare and/or hotel stays pretty easily

Delta is a good point system for both domestic and international flights.

• Delta offers many cards, making initial collection relatively easy. But the Amex 1/7 Rule limits that ability over time.
• Delta is part of the Amex partner reward system and is a decent transfer value.
• We save Delta points for specific flights, perhaps direct domestic or best value international.
• We use easier-to-collect point systems such as Southwest and American ahead of Delta.

If you live in the United States, Air Canada is a complicated alternative to United Airlines, though better value can be found.

• Similar to United, you can access Star Alliance international flights through Air Canada, but sometimes at lowerr point totals
• You cannot book flights between two U.S. cities
• Air Canada can be useful for international flights that naturally route through Canada.
• Aeroplan allows up to two stopovers per flight for 5,000 points each

We don’t recommend actively collecting Flying Blue points, but their monthly Promo Rewards are worth monitoring

• They are partners with all major point systems, making it easy to jump on a Promo Reward or top off
• You can transfer Flying Blue Rewards to all SkyTeam partner airlines
• Flying Blue offers free stopovers to Paris or Amsterdam to maximize your point redemption
• United is still our go-to for international flights, but Flying Blue Rewards offer competitive redemptions on long haul flights

Qatar now uses Avios, which makes it flexible — but not always cheap.

• QSuites redemptions (especially U.S. to Doha) can offer solid value, particularly during transfer bonuses.
• However, Qatar charges high surcharges, sometimes adding $500+ to business class redemptions.
• Award pricing is segment-based, which makes long itineraries expensive.
• Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, Chase, and Bilt, with near-instant transfer speeds.
• Not bad for one-off premium redemptions, but fees and pricing structure limit day-to-day usefulness.

Asia Miles has value, but it's more complex than most programs.

• You can book partners like American and British Airways, but partner awards can be tough to find online.
• Fuel surcharges apply on many carriers, especially British Airways and Cathay itself.
• Award pricing is distance-based, not region-based, which makes it harder to plan optimal redemptions.
• Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt make miles easy to earn, but transfers can take 1–2 days.

Capital One is a flexible point system we use for travel items that other systems don't cover

• Partner transfers are niche airlines and hotel brands, making the points more difficult to maximize
• Using an award search tool such as PointsYeah makes finding flights with those airlines more realistic
• Simple redemptions for erasing travel can be useful for cruises & rental cars (at 1¢/point so value isn’t maximized)
• Capital One is particularly attractive to businesses with large spending

The greatest value when using Avios for rewards travel is the ability to transfer them to one of their many partners

• American Airlines is only a transfer partner of Citi, but you can use Avios to book an AA flight, even a domestic one in the US through a partner that uses Avios
• By tapping into their extensive transfer partner network, you can avoid BA’s hefty surcharges, which is the program’s biggest pain point
• Using Avios for short haul flights, anywhere in the world BA or a partner flies, offers tremendous value with its distance based award chart
• The British Airways Club partners with Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Wells Fargo, adding to the value of the program

There are no credit card transfer partners for Miles and More, making it a program we rarely recommend

• While Miles and More miles are difficult to earn, they can be redeemed on Lufthansa or any of its 40 partner airlines
• Fuel surcharges on Lufthansa are amongst the highest of airline loyalty programs
• If you have Miles and More miles, they are best used on United or Air Canada flights within North America or flights within Europe
• You cannot even search award availability unless you have at least 7000 miles in your account

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club can offer solid value, but only in specific cases.

• Virgin adds fuel surcharges to many awards, especially on its own metal and transatlantic routes.
• ANA Business Class roundtrips between the U.S. and Japan are among the cheapest in points but require round-trip bookings and can be hard to find.
• You can transfer points from Amex, Chase, Citi, and Bilt, which makes miles easy to earn (if you have a Virgin Red account, you can transfer from Capital One as well).
• Virgin Red is a loyalty system that allows you to earn and redeem points on things beyond flights
• It is separate from Virgin Flying Club, but both earn Virgin points and can be combined when you have an account with both

Etihad Guest is mostly valuable for partner redemptions, but they’ve become harder to use.

• Etihad has a consolidated award chart for partners that was severely devalued, eliminating almost all of the former sweet spots
• Etihad flights themselves tend to have high surcharges and inconsistent availability.
• But it’s often the best way to book a premium cabin ticket on the airline with points as they release availability way ahead of partners
• Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Marriott, but not all are instant.
• This program can be useful for niche redemptions but is not user-friendly for casual travelers.

Avianca LifeMiles has good value, especially for international premium cabin flights.

• LifeMiles often has the lowest business class pricing to Europe and Asia
• Domestic short-haul flights also have some sweet spots, as does travel between the U.S. and South America
• Flexible dates and using an award tool will be key to finding these hidden gems
• Their booking site is clunky, but occasional “mixed cabin” quirks can work in your favor.
• Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt make LifeMiles easy to accumulate.

KrisFlyer is best used when booking Singapore Airlines’ own premium cabins, including Suites.

• U.S. to Asia in business or first can be solid value, especially if you book early.
• Short-haul flights in Asia can be excellent value with low surcharges.
• A stopover on round-trip awards adds flexibility for just a small fee.
• You can transfer points from Amex, Chase, Citi, or Capital One, often instantly.

The U.S. Bank Loyalty System is a fixed-value travel program with limited upside.

• Points redeem at 1 cent per point toward travel when booked through the U.S. Bank portal (for those cards that allow portal redemptions).
• U.S. Bank does not currently have transfer partners. They announced that the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve will gain partners starting in December 2025, but none have been named yet. The card is also closed to new applicants as of November 2024.
• U.S. Bank points are fine for travelers who want a simple rebate toward flights, but the program is not ideal for anyone aiming to maximize travel value or leverage complex award bookings.

Miles&Smiles has some solid value, but the booking process can be clunky.

• One of the best uses is long-haul domestic U.S. flights on United for 10,00 miles one-way.
• Business class to Europe on Turkish is a solid deal at 65,000 miles, though fuel surcharges apply.
• Partner awards often require manual booking by phone or email, and the online search tool is unreliable.
• Miles&Smiles transfers from Bilt, Capital One, and Citi, but transfers are not instant and can take a few days.

High fees and inflated partner pricing reduce Qantas points appeal.

• Best value is typically on domestic Australian flights or select short-haul Oneworld routes.
• Points pricing is distance-based, and business class awards are generally expensive, especially to/from the U.S.
• Booking American Airlines or British Airways flights often comes with massive fuel surcharges.
• Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt are available, but Qantas is rarely the best use of those points.