| | | | |

Hotel Transfer Partners to Airlines

Sometimes we overlook the fact that there are many methods when earning airline frequent flyer points. One of the easiest ways is staying at one of your favourite hotel brands and then transferring your points over to your airline loyalty program.

Below is a list of hotel brands which allow transferable points to frequent flyer programs:

Hotel Brand

Transfer Partners

Exchange Ratio

Starwood Preferred Guest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeroplan/Air Canada 1:1
Air Berlin 1:1
Air China Companion 1:1
Air New Zealand 65:1
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan 1:1
Alitalia Millemiglia 1:1
All Nippon Airways Mileage Club 1:1
American Airlines Aadvantage 1:1
Asia Miles Cathay Pacific/Dragonair 1:1
Asiana Airlines 1:1
British Airways Executive Club 1:1
China Eastern Airlines 1:1
China Southern Airlines Sky Pearl Club 1:1
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles 1:1
Emirates Skywards 1:1
Etihad Airways 1:1
Flying Blue 1:1
Hawaiian Airlines 1:1
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank 1:1
King Club Miles 1:1
LAN LANPASS 1:2
Mexicana Frecuenta 1:1
Miles and More 1:1
Qatar Airways 1:1
Saudi Arabian Airlines Alfursan 1:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer 1:1
Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus 1:1
US Airways Dividend Miles 1:1
United MileagePlus 2:1
VARIG Smiles 2:1
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club 1:1  
Marriott Rewards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United MileagePlus 8000:2000 112000:50000
Aeromexico 10000:2000 140000:50000
Aeroplan/Air Canada 10000:2000 140000:50000
Alaska 10000:2000 140000:50000
American Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
British Airways 10000:2000 140000:50000
Copa Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
Delta Air Lines 10000:2000 140000:50000
Frontier Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
GOL/Varig 10000:2000 140000:50000
Hawaiian Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
Iberia Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
Virgin Atlantic 10000:2000 140000:50000
Aeroflot 10000:1500 140000:35000
AirBerlin 10000:1500 140000:35000
Air China 10000:1500 140000:35000
Air France KLM 10000:1500 140000:35000
Alitalia Millemiglia 10000:1500 140000:35000
ANA 10000:1500 140000:35000
Asia Miles 10000:1500 140000:35000
Asiana Airlines 10000:1500 140000:35000
Avianca-TACA 10000:1500 140000:35000
China Eastern 10000:1500 140000:35000
China Southern 10000:1500 140000:35000
Emirates 10000:1500 140000:35000
Etihad Airways 10000:1500 140000:35000
Japana Airlines 10000:1500 140000:35000
Jet Airways 10000:1500 140000:35000
LAN LANPASS 10000:1500 140000:35000
Lufthansa Miles & More 10000:1500 140000:35000
Multiplus 10000:1500 140000:35000
Qantas 10000:1500 140000:35000
Qatar Airways 10000:1500 140000:35000
Saudia Airlines 10000:1500 140000:35000
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer 10000:1500 140000:35000
TAP Air Portugal 10000:1500 140000:35000
Turkish Airlines 10000:1500 140000:35000
Southwest Airlines 10000:2000 140000:50000
JetBlue Airways 10000:1000 140000:25000
Virgin America 10000:1000 140000:25000
Best Western Rewards

 

 

 

 

Aeromexico 25:8
Aeroplan 5:1
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan 5:1
Asiana 5:1
Southwest 25:6
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeromexico 5:4
Air China 25:16
Air France 5:2
All Nippon Airways 5:2
American Airlines 5:2
Amtrak 5:2
Asia Miles Airways 5:2
Asiana Airlines 5:2
British Airways 5:2
China Airlines 5:2
China Eastern Airlines 25:16
Delta Air Lines 5:2
Emirates Skywards 5:2
Etihad Airways 5:2
Hawaiian Airlines 5:2
Japan Airlines 5:2
Jet Airways 5:2
Korean Air 5:2
LAN Airways 5:4
Lufthansa 5:2
Qantas Airways 25:12
Qatar Airways 5:2
Royal Brunei Airlines 5:2
Singapore Airlines 5:2
Southwest Airlines 25:12
Thai Airways International 5:2
United Airlines 5:2
Virgin Atlantic Airways 5:3
Choice Privileges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeromexico 5:1
Airberlin Topbonus 5:1
Air Canada Aeroplan 5:1
Air New Zealeans 400:1
Alaska Airlines 5:1
American Airlines 5:1
Qantas 20:3
Southwest Airlines 10:3
Spirit 5:1
United Airlines 5:1
Virgin Atlantic Airways 20:3
Le Club Accorhotels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tam Airlines Multiplus Fidelidade 2:1
TAP Portugal Victoria 2:1
THAI Airways Royal Orchid Plus 2:1
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer 2:1
Lufthansa Miles & More 2:1
Air Canada Aeroplan 2:1
Air China PhoenixMiles 5:4
British Airways Executive Club 2:1
Iberia Plus 1:1
Qantas Airways Frequent Flyer 1:1
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles 2:1
Airberlin Topbonus 2:1
Air France KLM Flying Blue 2:1
Alitalia MilleMiglia 2:1
China Eastern Miles 5:4
China Southern Sky Pearl Club 5:4
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles 2:1
Emirates Airlines Skywards 2:1
Jet Airways JetPrivilege 2:1
Club Carlson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeromexico 10:1
Air Canada 10:1
Air China 10:1
Air France KLM 10:1
Airberlin 10:1
American Airlines 10:1
British Aiways 10:1
Cathay Pacific 10:1
Czech 10:1
Delta Air Lines 10:1
Emirates 10:1
Etihad 10:1
Frontier Airlines 10:1
Gulf 10:1
Icelandair 10:1
JAL 10:1
Jet 10:1
LAN 10:1
Lufthansa 10:1
SAS 10:1
Singapore Airlines 10:1
Southwest 10:1
United Airlines 10:1
Hilton Honors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeroflot 20:3
Aeromexico 50:13
Air Canada 10:1
Airberlin 10:1
Air China 10:1
Air France KLM 10:1
Air New Zealand 500:1
Alaska Airlines 10:1
ANA 10:1
American Airlines 20:3
Avianca 10:1
British Airways 10:1
Cathay Pacific 10:1
China Southern 10:1
Czech 10:1
Delta Air Line 10:1
Etihad 10:1
Frontier Airlines 10:1
Gulf 20:3
Hawaiian Airlines 20:3
Icelandair 10:1
JAL 10:1
JetBlue 10:1
LAN 50:13
Malaysia 10:1
Mexicana 20:3
Lufthansa 10:1
Olympic 10:1
Qantas 20:3
Qatar Airways 10:1
Saudi 10:1
Singapore Airlines 10:1
South African 20:3
Thai 10:1
United Airlines 10:1
Virgin America 10:1
Virgin Atlantic 20:3
IHG Rewards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aeromexico 5:1
Air China 5:1
Air France KLM 5:1
Air New Zealand 400:1
Airberlin 5:1
Alaska Airlines 5:1
Alitalia 5:1
ANA 5:1
American Airlines 5:1
Asiana 5:1
Avianca 5:1
British Airways 5:1
Cathay Pacific 5:1
China Eastern 5:1
China Southern 5:1
Delta 5:1
EI AI 250:1
Emirates 5:1
Etihad 5:1
Gulf 5:1
Hainan 5:1
JAL 5:1
Jet 5:1
JetBlue 5:1
LAN 5:1
Lufthansa 5:1
Malaysia 20:3
Qantas 5:1
Saudia 5:1
Singapore Airlines 5:1
South African 5:1
TAP 5:1
Thai 5:1
United Airlines 5:1
Virgin Atlantic 5:1
Virgin Australia 5:1

**Feb 2 Edit: Starwood has added a new Star Alliance partner to their list – Aegean Miles+Bonus at an exchange rate of 1:1.

As you can see, recognizable hotel brands such as Starwood, IHG, Marriott and Hilton have a significant amount of airline transfer partners allowing you to easily manoeuvre your points over to a loyalty program that you frequent. However, with Starwood and Marriott merging, it will be interested to see what changes will come into effect.

Pros and Cons

Although the exchange ratio reveals you may not have the upper hand in this situation, but sometimes exchanging hotel points for frequent flyer miles can be beneficial for the traveler. If you need some quick points to generate enough miles for an upcoming trip, a transfer would be a good idea. From time to time, hotel brands will offer transfer bonus when you exchange in large point amounts.

Your points are about to expire. Sometimes we are busy, there is no opportunity to take a vacation break and accounts are reaching their expiration dates. This would be a good time to transfer your points to an airline partner as this would account for one activity transaction in your account.

Hotel points are about to devalue. No plans have been made for a hotel stay and transferring to a frequent flyer program would give you more value, despite the fact the exchange rate seems much lower when you take that route.

You are not a frequent hotel stayer. You happened to stay at a hotel brand a couple of times, but have no intention of returning. This would be a good indication that you should be transferring your points over to a loyalty program you do frequent so you can redeem your rewards quicker.

Conclusion

The bottom line is, transferring your hotel points to an airline partner gives you much flexibility and options in your choice of earnings. If you know you will need a few extra miles to get you flying on business down the road, transferring hotel to airline becomes extremely lucrative, especially when you take advantage of transfer promotions and bonuses.

2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the excellent summary. A lot has been made of the Marriott/Starwood merger especially when it comes to transferring hotel points to airline points. When you are a base member of most programs (including Marriott, BW, IHG they transfer at a 5:1 ratio of hotel points to Miles. SPG transfers at 1:1 but you only get 2 hotel points per dollar spent whereas all the programs listed previously give you 10 points per dollar spent. Club Carlson gets you 20 hotel points per dollar spent so 10:1 ratio is the same as the 5:1 ratio at Marriott/IHG/BW. Hilton gives you 10 Hotel points per dollar spent and 1 air mile. Basically they all give you 2 airline miles per dollar spent. As you get Silver, Gold, and Platinum (or whatever the guest program labels it they all go up about the same 15%, 25% , and 50% bonus (ex. SPG 3 points per dollar for Gold and Marriott 15 Hotel points per dollar for Platinum). I am not to worried about the merger because with the Marriott Rewards Program as you exchange greater amounts of hotel points the ratio gets better. For example if you are Marriott Platinum (15 hotels points per dollar) and you exchange 140,000 points (to Alaska, Aeroplan, Delta etc) you get 50,000 airline points. Let’s round this off to a 3:1 ratio so for every dollar spent at a Marriott property (as a platinum member) you can potentially get up to 5 frequent flyer miles. This is actually quite a bit better than the SPG Gold/Platinum as they give you 3 SPG points (1:1 with many FF mile programs so actually 3.75 miles with the 25% conversion bonus with 20K plus converted)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.