American Express Membership Rewards: 50% Transfer Bonus To Avios (250:300)

The Offer

Direct link to offer

• You can currently receive a 50% transfer bonus when you transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Avios. Normally you can transfer 250 MR points and receive 200 Avios, during this promotion you’ll receive 300 Avios instead.

The Fine Print

• Redeem for this exclusive offer from 12:00 a.m. CT on August 10, 2016 to 11:59 p.m. CT on October 10, 2016, to receive 50% additional Avios. Additional Avios will be awarded at the time of transfer.

Our Verdict

On October 1st of last year American Express reduced the transfer ratio to British Airways Avios from 1:1 to 250:200, so a 50% transfer bonus isn’t quite as good as it used to be (basically works out to be a 20% bonus on the old ratio). That being said, these are the transfer bonuses American Express has previously offered for Avios:

• December 15th, 2014 – January 31st, 2015: 40%
• October 15th – December 31st, 2013: 20%
• April 22nd, 2013 – June 7th, 2013: 35%
• December 3, 2012 – January 14, 2013: 30%
• August 28th, 2012 – September 27th, 2012: 40%
• March 15, 2012 – May 31, 2012: 50%
• March 1, 2012 – March 31, 2012: 50%
• November 28, 2011 – January 31, 2012: 30%
• June 1, 2011 – July 31, 2011: 50%
• February 2, 2011 – March 31, 2011: 40%
• November 2, 2010 – December 31, 2010: 30%
• April 1 – June 30, 2010: 20% (only for Platinum & Centurion cardholders)

You can view a full list of all the transfer bonuses they have offered across all programs by going here. If you have a need for Avios, I imagine this is as good as it’ll get for the foreseeable future so in that case I’d recommend transferring your points. If you have frozen American Express points, apparently filing a CFPB complaint has been working to unfreeze those points. American Express are also currently offering a 50% transfer bonus on Plenti points as well.

Hat tip to Mercedes_Fan on /r/churning