Transfer Partners & Global Alliances
The Most Common Misunderstanding in Points
Members ask me all the time: "I looked at the airline transfer partners for [Chase / Amex / Capital One] & none of the airlines I want to fly on are listed. So what's the point?"
The answer they don't expect: the visible transfer partner list isn't the whole picture. It's the doorway, not the whole house.
Here's what's actually happening. Most major airlines belong to one of three global alliances - oneworld, Star Alliance, or SkyTeam. When two airlines are in the same alliance, you can typically use one airline's miles to book award flights on the other airline. That means transferring your points to an airline that IS a partner of Chase, Cap One, or Amex unlocks award booking on dozens of airlines that AREN'T directly listed as transfer partners - as long as those airlines are in the same alliance.
So the real question isn't "is my preferred airline on the list?" It's "is my preferred airline in the same alliance as one of the airlines on the list?" If yes, you've got a path.
This is one of the most valuable things to understand in the points game, & one of the easiest to miss when you're going it alone.
How My Ohana Program Solves This
Navigating which alliance to route through, which transfer partner offers the best award pricing for your specific flight, & whether direct portal booking would beat any of it is exactly the kind of layered question my upcoming tool is designed to handle. Members enter their itinerary, the tool surfaces the best path. More on that when it's ready.
In the meantime, the lists below give you the framework.
Direct Transfer Partners by Currency
Each currency lists its direct airline transfer partners with the alliance noted in parentheses. Hotel transfer partners are listed separately at the end of each section.
Chase Points
Airline partners: - Aer Lingus AerClub (oneworld) - Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance) - Air France/KLM Flying Blue (SkyTeam) - British Airways Club (oneworld) - Iberia Plus (oneworld) - JetBlue TrueBlue (no alliance) - Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Star Alliance) - Southwest Rapid Rewards (no alliance) - United MileagePlus (Star Alliance) - Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (no alliance)
Hotel partners: - World of Hyatt - Marriott Bonvoy - IHG One Rewards - Wyndham Rewards
Amex Points
Airline partners: - Aer Lingus AerClub (oneworld) - Aeromexico Rewards (SkyTeam) - Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance) - Air France/KLM Flying Blue (SkyTeam) - ANA Mileage Club (Star Alliance) - Avianca LifeMiles (Star Alliance) - British Airways Club (oneworld) - Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (oneworld) - Delta SkyMiles (SkyTeam) - Iberia Plus (oneworld) - JetBlue TrueBlue (no alliance) - Qantas Frequent Flyer (oneworld) - Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Star Alliance) - Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (no alliance)
Hotel partners: - Hilton Honors - Marriott Bonvoy - Choice Privileges
Capital One Miles
Airline partners: - Aeromexico Rewards (SkyTeam) - Air Canada Aeroplan (Star Alliance) - Air France/KLM Flying Blue (SkyTeam) - Avianca LifeMiles (Star Alliance) - British Airways Club (oneworld) - Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (oneworld) - EVA Air Infinity MileageLands (Star Alliance) - Finnair Plus (oneworld) - Qantas Frequent Flyer (oneworld) - Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (Star Alliance) - TAP Miles&Go (Star Alliance) - Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (Star Alliance) - Virgin Red (no alliance)
Hotel partners: - Choice Privileges
What Each Alliance Unlocks
Now the part most members miss. When you transfer points to an airline that's part of an alliance, you can book award flights on dozens more airlines through that alliance.
oneworld Alliance
If your transfer lands at any oneworld airline (e.g. British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Finnair), you can typically book awards on:
Alaska Airlines (now part of Atmos), American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Fiji Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines (JAL), Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines, Atmos (Alaska + Hawaiian).
Star Alliance
If your transfer lands at any Star Alliance airline (e.g. United, Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines, Avianca LifeMiles, ANA), you can typically book awards on:
Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines.
SkyTeam Alliance
If your transfer lands at any SkyTeam airline (e.g. Delta, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Aeromexico), you can typically book awards on:
Aeroflot (suspended), Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, XiamenAir.
Airlines With No Alliance
A few airlines on the transfer partner lists don't belong to any alliance, so the alliance angle doesn't apply:
JetBlue TrueBlue - direct transfer partner of Chase & Amex
Southwest Rapid Rewards - direct transfer partner of Chase
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club - direct transfer partner of Chase, Cap One, & Amex
For these, the only redemption path is direct - your points become miles in that program & you book within that program's network of bilateral partnerships.
How to Use This Page
There are two ways to come at this. Most members find Approach 1 more intuitive.
Approach 1: Start with the airline you want to fly
Identify the airline you want to fly on.
Check which alliance it's in (look up the alliance sections above).
Look at your transferable currencies' transfer partner lists & find an airline in the same alliance as your target airline.
Transfer points to that alliance partner & book the award through them.
Example: you want to fly Japan Airlines. JAL is in oneworld. Looking at your currencies' partner lists, you see British Airways (oneworld) is a Chase partner & Cathay Pacific (oneworld) is an Amex partner. Either path works - transfer to whichever alliance partner has the best award pricing for your specific JAL flight.
Approach 2: Start with what you already have
Look at the transferable currencies you've earned (Chase, Amex, Capital One).
Check the alliance affiliations of those currencies' direct partners.
From there, look up which other airlines are in those alliances - that's the full universe of where your points can take you.
Most members come at this Approach 1 way - they have a destination in mind & need a path. Approach 2 is more useful when you're planning broadly: "What's the actual reach of my current points stack?"
Note: not every alliance partner sells the same award seats at the same price. United, Singapore Airlines, & Aeroplan are all in Star Alliance, but the same Lufthansa award flight may price differently depending on which one you're booking through. Sometimes the difference is meaningful - a Lufthansa business class redemption might be 15% cheaper through Aeroplan vs. through United, or vice versa.
This is exactly the kind of layered comparison my upcoming tool will handle automatically.
Important Caveats
A few things worth knowing:
Transfers are one-way. Once you move points from a transferable currency to an airline, you can't move them back. Don't transfer until you've confirmed the award you want is bookable.
Alliance partner award availability varies. An airline being IN the alliance doesn't guarantee they'll release award seats to other alliance members on every flight. Hunt for availability before transferring.
Transfer partners change over time. The lists above reflect partnerships as of early 2026. Periodic changes happen as currencies add or drop partners. When you're ready to transfer, double-check that the partner is still on the list.
Related Questions
Important Disclosures
Educational guidance only - not financial, credit, or tax advice. Individual results vary based on card approval, spending habits, redemption choices, & timing. Approval for any credit card is subject to issuer criteria.
Hawaii Reward Travel may receive compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This is how this free program is funded. Compensation does not influence guidance. Opinions are the author's alone & have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any bank, card issuer, or other entity.
