Amex Ending Transfers To Etihad
An airline transfer partner change becomes official next week. Following statements that were sent to cardholders earlier this spring, American Express Membership Rewards will no longer transfer to Etihad Guest effective June 30, 2026. The removal comes on the heels of Amex reducing the transfer rate for Cathay Pacific back on March 1. (That partnership moved from its former 1:1 ratio to the current 5:4 ratio, marking about a 20% devaluation for Asia Miles.) Now, Amex is losing another partner entirely. Let's look at what Amex ending transfers to Etihad means for cardmembers.
Timeline For The End Of Amex-Etihad Guest Transfers
American Express sent the following statement to cardholders earlier this year, alerting them about Amex ending transfers to Etihad Guest:
With the partnership ending June 30, 2026, mark June 29 on your calendar as the last day to transfer Membership Rewards to Etihad Guest.
But you may not want to to do so, either way. Etihad has the one of the most brutal change and cancelation policies in the industry. First, changes and cancelations are not allowed within 72 hours of departure. Changes farther out incur hefty fees, and cancelations may forfeit 25% of your miles if you booked a Comfort Fare—and all of your miles on a Value Fare. It's generally not advisable to book through the program unless you are confident your plans won't change.
Which Currencies Still Transfer To Etihad Guest?
Those who are plotting Etihad Guest redemptions down the road can still plan for other redemption methods, regardless of Amex ending transfers to Etihad. The following currencies still transfer to Etihad Guest:
- Bilt Rewards – 1:1
- Capital One – 1:1
- Citi ThankYou Points – 1:1
- Rove Miles – 1:1
- Marriott Bonvoy – 3:1
Amex Ending Transfers To Etihad: ToP Thoughts
Though redemptions via Etihad Guest are risky due to the program's unforgiving change and cancelation policies, we never like to see the end of a transfer partnership. With Amex ending transfers to Etihad, those who are hoping to book something through the program soon may want to run some final searches before June 30. Just remember that we don't recommend speculative transfers. And especially with Etihad Guest, it is really only worth moving points to the program if you've found flight availability to secure. The good news? There are still several other currencies to convert to Etihad. How will this change impact your plans? Tell us over in the ToP Facebook Group.
