Program Guides
Amex Transfer Partners in Canada: Every Ratio, Ranked (2026)
Everything that makes Membership Rewards Canada's most valuable mainstream currency happens at the moment of transfer. Points inside MR are worth a flat 1¢; moved through the right door, 1.9¢ or more. This is the full list of doors as of July 2026 — including the two changes this year that redrew the map: Flying Blue's upgrade to 1:1 in January, and Etihad Guest's exit in June.
The full partner table
| Partner | Ratio | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1:1 | The default — sets MR's ceiling |
| The British Airways Club (Avios) | 1:1 | Short-haul partner awards |
| Air France KLM Flying Blue | 1:1 | Europe — new at this ratio in 2026 |
| Cathay Asia Miles | 1:0.75 | Rarely worth the 25% haircut |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1:0.75 | Rarely worth the 25% haircut |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 5:6 | Usually below the 1¢ floor |
| Hilton Honors | 1:1 | Below the floor — skip |
Transfers move in 100-point increments with a 1,000-point minimum, they're frequently instant but can take a few days, and — the rule that governs everything — they're one-way. Find the award seat first, then move the points.
The three 1:1 doors
Aeroplan is the reason MR carries a 1.9¢ Standard value instead of its 1¢ floor. The transfer inherits everything in Aeroplan's award ecosystem — Star Alliance partner awards, no fuel surcharges, and the business-class redemptions that reach 2.5–4¢ per original MR point. When people say "Amex points to Aeroplan," this is the trade: our Aeroplan redemption guide is the playbook for the other side.
The British Airways Club (the program formerly named the Executive Club — Avios is the currency) is the specialist door: distance-based partner awards make short flights on American or Alaska cheap in points. Mind the two 2026 caveats in our Avios guide — the May cash-element increase made BA-metal redemptions worse, which is why we mark Avios at 1.6¢ and falling.
Flying Blue became a serious door on January 3, 2026, when Amex Canada raised the ratio from 1:0.75 to 1:1. That one change turned Air France/KLM's program from an afterthought into the best route to Europe for many balances — economy awards to Paris or Amsterdam start around 25,000 miles one-way, and SkyTeam coverage fills the gaps Star Alliance leaves. Amex ran its first-ever Canadian transfer bonus to Flying Blue (25%, March 18 to April 17, 2026) shortly after — precedent worth remembering.
The 0.75 tier: do the math first
Asia Miles and Delta SkyMiles both cost you a quarter of your points at the door. For a 1:0.75 transfer to beat a 1:1 Aeroplan transfer, the destination program's award has to be more than 33% cheaper than Aeroplan's price for the same trip — rare, but not unheard of for specific Cathay premium-cabin awards. Treat these as expert doors: if you have to ask, Aeroplan is the answer.
Hotels: almost always the wrong door
The 5:6 Marriott Bonvoy ratio looks like a bonus and usually isn't — priced against real stays, most Bonvoy redemptions return 0.7–1.0¢ per original MR point, below the statement-credit floor. Hilton Honors at 1:1 is worse: Hilton points are individually worth well under a cent, so the transfer destroys value against the floor by construction. The one genuine niche: Bonvoy onward-transfers to ~40 airline programs at 3:1 (with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000), which since June is also the only indirect road from MR to Etihad Guest.
What changed in 2026
- January 3 — Flying Blue improved from 1:0.75 to 1:1 (permanent).
- March 18 – April 17 — first-ever Canadian Flying Blue transfer bonus (25%).
- June 20 — Etihad Guest removed as a Canadian MR partner (final transfers June 19, at the old 1:0.75). Practical impact is small: Aeroplan partners with Etihad, so 1:1 Aeroplan transfers still book Etihad flights — generally at better value than the direct door ever offered.
Program rules move; this page carries its verification date below, and material changes land in our change log and the weekly Brief.
Which door for which trip
- Flights on Air Canada or Star Alliance, anywhere: Aeroplan.
- Short hops in North America (AA, Alaska): The British Airways Club.
- Europe on Air France/KLM/SkyTeam: Flying Blue.
- A hotel stay: don't transfer — take the statement credit and pay cash.
- No specific trip: don't transfer at all. Points in MR keep every option above; points in any partner have one.
Earning the points
The Amex Cobalt (5x on food spend) is the fastest MR earner in Canada; the Gold Rewards and Platinum add bigger bonuses and travel perks on the same balance. Every MR card transfers to every partner above — the doors don't care which card earned the points.
Partner list and ratios verified July 12, 2026 against Amex Canada's published partner pages via Prince of Travel and Frugal Flyer's transfer-partner guides. Valuations are editorial estimates: The Points Standard Index.