by Stella Shon Stella is a travel writer with over five years of expertise in credit cards, points and miles, and loyalty programs. She has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles to visit more than 30 countries.

Hi, Reader. Cash in Amex points for a statement credit and you'll get just 0.6 cents apiece. Transfer those same points to the right airline, and 60,000 of them can cover a business-class seat from New York to Tokyo.

That kind of value from transfer partners is a big part of why Membership Rewards is my favorite program. Amex was the first card issuer to let cardholders transfer points to loyalty partners, and today it has one of the deepest lineups around, with 20 airline and hotel programs. If you're looking to maximize your rewards for travel, it's a very strong place to start.

Why I love Amex points

Most Amex transfers are 1:1, but a few other things set the program apart.

It offers several unique transfer partners you won't find with other credit card programs, including Delta SkyMiles and All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club. (Amex does charge a small excise tax offset fee on transfers to U.S. airlines, capped at $99.)

Another major advantage is Amex's periodic transfer bonuses, as these limited-time promotions offer bonus points when transferring to select partners.

I've been earning and redeeming Amex Membership Rewards points for more than a decade, so I have too many redemptions to count. Here are my most memorable ones:

• ANA business class from New York to Tokyo, followed by ANA first class from Tokyo to San Francisco: I transferred 60,000 Amex points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for the business-class ticket and 72,500 points for the first-class ticket.
• Iberia business class from Madrid to New York: I transferred 40,500 Amex points to Iberia Club for the one-way flight.
• United Polaris business class from Washington, D.C., to Rome: I booked four tickets for my family in business class last Thanksgiving to Italy by transferring 75,000 Amex points per person to Air Canada Aeroplan.

I've also redeemed Amex points dozens of times for domestic flights. I frequently book Delta flights through its SkyTeam partner Air France-KLM Flying Blue, often for fewer miles than Delta charges for the same flight. You can use the same strategy across other Amex transfer partners to book oneworld and Star Alliance flights.

Transfer partner basics

Any Membership Rewards-earning card gets you the full lineup. Here are the airline partners and their standard transfer ratios:

• Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1)
• Aeromexico Rewards (1:1.6)
• Air Canada Aeroplan (1:1)
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1)
• ANA Mileage Club (1:1)
• Avianca LifeMiles (1:1)
• The British Airways Club (1:1)
• Cathay Pacific (5:4)
• Delta SkyMiles (1:1)
• Emirates Skywards (5:4)
• Iberia Club (1:1)
• JetBlue TrueBlue (1:0.8)
• Qantas Frequent Flyer (1:1)
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club (1:1)
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (1:1)
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (1:1)

The hotel partners include:

• Choice Privileges (1:1)
• Hilton Honors (1:2)
• Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club (4:1)
• Marriott Bonvoy (1:1)

Other ways to redeem

Cardmembers can also redeem Membership Rewards points partially (or in full) toward new reservations on Amex Travel, where points are worth a standard 1 cent apiece on flights and 0.7 cents on hotels and other prepaid bookings.

There are several non-travel redemption options as well, though they generally offer less value. Redeeming points for statement credits yields just 0.6 cents per point, while using points to shop with select online retailers typically provides around 0.7 cents per point. Gift cards can do a bit better, with some brands reaching 1 cent per point.

Where to get points

Membership Rewards points offer a wide range of redemption options, but earning points is just as easy. Here are five popular Membership Rewards-earning cards and their welcome offers as of publish time. Keep in mind that offers vary, and you may not be eligible for one if you've already had a certain card.

• ​American Express Platinum Card®: Earn as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in the first six months of account opening.
• ​American Express Business Platinum Card®: Earn as high as 300,000 points after spending $20,000 in the first three months of account opening.
• ​American Express Blue Business® Plus Credit Card: Earn as high as 50,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening.
• ​American Express® Gold Card: Earn as high as 100,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of account opening.
• ​American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn as high as 200,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first three months of account opening.