114. All About Transfer Bonuses: What They Are and How to Use Them To Get Even More Points

Transfer bonuses are one of the best ways to stretch your points further, and in this episode we’re breaking down everything you need to know about them. From understanding how they work to sharing the bonuses we’ve taken advantage of, this episode is packed with actionable tips to help you maximize your rewards and travel more for less.

What Are Transfer Bonuses? Pam explains that what transfer bonuses are and how big a difference they can make in your redemptions.  For example, a recent American Express bonus to Virgin Atlantic offered a 40% increase, turning 100,000 Membership Rewards into 140,000 Virgin Atlantic miles. 

When to Use Them While transfer bonuses can be tempting, Alex emphasizes the importance of having a plan. Speculative transfers (moving points without a specific booking in mind) can leave you stuck with miles you don’t need if your plans change. The takeaway? If you’re new to points, only use transfer bonuses when you know you’ll use the miles.

Stacking Bonuses for Maximum Value Jess shares how stacking transfer bonuses with existing airline or hotel promotions can unlock even more value. And Alex highlights Flying Blue’s monthly promo awards and child discount, which allow you to save even more by pairing discounted flights with transfer bonuses.

Hotel Transfer Bonuses Jess dives into the hotel side of transfer bonuses, highlighting the best options and the ones that might not be a good deal.

Our Favorite Transfer Bonus Wins Each of us shares a recent win:

• Pam: Transferred 100,000 Amex points to Virgin Atlantic with a 40% bonus, booking a round-trip business class flight to London for just 58,000 miles and $600 in fees.
• Alex: Used a 20% transfer bonus to Flying Blue to book business class flights to Morocco with her mom and sisters for just 55,000 points each way.
• Jess: Took advantage of a Capital One transfer bonus to Virgin Red, then Virgin Atlantic, to book a KLM flight for nearly 50% fewer points.

Transfer bonuses are an incredible way to maximize your points and miles, but timing and planning are everything. Whether you’re saving for a luxury business-class flight or looking to reduce the cost of a family vacation, these promotions can make a big difference. Check out our blog for monthly updates on the latest transfer bonuses, and start planning your next big adventure!

Links:

• Subscribe to Points Talk Premium: https://pointstalk.supercast.com/

• Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad: stan.store/travelmomsquad

• Transfer Bonuses and Sales on Points & Miles January 2025 - Travel Mom Squad

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:30 – Introduction: What are transfer bonuses?
• 01:15 – Pam explains how transfer bonuses work
• 10:30 – When to use (and not use) transfer bonuses
• 15:00 – Stacking bonuses for flights and hotels
• 21:30 – Jess’s Hilton strategy and hotel transfer tips
• 27:55 – Favorite transfer bonus wins from Pam, Alex, and Jess
• 35:00 – Final thoughts on maximizing transfer bonuses