You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Alaska Airlines at a fixed rate, but the transfer takes several days and you cannot undo it once it completes

American Express lets you move Membership Rewards points from your Amex account into your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account. The transfer rate is fixed at 1 Amex point = 1 Alaska mile, with no bonus or discount. Once the points land in your Alaska account, they stay there — Amex cannot reverse the transfer, and Alaska will not convert them back to Amex points. The entire process takes 2 to 3 business days after you initiate it.

This matters because the value you get depends on how you spend the miles. If you redeem Alaska miles for a domestic flight that costs $200, and you spent 25,000 miles, you are getting less than 1 cent per mile. If you use them for a premium cabin seat or a partner airline ticket, the value can be higher. Before you transfer, know what you plan to book.

Key Takeaways

  • Transfer your Amex points through your Amex account online; you cannot transfer by phone or through Alaska Airlines directly.
  • The transfer rate is always 1 Amex point to 1 Alaska mile, with no promotions or bonuses available.
  • Transfers take 2 to 3 business days to complete, and you cannot cancel or reverse a transfer once it has started.
  • Alaska Airlines miles expire after 24 months of account inactivity, so confirm your Alaska account is active before transferring a large balance.
  • You must have an active Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account before you can transfer; Amex will not create one for you.

How to transfer points through your Amex account

Log into your American Express online account and look for the "Membership Rewards" or "Points" section. The exact name varies by card type, but it is usually in the main navigation menu or under "Account Services." Once you are in the Rewards section, find the option to transfer or move points — this is often labeled "Transfer Points" or "Send Points."

Select Alaska Airlines from the list of transfer partners. Amex will ask you to enter your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account number. Double-check this number; if you enter it wrong, the points will go to someone else's account, and Amex will not recover them for you. Enter the number of points you want to transfer, review the confirmation screen, and submit. You will receive an email confirmation immediately, but the points will not appear in your Alaska account for 2 to 3 business days.

If you do not see Alaska Airlines listed as a transfer partner in your account, your specific Amex card may not offer that option. Not all Amex cards have the same transfer partners. Check your card's benefits guide or call Amex customer service to confirm whether your card can transfer to Alaska.

What you need before you transfer

You must have an active Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan account. If you do not have one, you can open it for free at the Alaska Airlines website before you transfer. The account takes a few minutes to set up, and you will receive your Mileage Plan number immediately. Write down this number and keep it handy.

Confirm that your Alaska account is active by logging in at least once in the past 24 months. Alaska miles expire if your account sits unused for 24 consecutive months. If your account has been inactive, log in once before transferring to reset the clock. You do not need to do anything else — just logging in reactivates the expiration timer.

Have your Amex account login information ready. You will need to log in to your Amex account to initiate the transfer, and you may need to verify your identity if you have not logged in recently.

How long the transfer takes and what happens next

The transfer itself is instant on Amex's side — the points leave your Amex account immediately after you confirm. However, Alaska Airlines takes 2 to 3 business days to receive and post the miles to your Mileage Plan account. Weekends and holidays extend this timeline, so a Friday transfer might not show up until Wednesday.

Once the miles appear in your Alaska account, they are yours to use. You can book flights, upgrade existing reservations, or transfer them to an Alaska Airlines partner airline. Alaska does not charge a fee to use miles, and there is no expiration date on miles you actively use — they only expire if your entire account goes unused for 24 months.

If the miles do not appear after 3 business days, log into your Amex account and check the transfer history to confirm the transfer went through. If it shows as completed, contact Alaska Airlines customer service with your Mileage Plan number and the transfer confirmation number from Amex. If the transfer shows as pending or failed in your Amex account, contact Amex instead.

Why you might not want to transfer all your points at once

Amex points can be worth more than 1 cent each if you use them for certain purchases through the Amex portal or for statement credits. If you transfer points to Alaska, you lock in the value at whatever Alaska miles are worth to you — typically 0.5 to 1.5 cents per mile depending on the flight. Before you transfer a large balance, compare what you could get by using the points directly through Amex.

Some Amex cards offer transfer bonuses to certain partners at certain times of year — for example, 30% extra miles if you transfer by a specific date. Alaska Airlines is not always included in these promotions, but it is worth checking your Amex account for any active offers before you transfer. The offer will be displayed prominently in your Rewards section if one is running.

What to do if you transferred points to the wrong account

If you entered an incorrect Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number, the points went to someone else's account. Amex cannot retrieve them, and Alaska will not move miles between accounts. Contact Alaska Airlines customer service immediately with the transfer confirmation number from Amex and explain what happened. Alaska may be able to see which account received the transfer and help you contact that account holder, but there is no may provide.

To prevent this, always verify your Alaska Mileage Plan number before you initiate a transfer. Log into your Alaska account and copy the number directly from your profile rather than typing it from memory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer Alaska miles back to Amex points?

No. Once miles are in your Alaska account, they stay there. Alaska does not offer a conversion back to Amex points, and Amex will not accept them. This is why it is important to be certain about the transfer before you initiate it.

Do I have to transfer all my points at once?

No. You can transfer any amount, as many times as you want. There is no minimum or maximum per transfer, though Amex may have account-level limits on total transfers per year — check your card's terms if you plan to transfer frequently.

What if my Amex card does not show Alaska Airlines as a transfer partner?

Not all Amex cards offer transfers to Alaska. Check your card's benefits guide or call Amex customer service to confirm. If your card does not have this option, you cannot transfer to Alaska through that card, even if you have multiple Amex accounts.

Can I transfer points from someone else's Amex account to my Alaska account?

No. You can only transfer points from an Amex account you own. Some Amex cards allow you to transfer points to another person's Alaska account if you have their permission and Mileage Plan number, but the transfer must originate from your own Amex account.

What happens if my Alaska account becomes inactive after I transfer?

If your Alaska account is inactive for 24 consecutive months, all miles in that account expire. Log into your Alaska account at least once every 24 months to keep the account active and prevent expiration. You do not need to use the miles — just logging in resets the timer.