American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points are flexible and can be converted to a wide range of partner airlines, allowing you to choose a carrier and route that best suits your travel needs.
At the time of writing, 2 Membership Rewards points transfer to 1 frequent flyer point (or mile) in most cases. Having 150,000 MR points means you’ll get 75,000 frequent flyer points to spend in most programs.
However, a significant devaluation is coming on 15 December 2025. Transfers to most of those partners will change to a 3:1 rate – and some will even rise to 4:1. If you’ve got a stash of Membership Rewards points at present, now would be a good time to plan how you’ll use them before the devaluation.
American Express Explorer Credit Card
1. Soar from Perth to South East Asia in Singapore Airlines Business Class
Perth misses out on many things, but cheaper award flight prices are not one of them. Thanks to our proximity to Asia and Europe (relatively speaking, from the eastern states), there are some great sweet spots.
A great redemption is Perth to (almost) anywhere in Southeast Asia for 40,500 KrisFlyer miles + fees and taxes in Business Class.
Allowable destinations include Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Taipei. Note that it costs the same number of miles to fly Business to Singapore as it does to those other cities in Southeast Asia!
You have a few different ways to book this from Membership Rewards:
- Direct to KrisFlyer: 121,500 MR points = 40,500 KrisFlyer miles
You can also transfer points to Velocity Frequent Flyer at 2:1, and then convert those points to KrisFlyer at 1.55:1. Time it with a Velocity transfer bonus to sweeten the deal.
- via Velocity: 125,500 MR points = 62,775 Velocity Points = 40,500 KrisFlyer miles
- via Velocity (with a 15% bonus): 109,174 MR points = 62,775 Velocity Points (inc. bonus) = 40,500 KrisFlyer miles
A small silver lining: the transfer rate from Membership Rewards to KrisFlyer and Velocity will not change after the upcoming devaluation. It will remain 3:1 and 2:1, respectively.
2. Fly to Hong Kong in style with Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific has an ever-increasing network of flights between Australia and Hong Kong. A Business Class seat on any of these flights costs just 58,000 Asia Miles + fees and taxes. From Perth, Cairns and Brisbane, you can even tack on a connection to Taipei in Business for no extra cost in miles!
- Direct to Cathay: 116,000 MR points = 58,000 Asia Miles
Cathay will become a 3:1 transfer partner from 15 December 2025, so this same redemption will soon cost 174,000 Membership Rewards points instead.
3. Fly Qantas Business Class up to six times domestically
The British Airways Club is known for its low reward seat rates in Business Class on short partner airline flights. For example, it only costs 12,500 Avios + fees and taxes to fly Qantas domestic Business Class on any flight under 650 miles. You could do this up to six times with 150,000 Amex MR points.
- Direct to British Airways: 25,000 MR points = 12,500 Avios
Of course, those routes are also far too short to enjoy Business Class properly. You can also use Avios on longer journeys. For flights between 1,151 and 2,000 miles in length, unwind in Business Class for 22,000 Avios + fees and taxes. That includes routes such as Perth-Melbourne and Brisbane-Auckland, which are often operated by the Airbus A330 with lie-flat Business seats. You can manage three one-way trips like this with 150K MR points.
British Airways Avios will change to a 3:1 transfer rate from 15 December 2025, so you’ll need 50% more Membership Rewards points for the same seats after that date.
4. Indulge in Qatar Airways Qsuites, once
You might have heard that Qatar Airways’ Qsuite is sometimes ranked as the world’s best Business Class. Why not try it out for yourself with a one-way Business Class award seat for 70,000 Avios + fees and taxes?
Flying from Doha back to Australia gives you the best ground experience with the Al Mourjan Business Lounge before departure.
- Direct to Qatar Airways: 140,000 MR points = 70,000 Avios
Like British Airways, Qatar Airways will become a 3:1 transfer partner from 15 December 2025. You’ll have to get moving to savour a slice of Qsuites at the lower transfer rate.
5. Fly return to Fiji in lie-flat comfort
Remember how we said British Airways Avios was great for shorter flights in Business? That doesn’t just work for Qantas. It also works for other oneworld partner airlines such as Fiji Airways.
Sydney-Nadi clocks in at 1,970 miles, just within that great-value price bracket for routes under 2,000 miles. You’ll only need 22,000 Avios + fees and taxes to spoil yourself in Fiji Airways’ flagship Airbus A350 Business Class.
- Direct to British Airways: 44,000 MR points = 22,000 Avios
You’re in for a treat on the Airbus A350. Think lie-flat seats, friendly and warm service, and a recently revamped ‘Pacific Rim’ inspired three-course dining menu. It’s truly the best way to finish an island escape.
A one-way reward goes up from 44,000 MR points to 66,000 MR points when British Airways becomes a 3:1 transfer partner on 15 December 2025.
Bonus advanced option: KrisFlyer partners
While the five examples above are all relatively simple redemptions to make, there are many options to explore with Membership Rewards points and its partners. For example, KrisFlyer has a few other ‘sweet spots’ with its Star Alliance partner airlines.
1. Air New Zealand within the South Pacific
With KrisFlyer, you can fly anywhere in the ‘South-West Pacific region’, encompassing Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and Vanuatu for 69,000 miles return or 34,500 miles one-way in Business Class.
This could take you as far afield as Tahiti, which is a minimum nine-hour flight from the East Coast with a stop in Auckland, so this redemption represents good value. Be aware that award space on Air NZ flights can be pretty challenging to come by, so you’ll need to plan well ahead if possible.
Due to this region-based quirk, Perth-Auckland in Air New Zealand Business Class costs the same as Sydney-Auckland, as they are both within the ‘South-West Pacific region.’ Seats are rare, but not impossible to find.
- Direct to KrisFlyer: 103,500 MR points = 34,500 KrisFlyer miles
- via Velocity: 106,950 MR points = 53,475 Velocity Points = 34,500 KrisFlyer miles
- via Velocity (with a 15% bonus): 93,000 MR points = 53,475 Velocity Points (inc. bonus) = 34,500 KrisFlyer miles
2. Star Alliance partners from the Middle East to Europe
A similar sweet spot is flying anywhere from the Middle East to Europe on any Star Alliance carrier. Priced at 67,000 miles KrisFlyer miles return, it means a one-way journey is only 33,500 KrisFlyer miles. There are countless examples to choose from, but here’s an interesting one from Dubai to Zurich via Cairo on EgyptAir and Swiss.
- Direct to KrisFlyer: 100,500 MR points = 33,500 KrisFlyer miles
- via Velocity: 103,850 MR points = 51,925 Velocity Points = 33,500 KrisFlyer miles
- via Velocity (with a 15% bonus): 90,304 MR points = 51,925 Velocity Points (inc. bonus) = 33,500 KrisFlyer miles
Read more: The best uses of KrisFlyer miles
Summing up
Flexible points programs like American Express Membership Rewards give you a lot more options than putting all your eggs in one basket with one frequent flyer program.
This means that you can access any of the flights and airlines above, plus many more. However, it also means you are somewhat more exposed to devaluations, both with the bank program and its partners.
Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration on this list to make a trip with MR points a reality before the transfer rate changes kick in.
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Supplementary images courtesy American Express and respective airlines/frequent flyer programs.
fly Air New Zealand Business Class anywhere in the South Pacific for 62,000 KrisFlyer miles return
Even don’t know whether it’s still available.
Yes, but this appears to be only true for booking using QF points, not partner points!
So you would have to be very lucky to use your Asia Miles…
Search on United and then call KrisFlyer as not all partners are showing on the KrisFlyer website yet.