“This card has an annual fee of nearly $700” tends to cause many people to drop their jaws. The general reaction — from most people — is that there’s simply no way paying the annual fee is worth it.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), yet the card claims to offer more than double that in annual credits and perks. Does that mean you should add the Amex Business Platinum Card to your wallet? It depends.

Here’s a look at what you get from the Amex Business Platinum Card each year so you can decide whether or not this credit card — and its hefty annual fee — is a good fit for you.

Related: Full review of the American Express Business Platinum Card

Welcome Bonus

New applicants can earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 on purchases within the first three months of card membership. According to TPG’s latest valuations, American Express Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents apiece, making this bonus worth $2,400.

Related: How to redeem American Express Membership Rewards for maximum value

Lounge access

Those who hold the Amex Business Platinum (as well as The Platinum Card® from American Express) have access to a wide range of lounges. They include:

• American Express Centurion lounges
• Delta Sky Club lounges (when flying on a same-day Delta flight)
• Priority Pass Select lounges (but not Priority Pass restaurants)
• Escape Lounges — The Centurion Studio Partner
• Airspace lounges
• Plaza Premium lounges
• Lufthansa lounges (varying access depending on what airline and cabin you’re flying)
• Other Global Lounge Collection partner lounges

You can consult the Global Lounge Collection website’s search function to find lounges accessible on your next trip.

Related: Guide to lounge access with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

When visiting these lounges, you can enjoy benefits like complimentary snacks, food, drinks (sometimes including free alcohol) and free Wi-Fi. Certain lounges will have better benefits, such as full meals, showers, children’s play areas and more.

Hotel elite status

Cardmembers can register for automatic elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. This benefit provides Gold status in both programs.

TPG values Hilton Gold status at over $1,220 per year. This status tier provides benefits like bonus points on paid stays, complimentary bottled water, a fifth night free on award stays, room upgrades (though not to suites) and free continental breakfast or food and beverage credits. You should also receive a welcome gift at check-in, typically a snack or bonus points.

TPG values Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status at $805 per year. This tier provides benefits like late checkout, room upgrades (though not to suites), bonus points on paid stays, enhanced internet and a welcome gift of bonus points at check-in.

Car rental elite status

Cardmembers can enroll for complimentary elite status with Avis Preferred Plus, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle and National Emerald Club Executive. Enrollment in advance is required for these benefits.

Rental car elite status provides benefits like car upgrades, a free second driver and my favorite benefit: skipping the line and going straight to your car at the start of your rental. One of the best benefits of car rental elite status in any program is the ability to status match with other rental car programs, helping you gain status in numerous programs simultaneously.

Related: Here’s everything you need to know about rental car elite status

Pay with Points rebate

When paying with points for a flight through Amex Travel, Business Platinum cardmembers can get 35% of their points back. This applies to two types of bookings: flights in any cabin with your preselected preferred airline or flights with any airline if the reservation is for business class or first class.

Cardmembers can enjoy up to one million points refunded through this benefit every year. Achieving this maximum rebate would require spending 2,857,143 points within a calendar year using the Pay with Points feature to book qualifying flights.

Related: Why I love the Amex Business Platinum’s Pay With Points perk

Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection

Amex Business Platinum and Amex Platinum cardmembers can book stays with Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) and The Hotel Collection (THC).

FHR stays include benefits like daily breakfast for two, late checkout, complimentary Wi-Fi and room upgrades (if available at check-in). Each stay will also include a unique property amenity worth $100, typically coming in the form of dining credits or spa credits. THC stays include room upgrades (if available at check-in) and a $100 property credit (with bookings of two consecutive nights or more) to spend on qualifying dining, spa and resort activities.

Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Chase and Capital One 

Bonus points for airfare and hotels

Business Platinum cardmembers can earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and prepaid hotel bookings made through Amex Travel. While you won’t earn bonus points on flights booked directly with airlines or directly with hotels, the ability to earn a 10% return on flights and hotels (according to TPG’s latest valuations) without any limits on spending or earnings per year is definitely worth your attention.

This 5-points-per-dollar earning rate includes bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection, as well.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement

Cardmembers can receive statement credits to reimburse their application fees for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85). This benefit is available every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.

Related: Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is better?

These programs allow approved travelers to move through airport security checkpoints faster, using PreCheck lanes at designated airports. Global Entry users have an additional benefit, being able to use designated lanes when entering the U.S. to move through passport control faster.

Annual Clear Plus membership rebate

Clear is not a government security program but also helps approved users speed through security checkpoints at airports and select stadiums using biometrics. Business Platinum cardmembers can receive reimbursement in statement credits of up to $189 per year for Clear Plus membership fees. No advance enrollment is required for this benefit; pay with your Business Platinum card to automatically receive a statement credit (subject to auto-renewal).

Related: 7 ways to get free or discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear

Up to $200 in annual airline credits

Traveling can sometimes come with costly fees that show up in the form of paying for checked bags or upgrading to a better seat on your flight.

Business Platinum cardmembers can choose one of the following airlines as their preferred airline: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines or United Airlines. Choosing a preferred airline in advance is required before using this benefit, which can cover change and cancellation fees, seat selection fees, upgrade fees, checked bag fees and more.

Related: How to use the Amex Platinum $200 airline fee credit

Annual spending credits

Business Platinum cardmembers can take advantage of lots of credits: up to $150 per year with Adobe, up to $120 per year on cellphone plans, up to $360 per year with Indeed and up to $400 per year with Dell.

The Adobe credits apply to prepaid business plans for Creative Cloud for teams or Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign for teams. The wireless services benefit is available as up to $10 per month in statement credits for wireless phone service plans paid for with your Business Platinum card. You can receive up to $90 of statement credits per quarter with Indeed. The Dell benefit provides up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually.

Enrollment is required in advance for some of these benefits. Maximizing these benefits provides $1,030 in statement credits each year.

Related: 9 things to do when you get the Amex Business Platinum Card

Other cardmember perks

Cardmembers can take advantage of several other benefits.

The first is that the Amex Business Platinum has no preset spending limit. Whereas traditional credit cards come with a predetermined limit of how much you can spend on your card, cards like the Business Platinum and Platinum Card from Amex don’t have these preset limits. Instead, how much you can spend on the card changes; your payment history, banking relationship, creditworthiness and other factors determine this. This can be a great feature for businesses that spend a lot on their cards and can then pay it off quickly.

Speaking of paying bills quickly, the Business Platinum card is designed for cardmembers to pay the entire bill in full each month. If you aren’t able to pay the full amount, you may be able to carry a balance on some purchases by enrolling in the Pay Over Time feature. Not all purchases will be eligible for Pay Over Time, and not paying your entire balance in full each month will likely result in paying interest. You also may be able to earn bonus points through offers to enroll in Pay Over Time — and you can earn those bonus points for enrolling even if you never carry a balance.

Paying your monthly cellphone bill with your Business Platinum card will also provide cellphone protection to cover your phone against loss or damage. There is a maximum of $800 liability per claim, and each claim is subject to a $50 deductible. There’s also a limit of two claims per eligible account in a 12-month period.

Covered phones are restricted to cellphone lines listed on a mobile phone plan paid with the eligible card during the most recent billing period.* Combining this benefit with the monthly wireless credits covered above is a great way to invoke insurance benefits plus a discount on your monthly cellphone bill.

* Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Related: Your complete guide to shopping protections on American Express cards

Another benefit available to cardmembers is preferred access, which can mean tickets to exclusive events, going to the front of the line for ticket sales on other events and even getting access to hard-to-find dining reservations with Resy.

When making purchases, cardmembers will earn American Express Membership Rewards points, which TPG values at 2 cents per point. Cardmembers will earn 5 points per dollar on prepaid flights and hotels booked through Amex Travel.

Additionally, cardmembers earn 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more or purchases in the following categories within the U.S.: construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers and shipping providers. Earning 1.5 points per dollar is limited to $2 million of purchases, then 1 point per dollar. All other purchases also earn 1 point per dollar.

Bottom line

There are numerous benefits included with the Amex Business Platinum card. Some are annual credits and others offer statement credits monthly or quarterly. Other benefits don’t have a tangible price tag, and how you value those benefits will vary from one person to another.

Suppose you can use benefits like lounge access, statement credits and other travel perks. In that case, you’ll easily be able to offset or overcome the Business Platinum card’s annual fee each year — making it “worth it” in your situation. However, for those who struggle to use the card’s credits or have many of its benefits through other credits in their wallets, it may be difficult to justify paying the $695 annual fee.

Apply here: The Business Platinum Card from American Express

For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum, please click here.

If you truly want to maximize your points and miles, periodic transfer bonuses can offer lucrative opportunities for fantastic award redemptions. You can sometimes get significantly more value from your rewards by transferring them to a specific airline or hotel partner during one of these bonuses.

However, these are limited-time offers.

We’ve compiled the transfer bonuses for the major transferable rewards programs to make tracking these offers easier. Just note that transfer bonuses are sometimes targeted, so some may not be available.

American Express Membership Rewards current transfer bonuses

How to earn American Express Membership Rewards points

You’ll need Membership Rewards points to maximize Amex transfer bonuses. If you’re looking to earn Membership Rewards points, the following Amex cards could be useful additions to your wallet:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on your new card in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 in your first six months of card membership. Terms apply.
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card in the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.

Check the CardMatch tool to see if you’re targeted for an even higher welcome offer (subject to change at any time).

You can also earn extra Membership Rewards when enrolling in Amex Offers and shopping with Rakuten.

Based on TPG valuations, Membership Rewards points are worth 2 cents each, and our tests indicate that they transfer instantly to most programs.

Related: Redeeming American Express Membership Rewards points for maximum value

Chase Ultimate Rewards current transfer bonuses

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points

If you want to earn more Chase Ultimate Rewards points, the following cards could make good additions to your wallet:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

If you have one (or more) of the above cards, you can combine your Ultimate Rewards points in a single account. Then, you can effectively convert the cash-back earnings on the following cards into fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points:

• Chase Freedom Flex℠: Earn a $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Use your card for all your purchases, and at the end of your first year, Chase will automatically match all the cash back you earned. There is no limit to how much you can earn.
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card: Earn a $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card: Earn a $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

According to TPG valuations, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each when maximized with travel partners. Most Ultimate Rewards transfers will process instantly.

Related: How to maximize your Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Capital One miles

There are currently no transfer bonuses for Capital One miles.

How to earn Capital One miles

For a future transfer bonus, the following Capital One cards could make good additions to your wallet:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture X Business: Earn 150,000 bonus miles when you spend $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Capital One Spark Miles for Business: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, and most transfers from Capital One will process instantly.

For more details, check out our guides to the Capital One transfer partners and how to transfer Capital One miles to airline partners.

Related: Tips and tricks to get maximum value from your Capital One miles

Citi ThankYou Rewards

There are currently no transfer bonuses for Citi ThankYou points.

How to earn Citi ThankYou Rewards points

These Citi credit cards could make useful additions to your wallet for earning Citi ThankYou points:

• Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 ThankYou bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 on purchases with your card within three months of account opening. Plus, earn a total of 5 ThankYou points on hotels, car rentals and attractions, excluding air travel, on the Citi Travel portal now through June 30, 2024. (Note: You must pair this card with a premium Citi ThankYou card to access a full-fledged, transferable ThankYou points account.)

Based on TPG’s valuations, Citi ThankYou points are worth about 1.8 cents each. However, note that some Citi transfers will not process instantly. So, factor in the transfer time if you’re trying to book an award with scarce availability.

Related: Is Citi ThankYou Rewards the most underappreciated and misunderstood program?

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is not running any transfer bonuses at this time.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

If you’re looking to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points, the following Marriott Bonvoy cards may be of interest:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $5,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn three free night awards (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months of card membership. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn three free night awards after you use your new card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each bonus free night award at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months from account opening.

TPG’s valuations peg the value of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each. Before transferring, review our tests of Marriott transfer times since some airlines take a few days (or even weeks) to receive the points.

Related: How to redeem points with the Marriott Bonvoy program

Should you transfer points?

We only recommend transferring points if you have a short-term plan to use them. After all, many programs have implemented devaluations over the last few years, so any speculative transfers could be a losing proposition.

Transfers are irreversible, and you don’t want to be stuck with thousands of points in a program you have little use for.

If you don’t have a specific redemption in mind but still want to earn miles, you’re likely better off earning rewards through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending.

Bottom line

When a transferable currency program offers a transfer bonus, running the numbers is important to see whether it is worthwhile.

Generally, you won’t want to transfer your points without a specific redemption in mind. After all, a large part of the value of transferable points comes from their flexibility — which you’ll give up the moment you convert them to a partner’s currency.

However, if you use the program frequently or plan to redeem soon, a transfer bonus can help you get more value from your points.

Did we miss any? Feel free to let us know by emailing tips@thepointsguy.com.

If you’re preparing for the ultimate points and miles redemption in 2024, a few select airlines still offer both domestic and international genuine first-class experiences.

The best part is that you can use your points and miles to book any of these luxurious first-class offerings. This article will explore various options for using your points and miles to secure amazing first-class tickets.

Emirates first class

Naturally, we must start with the most over-the-top first-class product in the sky: Emirates first class.

Emirates has an iconic first-class product. On its retrofitted 777-300ER aircraft, you’ll find its first-class product effectively gives you full room on the plane. There’s a huge lie-flat seat, a large entertainment screen and an en suite minibar with refreshments. Plus, you’ll be treated to delicious inflight food and excellent service.

The older A380 product that normally serves U.S. routes isn’t half-bad either and offers the same top-notch onboard service.

The airline started restricting first-class bookings to its own loyalty program, Emirates Skywards. The price for first class varies by route and booking type. But as an example, you can book New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Dubai International Airport (DXB) for as low as 165,500 miles one-way when booked as a part of a round-trip itinerary, plus taxes and fees.

Emirates also operates a fifth-freedom route between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Athens International Airport (ATH). Each seat will set you back at least 102,000 miles. Emirates also tacks on a hefty fuel surcharge on most tickets.

You can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou and Marriott Bonvoy points to Emirates. If you’re under Chase’s 5/24 rule, your best bet is to apply for a Chase card with one of these heightened welcome bonuses:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

You can also book Emirates first-class awards with Air Canada Aeroplan, but award rates are astronomical.

Related: Getting my money’s worth in Emirates first class: Bottomless Champagne and endless caviar

ANA first class

ANA first class is one of the easier first-class products to book with points and miles.

The airline flies first class on most U.S. routes, including flights to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and JFK. On board, you’ll find a great product, hospitable service and excellent food and drink options. Watch for flights operating ANA’s new The Suite product — it’s truly a sight to behold.

The best way to book this flight is using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points. First-class awards to its Tokyo hubs start at just 72,500 points one-way from the West Coast and 85,000 from the East Coast. You can view round-trip pricing for all flights in the table below — you can book one-way tickets at half the cost.

To book, find award space using a Star Alliance search tool and call Virgin Atlantic to book your flight. Confirm award space over the phone before transferring points to Virgin Atlantic. Most transfers process instantly, so you don’t have to worry about losing award space.

You can transfer points to Virgin Atlantic from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Rewards (to Virgin Red), Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou and Marriott Bonvoy.

Related: How to book a $20,000 ANA first-class ticket for just $34

Japan Airlines first class

Japan Airlines — commonly called JAL — is another major airline in Japan. It operates flights to a handful of U.S. cities and offers first-class flights to major cities like Chicago and New York. If you book it, you’ll be showered in luxury from the moment you enter the JAL first-class lounge.

One of the best ways to book JAL first class is with American AAdvantage. A one-way flight from the U.S. to Japan costs 80,000 miles plus nominal taxes and fees.

American Airlines miles are among the hardest miles to earn, but it’s not impossible. Your best bet is earning with an American cobranded credit card or transferring points from Bilt Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy to American.

Related: Best uses of American Airlines miles

Cathay Pacific first class

The Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific is a TPG favorite. It offers consistently fantastic service in all its cabins, but first class is truly amazing. Its first-class lounges in Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) are relaxing. The onboard service includes incredible food, Champagne, caviar and even its own custom-brewed beer.

You’ll find Cathay Pacific first class on select 777-operated routes from the U.S., including from JFK and LAX to Hong Kong.

Currently, you’ll get the best redemption value with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan as award tickets from the U.S. to Asia cost 70,000 miles one-way in first class. However, in March 2024, Alaska Airlines will follow a new distance-based award chart. Therefore, you may have better luck finding award space with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

One-way first-class tickets generally cost 110,000 miles from the West Coast and 125,000 from the East Coast to Hong Kong. Even though this is still a bookable redemption, Cathay Pacific has significantly reduced service to U.S. destinations, so it may be hard to find award space for the time being.

You can transfer Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Marriott points to Asia Miles. To boost your Capital One balance, you can open a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Right now, the Venture card offers 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Related: The ultimate guide to Cathay Pacific first class

Singapore first class

Singapore Suites first class is one of the most well-known first-class products in the sky. The new Suites product features a single bed and seat, giving you a full bedroom. Plus, you’ll be treated to excellent food, drink and inflight service and access to first-class lounges at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

Singapore’s 777-300ER aircraft features a standard first-class product that’s still excellent. From the U.S., these planes operate routes from LAX to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT). As you’d expect, you can continue to Singapore if you’d like.

Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance member but generally restricts premium-cabin award space to its KrisFlyer loyalty program. From the U.S., you’ll find the best pricing from New York to Frankfurt. This ticket costs 97,000 miles one-way, which is a pretty solid deal, considering paid flights are usually more than $5,000. You can continue to Singapore for more miles.

Although still bookable, we found no saver award availability on the JFK-to-FRA fifth-freedom route. Keep a close eye on Singapore awards and be flexible with your travel dates for your best shot at booking this incredible award ticket.

You can transfer Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Marriott points to Singapore KrisFlyer. Here’s a look at the best American Express cards that can help you earn points with your everyday spending:

• American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first six months of account opening. Earn 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants, 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent), 3 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly from airlines or American Express Travel, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases ($250 annual fee; see rates and fees).
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. Earn 5 points per dollar spent on airfare purchased directly from airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees).

Related: Singapore Airlines resumes retrofitting A380s with new cabins, much-improved suite

Lufthansa first class

Even though it isn’t the most modern product, Lufthansa first class remains one of the best ways to fly between the U.S. and Europe.

You’ll generally get the best deal when booking with Avianca LifeMiles. You’ll pay 87,000 LifeMiles and minimal taxes and fees for a one-way flight from the U.S. to Europe in Lufthansa first class. This pricing is valid if you also choose to connect beyond a Lufthansa hub.

One thing to note: Lufthansa only opens first-class award space to partners within 14 or 30 days of departure. You’ll have to book at the last minute if you don’t have Lufthansa Miles & More miles.

You can transfer Amex, Capital One, Chase, Bilt, Citi and Marriott points to LifeMiles. If you’re interested in earning Citi ThankYou points, the Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) comes with a welcome offer of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Citi Premier: Which mid-tier travel card is better?

British Airways first class

British Airways has first class on a number of its routes and has continued offering it throughout the pandemic. Some of these flights are operated by planes equipped with BA’s first-class seat that offers sliding doors — a huge step up from what was previously offered. It’s still not as luxurious as other first-class products on this list, but it’s a great way to fly transatlantic in luxury.

The best way to book BA first class is generally with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. You’ll pay a similar number of miles as booking with AAdvantage miles or BA Avios, but you’ll pay fewer taxes and fees.

A British Airways first-class seat from Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) will set you back 100,000 miles and between $200 and $350 in taxes. This is far cheaper than the $750-plus BA charges when booking with Avios.

Again, you can transfer Amex, Capital One, Bilt, Chase, Citi and Marriott points to Asia Miles.

Related: Still better than business class: A review of British Airways First on the 777 from London to Washington

American Airlines first class

American Airlines is the only U.S. airline that offers a true first-class product. You’ll find its Flagship First product on several international routes on four-cabin international flights and transcontinental routes like JFK to LAX and SFO. You can expect upgraded lounge access, seats and service in Flagship First.

You’ll generally want to book with AAdvantage to fly Flagship First.

Related: Flight review: American Airlines Flagship First from Dallas to Hong Kong on the 777-300ER

Etihad Airways first class

Finally, we have Etihad first class. The airline operates a true first-class cabin on its Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft fleet. You’ll find these on flights from the airline’s Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) hub to IAD. You can connect to many international destinations in Asia, Africa and the Middle East from AUH.

U.S.-based travelers have two good options for booking Etihad first class: American Airlines AAdvantage and Air Canada Aeroplan. Both loyalty programs offer significantly lower award costs than Etihad’s own loyalty program.

However, Etihad has been restricting partner first-class award space, so you might not find any options to redeem, especially with Aeroplan.

If you find award space, you’ll pay 115,000 American miles for a one-way flight from the U.S. to the Middle East in Etihad first class when you book with AAdvantage. On the other hand, you’ll pay 120,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points for a one-way first-class ticket from IAD to AUH when you book with Aeroplan.

If you don’t live near Washington, D.C. or New York, you can add connecting tickets with American’s and Air Canada’s network of airline partners. Since Aeroplan is a distance-based program, you could pay more points if you add a connecting ticket. AAdvantage will charge the same amount regardless of if you connect.

You can transfer Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase and Marriott points to Air Canada Aeroplan. You can also transfer Bilt and Marriott points to AAdvantage.

Related: The best way to book Etihad award flights with transferable points

Bottom line

International first class isn’t as common as it once was, but several airlines still offer it.

Though booking first-class tickets can set you back thousands of dollars, you can use your points and miles to score an excellent deal. This can make for a memorable (and more comfortable) international trip.