What is a Transfer Bonus? (& Why You Should Care)
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EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE:
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
We’ve taken advantage of several credit card transfer bonuses to get economy and business class flights for an even BETTER deal! ✈️
What is a Transfer Bonus anyway?
Transfer bonuses are just like when you get “star power” in MarioKart: somewhat random, thrilling when they pop-up, and they give you an extra boost for taking advantage of them. 🌟
If you’ve heard whispers of these bonuses but don’t totally get how they work, don’t worry—your points-obsessed friends (that’s us) are here to break it all down.
Let’s start with the basics.
A transfer bonus is a special promotion where you get extra points when you transfer your credit card points to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program.
Normally, transferring points works on a 1:1 basis. For example, if you had 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards you could transfer them to a partner program like Virgin Atlantic and you would end up with 10,000 Virgin Points.
But if a 30% transfer bonus promotion pops-up 🤩, the ratio improves— 1:1.3, so those same 10,000 Chase points you are transferring would now become 13,000 Virgin points.
The best part? This bonus magic ✨ can stretch your points further, helping you book flights or hotel stays for significantly fewer points.
An example of two previous transfer bonuses to AirFrance/KLM and Virgin Atlantic from Chase.
How Transfer Bonuses Work: Step by Step
Find a Bonus: Keep an eye out for promotions offered by your bank (like Amex, Chase, or Citi) or check your loyalty programs for alerts.
Pro Tip: We share these bonuses on Instagram stories and to our email list, so give us a follow and subscribe to the list to get alerts! 😉
Pick Your Program: Not every bonus will make sense for your travel goals and we don’t want to be transferring points all willy-nilly simply because there’s a transfer bonus.
Let’s say you’ve been eyeing a European getaway —and then you discover a 30% bonus from your bank to British Airways, since it aligns with your travel goals, you may want to take advantage of the bonus which could save you big on flights booked with Avios!
Don’t Forget Airline Alliances: You may have been looking to book a flight on Delta, and you don’t see a transfer bonus from your bank. However, if there is transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic (one of Delta’s airline alliances) — look up your Delta flight on the Virgin website to see if the same flight is available!
You may get lucky 🍀 and find your exact same flight on the alliance website, plus now you can take advantage of the transfer bonus from your bank! #winning
Do the Math: If your flight requires 50,000 points, but there’s a 30% transfer bonus, divide the required points by 1.3. In this case, you’d only need to transfer ~38,462 points from your bank, leaving you with more points to spare.
💡 Remember: In most cases, you’ll need to transfer points by rounding up to the nearest 1000 from your bank. If we’re using the example from above, and the math shows you need to transfer “38,462 points” then you’ll actually need to transfer 39,000 total points for your award booking.
Make the Transfer: Log into your credit card’s rewards portal, select the loyalty program, and transfer your points. Bonus points typically show up instantly or within a few days.
Book Your Dream Trip: This is the fun part! 🎉 Use your bonus-fueled points to book that flight or hotel stay. Don’t forget to snap some pics and share them with us by tagging @parksonrec. We love re-sharing your wins on Instagram!!
A previous transfer bonus to British Airways from Capital One
Real-Life Example: Our Delta Anniversary Flights
Last year, we used a 30% Chase-to-Virgin Atlantic transfer bonus to book a roundtrip flight to San Diego, California for two. We originally saw the direct ATL to SAN flight on Delta’s website, but noticed the 30% transfer bonus available from Chase for Virgin Atlantic!
We quickly checked to see if the same Delta flight was also available to book through Virgin Atlantic’s website. Not only was the award flight muchhhhh cheaper on Virgin’s website, but now with the 30% transfer bonus, we were able to get them for even less!
Our two tickets should’ve cost us a total of 50,000 Virgin points, but thanks to the bonus, we only needed to transfer 39,000 Chase points to cover the flights.
That’s an 11,000-point savings— enough for another short-haul flight later. 🤑
You stay classy, San Diego. ☀️
FAQs: The “Wait, What?” Section
Q: Do I have to pay extra to get the bonus?
A: Nope! Transfer bonuses are free. It’s like finding extra fries at the bottom of your takeout bag—unexpected but oh-so-satisfying. 🍟
Q: How do I know if there’s a transfer bonus happening?
A: You will see these promotions pop-up in the bank’s transfer portals, but they can be easy to miss. That’s why we share the best bonuses in our Instagram stories and monthly email updates (hint, hint 👀).
Q: Can I transfer points back to my credit card if I change my mind?
A: Unfortunately, no. Once you transfer points to a loyalty program, it’s a one-way ticket. Always double-check award availability before committing to transferring your points!
Q: Are transfer bonuses rare?
A: Not at all! They show regularly with major programs like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Marriott. Some months are busier than others, so keep an eye out.
Q: Will I always save points with a transfer bonus?
A: Most of the time, yes! But on a rare occasion it may better to book directly through your bank’s travel portal if prices happen to be low. This is why we always comparing your options before transferring points!
Q: I don’t have a flight/hotel stay planned, but should I transfer points anyway to take advantage of the bonus?
A: We do not recommend preemptively transferring points just because there is a bonus. You never know when a great deal on a flight will come or your bucket list hotel suddenly opens more availability! Once you transfer your points, they’re locked into that program. We like to keep our flexible points flexible until we’re ready to book!
✈️ Bottom Line
Transfer bonuses are one of the best ways to maximize your points and take your travel game to the next level.
Want to stay in the loop on current bonuses? Sign up for our email list for monthly updates or follow us on Instagram for real-time alerts in our stories.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.