Amex Membership Rewards is offering a lucrative 40 percent transfer bonus for cardholders who move their points over to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, unlocking dozens of flight redemptions on the airline and its SkyTeam partners.  

This promotion, which is available through Tuesday, Dec. 31, offers members an upgraded transfer ratio of 1:1.4, compared to the standard 1:1 ratio. For example, transferring 10,000 Amex points will now yield 14,000 Flying Club points. Cardholders can transfer anywhere from 1,000 to 999,000 points to take advantage of this offer.

If you're new to transfer bonuses, they are limited-time deals that maximize the value of your credit card rewards. In addition to this, Amex is also offering a 25 percent transfer bonus to JetBlue TrueBlue, providing another opportunity to boost your points.

Once points are transferred, the transaction is final, so it’s highly advisable to confirm award availability before proceeding with any transfers. Travelers must create a free Flying Club account to move points, and while the transfer typically happens almost instantly, it may take up to 48 hours for the points to appear in your account.

International loyalty programs like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club shouldn’t be overlooked. For travelers eyeing a trip to London, the program offers exceptional economy and business class redemptions on the U.K.-based airline. During off-peak periods, one-way economy tickets from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) can be redeemed for as few as 6,000 points or 29,000 points in business class. With this 40 percent Amex transfer bonus, the rewards needed drop to just 5,000 points and 21,000 points, respectively.

As a SkyTeam member, Virgin Atlantic allows redemptions on partner airlines, including domestic flights on Delta Air Lines and international flights on carriers like Korean Air. This transfer bonus enables Amex cardholders to book these award tickets with 40 percent fewer points, making it an excellent opportunity to maximize rewards.