SPG point transfer times to airlines vary, and it's important to understand that Starwood Preferred Guest points never transfer instantly, the way AMEX Membership Rewards and Ultimate Rewards points do, with several airline partners. While a huge plus of the SPG AMEX is that it earns points that can transfer to so many airline partners (see SPG Airline Partners: Transfer Starwood Points to Miles), a major downside is the lack of instant (or even quick) transfer of SPG points to airlines.
Based on my own experience and those reported on Flyertalk, here are the typical SPG points transfer times to airline frequent flyer programs. I've listed only the most popular transfer partners, and have also included the official transfer time SPG says to allow, as well as whether names must match exactly.
Aeroplan (Air Canada)
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: 2 days – 1 week
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require up to 5 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
Alaska Mileage Plan
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~3 days
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require up to 2-4 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
American AAdvantage
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~3 days-1 week (typically transfers Sunday and mid-week, either Wednesday or Thursday)
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 2-4 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes; some have been successful transferring with the same last name but different first name
ANA Mileage Club
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~3 days-2 weeks (typically transfers every other Sunday)
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
British Airways Avios
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~1-2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
Flying Blue (Air France / KLM)
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~1-2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~5 days-2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
Lufthansa Miles & More
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: Up to 2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Officially yes; but transfers have been successful where names did not match
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~1-2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require 10-14 business days”
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Officially, yes–but transfers have been successful where only the last name matched.
US Airways Dividend Miles
Typical SPG Points Transfer Time: ~1 – 2 weeks
Official SPG Points Transfer Time: “May require up to 10-14 business days”
Minimum Transfer for Non-Elites: 2500 Starpoints
Identical Member Names on SPG on Airline Account? Yes
FAQ
What's the Advantage of Transferring Starpoints to an Airline Partner That Also Partners with AMEX Membership Rewards?
The main advantage is that you receive a 25% bonus when transferring in increments of 20,000 Starpoints. So, if you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, you receive 25,000 KrisFlyer miles. 20,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points would transfer to 20,000 KrisFlyer miles–no transfer bonus.
What's the Disadvantage of Transferring Starpoints to an Airline Partner That Also Partners with AMEX Membership Rewards?
The disadvantage of the SPG points transfer, as discussed above, is that the points transfer much more slowly. AMEX points transfers to KrisFlyer aren't instant, but generally transfer within 24 hours. Starpoints transfers to KrisFlyer could take up to 2 weeks, by which time the award may well be gone.
What Are the Minimum Number of Starpoints I Can Transfer?
It depends on your SPG elite status. Here are the minimums:
- SPG Platinum: no minimum (may transfer just 1 Starpoint)
- SPG Gold: minimum of 1500 Starpoints
- Preferred Members: minimum of 2500 Starpoints
What Are the Maximum Number of Starpoints I Can Transfer per 24 Hours?
The maximum number of Starpoints you can transfer in a 24 hour period is 79,999 Starpoints, but trust me, you don't want to transfer that amount, since you'll be missing out on a 5000 bonus! The maximum number of Starpoints you should transfer in a given day: 60,000 Starpoints, as that will give you 75,000 frequent flyer miles for all airline partners where SPG points transfer 1:1.
What's been your experience transferring SPG points to airline partners? Please share your points transfer times in the comments.
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SPG Airline Partners: Transfer Starwood Points to Miles
Top 10 Best Ways to Use SPG Points
Top 10 Ways to Earn SPG Points Faster + Can You Transfer Miles to SPG?
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