Originally Posted by
JHake10
As others mentioned, you can get more value from transferring the points to a partner (rather than booking via the AMEX portal).
For example:
- Transfer to Singapore Airlines and book a United Airlines round trip award. This requires 35k miles round trip in coach, and 60k miles round trip in business (which is first class when flying domestic). Refer to the Star Alliance Singapore Chart for additional information. The chart linked took effect in Dec 2017. Sometimes when google-ing you'll get the older one, watch out for that.
- Transfer to Singapore Airlines and book a Alaska Airlines round trip award. This requires 23k miles round trip in coach, and 84k miles round trip in first class (prices here reflect flying from DEN). Refer to the Alaska Airlines Singapore Chart (prices in the chart are one way) for additional information.
- Transfer to Air Canada Aeroplan and book a United Airlines round trip award. This requires 45k miles round trip in coach, and 80k miles round trip in business (which is first class when flying domestic). Refer to the Star Alliance Aeroplan Chart for additional information.
Other options include transferring to British Airways Avios and booking on American. However, I'm not too familiar with that program.
But keep in mind that all of these redemptions are just theoretical. They're no good in practice unless there's "saver" availability on the particular airline for enough seats (OP wants 4!) for the date(s) desired.