You found a business class seat on ANA to Tokyo, and you have American Express points ready to move. Before you hit transfer, two questions decide whether this is a smart redemption or an expensive one. How long will the transfer take, and is ANA Mileage Club even the cheapest way to book that exact seat?
Those questions matter because ANA is unusual among transfer partners. When you transfer Amex points to ANA, the points move at 1:1, but the transfer is slow and ANA's own awards carry fuel surcharges approaching $500 round-trip. Meanwhile, the same ANA seat is often bookable through Air Canada Aeroplan with no surcharge at all, and Amex reaches Aeroplan too.
In this guide, you'll see ANA's current award prices after its 2025 changes, how long the transfer really takes, and a worked comparison that shows when ANA miles win and when Aeroplan books the same flight for less.
Key Takeaways
- Amex is the only one of the eight bank programs we track that transfers directly to ANA at 1:1. Marriott Bonvoy also feeds ANA, but at 3:1.
- The transfer is slow: typically 2 to 3 days, not instant. ANA also pauses incoming transfers for maintenance at times, as it did until March 2, 2026, so never transfer before your seat is confirmed.
- Since June 24, 2025, ANA allows one-way awards at half the round-trip price, but it raised premium prices. Business class between North America and Japan starts at 100,000 miles round-trip in low season.
- ANA's own awards add fuel surcharges near $500 round-trip to Japan. Aeroplan books the same ANA seat with no carrier surcharge.
- Coast and season decide the winner. From the East Coast, ANA miles usually beat Aeroplan; from the West Coast or in high season, transferring Amex to Aeroplan is often cheaper all-in.
How to Transfer Amex Points to ANA
The mechanics are simple, but the timing is where people get caught. ANA is one of the slowest Amex transfer partners, and it occasionally closes to incoming transfers entirely. Treat the transfer as a multi-day step, not a last-minute move.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Ratio | 1:1 (1,000 Amex points = 1,000 ANA miles) |
| Minimum transfer | 1,000 Amex points |
| Transfer time | Typically 2 to 3 days, occasionally longer |
| Excise tax fee | None (the fee applies only to US airline programs) |
| Other banks | None of the other seven programs we track; Marriott transfers at 3:1 |
To move the points, log in to your Amex account, open the Membership Rewards transfer page, link your ANA Mileage Club number, and confirm the amount. A few practical notes change how you should plan:
- Transfers are not instant. One Mile at a Time and AwardWallet both report a typical posting time of about two to three days, which is far slower than Amex transfers to Air Canada or Delta.
- ANA pauses transfers for maintenance. Incoming Amex transfers were suspended into early 2026 and resumed on March 2, 2026. Check that the pipeline is open before you rely on it.
- The account name must match. ANA is strict about the Mileage Club name matching your Amex profile, and mismatches cause delays.
Our transfer data lists this route as 24 to 48 hours. Because reputable sources consistently report longer, plan for two to three days and confirm your award seat first.
What ANA Miles Cost After the 2025 Changes
ANA overhauled its award chart on June 24, 2025, and the old "round-trip only" rule no longer applies. You can now book one-way awards for half the round-trip price, which makes ANA far more flexible than before. Premium cabins did get more expensive, especially in high season.
The table below shows ANA-operated round-trip awards between North America and Japan, as reported for the chart effective June 24, 2025. One-way awards cost exactly half.
| Cabin (ANA metal, NA–Japan, round trip) | Low | Regular | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 40,000 | 50,000 | 72,000 |
| Business | 100,000 | 105,000 | 165,000 |
| First | 150,000 | 170,000 | 300,000 |
Two things stand out from this chart. Low-season business at 100,000 miles round-trip is still reasonable for a nonstop on a top-rated product. High season at 165,000 miles, a 50% jump over low season, rarely makes sense when a fixed-price partner alternative exists. The business class figures are confirmed by two reputable sources; economy and first come from one.
For a fuller look at the program and its partners, see our ANA Mileage Club partner page.
The Fuel Surcharge Trap
The headline mile count is only half the cost of an ANA award. ANA passes carrier-imposed fuel surcharges onto its own award tickets, and on US–Japan routes these have run close to $500 round-trip in 2026. They fluctuate with fuel prices, so the exact figure moves, but the gap they create is the real story.
Here is the part most guides miss. Those surcharges apply only when you fly ANA metal on ANA miles. You can avoid them two ways.
- ANA miles on Star Alliance partners. ANA does not add surcharges to partner awards, so an ANA-miles ticket on United or another partner carries only taxes.
- The same ANA flight booked through Aeroplan. Air Canada Aeroplan never passes carrier surcharges to the customer, including on ANA metal. You pay the mile price plus government taxes, usually under $100 round-trip.
So the decision is not only how many miles ANA charges. It is which program books this seat for the lowest combined miles and cash. That reframes the choice, and it is where Aeroplan often wins.
ANA Miles or Aeroplan for the Same Seat?
Both programs book the same ANA business class cabin, and Amex transfers to both. ANA prices by region and season; Aeroplan prices by the distance you fly, so your departure coast changes its number. The worked example below uses low-season ANA pricing and Aeroplan's partner chart effective June 1, 2026.
| Round-trip business to Tokyo (low season) | Via Amex → ANA | Via Amex → Aeroplan |
|---|---|---|
| US West Coast (under 5,000 miles flown) | 100,000 miles + ~$500 | 110,000 points + no surcharge |
| US East Coast (5,001–7,500 miles flown) | 100,000 miles + ~$500 | 170,000 points + no surcharge |
The maths explains the split decision:
- West Coast: ANA uses 10,000 fewer points but costs roughly $425 more in cash. At our estimated value of 2 cents per Amex point, 10,000 points is about $200, so Aeroplan's no-surcharge ticket is the better all-in deal.
- East Coast: Aeroplan jumps to 170,000 points round-trip because the flight is longer, while ANA stays at 100,000. Saving 70,000 points, worth about $1,400, easily beats paying the extra surcharge, so ANA miles win here.
Transfer to ANA if: you fly from the East Coast or Midwest in low or regular season, you have a confirmed seat, and you accept a multi-day transfer plus the surcharge.
Transfer to Aeroplan instead if: you fly from the West Coast, you are travelling in high season, you want to avoid surcharges, or you need the points to post quickly. Amex to Aeroplan is typically instant.
Because the transfer is irreversible, confirm the seat before you move anything. A tool like FlightPoints shows ANA award space across both programs, so you can compare the real price before transferring. Also read: Aeroplan transfer bonus guide for when a bonus tilts this maths further toward Aeroplan.
ANA Sweet Spots Worth the Transfer
ANA miles are not only for flying ANA. Their strongest use is often Star Alliance partner awards, where the surcharge problem disappears and the pricing stays sharp. These are the redemptions that justify the slow transfer.
| Redemption | Approx. miles | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| US–Europe business, round trip (partners) | from ~88,000 | No fuel surcharges on partner metal such as United |
| US–Japan business on ANA metal, low season | 100,000 round trip | Nonstop on a highly rated product; book early |
| US–Japan first on ANA metal, low season | 150,000 round trip | One of the few ways to reach ANA "The Suite" |
A few rules shape these bookings. ANA charges a round-trip-style discount through the chart itself, but one-ways are now allowed at half price, so you can mix programs on each leg. Partner awards price on a separate distance-based chart, and availability on ANA's own flights to Japan is tightest in spring and autumn. For valuation context across your options, compare programs on our points valuations page and read how much Amex points are worth before you commit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Most ANA transfer regrets come from the gap between moving points and booking. Each of these is avoidable with a little sequencing.
- Transferring before confirming the seat. ANA business space is limited, and a two to three day transfer can outlast the availability you saw. Lock the seat first.
- Ignoring the season. The same route can cost 100,000 or 165,000 ANA miles depending on the date. A fixed-price Aeroplan booking often beats ANA's high season.
- Forgetting the surcharge. A "cheap" 100,000-mile ANA award plus $500 can be worse than a larger Aeroplan award with no surcharge.
- Assuming the transfer is instant. It is not. Build in several days, and never count on a maintenance-free pipeline.
- Overlooking partner awards. ANA miles on United or other partners skip the surcharge entirely and are frequently the best use of the currency.
Track Your ANA Options with TransferPoints
The hard part of an ANA redemption is not the transfer form. It is holding several moving pieces at once: a slow transfer, a seasonal chart, a heavy surcharge, and a competing program that books the same seat. Miss one and a "good" award quietly becomes a mediocre one.
TransferPoints keeps those pieces in one view.
- Transfer Calculator: See exactly how many ANA miles or Aeroplan points your Amex balance becomes, with any active bonus applied.
- Partner pages: Compare how every bank reaches ANA, Aeroplan, and United side by side.
- Bonus Tracker: Watch for transfer bonuses across all eight programs on the bonus tracker, since a bonus can change which program wins.
Transfer Calculator
Conclusion
When you transfer Amex points to ANA, you are choosing a slow, surcharge-heavy path that still shines in the right spots: East Coast low-season business, ANA first class, and surcharge-free partner awards. The mistake is treating ANA as the default simply because it is the airline you want to fly. The same seat often prices better through Aeroplan, which Amex also reaches, instantly and without surcharges.
So decide the destination program before you move a single point. Confirm the seat, compare the all-in cost of ANA miles against Aeroplan points, and let the season and your departure coast break the tie. That one habit turns an irreversible transfer into a confident one.
Before your next transfer, check the live bonus tracker to see whether a bonus shifts the maths between ANA and Aeroplan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to transfer Amex points to ANA?
Plan for about two to three days, and occasionally longer. One Mile at a Time and AwardWallet both report that range, which makes ANA one of the slower Amex transfer partners. ANA also pauses incoming transfers for maintenance at times, so the pipeline is not always open. Always confirm your award seat before you transfer, because the delay can outlast limited award availability.
Can I transfer Amex points to ANA for a one-way award?
Yes. Since June 24, 2025, ANA Mileage Club allows one-way awards priced at exactly half the round-trip amount. A low-season one-way business class ticket between North America and Japan is therefore 50,000 miles, half of the 100,000-mile round trip. This change makes it easier to mix ANA with another program or to book an open-jaw itinerary across two currencies.
Is it better to transfer Amex to ANA or to Aeroplan for an ANA flight?
It depends on your coast and season. From the East Coast in low or regular season, ANA's region-based price of 100,000 round-trip business usually beats Aeroplan's longer-distance price of 170,000. From the West Coast, or in high season, Aeroplan's no-surcharge ticket at 110,000 points is often cheaper once you count ANA's roughly $500 surcharge. Compare the all-in cost each time.
Does Amex charge a fee to transfer points to ANA?
No. Amex charges its excise tax offset fee only on transfers to US airline programs such as Delta SkyMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue. ANA is a Japanese carrier, so transfers to ANA Mileage Club carry no Amex fee. You will, however, pay ANA's own fuel surcharges when you fly ANA metal, which have approached $500 round-trip to Japan in 2026.
Can I transfer ANA miles back to American Express?
No. Transfers from Membership Rewards to ANA are one-way and cannot be reversed. Once your points become ANA miles, they can only be redeemed through ANA Mileage Club or pooled with family members. That irreversibility is exactly why you should confirm your award seat and compare ANA against Aeroplan before moving any points.
How this guide was made: The TransferPoints team researched and drafted this guide with AI assistance. Every transfer ratio, transfer time, award price, and fee was checked against official ANA information, reputable points publications, and TransferPoints' transfer data on October 29, 2026. Award charts and fuel surcharges change often, so confirm terms with ANA before transferring. Spot an error? Email [email protected].