All Transfer Bonuses for April 2026: Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Points - Elevate Miles

As of April 2026. This post is regularly updated as bonuses launch and expire.

If you’re sitting on a stockpile of Chase, Capital One, or Citi points right now, pay attention — because April 2026 is actually a pretty solid month for transfer bonuses. We’ve got five active promotions running simultaneously, including a rare 70% bonus from Chase to IHG, a 30% bonus from Capital One to Japan Airlines, and two Citi bonuses that expire in just a few days. I’ll break every single one of them down, tell you whether they’re actually worth acting on, and flag which ones deserve urgency.

Let’s get into it.

⚡ Quick Reference: All Active Transfer Bonuses — April 2026

Points Currency	Transfer Partner	Bonus	Ratio (with bonus)	Transfer Speed	Expires	Worth It?
Capital One Miles	Japan Airlines Mileage Bank	+30%	2,000 → 1,950 JAL miles	Instant	April 30	✅ Yes — for JAL/Oneworld redemptions
Chase Ultimate Rewards	Air Canada Aeroplan	+20%	1,000 → 1,200 Aeroplan pts	Instant	April 30	✅ Yes — Aeroplan is hugely valuable
Chase Ultimate Rewards	IHG One Rewards	+70%	1,000 → 1,700 IHG pts	~1 day	April 30	⚠️ Only for specific IHG redemptions
Citi ThankYou Rewards	Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	+30%	1,000 → 1,300 Virgin pts*	~2 days	April 18 ⏰	✅ Yes — Delta/ANA via Virgin is excellent
Citi ThankYou Rewards	Avianca LifeMiles	+25%	1,000 → 1,250 LifeMiles*	Instant	April 18 ⏰	✅ Yes — for Star Alliance business class

*Citi ratios shown for cardholders with the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, or Citi Prestige (no longer available to new applicants). Other Citi cards do not unlock the full 1:1 base transfer ratio.

Key reminder: The Citi bonuses expire April 18 — that’s just a few days away. If you have a Virgin Atlantic or LifeMiles redemption in your sights, act now. All other bonuses run through April 30.

American Express Membership Rewards — No Active Bonuses

Let’s get the disappointment out of the way first: Amex Membership Rewards is not running any transfer bonuses this month. The most recent one was a 15% bonus to Avianca LifeMiles that ended March 28. Before that, Amex ran a well-publicized 30% bonus to British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus Avios back in mid-2025, and a 20% Flying Blue bonus in fall 2025.

If you’re holding Membership Rewards and waiting for a bonus before transferring, I don’t blame you — historically Amex runs several per year, particularly to Flying Blue, Avianca, and British Airways. Keep your points parked for now unless you have an imminent redemption that can’t wait.

That said, Amex MR remains one of the most valuable transferable currencies in the game, with transfer partners including ANA, Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore KrisFlyer, and more. Check out our complete guide to getting maximum value from Amex Membership Rewards while you wait for the next bonus.

Capital One Miles — 30% Bonus to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

🏆 Top Pick (for Japan/Oneworld travelers)

Bonus: +30% | Expires: April 30 | Transfer Speed: Instant

Capital One is running a 30% transfer bonus to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank through April 30. Here’s the math: Capital One’s standard transfer ratio to JAL is 2:1.5 (meaning 2,000 Cap1 miles get you 1,500 JAL miles). With the 30% bonus applied, that jumps to 2,000 Capital One miles = 1,950 JAL Mileage Bank miles. That’s almost a 1:1 effective ratio from a program that normally transfers at a significant discount.

Why this matters: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is a Oneworld member, which means you can use JAL miles to book award flights on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, and more — in addition to JAL’s own incredible premium cabin products. JAL’s first class product on the Tokyo–New York route is legitimately one of the best in the world, and business class redemptions to Japan from the US start around 55,000–60,000 miles one-way in off-peak periods.

Is it worth acting on? Yes, if you have a specific Oneworld or JAL redemption in mind. Don’t transfer speculatively. But if you’ve been eyeing a JAL flight to Japan, or a Cathay Pacific business class redemption via Hong Kong, this bonus meaningfully improves the value proposition. Transfers from Capital One to JAL are instant, so you can confirm award space first.

Best Capital One cards to earn miles:

Capital One Venture X: 75,000-mile welcome offer after $4,000 spend in 3 months. Earns 2x on all purchases, 10x on hotels and rental cars via Capital One Travel.
Capital One Venture: 75,000-mile welcome offer after $4,000 spend in 3 months. Also includes a $250 Capital One Travel credit in year one.

Chase Ultimate Rewards — Two Active Bonuses

Chase is doubling up this month with bonuses to both Air Canada Aeroplan and IHG One Rewards — both ending April 30. These are very different in terms of value, so let me break them down separately.

Chase → Air Canada Aeroplan: 20% Bonus

🏆 Top Pick (best of the month for flexible value)

Bonus: +20% | Expires: April 30 | Transfer Speed: Instant

This is my favorite bonus of the month. Aeroplan is one of the most valuable airline loyalty programs in the world — it’s a Star Alliance member with a distance-based award chart, no fuel surcharges on partner awards, and access to incredible partners like United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, ANA, and Turkish Airlines.

Chase transfers to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. With the 20% bonus, every 1,000 Chase points becomes 1,200 Aeroplan points. That’s a meaningful bump. If you’re short on Aeroplan miles for a business class booking — say, 70,000 miles for a United Polaris flight — you’d need to transfer about 58,334 Chase points instead of 70,000. That’s real savings.

What you can do with Aeroplan miles:

United Polaris business class to Europe: 70,000–75,000 miles one-way
Lufthansa business class (avoid fuel surcharges): price varies by route, but Aeroplan doesn’t pass on the infamous YQ surcharges
ANA business class to Japan: 75,000 miles one-way from North America
Turkish Airlines business class (via Istanbul): often 45,000–55,000 miles one-way from the US
Singapore Airlines business class via partner: excellent sweet spots exist on shorter hauls

Is it worth acting on? Absolutely — if you have a specific redemption in mind or know you’ll use Aeroplan miles within a reasonable timeframe. I’ve transferred Chase to Aeroplan multiple times over the years; it’s one of the cleanest, most reliable transfers in the game. And at 1:1.2, this bonus makes it even more compelling.

Chase → IHG One Rewards: 70% Bonus

Bonus: +70% | Expires: April 30 | Transfer Speed: ~1 day

Seventy percent sounds incredible — and on paper, it is the highest bonus percentage running this month. But context matters. IHG One Rewards points are generally considered low-value compared to airline miles or Hyatt points. The normal Chase-to-IHG transfer rate is 1:1, and with the 70% bonus you’re getting 1,700 IHG points per 1,000 Chase points.

IHG has some solid sweet spots, especially at mid-range properties — Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, and certain InterContinental locations. If you’re targeting a high-end InterContinental that’s going for 70,000–100,000 IHG points per night, this bonus could save you a meaningful amount of Chase points. But if you’re transferring Chase points at the same effective value you’d get booking directly through Chase Travel, that’s a missed opportunity.

Do the math before you transfer: Figure out the cash rate of your target hotel room, then calculate what the IHG award booking costs you in Chase points (at the 1.7x boosted rate). If you’re getting more than 1.5 cents per Chase point in value, this transfer makes sense. If not, skip it.

Best Chase cards to earn Ultimate Rewards:

Chase Sapphire Reserve: 125,000-point welcome offer after $6,000 spend in 3 months. 3x on travel and dining. Points worth 1.5 cents toward travel through Chase portal.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: 75,000-point welcome offer after $5,000 spend in 3 months. Lower annual fee at $95.
Ink Business Preferred: 100,000-point welcome offer after $8,000 spend in 3 months. Excellent for business spend.

For a deeper look at Chase’s full transfer partner lineup, see our complete guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners.

Citi ThankYou Rewards — Two Bonuses Expiring April 18 ⏰

These two bonuses expire in just a few days. If you’re interested, move fast.

One important caveat before we get into the specifics: Citi ThankYou transfers work differently depending on which card you hold. Only the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, and the discontinued Citi Prestige unlock the full 1:1 base transfer ratio. Other Citi cards transfer at a reduced ratio — which cuts significantly into the value of these bonuses. I’ll call out both scenarios below.

Citi → Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 30% Bonus

Bonus: +30% | Expires: April 18 | Transfer Speed: ~2 days

With a qualifying Citi card: 1,000 ThankYou points = 1,300 Virgin Atlantic miles. Without: 1,000 ThankYou points = 910 Virgin miles. The gap is enormous — so this only really makes sense if you have the Strata Elite or Strata Premier.

Why Virgin Atlantic Flying Club? Virgin Atlantic is a Delta SkyTeam partner and a joint venture partner with Delta, which means you can use Virgin miles to book Delta flights — often at significantly better rates than you can get directly through SkyMiles. Classic redemptions include:

Delta One business class to Europe: ~47,000–50,000 Virgin miles one-way (vs. 100,000+ SkyMiles during peak)
ANA business class (via ANA codeshare): 57,500 Virgin miles one-way from the US to Japan — one of the best Japan redemptions in the game
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class: 50,000 miles one-way on the Upper Class product to London

Transfer speed warning: Virgin Atlantic transfers from Citi take approximately 2 days. Start this transfer today if you have award space confirmed and your departure is within a reasonable window. Award availability can disappear quickly.

Is it worth acting on? Yes — this is one of my favorite transfer partners period. The Delta-via-Virgin pricing is dramatically better than what Delta charges through SkyMiles. If you have a specific Delta or ANA flight in mind, this bonus could push you over the points threshold without needing as many source points.

Citi → Avianca LifeMiles: 25% Bonus

Bonus: +25% | Expires: April 18 | Transfer Speed: Instant

With a qualifying Citi card: 1,000 ThankYou points = 1,250 LifeMiles. Without: 1,000 ThankYou points = 875 LifeMiles.

Avianca LifeMiles is a Star Alliance program, which gives you access to United, Lufthansa, ANA, Turkish, and more — often at better prices than those airlines’ own programs. Some of the best LifeMiles redemptions:

United Polaris business class to Europe: 63,000 LifeMiles one-way (less than most Star Alliance programs)
Lufthansa business class: Strong pricing, though watch for fuel surcharges
Turkish Airlines business class: Very reasonable pricing across their extensive network
ANA business class from the US: 75,000–88,000 miles depending on region and cabin

LifeMiles transfers from Citi process instantly, which is a huge advantage. You can confirm award availability first, then transfer within minutes. That said — LifeMiles does occasionally have dynamic pricing creep in, so confirm your specific award before initiating the transfer.

Is it worth acting on? Yes, especially if you have a Star Alliance business class redemption in mind. The 25% boost is meaningful, and instant transfers give you flexibility. Just make sure you’re holding the right Citi card to unlock the full base ratio.

Bilt Rewards, Wells Fargo & Others — No Active Bonuses

Bilt Rewards ran a 25% bonus to Wyndham Rewards that expired April 1, and there’s nothing new from them this month. Wells Fargo Rewards and US Bank Altitude Reserve are similarly quiet in April. Keep an eye on Bilt in particular — they tend to run monthly transfer bonuses around their Rent Day (the 1st of each month), sometimes popping up with little notice.

Marriott Bonvoy is also not running any transfer bonuses to airline partners right now, though that’s less notable given how poor the Marriott-to-airline transfer ratio is in general (15,000 Marriott points = 5,000 airline miles + 5,000 bonus miles above 60K transfers). Marriott is better used for hotel redemptions directly.

Recently Expired — And What to Watch For

March was an especially active month for transfer bonuses. Here’s what just expired so you know what to look for when these programs run bonuses again:

Chase → British Airways/Iberia/Aer Lingus Avios: 20% bonus, expired March 31. Avios bonuses from Chase happen a couple times per year — worth waiting for if you’re building toward a specific Avios redemption.
Chase → Wyndham Rewards: 30% bonus, expired March 31. Wyndham can offer solid value at their all-inclusive properties and budget brands.
Capital One → Preferred Hotels I Prefer: 30% bonus, expired March 31. Niche, but useful for luxury independent hotel bookings.
Rove Miles → Japan Airlines: 50% bonus, expired March 31. This was a jaw-dropper — if you missed it, Rove Miles is worth tracking for future opportunities.
Amex → Avianca LifeMiles: 15% bonus, expired March 28. Amex runs LifeMiles bonuses fairly regularly.

The pattern here: programs tend to rotate through partners on a roughly quarterly cycle. If you missed a Chase → Avios bonus this month, there’s a reasonable chance another one shows up before summer. Same with Amex → Flying Blue and Amex → LifeMiles.

My April 2026 Transfer Bonus Verdict: What I’d Actually Do

Here’s my honest, no-fluff take on what’s worth acting on this month:

✅ Act Now (Expiring April 18)

Citi → Virgin Atlantic (30% bonus): If you’ve been sitting on ThankYou points and have even a tentative plan to book Delta business class to Europe or ANA to Japan, this is the time to do it. The Delta-via-Virgin pricing is so superior to SkyMiles pricing that this bonus just makes it better. Transfer takes ~2 days, so start immediately if you’ve confirmed space.

Citi → Avianca LifeMiles (25% bonus): Instant transfer, solid Star Alliance access, and 25% more miles per point is a genuine upgrade. United Polaris pricing via LifeMiles is frequently better than purchasing through United’s own MileagePlus. If that’s relevant to your next trip, pull the trigger.

✅ Worth It Through April 30

Chase → Aeroplan (20% bonus): This is the highest-value bonus for the most people. Aeroplan is endlessly flexible with a massive Star Alliance network and no fuel surcharges. A 20% bonus on a program that’s already excellent at 1:1? Easy yes.

Capital One → Japan Airlines (30% bonus): Compelling for Japan travelers and Oneworld redeemers. The effective rate of nearly 1:1 from Capital One to JAL is the best conversion this pairing has ever offered in my recollection. Great for JAL First Class redemptions and AA/Cathay bookings.

⚠️ Situational

Chase → IHG (70% bonus): The headline number is impressive, but IHG’s program has limited premium cabin use cases. This one only makes sense if you have a specific IHG hotel stay in mind where you can get strong cents-per-point value. Do the math against the cash price before transferring.

How Transfer Bonuses Work (Quick Primer)

For anyone newer to the points game: transferable credit card currencies — like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards — can be converted into airline miles or hotel points. Normally this happens at a fixed ratio (often 1:1, but sometimes worse, like Capital One’s 2:1.5 to JAL).

A transfer bonus means the receiving program gives you extra miles or points on top of the base transfer. A 20% bonus means 1,000 credit card points becomes 1,200 airline miles instead of 1,000. This is free money — as long as you have a specific, high-value redemption in mind.

The golden rule: Never transfer points speculatively. Always confirm award availability first, then transfer. Transfers are one-way and irreversible. If the award disappears before you can book it, you’re stuck with miles in a program you may not have an immediate use for.

Want to go deeper? Read our beginner’s guide to transferable points currencies for the full breakdown on how these programs work and which cards to prioritize.

FAQ: April 2026 Transfer Bonuses

What are the best transfer bonuses available in April 2026?

The five active transfer bonuses in April 2026 are: Capital One to Japan Airlines (+30%, expires Apr 30), Chase to Air Canada Aeroplan (+20%, expires Apr 30), Chase to IHG One Rewards (+70%, expires Apr 30), Citi ThankYou to Virgin Atlantic (+30%, expires Apr 18), and Citi ThankYou to Avianca LifeMiles (+25%, expires Apr 18). The Chase → Aeroplan and Citi → Virgin Atlantic bonuses offer the most broadly useful value for frequent travelers.

Is Amex running any transfer bonuses in April 2026?

No — American Express Membership Rewards does not have any active transfer bonuses as of April 2026. The most recent was a 15% bonus to Avianca LifeMiles that expired March 28. Historically, Amex runs several bonuses per year to partners like Flying Blue, LifeMiles, and British Airways Avios, so keep an eye out in coming months.

How does the Chase → IHG 70% transfer bonus work?

From now through April 30, 2026, every 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to IHG One Rewards becomes 1,700 IHG points (up from the standard 1:1 ratio). Transfers take approximately one day to process. This is the largest bonus percentage active this month, but IHG points are lower in value than airline miles, so it’s best suited for travelers who have a specific IHG hotel redemption confirmed.

Can I use the Citi transfer bonuses if I have the Citi Double Cash card?

Only partially. The Citi Double Cash earns ThankYou points, but it does not unlock Citi’s full 1:1 transfer ratio to partners. To get the full 30% bonus to Virgin Atlantic (effectively 1:1.3) or the 25% bonus to LifeMiles (effectively 1:1.25), you need to hold the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, or the discontinued Citi Prestige. Without one of these cards, your base transfer ratio is reduced, which significantly cuts into the bonus value.

Should I transfer points speculatively to take advantage of a transfer bonus?

No — and this is one of the most important rules in points optimization. Transfers are irreversible. If you transfer 50,000 Chase points to Aeroplan but the award seat you want disappears, you’re left with Aeroplan miles you may not have an immediate use for. Always confirm award availability before transferring, then move quickly. The bonus doesn’t justify transferring without a plan.

When do the April 2026 transfer bonuses expire?

The Citi ThankYou bonuses to both Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Avianca LifeMiles expire April 18, 2026 — act immediately. The Capital One to Japan Airlines, Chase to Aeroplan, and Chase to IHG bonuses all expire April 30, 2026, giving you a bit more runway.

Are there any hotel transfer bonuses active in April 2026?

The only hotel-adjacent bonus active this month is Chase → IHG One Rewards at +70% (expires April 30). Capital One ran a 30% bonus to Preferred Hotels I Prefer, but that expired March 31. No World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors, or Marriott Bonvoy transfer bonuses are currently active.

Bottom Line

April 2026 serves up five active transfer bonuses — not the busiest month ever, but a genuinely solid lineup. The Chase → Aeroplan 20% bonus is the clear standout for most travelers given Aeroplan’s unmatched flexibility and Star Alliance access. Close behind is the Citi → Virgin Atlantic 30% bonus, which unlocks incredible Delta and ANA redemptions at prices SkyMiles simply can’t touch.

If you’re holding Citi ThankYou points and have a premium cabin trip on the horizon, the April 18 deadline is your forcing function. Move now.

For everyone else: the Chase and Capital One bonuses give you until April 30, and I’d strongly encourage running your specific award scenario through the math before pulling the trigger. A transfer bonus is only as good as the redemption it enables.

📩 Want to get notified the moment new transfer bonuses drop? Subscribe to the ElevateMiles newsletter — I send an alert every time a meaningful new bonus launches, so you never miss a window.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. ElevateMiles may earn compensation when you apply for a card through our links. All opinions are our own and are not influenced by card issuers.