One of the standout benefits of the three prominent airline alliances—Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and Oneworld—is the ability to accumulate points or miles by flying with any member airline within a specific alliance. This means you can also redeem those points or miles for flights operated by other airlines within the same alliance. While these reciprocal arrangements are straightforward, they might not always perform as expected in real-life scenarios.
Apart from the main alliances, many airlines have non-alliance partners that passengers can use similarly. However, it’s crucial to note that these non-alliance partners often impose restrictions on which flights you can earn or redeem miles, so it’s advisable to check the conditions on the airline’s website before booking. Below, we’ll explore some lesser-known airline collaborations and share a few excellent opportunities to leverage them.
Air Canada
As a member of Star Alliance, Air Canada offers its Aeroplan program, which is linked to transfer partners including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
For earning and redeeming, Air Canada’s non-alliance partners include:
- Air Creebec
- Air Dolomiti
- Air Mauritius
- Air Serbia
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Bamboo Airways
- Calm Air
- Canadian North
- Cathay Pacific
- Discover Airlines
- Edelweiss Air
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Eurowings
- Flydubai
- Gol Airlines
- Gulf Air
- Juneyao Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Olympic Air
- Oman Air
- PAL Airlines
- SunExpress
- Virgin Australia
Additionally, for earning only, Air Canada’s partners include:
- Aer Lingus
- Central Mountain Air
- Middle East Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
Note: You can now use Aeroplan points for Emirates first class, though it can be costly.
Air France and KLM
Both Air France and KLM belong to the SkyTeam alliance. Miles earned through flights on these airlines—along with their non-alliance partner, Transavia—contribute to the Flying Blue loyalty program shared by the three. Additionally, Flying Blue is also a transfer partner for American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Wells Fargo Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Non-alliance partners that allow earning and redeeming include:
- Air Corsica
- Air Mauritius
- AirBaltic
- Aircalin
- Chalair Aviation
- China Southern Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- El Al
- Etihad Airways
- Gol Airlines
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Qantas
- Transavia
- WestJet
- Winair
Fly Blue is partnered with Bangkok Airways, but only redemptions are permitted; miles cannot be earned on flights with them.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance. Their Mileage Plan program is a transfer partner for Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
For earning and redeeming, Alaska’s non-alliance partners include:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Cape Air
- Condor
- Hainan Airlines
- Icelandair
- Korean Air
- LATAM
- Oman Air
- Porter Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Starlux Airlines
Alaska also has non-alliance partners for earning only, which include:
- Aleutian Airways
- Bahamasair
- Cape Air
- Contour Airlines
- Kenmore Air
- Mokulele Airlines
- Southern Airways Express
Note: Take a look at Condor’s inaugural Airbus A330neo to NYC for their new business-class product.
All Nippon Airlines
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is headquartered in Japan and is a Star Alliance member. Its ANA Mileage Club program is a transfer partner for American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
Non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming include:
- Air Dolomiti
- Air Macau
- Etihad Airways
- Eurowings
- Garuda Indonesia
- Olympic Air
- Philippine Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Australia
American Airlines
American Airlines is a key player in the Oneworld alliance, with its AAdvantage program being a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy but not included in any credit card transfer systems.
Non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming include:
For earnings only, American Airlines has the following partners:
- Aer Lingus
- IndiGo
- JetSmart (currently earning only, but redemptions coming soon)
British Airways and Iberia
Both British Airways and Iberia are part of the Oneworld alliance and utilize Avios as their rewards currency, alongside Finnair, Qatar Airways, Aer Lingus, and Vueling. While each has its distinct program, members can transfer Avios among the six at a 1:1 ratio.
British Airways and Iberia both partner with multiple credit cards, enabling users to easily transfer points. Moreover, the ability to transfer Avios across these airlines allows for greater flexibility in booking non-alliance partners.
British Airways has several non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming, including:
It should be noted that there is a partnership with China Southern Airlines, but only for earning Avios on paid flights; redemptions on their flights are not permitted.
Iberia’s non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming include:
- Avianca
- Binter Canarias
- LATAM
- Level
- Vueling
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong, is a member of the Oneworld alliance. Its Asia Miles program can transfer points from various loyalty programs including American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Cathay Pacific’s non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming include:
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air New Zealand
- Austrian Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Gulf Air
- HK Express
- LATAM
- Lufthansa
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Swiss
Delta Air Lines
Delta is part of the SkyTeam alliance, and its Delta SkyMiles program works with American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy as transfer partners.
Delta’s non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming include:
- AirBaltic
- Cape Air
- China Southern
- El Al
- Hawaiian Airlines
- LATAM
- WestJet
Please note: Redemptions on AirBaltic are limited to connections starting from a transatlantic award flight on Delta, Air France, or KLM, while redemptions on Hawaiian Airlines are restricted to inter-island flights only.
Conversely, the following non-alliance partners are available for redeeming only:
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Mandarin Airlines
- Shanghai Airlines
United Airlines
United Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, with its MileagePlus program functioning as a transfer partner for Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
For earning and redeeming, United’s non-alliance partners include:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Dolomiti
- AirLink
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Cape Air
- Discover Airlines
- Edelweiss Air
- Emirates
- Eurowings
- Flydubai
- Hawaiian Airlines (flights within Hawaii only)
- JSX
- Juneyao Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Olympic Air
- Silver Airways
- Virgin Australia
When redeeming for Emirates and Flydubai, it’s essential to book select routes connecting Dubai to Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia on a ticket that also includes a United flight between Newark and Dubai. Hawaiian Airlines redemptions are also limited to flights within Hawaii.
Virgin Atlantic
Part of the SkyTeam alliance, Virgin Atlantic operates the Flying Club program, which you can link with the Virgin Red rewards program. This program allows transfers from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Virgin Atlantic’s non-alliance partners for earning and redeeming consist of:
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways
- El Al
- Hawaiian Airlines
- LATAM
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
Virgin Atlantic also collaborates with IndiGo, but note that this partnership only allows earning for paid flights, with no redemptions available.
Sweet Spots Among the Nonalliance Partners
Many airlines have transitioned to dynamic pricing for their own redemptions, but most continue to maintain fixed-rate award charts for partner redemptions, which can provide excellent opportunities.
Some airlines implement zone-based redemptions, where the cost is determined by the regions involved, while others utilize distance-based pricing based on miles traveled between airports.
Examining these partner award charts can help you identify valuable redemption options. Here are a few noteworthy opportunities with non-alliance partners:
Aeroplan Redemptions for United Flights in North America
You can book economy flights on United flights of up to 500 miles within North America for just 6,000 Aeroplan points. Examples include itineraries from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston to Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in Mexico, or from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
Explore our guide on maximizing Aeroplan points:
Alaska Redemptions for Starlux Business Class
Alaska is the exclusive airline partner of Taiwan’s Starlux Airlines, which offers an exceptional business-class product on routes between the U.S. and Taiwan, with award rates starting at just 75,000 Alaska miles each way.
Read our review of Starlux business class:
Virgin Atlantic Redemptions for ANA Business or First Class
While this redemption has become less attractive due to several devaluations, it remains a strong option for premium cabin travel—especially when booking The Room business class or The Suite first class over older offerings. One-way business class seats from the U.S. to Japan can be secured for as few as 52,500 Virgin points, with first-class tickets starting at 72,500 points.
Utilizing Virgin points provides greater flexibility than ANA miles, as Virgin allows one-way redemptions, whereas ANA only permits round-trip bookings. Moreover, Virgin offers a wider variety of transfer options from credit card programs.
Conclusion
Having airline partners significantly enhances award travel by broadening the selection of carriers and routes available for redeeming points and miles. It’s essential not to overlook the potential value that non-alliance partners might offer alongside those within airline alliances.
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