Advertiser Disclosure: The Rewards Mom has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Rewards Mom and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

So you’ve earned a bunch of credit card points, now what?

I remember sitting at my laptop, staring at my points balance, and wondering how to actually use them to book flights. Especially when the airline I needed wasn’t listed in the transfer partner section. It felt like I had the keys to the wrong doors.

If you’ve ever felt that way too, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: there are smart, flexible ways to book flights with your points, even on airlines your card doesn’t partner with directly.

Some of these strategies are well known. Others fly a little more under the radar. But each one gives you more freedom to make the most of your points, and unlock flights that might’ve felt out of reach.

If you’re just getting started with points, my Beginner’s Guide is a great place to start.

1-Use a Purchase Eraser or “Pay with Points” Feature

Recently, I was booking Southwest flights for my family but fell about 6,000 points short. At checkout, Southwest gave me the option to buy the missing points at a discount. So I used my Capital One Venture X card to pay for them.

Since it coded as travel, I didn’t actually have to spend cash—I used Capital One’s Purchase Eraser to wipe the charge away using miles.

Result: I booked a Southwest flight with Capital One miles—even though Southwest isn’t a transfer partner.

This method works anytime a flight is reasonably priced in cash. Just book the flight with a travel credit card, then redeem your points as a statement credit.

This strategy is ideal if:

• You’re short on points
• A cash fare is cheaper than a points booking
• The airline isn’t a transfer partner

Best cards for this strategy:

• Capital One Venture and Venture X
• Any card that allows redemptions for travel charges

2-Transfer Points to a Partner Airline

If you feel stuck trying to book flights with your points, learning how to transfer them to an airline partner changes everything.

Each bank partners with different airlines. Once you’ve earned your points, you can send them to one of these partners to book flights. It sounds intimidating, but I promise it gets easier after your first transfer.

And it’s almost always a better value than using the travel portal.

I walk through the full process in this post.

Once you understand how to spot these transfer opportunities, you’ll unlock award flights that can save you hundreds—even thousands.

3-Book Flights Through Airline Partners (Even Without a Direct Match)

Even if your credit card points can’t transfer to the airline you want to fly, there’s still a path forward. Thanks to airline alliances, you can use points from one partner to book flights on another airline.

Here are a few creative examples:

Capital One → Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles → United Airlines

Why it works: Turkish is a Star Alliance member and partners with United.

How to do it:

• Transfer Capital One miles to Turkish
• Search for United saver awards (often 7,500 miles one-way)
• May require a call or email to complete

Capital One → ANA → United Airlines

Why it works: ANA is in Star Alliance. ANA miles can be used to book United flights.

How to do it:

• Transfer points to ANA
• Find United saver space and book round-trip through ANA
• Best for long trips or international flights

Citi → Qatar → British Airways → Alaska Airlines

Why it works: Alaska is bookable through British Airways using Avios.

How to do it:

• Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Qatar (auto-pools into British Airways Avios)
• Book short Alaska flights for as few as 7,500 Avios

Amex → HawaiianMiles → Alaska Airlines (Until June 30, 2025)

Why it worked: You could call Hawaiian to book Alaska flights using transferred points. This benefit is ending June 30, 2025.

How to do it:

• Transfer Amex points to HawaiianMiles
• Call to book eligible Alaska-operated flights
• Limited availability and must be saver space

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Locked In

Just because your credit card doesn’t list a certain airline as a transfer partner doesn’t mean your points can’t get you there.

When you learn how to:

• Use purchase erasers for cash fares
• Transfer to airline partners
• Tap into airline alliances for booking flexibility

…you’ll turn your points into real flights—and save more than you thought possible.

Want to Start With the Right Card?

If you want the most flexibility, I always recommend starting with a card that earns transferable points.

👉 Here are my favorite options for flexible travel rewards.

If this post helped you, the best way to say thanks is by using my links when you apply. It costs nothing extra and helps keep this blog free for other moms who want to travel smarter.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Advertiser Disclosure: The Rewards Mom has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Rewards Mom and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.