175,000 MR Welcome Bonus: 5 Dream Trips With Real Numbers (2026)
What can you really book with 175,000 AMEX MR from the US? Five concrete dream trips with verified award values as of May 2026 — Lufthansa First Class for 87k, ANA round-trip Business to Tokyo, Cathay First to Hong Kong, Aer Lingus Business to Dublin, BA Avios for 30+ European short hauls. With cash comparison, taxes and cents-per-point values.
Quick answer: With the AMEX Platinum US welcome bonus of 175,000 MR (targeted offer, $12,000 spend in 6 months) you can book, depending on your strategy: (1) Lufthansa First Class one-way Frankfurt → Los Angeles (87,000 LifeMiles via Avianca, ~$280 taxes) plus 88,000 MR remaining, (2) ANA round-trip Business Frankfurt ↔ Tokyo (80,000–90,000 ANA miles depending on season, ~€180 taxes) plus 85,000–95,000 MR left, (3) Cathay First Class one-way Hong Kong → JFK (~110,000 Cathay Asia Miles, transfer ratio 5:4 → ~137,500 MR, ~$250 taxes), (4) Aer Lingus Business round-trip Boston ↔ Dublin (75,500 Avios, ~$235 taxes) plus 99,500 MR left, or (5) 30+ British Airways Avios short hauls in Europe for 4,000–9,000 Avios per flight. All values as of May 2026 — verify on the program pages before booking. AMEX MR US transfers 1:1 to most of the programs mentioned — exceptions: Cathay 5:4, Emirates 5:4, JetBlue 5:4 (check the current rate before every transfer).
175,000 points — that’s the highest targeted welcome bonus AMEX currently offers for the Platinum card in the US. Cash value? Depending on how you redeem, $1,700 to $13,500. The difference: if you just go to the travel portal, you get 1 cent/point. If you know the right sweet spots, you lift the value to 8–15 cents.
This article shows you five concrete dream trips — with verified numbers as of May 2026 and honest tax figures. No marketing promises, but rather: this is what you can really book.
Disclaimer: Award charts change quarterly. All values here are as of May 2026, sources: lifemiles.com, ana.co.jp, americanexpress.com (US transfer rates), aercanada.com (Aeroplan comparison), britishairways.com. Verify on the program website before every booking.
The math: 175,000 MR — what’s actually possible?
AMEX MR from the US transfer at the standard rate 1:1 to most partners. That means 175,000 MR become 175,000 Avianca / ANA / Aer Lingus / Singapore / BA points — without loss. Exceptions: Cathay and Emirates currently run 5:4 (10,000 MR → 8,000 miles), JetBlue likewise 5:4 — check the current rate before every transfer.
Compared to German MR (5:4 down to 2:1) that’s 20–50% more value on the same routes. Plus: US MR transfer to programs that DE MR doesn’t have at all (Aeroplan, ANA, Avianca, Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic).
Context: You’ll find a detailed table of all transfer partners and rates in AMEX MR US vs Germany: Transfer Partner Comparison.
Now to the five concrete trips.
Dream trip 1: Lufthansa First Class to Los Angeles
The booking:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Frankfurt → Los Angeles (LH747-8 or A380, depending on season) |
| Class | First Class |
| Program | Avianca LifeMiles (Star Alliance) |
| Points one-way | 87,000 LifeMiles (as of May 2026, lifemiles.com) |
| Taxes + booking fee | ~$200–280 (no YQ surcharge with Avianca) |
| Cash comparison | $11,000–14,000 one-way (Lufthansa.com direct sales) |
| Cents per point | 12–15 cents |
How it works:
- AMEX MR US → Avianca LifeMiles (1:1, 5–30 min instant)
- Availability on aircanada.com (Aeroplan shows LH availability most reliably)
- Book by phone via the LifeMiles Service Center ($25 phone fee)
What’s left over: 175,000 − 87,000 = 88,000 MR. Enough for a second smaller booking (e.g. Aer Lingus Boston–Dublin Business RT with 75,500 Avios).
More on this: Lufthansa First Class for 87,000 Miles via Avianca: Complete Booking Guide
Dream trip 2: ANA round-trip Business to Tokyo
The booking:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Frankfurt → Tokyo Narita or Haneda — round-trip |
| Class | Business Class (ANA “The Room” on the 777-300ER) |
| Program | ANA Mileage Club (Star Alliance) |
| Points round-trip | 80,000–90,000 ANA miles (Low/Regular/High Season — as of May 2026, ana.co.jp) |
| Taxes | ~€180–220 |
| Cash comparison | €4,500–6,500 RT |
| Cents per point | 5–8 cents |
How it works:
- AMEX MR US → ANA Mileage Club (1:1)
- An ANA award must be booked as a round-trip — one-way is not possible
- Availability + booking directly on ana.co.jp in the member area
Seasonal differences (ANA chart 2026):
- Low Season: 80,000 miles RT (January, February, April–May, September–November)
- Regular Season: 85,000 miles RT
- High Season: 90,000 miles RT (summer holidays, Christmas, Golden Week)
What’s left over: 175,000 − 80,000 = 95,000 MR. Enough for another trip — e.g. 13 Hyatt Cat 1 nights (via the Chase UR path, a separate program; via Reserve 1:1, with Preferred from Oct 2026 ~25% less) or 23 BA Avios European short hauls.
Bonus: ANA Business “The Room” is considered one of the best Business Class products in the world — suite-style, doors, lay-flat 198 cm.
Dream trip 3: Cathay First Class — Hong Kong to JFK
The booking:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Hong Kong (HKG) → New York-JFK (Cathay Pacific 777-300ER with First Class) |
| Class | First Class (private suite with doors) |
| Program | Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (oneworld) |
| Points one-way | 110,000 Asia Miles (as of May 2026, asiamiles.com award chart) |
| MR required | ~137,500 MR (Cathay transfer ratio 5:4 — check before transfer) |
| Taxes | $250–320 |
| Cash comparison | $14,000–18,000 one-way |
| Cents per point | 10–13 cents |
How it works:
- AMEX MR US → Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (5:4 — 10,000 MR yield 8,000 Asia Miles, check the current rate before transfer)
- Cathay First availability is limited — usually 2 seats per flight, often last-minute releases 5–7 days out
- Booking via asiamiles.com award search (online booking possible, occasionally a phone call needed)
What’s left over: 175,000 − 137,500 = 37,500 MR. Enough for 1 Aer Lingus Boston–Dublin Business one-way (37,750 Avios, just barely) or a few BA Avios European short hauls.
Bonus: Cathay First Class on the 777-300ER has an onboard restaurant with caviar, private suite areas and pajamas from Pyjamas Plumas.
Dream trip 4: Aer Lingus Business Class — Boston to Dublin
The booking:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Boston (BOS) ↔ Dublin (DUB) — round-trip |
| Class | Business Class (A330 with lay-flat bed) |
| Program | Aer Lingus AerClub (oneworld) |
| Points RT | 75,500 Avios (as of May 2026, aerlingus.com) |
| Taxes | $235 |
| Cash comparison | $3,500–5,000 RT |
| Cents per point | 5–7 cents |
How it works:
- AMEX MR US → Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1, transfer takes 1–3 days)
- Availability on aerlingus.com in the award search
- Online booking possible
Bonus stopover: Dublin stopover allowed with Aer Lingus — you can spend several days in Ireland at no extra charge. Cliffs of Moher, Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse — all included.
What’s left over: 175,000 − 75,500 = 99,500 MR. Enough for a second big booking — e.g. another Aer Lingus Business RT (75,500 again) plus 24,000 MR remaining.
Dream trip 5: 30+ European short hauls with BA Avios
If you don’t want a single premium trip but lots of variety: British Airways Avios is the sweet spot for European short hauls.
The mechanics:
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Route | Within Europe (e.g. Frankfurt → London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Milan) |
| Class | Economy (Reward Flight Saver — RFS) |
| Program | British Airways Avios (oneworld) |
| Points one-way | 4,000–9,000 Avios depending on distance (Zone 1–3) |
| Taxes | €17 (RFS caps it!) |
| Cash comparison | €80–200 one-way |
| Cents per point | 1.5–3 cents |
What you can fly with 175,000 Avios (examples):
| Route | Avios one-way | Possible trips with 175,000 Avios |
|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt ↔ London (Zone 1) | 4,000 | 43 flights |
| Munich ↔ Paris (Zone 2) | 6,500 | 26 flights |
| Frankfurt ↔ Madrid (Zone 3) | 9,000 | 19 flights |
| Berlin ↔ Lisbon (Zone 3) | 9,000 | 19 flights |
| Frankfurt ↔ Rome (Zone 2) | 6,500 | 26 flights |
Example strategy: You take 175,000 MR → 175,000 BA Avios and have free European travel for the next 12 months (just €17 taxes per flight). If you travel monthly for business or take weekend trips, you’ll pull in €2,000–3,000 cash value that way.
Bonus: BA runs Reward Flight Saver (RFS) on short-haul awards with a fixed tax cap at €17 — no surprise surcharges.
Comparison: Which strategy for which type of traveler?
| Type of traveler | Best strategy | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Bucket-list premium | LH First (87k) + Aer Lingus Business RT (75.5k) | 1× Lufthansa First to LA + 1× Aer Lingus Business to Dublin |
| Asia lover | ANA RT Business (80–90k) + Cathay First one-way (137.5k MR via 5:4) — tight, possibly combine two cards | Tokyo + Hong Kong premium |
| Frequent Europe traveler | 175,000 BA Avios | 19–43 European short hauls with €17 taxes |
| Maximizer (several cards) | Plat 175k + Gold 100k = 275k MR | LH First RT + ANA Business RT + remaining balance |
| Single-trip maximizer | LH First RT (174k) | Round-trip Frankfurt–LA First Class for ~$500 taxes |
What you should not do
Wrong: Redeem 175,000 MR in the AMEX travel portal
In the travel portal you get 1 cent per point — cash value: $1,750. That’s 80–90% value destruction compared to sweet-spot bookings (12–15 cents/point). Only defensible in emergencies (no award available, flight must be tomorrow).
Wrong: Transfer points to Hilton 1:2
Hilton points are worth 0.4–0.5 cents. 175,000 MR → 350,000 Hilton points = $1,500–1,750 effective value. Worse than the travel portal.
Wrong: Transfer to a program on a hunch
Point transfers are not reversible. If you send 87,000 MR to Avianca without checking availability, you’ve got 87,000 LifeMiles that expire after 12–24 months of inactivity. Rule: Check availability first, then transfer (max 24–72h gap).
Wrong: Use the welcome bonus for gas/groceries
US MR earns 4× on restaurants/supermarkets (AMEX Gold US) — 1 point = 1 cent would turn the welcome bonus into 4 cents/$. That’s good. But: if you get 12 cents/point when booking travel, it’s 3× more valuable to save the points for travel. Welcome bonuses are for flying, not for paying for burgers.
The “wow” moment: What 175,000 MR are realistically worth
| Redemption | $ value of 175,000 MR | Cents per point |
|---|---|---|
| AMEX Travel Portal | $1,750 | 1.0 |
| Hilton 1:2 transfer | ~$1,575 | 0.9 |
| BA Avios European short haul | $1,500–3,000 | 1–1.7 |
| Aer Lingus Business Boston–Dublin | $7,000–9,500 (RT 2×) | 4–5 |
| ANA RT Business Tokyo | $4,500–6,500 | 5–7 |
| Cathay First HKG–JFK | $11,000–14,000 (one-way, 137,500 MR via 5:4) | 8–10 |
| Lufthansa First FRA–LAX | $22,000–28,000 (RT 2×) | 12–16 |
So with a single US AMEX card (welcome bonus 175,000 MR) you can pull in travel value between $1,500 and $28,000 — a spread of 20×. Which strategy you choose determines the leverage.
Tropical resort as a bonus daydream
If you prioritize hotels over flights, Chase Ultimate Rewards (a separate program) gives you a second welcome-bonus world: Hyatt Cat 1 hotels from 5,000 UR/night. With a 60,000 UR welcome bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) you get up to 12 hotel nights in Cat 1 hotels worldwide — from Mexico to India to Asia (via Reserve; with Preferred from Oct 2026 ~25% less, since the Preferred’s Hyatt transfer switches to 4:3 — only the Reserve keeps 1:1).
More on this: Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide 2026 — Hyatt sweet spots, trifecta strategy, 5/24 rule
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is the targeted offer 175k instead of the standard 80k?
AMEX hands out two kinds of welcome bonus for the Platinum US: a standard public offer (currently 80,000 MR, as of May 2026) and targeted offers (varying from 100,000 to 175,000 MR). Targeted offers are presented by email, in the AMEX account portal, or via an incognito search — if you apply through the standard public portal, you only get the standard rate.
Which of the 5 trips has the highest cents-per-point value?
Lufthansa First Class via Avianca at 12–15 cents/point. Just behind it Cathay First (12–14) and ANA Business “The Room” (5–8).
Can I book these trips directly with DE AMEX MR?
No. Avianca LifeMiles, ANA Mileage Club, Aer Lingus AerClub are not DE AMEX transfer partners — they only exist in the US. Cathay Pacific and British Airways are also available in Germany, but at worse rates (DE: Cathay 3:2, BA 5:4) — you lose 20–33% of the welcome bonus. Note: even from the US, Cathay only runs 5:4 (10,000 MR → 8,000 Asia Miles), while BA transfers 1:1 from the US.
How quickly do I have to book after the welcome bonus?
Avianca awards expire after 12 months of inactivity. Cathay after 18 months. ANA after 36 months. Strategy: After the welcome bonus, search for availability for 1–3 months, then transfer + book in a targeted way. Don’t park points “on a hunch.”
What about Chase’s 5/24 rule?
Chase blocks applications from 5+ new cards in 24 months — German cards count too. If you only use AMEX, you’re not affected. But if you want to combine Chase plus AMEX, you should time the order.
More on this: Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide 2026
Is a single welcome bonus enough for a round-trip premium?
For LH First Class: Yes, almost. 174,000 MR (= 2× 87,000 LifeMiles) for RT — the 175k bonus covers exactly that. For ANA RT Business in low season (80,000) you even have 95,000 left over. For Cathay First one-way (110,000 Asia Miles = ~137,500 MR via 5:4) ~37,500 are left for a small follow-up booking.
Are the taxes really only ~$200–280?
For Lufthansa First via Avianca: Yes, because Avianca charges no YQ fuel surcharges on LH awards. When booking via Lufthansa M&M directly: €600+ YQ on top. Hence the Avianca path.
Which card should I combine?
For the maximum welcome-bonus stack: AMEX Platinum US (175k targeted) + AMEX Gold US (100k targeted) = 275,000 MR — both have different spend requirements ($12k + $8k in 6 months). Enough for 2× Lufthansa First RT plus a remaining balance.
More on this: US Credit Cards for Germans 2026
What about Hyatt hotels?
Hyatt is not an AMEX MR transfer partner. If you want to use Hyatt, you need Chase Ultimate Rewards. UR → Hyatt (Reserve 1:1, Preferred/Ink from Oct 2026 4:3) — Cat 1 hotels from 5,000 UR/night. Via the CSP ($95/year) the Hyatt transfer switches to 4:3 from Oct 2026; only the Sapphire Reserve keeps the full 1:1 rate.
More on this: Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide 2026
Bottom line: This is possible
175,000 AMEX MR from the US aren’t “175,000 points.” They are:
- A Lufthansa First Class round-trip for $500 taxes instead of $25,000 cash
- An ANA round-trip Business to Tokyo for €180 taxes instead of €5,000 cash
- A Cathay First Class one-way HKG–JFK plus a follow-up booking
- Two Aer Lingus Business RT Boston–Dublin for $470 taxes
- 30+ European short hauls for €17 taxes per flight
Which trip you choose is a matter of taste. The leverage — 2–30× more value than a cash booking — is the same.
Note: Transfer rates are snapshots and change constantly (most recently Chase→Hyatt in June 2026). Always check the current rate directly with the program before you transfer points. As of this article: June 2026.
The step before that: You need a US AMEX. And to get one as a German, there are three legal paths (Global Transfer / ITIN / LLC) explained step by step in the MEILENKÖNIG US Cards handbooks.
Further reading:
- Lufthansa First Class via Avianca: Complete Booking Guide — Sweet spot #1 in detail
- AMEX MR US vs DE: Transfer Partner Comparison — All 19 airlines + 3 hotels
- US Credit Cards for Germans 2026 — Card overview
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Guide — Hyatt sweet spots
- What is a mile worth? — Cents-per-point calculation
You don’t just want to know what 175,000 MR make possible — but as a German actually hold a US AMEX in your hand and hit the welcome bonus? The MEILENKÖNIG US Cards handbooks walk you step by step through all three paths (Global Transfer €197, ITIN €347, LLC €597) — from the first application to the full card stack.
Your path to US credit cards — step by step
Welcome bonuses up to 175,000 MR, 1:1 transfer ratios, Chase & Capital One: the US handbooks show you the complete roadmap — from the US address to your first card. Without US residency, as a German.
To the US card handbooks
MEILENKÖNIG
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