US Bank now has five transfer partners: Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Ethiopian Airlines Sheba Miles, Accor ALL, and Avianca LifeMiles.

After promising the feature in August 2025, targeting a December 2025 launch, going quiet, and even removing mentions of the program from its site earlier this year, U.S. Bank has finally turned transfers on for existing Altitude Reserve cardholders.

Here’s what launched, how the partner list changed, the current transfer ratios, and whether keeping the card still makes sense.

TL;DR:

• U.S. Bank launched transfer partners for existing Altitude Reserve cardholders on August 11, 2026

• As of Aug 29, the current lineup has 5 partners: Flying Blue, Qantas, Ethiopian Sheba Miles, and Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1, plus Accor ALL at 2:1

• Qantas and Flying Blue briefly disappeared after launch but have since returned; Avianca is the newest addition

• Transfers are available on the Altitude Reserve

• nextcard tracks your credit card benefits and transfer partners across all issuers in one free app

What Happened to US Bank Transfer Partners

• October 2024: The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card was closed to new applicants, but existing cardholders were able to keep the card

• August 2025: U.S. Bank announced that its Altitude cards would soon gain airline and hotel transfer partners

• December 2025: The Altitude Reserve’s Travel Center redemption rate fell from 1.5 cents per point to 1 cent per point

• Spring 2026: Mentions of the transfer program disappeared from the U.S. Bank site, with no updates for months

• August 11, 2026: Transfers launched with Flying Blue, Qantas, Ethiopian Sheba Miles, and Accor ALL

• August 12, 2026: Cardholders reported that Flying Blue and Qantas had disappeared, reducing the list from four partners to two

• August 17, 2026: Flying Blue returned as a transfer option

• August 27, 2026: Qantas returned as a transfer option

• August 29, 2026: U.S. Bank added Avianca LifeMiles as its fifth transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio

Both temporary removals have since been reversed, and the addition of Avianca expands the Altitude Reserve lineup to five partners.

The initial removal was reported by an Altitude Reserve cardholder on Reddit. Reports indicated that Flying Blue transfers were having issues before it briefly disappeared, but U.S. Bank did not publicly explain the temporary removals.

What Are the US Bank Transfer Partners

The US Bank Altitude Reserve currently offers these five transfer partners:

Current US Bank Points Redemption Options

U.S. Bank offers several ways to redeem Altitude Reserve points, though the value you get depends heavily on how you choose to cash them out. Transfers to partners are the newest addition.

Here are the main redemption options available:

• Real-Time Rewards lets you redeem points against purchases as they post to your statement, which is where Altitude Reserve points can get up to 1 cent per point.

• Travel portal bookings through the U.S. Bank travel portal let you book flights, hotels, and car rentals directly with points at 1 cent per point.

• Partner transfers are available on the Altitude Reserve. Flying Blue, Qantas, Ethiopian Sheba Miles, and Avianca LifeMiles transfer at 1:1, while Accor ALL transfers at 2:1.

• Cash back and statement credits are available, but typically at a lower redemption rate than travel options.

• Gift cards are redeemable through the U.S. Bank rewards catalog, though the value per point tends to be lower here.

The gap between redemption methods still matters. If you can find a strong award through one of the five partners, transferring may beat the 1 cent-per-point travel portal rate. Otherwise, Real-Time Rewards on eligible travel purchases remains the simplest way to get full value, while cash-back redemptions can leave value on the table.

Maximizing US Bank Points With the New Transfer Partners

Check partner award space before you transfer. Altitude Reserve points are worth 1 cent each through the travel portal, but transferring to Flying Blue, Qantas, Ethiopian Sheba Miles, or Avianca LifeMiles can be worth more for the right award.

On the earning side, the Altitude Reserve's 3x on mobile wallet (up to $5,000 in spending per billing cycle) and travel purchases is a solid way to build your balance faster before you redeem or transfer.

Ethiopian is a very unique transfer partner to have. We aren't super familiar with it, so will do some deeper digging into it momentarily...

Should You Keep or Cancel Your US Bank Card

Most people should run a quick cost-benefit check before deciding. Add up the credits you use, lounge visits you take, rewards earned on mobile-wallet spend, and whether any of the five transfer partners are genuinely useful. The lineup is still smaller than the programs from Chase or Amex, but the recent additions make transfers more relevant.

The transfer program is more useful with five partners, especially for cardholders who can use the four 1:1 airline options. If those programs and the card’s other perks do not fit your travel, downgrading to a no-fee U.S. Bank card may still be worth considering.

Using nextcard to Track Credit Card Benefits & Transfer Partners

Keeping tabs on transfer partners, point balances, and card benefits across multiple issuers gets messy fast. nextcard is a free app built to solve exactly that, giving you a single place to see all your credit card perks, track your rewards, and stay on top of transfer partner options without jumping between bank portals.

nextcard lets you see your card transfer partners, monitor expiring benefits, and get reminders so you never leave value on the table. It's especially handy if you're holding something like the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve alongside other travel cards, because keeping those benefits organized across issuers is genuinely tedious otherwise.

Get started by adding your cards here.

Final Thoughts on the US Bank Altitude Reserve Transfer Partners

The Altitude Reserve transfer program currently has five partners: Flying Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Ethiopian Sheba Miles, and Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1, plus Accor ALL at 2:1. Because the partner list has changed since launch, confirm availability in your account before making plans.

If you are sitting on a balance, compare award availability across all five partners before defaulting to the 1 cent-per-point travel portal. Also confirm that the transfer option is visible in your own account before relying on it.

FAQ

US Bank Altitude Reserve transfer partners vs Chase Sapphire Reserve?

Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 14 airline and hotel transfer partners, while U.S. Bank’s Altitude Reserve currently has five. Chase still offers substantially more breadth, but U.S. Bank’s lineup has expanded since launch.

What are the US Bank Altitude Reserve transfer partners?

The current partners are Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Ethiopian Airlines Sheba Miles, and Avianca LifeMiles at 1:1, plus Accor ALL at 2:1.

Should I keep my US Bank Altitude Reserve now that transfer partners exist?

Value the card based primarily on the credits, lounge access, mobile-wallet earnings, and other benefits you already use. The five transfer partners can add value, but they should not be the sole reason to keep a $400 annual-fee card.

Why did Flying Blue and Qantas disappear from U.S. Bank’s transfer partners?

Reports indicated that Flying Blue transfers were having issues before the partner briefly disappeared, but U.S. Bank did not publicly confirm the reason. Flying Blue and Qantas are both available again. Cardholders should check their U.S. Bank account before planning a transfer.

Do other US Bank cards, like the Altitude Connect, have transfer partners too?

Not yet. As of August 2026, the transfer option is live only on the Altitude Reserve... other U.S. Bank consumer and business cards, including the Altitude Connect, don't have it… yet?