Guide to Citi ThankYou<sup>®</sup> Transfer Partners: Which Programs Offer the Best Value for Your Points? Guide to Citi ThankYou<sup>®</sup> Transfer Partners: Which Programs Offer the Best Value for Your Points?

Guide to Citi ThankYou® Transfer Partners: Which Programs Offer the Best Value for Your Points?

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Citi ThankYou® Rewards Points can be extremely valuable — especially once you know what you're doing. Although it's possible to redeem your points for a fixed value toward travel or retail via thankyou.com, the best way to maximize your Citi ThankYou Points is by transferring to one of Citi's transfer partners.

You can transfer ThankYou Points to 15 different airline frequent flyer programs, five hotel loyalty programs, and one retail partner. This gives you tremendous flexibility when you're ready to book your next trip.

Here is everything you need to know about the Citi ThankYou transfer partners, along with other useful tips regarding Citi ThankYou Points.

Why Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Partners

When you use a co-branded card like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you limit yourself to just one mileage program. In this case, you'd earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles. While we believe American Airlines AAdvantage miles are incredibly valuable, there's actually a better way.

Instead, we recommend earning transferable points — like Citi ThankYou Points. Doing so gives you the option to use your rewards not just through American Airlines but with nearly 20 other airline and hotel partners.

Since Citi ThankYou Rewards partners with airlines in every alliance, you can book awards on most major airlines with your points. Flexible points give you a much better chance of finding an ideal itinerary, especially if you have limited date flexibility.

Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach
Transfer your Citi ThankYou Points to book a room at the Club Wyndham Clearwater Beach. Credit: Wyndham

That said, we don't recommend you transfer points speculatively unless you're in some specific, unique situations. So, wait to transfer your points to the airline or hotel partner until you're ready to book. The extraordinary flexibility and opportunity to maximize your points make transfer partners incredibly valuable.

Related: Beginner's Guide to Airline Alliances and Partnerships

Difference between miles and fees

Note that there are significant differences between the number of miles and out-of-pocket fees charged by Citi's transfer partners for the same itinerary. For example, Avianca LifeMiles and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles can both book Lufthansa business class to Europe. With the former, you'll pay 69,000 miles one-way (or potentially less). Turkish, meanwhile, charges a slightly cheaper 65,000 miles for this ticket.

However, Miles & Smiles passes along award taxes, fees, and carrier surcharges. For a Lufthansa business-class award, this amounts to hundreds of dollars. Avianca LifeMiles doesn't pass these along. That said, this also gives up some flexibility, as LifeMiles has some of the worst award change and cancellation fees in the industry.

Learning the ins and outs of the Citi travel partners can help you stretch your points (and dollars) farther. In a nutshell, having flexible points that you can transfer to an array of partners lets you shop for the best award deal. Now, let's dig into the transfer partners.

Air France Business Class Seat
Air France–KLM Flying Blue is one of many Citi transfer partners. Credit: Air France

Citi Airline Transfer Partners

These are the 21 Citi ThankYou transfer partners. Of those, 15 are airlines — almost all of which transfer at a 1:1 transfer ratio if you hold either the Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), or the Prestige Card (no longer open to new applicants).

The only airline partner that transfers at a different ratio is Emirates Skywards, which transfers at a 1:0.8 ratio for cardholders of the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, or Prestige Card.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Aeromexico (Rewards)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
6 days
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Immediate
American Airlines (AAdvantage)
1,000:1,000
Transfer partner added July 27, 2025. Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Unknown
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Immediate
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Immediate
Emirates (Skywards & Business Rewards)
1,000:800
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 560 transfer rate.
-
Unknown
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
1 hour
EVA Air (Infinity MileageLands)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
2 days
JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Immediate
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
1 day
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
1 day
Singapore Airlines (KrisFlyer)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
20 hours
Thai Airways (Royal Orchid Plus)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
3 days - 7 days
Turkish Airlines (Miles&Smiles)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
16 hours
Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club)
1,000:1,000
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Immediate

Citi Hotel Transfer Partners

Note that the transfer ratio for hotel partners isn't always the same. With two hotel transfer partners, the number of points you get during the transfer goes down. With the other hotel loyalty programs, it stays the same or goes up. We'll discuss how this impacts the value of your Citi ThankYou Rewards below.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Accor Group (ALL - Accor Live Limitless)
1,000:500
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 350 transfer rate.
-
Unknown
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
1,000:2,000
Citi ThankYou® Preferred, Citi Rewards+®, Sears Mastercard, Citi® Double Cash Cardmembers get a reduced 1,000 -> 1,500 transfer rate.
-
Unknown
LHW (Leaders Club)
1,000:200
-
Unknown
Preferred Hotels, etc. (I Prefer)
1,000:4,000
Transfer partner added October 20, 2024. Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 2,800 transfer rate.
-
Unknown
Wyndham Rewards
1,000:1,250
Transfer rate for Citi Strata EliteSM, Citi Strata Premier®, and AT&T Access More Cardmembers. Other eligible Citi cardmembers may be eligible for a reduced 1,000 -> 700 transfer rate.
-
Unknown

Best Value Citi Transfer Partners

American Airlines AAdvantage®

Citi made waves recently by announcing American Airlines AAdvantage as a new transfer partner. Citi ThankYou Points are the only transferrable point currency that can be transferred to AAdvantage, giving cardholders a unique and coveted opportunity to book flights directly with the airline.

Unfortunately, only select Citi cardholders are eligible. If you hold the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, or Prestige Card, you can transfer points to AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio. No other Citi cards can take advantage of this partner.

There are several American Airlines AAdvantage sweet spots out there to get the most value from your miles. I recently booked two round-trip tickets from Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM) to Milan, Italy (LIN) for the 2026 Winter Olympics for just 57,500 miles per person each way in business class.

A screenshot showing a round-trip flight from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Milan, Italy, in business class
Credit: American Airlines

You can also find some short-haul routes from 5,000 miles. If you live near an American hub, the ability to transfer your Citi ThankYou Points to the airline can be lucrative.

Air France–KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the mileage program for Air France and KLM, both of which are members of SkyTeam. One of the two main ways to get the most value from your points is with Flying Blue's Promo Rewards. Each month, award flights to/from specific cities go on sale up to 25% off. If you catch the right deal, it's possible to book economy flights to Europe for as few as 18,750 miles each way.

A screenshot of the promo rewards page showing deals on flights to/from Europe.
Credit: Air France-Flying Blue

The second sweet spot is thanks to Flying Blue's generous region definitions, which can offer lower pricing than other airlines. For example, Flying Blue considers Algeria, the Canary Islands, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia to all be part of Europe. You can find flights to these spots for as few as 25,000 miles each way.

A screenshot showing a flight from Detroit to Morocco in April 2026
Credit: Air France

Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles offers some great options for travel on Star Alliance carriers like United, Air Canada, and Lufthansa. In addition to a competitive award chart, Avianca does not pass on fuel surcharges from partner airlines. Another benefit of Avianca LifeMiles is that you can choose between economy, business, and first-class tickets on a flight-by-flight basis. And you'll pay a discounted rate for mixed-class itineraries.

For example, here's a mixed-cabin itinerary from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (NRT) on United via San Francisco (SFO). The Los Angeles-San Francisco segment is in economy, and the San Francisco-Tokyo leg is in business class. Breaking up the segments saves around 2,500 miles.

LAX to NRT itinerary via LifeMiles
Credit: LifeMiles

You can also find some great options through LifeMiles deals. Flights start at just a few thousand miles. If you are flexible on when and where you go, taking advantage of some of these deals can stretch your Citi ThankYou Points very far.

A screenshot showing flight deals from the United States to Santa Cuz and Montevideo
Credit: LifeMiles

Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)

In addition to being a Citi transfer partner, Choice Privileges is a transfer partner of Amex Membership Rewards and Capital One miles. However, those transfers are 1:1, while transfers from Citi happen at 1:2 (meaning you get 2 Choice points for every 1 Citi point transferred). That makes this option much more valuable from the outset.

Some of the best sweet spots include booking hotels in expensive markets, such as Japan or Scandinavia, where rooms can cost as few as 8,000 to 10,000 Choice points per night. This translates to just 4,000 to 5,000 Citi points per night — an absolute steal.

Sample Tokyo bookings with Choice points
Credit: Choice Privileges

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles

Turkish Airlines may not have the most customer-friendly website, but it more than makes up for it with its partner award pricing.

By far, the best Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles sweet spot is for domestic flight awards within the U.S. And the price is amazing. Flights anywhere within the U.S. cost just 10,000 miles in economy and 15,000 miles in business/first class. That includes flights from anywhere in the U.S. mainland to Alaska and Hawaii on United Airlines.

That means you can fly from Miami (MIA) to Anchorage, Alaska (ANC) for just 10,000 miles. You'll pay double this amount for round-trip flights. If you keep getting an error message when attempting to book a round-trip flight, switch to one-way (and make sure you're logged in).

A screenshot showing a flight from Miami to Anchorage with a layover in Chicago
Credit: Turkish Airlines

Turkish Miles & Smiles also offers some other sweet redemption options, like 65,000 miles one-way between the U.S. and Europe in business class. Check out our post on Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles award chart sweet spots for more ideas.

Good Value Partners

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific is part of the Oneworld alliance, so its Asia Miles program is great for booking award flights on airlines like Alaska, American, Japan Airlines, and Qantas. It's less ideal for airlines that have fuel surcharges like British Airways and Qatar, as you'll still have to pay those fees. However, fees are generally less than booking the same flights with other programs (such as British Airways).

Cathay revamped its award chart in October 2023, which included quite a lot of devaluations, and again in early 2025. Its round-the-world tickets can still be a good deal if you maximize them.

Short and medium-haul Cathay Pacific flights are also still affordable. You can fly nonstop from Hong Kong (HKG) to Jakarta (CGK) for just 13,000 miles in economy or 32,000 miles in business class.

A screenshot of a flight from Hong Kong to Jakarta in March 2026
Credit: Cathay Pacific

Emirates Skywards

The Emirates Skywards program isn't as popular as many other programs, in large part because Emirates often charges hefty fuel surcharges on its own flights. As a result of the high surcharges, the best value often comes for Emirates flights originating in countries that limit or forbid fuel surcharges, like Brazil and Hong Kong.

One potentially useful redemption for U.S.-based flyers is on Emirates' U.S.-Europe flights. If you're flying between New York (JFK) and Milan (MXP) or Newark (EWR) and Athens (ATH), you can get economy tickets for just 35,000 miles round-trip.

Emirates rate calculator for JFK to MXP
Credit: Emirates

Business class redemptions also provide decent value at 108,000 miles round-trip. It can be hard to find them priced at this award level, however. Unfortunately, you can no longer book first class award tickets unless you hold Silver, Gold, or Platinum elite status with the airline.

You can check prices for Emirates flights using the Miles Calculator.

JetBlue TrueBlue

Of all the Citi airline partners, JetBlue TrueBlue is the easiest to use. Unlike other loyalty programs that charge a fixed number of miles from one part of the world to another, the number of TrueBlue points needed to book a ticket depends on the cash price of the flight. This is a key difference between revenue-based and region-based award programs.

Generally speaking, expect to get a value of 1.3 cents per point when redeeming your points, but there are plenty of ways to get outsized value from your TrueBlue points.

A screenshot showing a flight from Boston to Doha
Credit: JetBlue

For instance, you can fly nonstop from Boston to Doha on a flight operated by Qatar in business class for 98,000 one-way. Considering that one-way flight retails for almost $11,000, you're getting a fantastic valuation of your points.

Related: Why JetBlue Is the Best Program for My Family Right Now

Leading Hotels of the World (Leaders Club)

Leaders Club, which belongs to Leading Hotels of the World, allows you to redeem points for hotel stays at more than 400 properties in 80 locations around the world. While the transfer ratio is 5:1 (meaning you'll get 1 Leaders Club point for every 5 Citi points you transfer), the points needed to redeem for a stay are low with this loyalty program — and there are some great sweet spots.

Plus, members get benefits like complimentary breakfast and room upgrades. This makes it a decent way to redeem Citi ThankYou Points.

A screenshot showing The Manor House at Fancourt in South Africa
Credit: Leading Hotels of the World

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas uses a distance-based award chart that calculates the price of your ticket based on the total distance flown. The best value tends to be for short trips. You'll pay 9,200 points each way for trips under 600 miles and 13,800 points each way for trips of 601–1,200 miles. What's even better is that the award chart is valid for classic flight rewards with Qantas, Emirates, Fiji Airways, and American Airlines.

A screenshot of the Qantas classic flight reward table effective for bookings made from August 5, 2025
Credit: Qantas

Qantas prices tend to be higher than other Citi partner airlines for the majority of itineraries. Qantas as a transfer partner was more valuable before you could transfer directly to American Airlines, but it still makes sense in some situations.

Related: How to Maximize Citi ThankYou Points for Flights Within North America

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Qatar Airways Privilege Club doesn't publish an award chart. However, there's a calculator online that tells you how many Avios you'll need for Qatar Airways flights. It's possible to fly between the U.S. and Doha for:

  • 35,000 Avios in economy
  • 70,000 Avios in business class
  • 105,000 Avios in first class (although first class isn't currently operating on these routes)

Short-haul Qatar award flights are also an excellent use of your Avios, especially if you want to check out the Qatar Al Safwa First Class Lounge. Short-haul first class can be booked for as few as 21,000 Avios.

Qatar Qsuite business class
Qatar Airways Qsuite business class. Credit: JT Genter/AwardWallet

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer is one of the most accessible Citi airline partners because you can supplement your balance when you transfer points from Amex Membership RewardsCapital One RewardsChase Ultimate Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy.

The biggest reason to consider booking with Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is because Singapore makes more award space available to its own members than to the members of partner programs — especially in premium cabins.

You can redeem 97,000 Singapore miles to fly from New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) in Suites Class. The ability to book suites at all makes it one of the more highly-prized Citi transfer partners, but note that transfer times can take up to a day. Saver awards are also very limited, so be sure to book in advance.

award pricing to book Singapore suites as a Citi transfer partner
Singapore KrisFlyer is the only program you can use to book Singapore Suites! Credit: KrisFlyer

Even if you don't book a suite, the ability to add a stopover in Singapore is fantastic. For instance, you can fly from Istanbul (IST) to Melbourne (MEL) in premium economy for just 74,000 miles each way, and add a stopover in Singapore for no additional cost. I've done this before, and it's a great way to see a new city without paying for an additional flight.

A screenshot showing a route from Istanbul to Melbourne with a stopover in Singapore
Credit: Singapore Airlines

Related: 1,850 United Award Routes You Can Book for 14,000 KrisFlyer Miles

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is one of the most underrated flexible point transfer partners, even after devaluations in 2024. While some bookings with Virgin will incur high taxes and fees, Flying Club makes up for this shortcoming by charging fewer points than many other airlines and has some great sweet spots. If you choose your flights carefully, it's possible to avoid those high out-of-pocket costs.

A screenshot showing a flight from Atlanta to London in January
Credit: Virgin Atlantic

You can find some great saver awards when traveling during the offseason. For instance, this nonstop flight from Atlanta (ATL) to London (LHR) in January is just 34,000 in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, plus $576 in taxes and fees.

If you're lucky, you also might be able to snag a one-way ANA flight between Japan and the West Coast of the U.S. for as little as 72,500 Virgin points in first class, 52,500 points in business class, or 30,000 points in economy. Availability tends to be limited, so you will need to search around for an open seat.

Wyndham Hotels (Wyndham Rewards)

The Wyndham Rewards program isn't the most lucrative, but it's still worth a look. With more than 9,100 hotels across more than two dozen brands in nearly 100 countries, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts offers a lot of options for travelers to explore.

Screenshot of Vacasa search page
Vacasa vacation rentals are a great use of your Citi points with Wyndham Rewards. Credit: Vacasa

The best use of your Wyndham Rewards points will come from vacation rental company Vacasa, with whom Wyndham has a partnership. When you book with Vacasa, you pay per bedroom. If a bedroom has a rate of up to $250 per night, you'll pay 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night for that room. If it costs between $250.01 and $500, you'll pay 30,000 points per night.

If you're booking a vacation rental with two bedrooms, you'll double these values. Unfortunately, you can't complete the booking online. You'll have to call if you want to redeem Wyndham Rewards points through Vacasa.

Related: How to Book Vacasa Rental Properties With Wyndham Points

Preferred Hotels & Resorts

You can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Preferred Hotels and Resorts, an independent collection of over 600 luxury hotels across 80 countries. Cardholders of the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, Citi Strata Premier, or Citi Prestige® Card cards can transfer at a 1:4 rate, but you'll still need quite a few points to complete a redemption.

A screenshot showing a redemption at The Stafford London
Credit: Preferred Hotels and Resorts

A night at The Stafford London would cost 150,000 points booked through I Prefer Hotel Rewards, which translates to 37,500 Citi ThankYou Points. The same room would cost $598.80 per night, giving you a valuation of close to 1.6 cents per point. The fantastic transfer ratio is the main reason why you can find some worthwhile redemptions when booking through the platform.

Lesser Value Partners

Aeromexico Rewards

For folks not familiar with Aeromexico Rewards, you'll notice that award prices appear much higher than comparable programs. And unlike Amex Membership Rewards, which transfer to Aeromexico Rewards at a rate of 1,000 to 1,600, ThankYou Points transfer at a flat rate of 1:1, making this a poor transfer option for your Citi points. You effectively lose value, even though the transfer ratio is 1:1.

A screenshot showing a redemption from Mexico City to Paris
Credit: Aeromexico

Prices for many awards are also non-competitive. Simply put, avoid Aeromexico if you can.

Accor Hotels (ALL — Accor Live Limitless)

Accor Live Limitless has more worldwide hotels than you might realize — over 5,100. You may have even stayed at an Accor hotel and not realized it. Accor doesn't use dynamic pricing for award redemptions. Instead, you spend 1,000 points for a 20 euro discount on your stay. To book a night at a hotel that costs 100 euro, you'll need to use 5,000 points.

Unfortunately, Citi points transfer to ALL at a 2:1 ratio. This means the 100 euro redemption would cost 10,000 ThankYou Points. At the current exchange rates, this is a bit over 1 cent per ThankYou Point. You can do much better than this with other partners, but at least it's an option.

Etihad Guest

There aren't a ton of great ways to redeem Etihad miles after a major devaluation to the award chart in 2023, and another just a year later. You'll pay through the nose for business or first class flights from the U.S. to Abu Dhabi. A first class ticket from New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) would run 160,000 Etihad miles each way. You can use the miles calculator to determine how many miles you'll need for your trip, but in general, you'll find better options through other Citi partners.

But we should note that its change and cancellation policies aren't the least bit traveler friendly. Be sure to consider how set in stone your plans are before booking through Etihad.

A screenshot showing the miles calculator for a route between New York and Abu Dhabi.
Credit: Etihad

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

Simply put, EVA Air is not a fantastic Citi transfer partner. However, the airline does offer an option that could be beneficial to some travelers, particularly for round-trip travel. you're permitted two stopovers on a round-trip ticket, plus one open jaw. You cannot book a stopover on a one-way EVA award.

A screenshot showing the round-trip award chart for EVA Air
Credit: EVA Air

What does this mean in practice? Essentially, you can fly from A to B with a stopover in C. Then, fly from D back to A with a stopover in E. The open jaw, C to D, happens at the turnaround point.

If you stay within Asia, you can score several business class flights for just 50,000 miles total. Flights between zones are pricey — 160,000 miles in business between Asia and hubs throughout the East Coast.

Shop Your Way Rewards

In addition to its 15 airline and five hotel partners, you can send your Citi ThankYou Points to Shop Your Way Rewards (SYWR), the loyalty program for Sears and Kmart. Points transfer at a 1:10 ratio, but 1,000 SYWR points are only worth $1.

Thus, points transferred to Shop Your Way are worth 1 cent each toward Sears and Kmart merchandise. You're better off making a purchase with your Citi card to earn rewards on the purchase and then cashing out points at 1 cent per point.

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus

There's not much to see here. Thai Airways instituted a significant devaluation of its award program on October 1, 2019, with many routes seeing considerable increases in the number of miles required.

For example, domestic flights within the U.S. start at 17,500 miles each way in economy — not terrible, but not good either. However, if you want to fly from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii, you'll pay an eye-watering 65,000 miles each way. Flights from North America to Asia cost 67,000 miles each way in economy and 132,000 miles each way in business class.

How to Earn Citi ThankYou Points

If you want to earn Citi points, there are several ways to do so. Generally speaking, you'll get the largest bundle of points at once by opening Citi credit cards and meeting minimum spending goals to earn ThankYou Points from the welcome bonus.

This includes cards such as the popular Citi Strata Premier Card, which charges a $95 annual fee but punches way above its class when it comes to earning rewards, such as getting 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com; 3X points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases; and 3X points at gas stations, EV charging stations, restaurants, and supermarkets.

Citi Strata Premier® Card
Citi Strata Premier® Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers some of the best earning rates of any rewards card with an annual fee under $100. This card offers excellent rewards on an unusually generous list of earning categories, including air travel, hotels, car rentals, groceries, and dining—and it tops our list of the best cards for gas & fuel purchases.
  • Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
  • Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
  • Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.
  • Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
  • No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases.
  • 10X on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
  • 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases
  • 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Restaurants
  • 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Supermarkets
  • 3X – Earn 3 Points per $1 spent on Gas and EV Charging Stations
  • 1X – Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on All Other Purchases

The new Citi Strata Elite is also a solid option for some travelers. It comes with a much higher $595 annual fee which can be offset by several valuable statement credits used throughout the year. Unfortunately, the earning potential leaves a lot to be desired, but the welcome bonus might be enticing enough to get you to apply. If you need a chunk of ThankYou Points ahead of a trip, earning the Citi Strata Elite welcome bonus is the best way to do get them.

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Annual Fee$595
Welcome Bonus For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening​.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is Citi's premier rewards card, delivering top-tier travel and dining rewards and standout perks like a $300 annual hotel credit and no foreign transaction fees. From Friday night dinners to weekend getaways, the elevated earnings on hotels, air travel, and CitiNights℠ purchases make this a powerhouse option for frequent travelers looking to maximize every dollar spent.
  • For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
  • Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
  • Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
  • Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
  • Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
  • 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
  • 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
  • 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.

You also can pair no-annual-fee cards like the Citi Strata℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Custom Cash® Card with the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier Card, or the Prestige Card.

Citi Double Cash® Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Offer Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The Citi Double Cash is a dynamic, no-annual-fee cash-back rewards card that allows you to earn 2% traditional cash back, or convert your rewards to ThankYou Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio (2x ThankYou points per $1). When paired with a premium ThankYou Rewards earning card, the Citi Double Cash is now the best card available for everyday, non-bonus purchases.

If you're looking to pay down debt or finance a larger purchase, this card also comes with one of the best available introductory APR offers on balance transfers.
  • Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
  • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.

    Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
  • Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.24% - 28.24%, based on your creditworthiness
  • Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
  • If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
  • There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
  • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.

    Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Citi Custom Cash® Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Bonus Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $1500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
The Citi Custom Cash® Card offers a distinctive and flexible cash back program that adapts to your top spending category. Every billing cycle, it automatically grants 5% cash back on the first $500 in your highest spend category, which can range from restaurants, gas stations, and grocery stores to select streaming services, travel, transit, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment, and drugstores. Beyond this, all other purchases earn an unlimited 1% cash back. Notably, there's no annual fee, adding to its appeal. The cash back you earn is in the form of ThankYou Points, which can be redeemed for cash back, or combined with rewards​​​​​​​​​​​​ from other qualifying ThankYou Rewards cards and transferred to travel partners.
  • Sign-up bonus of $200 in cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening, issued as 20,000 ThankYou® Points
  • 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category on up to $500 of purchses each billing cycle
  • No rotating bonus categories to sign up for--the top earning category adjusts automatically each month to the eligible category in which you spend the most.
  • Excellent intro APR offer on purchases and balance transfers
  • No annual fee
  • Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent
  • 1% cash back thereafter, plus, you'll earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
  • Eligible spending categories are: Restaurants, Gas Stations, Grocery Stores, Select Travel, Select Transit, Select Streaming Services, Drugstores, Home Improvement Stores, Fitness Clubs and Live Entertainment.
  • Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel portal.

This provides more options to redeem points, such as letting you use the rewards you earn with a no-annual-fee Citi credit card with more airline and hotel transfer partners and at improved ratios. Do note that the Prestige Card is no longer open to new applicants, though.

Related: Build a Citi Rewards Card Combo

How Long Do Points Take to Transfer to Citi Partners?

AwardWallet tracks the time to transfer points to Citi ThankYou transfer partners. Transfers to most programs are immediate. However, you'll need to watch out for the following when you want to redeem points:

  • Aeromexico Rewards: Transfers can take up to six days.
  • Etihad Guest: Transfers should be immediate but sometimes take up to a week.
  • EVA Air Infinity MileageLands: Transfers can take up to two days.
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer: Transfers can take up to a day.
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club: Transfers can take up to a day.
  • Singapore KrisFlyer: Transfers can take up to a day, but usually process within a matter of hours.
  • Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus: Transfers can take three to seven days.
  • Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles: Transfers can take up to a day.

Related: How to Earn Citi ThankYou Points

Tips for Maximizing Citi ThankYou Partners

  • Always make sure flights or hotel nights are available with points before you make a transfer. Where possible, put flights on hold before you transfer.
  • Check the cost of booking the same flight through the ThankYou Travel Portal. In some cases, you'll spend fewer points and less cash booking with ThankYou Points directly, rather than transferring to a partner program. This is especially true for economy flights.
  • Remember, each airline partner has its own list of partner airlines. You're not limited to flights on the airline that owns the program.
  • Transfers can't be reversed! You can never transfer points back to Citi ThankYou from a Citi transfer partner, so plan your transfers carefully.
  • Comparison shop. In most cases, the same flight can be booked by several Citi transfer partners. Be sure to compare the points, taxes, and fees required before you decide on a partner program.

If you're looking to book award flights with a domestic U.S. airline, here's how to do so with Citi ThankYou points:

  • Delta flights: Air France/KLM and Virgin Atlantic.
  • American flights: Directly with American, or through Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Qantas, and Qatar.
  • Alaska flights: Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Singapore, and Qantas.
  • United flights: Avianca, EVA, Singapore, Thai, and Turkish.

Related: How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Partners: A Step-By-Step Guide

Best Redemptions for Citi ThankYou Points

American Airlines (or Finnair) business class to Europe for 57,500 AAdvantage miles

American Airlines currently prices partner business class awards to Europe starting at 57,500 miles each way — and awards on American Airlines itself can drop lower than that. Availability at these rates may be hard to find, but it's an exceptional deal if you can find it. Just beware of awards on British Airways, as these awards can be extremely expensive out-of-pocket.

Screenshot of American Airlines AAdvantage award showing Finnair business class award from Dallas to Helsinki
Screenshot of American Airlines website

10,000 Citi points per night for an all-inclusive stay

Choice Hotels and Resorts has its own all-inclusive portfolio, though it's pretty minimal. That being said, you can book stays at these all-inclusive resorts for as little as 20,000 Choice points per night, which means just 10,000 Citi ThankYou points per night. Even better, Choice doesn't charge extra to book suites or add additional guests to your booking.

ANA “The Room” business class for 52,500 Virgin points

We've already mentioned this, but it bears repeating: Booking a ten-hour flight on ANA from Japan to the West Coast of the U.S. will cost you just 52,500 Virgin points one-way. It doesn't hurt that ANA's business class is one of the best around.

Related: Do Citi ThankYou Points Expire?

Bottom Line

Travelers have numerous reasons to earn Citi ThankYou Points. ThankYou Points transfer to multiple high-value rewards programs, and transferring points routinely provides more value for your points than redeeming them in the travel portal or for cash back. Even cards marketed as earning cash back — like the Citi Double Cash card — can access some points transfer options (albeit with subpar transfer ratios), which is great for a card with no annual fee.

However, the best value comes from accessing all of the other Citi transfer partners when you hold the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, or Prestige Card. You'll have access to all redemption options and an improved transfer ratio as well.

Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
Annual Fee$595
Welcome Bonus For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening​.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card is Citi's premier rewards card, delivering top-tier travel and dining rewards and standout perks like a $300 annual hotel credit and no foreign transaction fees. From Friday night dinners to weekend getaways, the elevated earnings on hotels, air travel, and CitiNights℠ purchases make this a powerhouse option for frequent travelers looking to maximize every dollar spent.
  • For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
  • Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
  • Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
  • Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
  • Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
  • 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
  • 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
  • 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.

Citi ThankYou Points FAQ

Can I transfer Citi ThankYou Points to United MileagePlus?

No, you can't send Citi ThankYou Points to United, but you can transfer them to Avianca, EVA, Singapore, Thai, and Turkish. Those programs are Star Alliance partners that can book flights on United.

Can I transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Delta SkyMiles?

No, you can’t transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Delta, but you can transfer them to Air France–KLM or Virgin Atlantic and use those programs to book flights on Delta.

Can I transfer Citi ThankYou Points to American Airlines AAdvantage?

Yes. Citi added American Airlines AAdvantage as a transfer partner for cardholders of the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, and Citi Prestige cards in July 2025. You can also transfer Citi points to Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Qantas, or Qatar Airways Privilege Club and use those airlines’ miles to book flights on American.

Can I transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Alaska Mileage Plan?

No, you can’t transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Alaska, but you can transfer points to Cathay Pacific, Qantas, or Singapore and use those miles to book flights on Alaska.

Can I use Citi ThankYou Points to book travel for others?

Generally, airline programs don’t have a problem with you using your points to book travel for someone else. Some have restrictions, though. For example, Singapore Airlines limits the number of other people you can book tickets for, and Turkish reportedly requires that the first booking you make match the name on the Miles & Smiles account.

However, it's generally against rewards programs’ terms and conditions to make a reservation with your points or miles in exchange for money or other compensation. As long as you’re only booking for people you know, you shouldn't run into any problems.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Premier® Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees)

AwardWallet Tip of The Day
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