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Citi just launched a new transfer bonus to LifeMiles. Now through April 18, 2026, you can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to LifeMiles and receive 25% bonus miles. This sweetens LifeMiles sweet spots, letting Citi cardholders score domestic United awards from 6k ThankYou points and even business class to Europe from 44k points!

It's worth taking advantage of if you've got a redemption in mind, so let's dig into the details and show you why.

Citi to LifeMiles Transfer Bonus Key Terms

Screenshot of Citi ThankYou 25% transfer bonus to Avianca LifeMiles
Screenshot of Citi ThankYou

Is This Transfer Bonus Worth Jumping On?

First and foremost, we generally don't recommend speculatively transferring your points just to take advantage of a transfer bonus. Award travel is constantly changing, and you risk being stuck with “orphaned” currencies when you transfer your points without a specific plan for how to redeem them.

That said, LifeMiles offers excellent value, particularly on partner airlines. Take a look at our Avianca LifeMiles transfer partners and partner airlines guide for more information.

Related: How To Earn Avianca LifeMiles

avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card
avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card
Welcome Bonus Get up to 100,000 Welcome bonus miles* — 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days plus an additional 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 in the first 365 days.
avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card
Welcome Bonus Get up to 100,000 Welcome bonus miles* — 60,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first 90 days plus an additional 40,000 miles after spending $25,000 in the first 365 days.
Annual Fee:$249
Show moreWhy We Like ItHighlightsEarning Rates
The avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card delivers 3x miles on Avianca purchases and 2x on both dining and other travel purchases. The dual bonus structure can yield up to 100,000 lifemiles points in the first year, plus included lifemiles+ Lite membership and Silver Elite status make it ideal for travelers seeking stronger rewards and premium perks.
  • Earn 3x miles on avianca or lifemiles purchases
  • Earn 2x miles on restaurant and other travel purchases
  • Earn 1x on all other eligible purchases
  • Receive complimentary lifemiles+ lite membership
  • Receive avianca lifemiles Silver Elite status
  • No foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
  • *See Offer Terms
  • Earn 3x miles on avianca or lifemiles purchases
  • Earn 2x miles on restaurant and other travel purchases
  • Earn 1x on all other eligible purchases

Redeeming LifeMiles on Partner Airlines

Avianca is part of the Star Alliance airline partnership, which means that LifeMiles can be used to book flights on any of its member airlines. Avianca doesn't impose carrier-imposed fees for partner award bookings, so using LifeMiles is a great way to save a lot of cash on notoriously expensive flights — expensive due to the crazy fees airlines add on.

One of our favorite Avianca partner sweet spots is for short-haul domestic flights on United Airlines. After a recent LifeMiles devaluation, domestic United flights now start at 7,500 LifeMiles each way.

Related: LifeMiles Devaluation By the Numbers: Just How Much LifeMiles Increased Domestic Award Rates on United

For example, flights from Kansas City to Orlando can cost a small fortune. However, a one-way award flight on this route costs just 7,500 LifeMiles. That's just 6k Citi points when transferring during the 25% transfer bonus.

Screenshot showing LifeMiles award pricing from Kansas City to Orlando
Credit: LifeMiles

Another one of our favorite LifeMiles redemptions is flying on select routes to Europe. For example, you can book business class awards between New York (JFK) and Zurich (ZRH) for 55,000 LifeMiles

When you add in the current LifeMiles transfer bonus, the deal gets even better. Instead of 55,000 Citi ThankYou points, you need to transfer just 44k Citi points to book this award during this transfer bonus! Since Avianca does not tack on carrier-imposed fees, you'll only pay around $50 out-of-pocket.

SWISS award from JFK to ZRH bookable with LifeMiles.
Credit: Avianca LifeMiles

Related: Do Avianca LifeMiles Expire?

Final Thoughts

Transfer bonuses from Citi points to LifeMiles only come around about once a year, so you may want to take advantage of it before it disappears on April 18, 2026. If you want to book flights with a Star Alliance partner (or even Avianca's non-alliance partners like GOL, Iberia, or Aeromexico), this is a great way to stretch your Citi points that much further.

And if you're not sure how to build your balance, read here for the best ways to earn Citi points.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Offer Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Welcome Offer Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year.
Annual Fee:$95
Show moreWhy We Like ItHighlightsEarning Rates
Following the revamp of Capital One's rewards program and the addition of airline transfer partners, the Capital One Venture has catapulted into our list of top travel rewards cards. The ability to earn at least 2X miles on every purchase provides a decent return on spending. Plus the card offers some great perks.
  • Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first cardholder year
  • 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X miles on all other purchase
  • Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $120)
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $95 annual fee
  • 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
  • 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: avianca lifemiles American Express® Elite Card (Rates & Fees)

Tip of The Day
Did you know that when you delete a travel segment from your Trips timeline, we simply hide it, so that it doesn't automatically import again. If you ever wish to recover that segment, click Show Deleted Segments.
Screenshot of an AwardWallet Trips timeline highlighting the option to click "show deleted segments"

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