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Update: Citi cardholders could transfer ThankYou Points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles from July through November 13, 2021. Unfortunately, Citi and American Airlines didn't extend transfer option further.
Last chance before this temporary transfer option ends: transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to American AAdvantage® before the option ends on November 13, 2021.
If you already have ThankYou Points, you can take advantage of this valuable new option right away. If you were saving up ThankYou Points for another redemption, you can recharge your points balance with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card‘s signup bonus.
Prior to this announcement, ThankYou Points got their fair share of criticism. Although you'll find some excellent Citi ThankYou transfer partners, the lack of a direct 1:1 transfer to one of the legacy U.S. airlines left something to be desired. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to United Mileage Plus, Amex Membership Rewards transfer to Delta SkyMiles, and now Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer to American AAdvantage.
AAdvantage is arguably the best oneworld frequent-flyer program that partners with flexible bank rewards. Except for short direct flights, AAdvantage offers far better pricing than British Airways Executive Club—especially for business- and first-class awards. And with 22 American Airlines partners, AAdvantage miles can take you almost anywhere.
Key Terms
- The temporary transfer partner option runs from July 18 to November 13, 2021
- Must transfer in increments of 1,000 points
- Not all ThankYou Points-earning cards are eligible to transfer at 1:1 ratio
Eligible Cards and Transfer Ratios
Citi has several cards that earn ThankYou Points, but not all of these cards are eligible for this offer. You'll need to hold one of the following cards to take advantage of this opportunity. Also note that the transfer rate varies from card to card, as well.
Cards that transfer at a rate of 1:1 — meaning if you transfer 1,000 ThankYou Points, you will earn 1,000 AA miles:
- Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
- Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
- Citi Chairman® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
Cards that transfer at a rate of 2:1 — meaning if you transfer 1,000 ThankYou Points, you will earn 500 AA miles:
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card (no longer open to new applicants)
- Citi Rewards+® Card
If you hold either the Citi Strata Premier or Prestige Card, you can pool Citi ThankYou points earned across all ThankYou Points-earning cards. Then, you can transfer these points to airline partners — including American Airlines through November 13, 2021.
How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to American Airlines
To transfer your ThankYou Points to American Airlines, head over to ThankYou.com and log in to your account. The option to transfer to AAdvantage is advertised on the front page. Click on the option, and you will be redirected to the transfer page.
You can transfer your ThankYou Points in increments of 1,000. You can transfer up to 500,000 ThankYou Points at a time. According to Citi, the transfer may take up to 5 days. Your first and last name on your Citi ThankYou account must match your AAdvantage account information.
Related: How To Transfer Citi ThankYou® Points to Partners
American Airlines Sweet Spots
American Airlines has effectively moved to a dynamic pricing system, so finding sweet spots can be a little complicated. But, that doesn't mean they don't exist.
US to Central America in Economy
One of my favorite award redemptions with AA is flights from the United States to Central America. Flights run as low as 10,000 AAdvantage miles plus minimal taxes and fees. Even better, AA often offers at least 6 award seats available on many dates.
Flights from Salt Lake City to Guatemala City in economy are just 10,000 AA miles for much of October — one of the best times to visit as it's the tail end of the rainy season.
Domestic AA Web Specials
Web Specials are another great way to snag a fantastic deal on award flights. We've seen domestic AA flights drop as low as 5,000 miles each way — including flights across the country. Web Special pricing is now in place on all American routes. For example, we've seen rates from the United States to Peru for as low as 9,000 AA miles each way.
Japan Airlines Business and First Class Awards
Flights to Tokyo on partner airline Japan Airlines (JAL) cost just 60,000 AAdvantage miles in business class or 80,000 AAdvantage miles in first class. These tickets normally cost thousands of dollars. Using AA miles and paying the small fee of $5.60 is a fantastic example of how to extract serious value out of this loyalty program.
Related Content: Sweet Spots with American Airlines AAdvantage Awards
Final Thoughts
Being able to transfer your Citi ThankYou Points to American Airlines AAdvantage is huge. Unfortunately, it's only temporary, and it's ending soon. We hope this test run will result in a positive outcome and Citi and AA will continue forward with this option. If you are looking for an opportunity to land a huge haul of American miles, the Citi Strata Premier premier card is currently offering a record-high signup bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Will you be transferring your ThankYou Points to American Airlines?
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