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When two of the best premium travel cards are simultaneously offering their highest welcome bonuses ever, it's time to pay attention.
Right now, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees) and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) are both throwing down historic offers: 100,000 and 125,000 bonus points respectively — both requiring a reasonable $6,000 in spend over three months.
- For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 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.
These cards earn flexible points that transfer to airline and hotel partners, and come loaded with benefits worth hundreds of dollars in annual value.
Alas, with premium perks come premium annual fees, so the right choice depends on your actual travel habits, spending patterns, and loyalty programs. Here's how they compare.
What These 100,000+ Point Bonuses Actually Get You
With both bonuses sitting at all-time highs, the numbers look impressive. But what do these bonuses actually buy?
The Citi Strata Elite ‘s 100,000 points transfer at a ratio of 1:2 to Choice Privileges, giving you 200,000 Choice points. That's enough for 10-15+ nights at Choice properties, or you could transfer 1:1 to American Airlines for a business class flight to Europe.
The Sapphire Reserve ‘s 125,000 bonus points transfer 1:1 to World of Hyatt, where they're worth roughly three nights at top-tier properties like the Park Hyatt Sydney (40,000 points per night). Transfer to United and you're looking at business class to Europe, or to Southwest for multiple domestic round-trips.
Both bonuses more than cover the first year's annual fee with points to spare.
Citi Strata Elite vs Sapphire Reserve: High-Level Overview
Both cards charge premium annual fees ($595 vs $795), so choosing the right one comes down to which benefits you'll actually use. Here's a quick side-by-side comparison:
| Feature | Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees) | Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. | Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
| Top Transfer Partners | American Airlines AAdvantage, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Choice Hotels Privileges (1:2) | World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Southwest Rapid Rewards |
| Hotel/Travel Credits | Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Get up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com. | • $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. • Up to $500 in statement credits for stays with The Edit — up to $250 from January through June and another $250 from July through December for prepaid bookings (two-night minimum). |
| Lifestyle Credits | Up to $200 Annual Splurge Credit℠: Earn up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year across your choice of up to two brands, including 1stDibs, American Airlines, Best Buy, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation. | • Up to $300 in annual dining credits: $150 in dining statement credits every six months (up to $300 per year) for meals at restaurants participating in Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables. • Up to $250 in Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscription credits for complimentary access to Apple Originals and premium music streaming. |
| Rideshare/Transport Benefits | Up to $200 Annual Blacklane Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits from January through June and another $100 from July through December. | Up to $10 in monthly in-app credits (up to $120 per year) to use on Lyft rides through September 30, 2027. Plus, earn 5x total points on all Lyft rides through the same date. |
| Airport Lounge Access | • Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership. • Four Admirals Club® Citi Strata Elite℠ Passes each calendar year for access to nearly 50 Admirals Club® lounges. | • Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. • Entry to every Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club with up to two guests. • Access to select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés in the U.S., Canada and Europe. |
| Elite Status | No elite status offered | • IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status through December 31, 2027 • Unlock IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status when you spend $75K on your card in a calendar year |
| Annual Fee | $595 | $795 |
Which Card Should You Get?
Choosing between these two premium cards comes down to three key factors: which loyalty programs you actually use, how easily you can maximize the credits, and whether the higher annual fee justifies the extra perks.
Transfer partners
If you regularly fly American Airlines or are happy to stick within the Citi Travel® ecosystem, the decision is simple: get the Citi Strata Elite. It's the only premium flexible rewards card that partners with American, and the four annual Admirals Club passes sweeten the deal considerably.
If you're travel purchases are more varied, Chase has the edge. World of Hyatt consistently delivers exceptional value for award stays, United MileagePlus opens up Star Alliance redemptions, and Southwest is unmatched for budget-conscious domestic travelers. Citi offers more partners (21 vs 13), but Chase's roster gives a broader range of high-value partners if you are not loyal to a single airline.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music - all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 - a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
The wild card? Citi's 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice Privileges. If your travel plans include Japan or Nordic properties, the fact that 100,000 Citi points become 200,000 Choice points, enough for 10-15 free nights at mid-tier properties. That's hard to beat for road trips and budget travel.
Statement credits: Can you actually use them?
The Sapphire Reserve offers more total credit value ($1,470), but you need to work for it:
- Annual travel credit: $300 (good for almost any travel purchase)
- The Edit hotels: $500 (requires two-night prepaid stays at participating properties)
- Exclusive Tables dining: $300 (limited to participating restaurants)
- Apple subscriptions: $250 (only useful if you already use these services)
- Lyft: $120 (monthly $10 credits)
The $300 annual travel credit is the only one that's completely automatic. It reimburses any travel purchase.
The Citi Strata Elite offers less total value ($700), but with a lower $595 fee, there's less pressure to maximize every credit:
- Hotel credit: $300 (locked to cititravel.com, two-night minimum)
- Blacklane: $200 (car service only, split across two periods)
- Splurge: $200 (choose two merchants from a select list)
Neither card makes maximizing credits effortless. Be honest about your spending habits when looking at these credits; aspirational credits you won't use are worth exactly zero dollars, and you may be better off paying a lower annual fee if you won't take advantage of big-ticket credits.
Lounge access: Where do you fly?
Both cards include Priority Pass Select, so the real question is which bonus access matters to you.
Fly American frequently? Citi's four annual Admirals Club passes are valuable, especially for long layovers at AA hubs like Dallas, Charlotte, or Miami.
Fly through New York, Phoenix, Boston, or Hong Kong? Chase gives you unlimited access to Chase Sapphire Lounges — sleek, modern spaces that beat most Priority Pass options. Plus, you get Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge access if you fly through Toronto or other Canadian gateways.
Earning rates: Portal vs direct booking
The Citi Strata Elite rewards booking through cititravel.com:
- 12X on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 6X on flights booked on cititravel.com
- 6X at restaurants (Fridays/Saturdays, 6PM-6AM ET only via CitiNights)
- 3X at restaurants (all other times)
- 1.5X on everything else
The Sapphire Reserve keeps it simpler:
- 8X through Chase Travel
- 4X on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3X on dining worldwide
- 1X on everything else
Chase wins on flexibility — you can book directly with airlines and hotels for elite status and still earn 4X points. Citi forces you to choose between an OTA booking (for higher earnings) and a direct booking (for loyalty benefits).
The verdict
Get the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card if you:
- Fly American Airlines regularly and value Admirals Club access
- Are happy to use cititravel.com to make travel purchases in exchange for higher earning rates
- Can use the hotel credit through cititravel.com
- Want American Airlines or Choice Privileges as transfer partners
- Prefer the lower $595 annual fee
Related: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card Full Review
Get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® if you:
- Prefer flexibility in how you book travel
- Can maximize the dining, Apple, and The Edit credits
- Value Hyatt, United, or Southwest as transfer partners
- Want access to Chase Sapphire Lounges and broader lounge networks
Related: Chase Sapphire Reserve® Full Review
All that said, make sure you're eligible before you apply. Chase enforces its 5/24 rule, while Citi limits you to one personal card application every eight days and no more than two in 65 days. For a full breakdown of issuer-specific restrictions, refer to our guide to credit card application rules and restrictions.
Bottom Line
Both the Citi Strata Elite and the Sapphire Reserve are outstanding cards. Several of us on the AwardWallet team have them, and we've seen firsthand how much value they can deliver, even in the first few months of use.
If you've been waiting for the right moment to grab a premium travel card or add another to your rotation, this is it.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
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