29-07-2025
Citi ThankYou Points Take Flight With American Airlines
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The world of travel rewards just opened up in a big way. Coinciding with the launch of the all-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, Citi ThankYou® Points can now be transferred to American Airlines AAdvantage miles at a 1:1 ratio. Citi is a Forbes Advisor partner.
That's a major upgrade for select Citi cardholders, who now have access to powerhouse awards on American Airlines and its extensive network of partners. This also shifts the playing field for flexible points in general: As the exclusive transfer option to AAdvantage, this tips the scales toward Citi credit cards as a competitive player.
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
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. Why American Miles Matter
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are highly sought after for their global reach and fair pricing. It's not uncommon to find one-way flights in economy throughout North America for 10,000 miles or less, making free travel accessible even for someone with more modest point balances.
But AAdvantage also opens doors to aspirational travel. As a member of the Oneworld alliance, customers can redeem miles for experiences such as Qatar Airways Q Suites business class, Japan Airlines' exceptional new first class or trips to destinations served by nonalliance partners like Air Tahuiti Nui. The breadth of options makes AAdvantage miles a powerful currency, and its new partnership with Citi ThankYou Points extends value to your credit card points, too. Earning Citi ThankYou Points
American Airlines credit cards can be a fantastic way to access benefits during travel, but the earning rates are mostly underwhelming. Earning American miles indirectly via ThankYou Points is a strategic yet easy way to increase your earning potential from card spending.
The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers strong multipliers on travel and everyday spending for a mere $95 annual fee: 10 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on
3 points per dollar on restaurants, supermarkets, gas & EV stations, air travel and other hotel purchases
1 point per dollar on all other purchases
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers higher earning rates but in fewer, more niche categories: 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on
6 points per dollar spent on air travel booked on
6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, including restaurant delivery services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET; 3 points per dollar spent any other time
1.5 points per dollar spent on other purchases
The annual fee on the Strata Elite is much higher ($595 per year), but comes with annual benefits that could be extremely valuable to American Airlines' flyers, including four Admirals Club day passes, up to $200 in Splurge Credit valid toward eligible American Airlines purchases and up to $300 in hotel credit when booking stays of two nights or more through Citi Travel. Transferring Citi ThankYou Points to American Airlines AAdvantage
To transfer Citi ThankYou Points, you'll need a ThankYou card with full transfer capabilities, like the Strata Elite, Strata Premier or the Citi Prestige® Card (closed to new applicants). Requesting a transfer is a simple process: Log in to your Citi ThankYou account Navigate to the Points Transfer redemption section Select an American Airlines transfer and input your desired transfer amount (in increments of 1,000) and your AAdvantage member number
Transfers may take up to five business days to process, though many are completed within seconds. Since transfer times are quick, you can wait to move points until you have a specific award you're ready to book. This allows you to retain maximum redemption flexibility.
Here's the full list of Citi ThankYou Points transfer partners for premium cards:
Airline Partners
Hotel Partners
Retail Partner
Find the best travel credit card for your travel needs.
This robust deepening of the Citi-AAdvantage partnership isn't news to sleep on. It's a major win for consumers who want to use their rewards toward global travel. If you've been sitting on a stash of Citi ThankYou Points, this could be your boarding call. With the ability to book anything from short hops and weekend getaways to once-in-a-lifetime luxury adventures, ThankYou Points just became a lot more versatile.
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