In the world of credit card points, Citi ThankYou® Points are often overlooked. Fair or not, they’re often treated as fourth fiddle to the likes of Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and even Capital One Venture Miles.
But that doesn’t mean Citi ThankYou points are worthless … far from it.
And that really boils down to a set of strong (and several unique) Citi transfer partners: airlines and hotels to which you can directly send your Citi points. In all, there are 16 airlines and five hotel loyalty programs that partner with Citi … and some are better than others – especially its latest additions.
At long last, Citi officially added American Airlines as a transfer partner last year. That was huge for two reasons:
- It makes Citi points the best and easiest way to earn American AAdvantage miles – easily among the most valuable airline miles on the planet, whether you fly American or want to book its excellent partner carriers
- It solves one of Citi’s core weaknesses: While Chase had United and Southwest and American Express has Delta, Citi lacked a marquee domestic airline among the mix of transfer options
More recently, Citi added another gem … maybe even our favorite airline program on the planet: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.
Not only is Mileage Bank the best way to book flights to Tokyo and beyond on JAL, but the same is true for countless other Oneworld partner airlines and even a few one-offs like LATAM and Emirates.
Overall, the list of 21 airlines and hotels to which you can send your ThankYou points is a bit of a mixed bag. There are a few standouts like American, JAL, and Turkish Airlines, a handful of other decent partners, and several airline and hotel programs that are borderline worthless for U.S. travelers.
Let’s dive into all of them.
A Quick Glance at Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners
Sure, you could redeem your ThankYou points like cash through the Citi Travel Portal. But if you really want to extract the most value out of your Citi points, you’ll want to transfer them to airline miles.
In total, there are 21 transfer partners as of publication. So long as you have one of Citi’s top travel cards like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, or the Citi Prestige Credit Card (which is no longer open to applications), most of them transfer on a 1:1 basis (with the exception of hotel partners Choice, Accor, and The Leading Hotels of the World).
Here’s the full list of Citi transfer partners.
| Program | Type | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air France/KLM | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| American Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Copa ConnectMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Unknown |
| Emirates | Airline | 1,000:800 | Instant |
| Etihad | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| EVA Air | Airline | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Japan Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| JetBlue | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Qantas | Airline | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Qatar Airways | Airline | 1:1 | 1-2 days |
| Singapore | Airline | 1:1 | Up to 24 hours |
| Thai Airways | Airline | 1:1 | 3-7 days |
| Turkish Airlines | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Virgin Atlantic | Airline | 1:1 | Instant |
| Accor | Hotel | 2:1 | Within 24 hours (sometimes up to 5 days) |
| Choice Hotels | Hotel | 1:1.5 | Instant |
| Wyndham Rewards | Hotel | 1:1 | Instant |
| The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) | Hotel | 5:1 | Instant |
| Preferred Hotels and Resorts | Hotel | 1:2 | Instant |
Only cardholders with the Citi Strata Premier, Citi Strata Elite, Citi Prestige Card (discontinued), or the AT&T Acccess More card transfer at these ratios. If you only have the Citi Double Cash Card, Citi Rewards+ Card, or the Citi Custom Cash Card, your points will transfer at a poorer ratio.
The Best Transfer Partners
While it’s a mixed bag, a handful of Citi’s transfer partners are among the best in the game. And one is far, far better than the rest.
American Airlines
We saved the best – and newest – Citi transfer partner for first.
After American hinted at the prospect in late 2024 when it signed an exclusive deal with Citi, the airline officially became one of the bank’s transfer partners in July 2025. That means you can now transfer a stash of 60,000 or 75,000 points from the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and instantly get 60,000 or 75,000 AAdvantage miles. You could snag the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card and earn a bonus of 75,000 points, then turn them into 75,000AAdvantage miles.
The list of great ways to redeem AA miles is far too long to list here. But a few highlights include:
- Domestic one-ways for 5,000 miles or less
- Roundtrips to the Caribbean for as low as 12,000 miles, sometimes less!
- Flash sales to Europe for under 35,000 miles roundtrip!
- Japan Airlines (JAL) business class to Tokyo – or JAL first class for 80,000 miles!
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles are, without a doubt, some of the most valuable in the world.
Flying Japan Airlines from one of the carrier’s nine North American gateways to Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT) – or even Osaka (KIX) – is a great way to cross the Pacific, no matter if you’re flying in economy or business class. Thanks to JAL’s reasonable award chart, a one-way ticket to Japan will cost as few as 27,000 miles in economy, 40,000 miles in premium economy, or 55,000 miles in business class. That’s even better than what American AAdvantage charges!
Take this flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND), for example. You can book a Japan Airlines business class seat on the 13-hour flight to Japan for just 55,000 miles and $353 in taxes and fees, as of publication.
But JAL miles arguably shine even brighter for booking partner airlines – and not just within the Oneworld alliance.
Like many airline mileage programs, JAL uses a distance-based award chart for these partner award redemptions. But unlike virtually every other airline, it doesn’t tally each segment separately: It adds the distances together to determine the final price. This quirk opens the door to what’s easily among the best deals in the world of points and miles.
For example, Japan Airlines charges 60,000 miles each way for a flight on American Airlines from Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD). That’s solid, especially with just $5.60 in taxes and fees.
But add a return flight, and it’s not 120,000 miles: the roundtrip total costs just 85,000 miles. That’s a steal …
This even works with multi-city and open-jaw redemptions, so you could fly into Spain and jet home from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or any other European city for the same roundtrip rate!
The possibilities are practically endless – in part, because Japan Airlines has a wonky worldwide network of partner airlines.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
With low rates and fairly solid availability to book these flights with your miles, Flying Blue miles were among the best ways to book business class to Europe for years.
Things have changed… but even so, Flying Blue is a solid option for travelers with ThankYou points.
Whether you want to get to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), or connect almost anywhere flying business class to Europe, Flying Blue charges as low as 60,000 each way.
Read our full review of the new Air France business class suites!
But it gets more complicated. Flying Blue’s new, three-tier award chart – with dreadful new “Light” fares at that lowest, 60,000-mile price point – means you don’t get lounge access at this lowest price point. Worst of all, these fares can’t be changed or canceled, period.
Want a “Standard” fare that gets those perks back? It’ll be at least 75,000 miles each way.
You can also book economy awards to Europe using Air France and KLM miles – including one-way trips from several U.S. cities for 25,000 miles or even less if you time it with a monthly Promo Rewards discount.
Finding flights at these low rates may require some flexibility, as you won’t find them on every single date. Luckily, Air France and KLM allow you to easily scroll through up to a month’s worth of flights to find the best deals. After an increase earlier this year, Flying Blue now typically tacks on about $350 for a one-way business class award to Europe – and about $400 or more for the way back.
As steep as it sounds, that’s a small price to pay for $6,000-plus flights … less so for economy, though.
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
For years, EVA Air’s loyalty program went unexamined because it was so easy to book EVA Air business class from the U.S. to Taipei (TPE) and back using partner airline programs like Avianca LifeMiles or Air Canada Aeroplan.
But while the airline has slammed the door shut on those partner award redemptions, the floodgates are open to book with EVA’s own miles. That makes “Infinity MileageLands miles” – and Citi points, by extension – incredibly valuable.
The airline charges between 75,000 and 80,000 miles for a one-way business class award between the U.S. and Asia, whether you fly nonstop to Taiwan or connect onward. Longer flights departing from airports like Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), New York City (JFK), and others clock in at that higher 80,000-mile sum, while shorter flights from airports like Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA) will set you back 75,000 miles.
Importantly, Citi points are the only ones that transfer to EVA on a 1:1 basis.
Just beware: EVA’s site is far from intuitive, and booking can be a real hassle if you’re looking to book for two (or more) passengers. And it also takes two to four days for Citi transfers to hit your EVA account, so there’ll be a wait. But there’s generally enough award space that it shouldn’t be an issue.
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles is another program that will require some patience, given its quirky website. It’s easiest to sign up for the loyalty program through the Turkish Airlines mobile app, and you’ll need to jump through some hoops to actually get flights booked. But the incredible value you’ll get when redeeming Turkish miles may be worth your time.
Here are a few of our favorites:
- Business class to Turkey for 65,000 miles one-way
- Business class to the Middle East for 93,000 miles one-way
Roundtrip flights from the mainland U.S. to Hawaii had been at the top of this list for years, as Turkish previously sold those United-operated flights for as low as 15,000 miles. But after a pair of painful increases, those now clock in at 50,000 miles roundtrip instead. Ouch.
Read more: Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles: The Ultimate Guide
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Last – but certainly not least – on our list of favorites is Virgin Atlantic. Virgin points are some of the best points to have for booking awards through its many unique partnerships – including flying Delta, Air France-KLM, and All Nippon Airways (ANA).
- Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to London-Heathrow (LHR) from just 29,000 points each way – though you’ll now pay close to $600 in taxes and fees.
- Minneapolis to Europe for 30,000 points roundtrip and low fees – one of the best economy awards to Europe
- ANA business class to Tokyo or back from 52,500 miles each way – or 72,500 miles each with in ANA First Class
- Air New Zealand business class from Los Angeles (LAX) or Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) for just 62,500 miles each way
You can search for and book most (but not all) of these flights online at VirginAtlantic.com. Unfortunately, you can’t book either Air New Zealand or ANA flights with Virgin points online – you’ll need to find the award space elsewhere and call Virgin to book.
Honorable Mentions
Other than the top Citi ThankYou points transfer partners, there are a few others worth mentioning.
Qatar Privilege Club
For a long time, Citi ThankYou points were the only easy way to earn Qatar Privilege Club miles.
But now, you can transfer Amex points as well as Citi points straight to Qatar. And since Qatar has adopted Avios and has a closer relationship with British Airways, there are plenty of easy ways to earn Qatar miles by combining them between the many Avios airlines.
But because Avios have emerged as the #1 way to book Qatar Qsuites, they deserve a spot on this list.
Read our full review of Qatar Qsuites business class!
British Airways
Since you can transfer Avios between Qatar and British Airways, there is also a roundabout way to transfer Citi ThankYou points to British Airways (first from Citi to Qatar, then combine your Avios with British). Redeeming British Airways Avios for short, nonstop flights on American Airlines is a great way to score a cheap domestic flight or a flight down to Mexico.
Worst Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners
There are plenty of valuable Citi ThankYou transfer partners, but there are several in the portfolio that aren’t worth the time and effort for U.S. travelers.
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus is really the only airline to avoid if you’re looking to maximize value from your Citi ThankYou points.
Unlike many other airlines where you can instantly transfer Citi ThankYou points to their mileage programs, it takes up to seven days for transfers to Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus to show up in your account, and there aren’t a ton of sweet spots to choose from once they finally get there.
Citi Hotel Transfer Partners
While you’ll usually get a much better value for your points through Citi’s airline partners, you can also use Citi hotel partners to book accommodations. And the list of options keeps growing.
In late 2021, Citi added two hotel transfer partners to its mix: Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards. What’s interesting about Choice is that it’s the only transfer partner with a 1:1.5 transfer ratio (if you hold one of the Strata or Prestige cards, anyway). This means 1,000 Citi ThankYou points = 1,500 Choice points.
But even with a 1:1.5 transfer ratio, Choice isn’t a particularly valuable option except in niche situations – like hotels in Scandinavia and Japan.
Citi points also transfer to Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer program on a 1:2 basis. As good as that may seem, Citi recently reduced this transfer ratio (was 1:4), making I Prefer a much less valuable option.
ThankYou points also transfer to Accor and The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW). Both Accor and LHW offer more upscale, boutique options than what was previously available with the Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards programs – and when it comes to LHW’s Leaders Club, you can sometimes get really good value for your ThankYou points by using them this way.
Take the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, for example: A one-night stay at this property could cost $420 … or 3,928 LHW points.
Since ThankYou points transfer to LHW at a 5:1 ratio (1,000 ThankYou points gets you 200 “Leaders Club” points), you’d need to transfer under 20,000 ThankYou points in order to book a one-night stay.
While this is a good example of the value you can get with The Leading Hotels of the World’s Leaders Club, it’s not the only one. With upscale properties around the world in far-flung locations from Morocco to the Maldives, you’ll be able to use your Citi ThankYou points for a memorable stay wherever your travels take you.
Finally, Wyndham Rewards can provide decent value in the right situation … but most of Wyndham’s properties skew toward the lower-end. If luxury is what you’re after, you’ll most likely want to look elsewhere.
How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Points
Transferring points to Citi ThankYou transfer partners couldn’t be any easier.
Just head to ThankYou.com and log into your Citi account, then click “Travel” and move down to select “Points Transfer.”
That will quickly pull up the full list of options. Click whichever partner you need to book a flight (or hotel) and get ready to send your Citi ThankYou Points on their way. You can simply enter how many Citi points you’d like to transfer or use the slider.
For each partner on the list, you must transfer ThankYou points in increments of 1,000.
Of course, you’ll first need to open an account with the program you’re transferring points to if you don’t already have one. When creating your accounts with Citi transfer partners, make sure your name exactly matches what it is on your Citi account to help ensure a smooth transfer process.
How to Earn Citi ThankYou Points
From co-branded airline and hotel cards to even Costco credit cards, Citi is a popular name in wallets. But to open up the world of Citi’s transfer partners, you need a card that specifically earns Citi ThankYou® Points.
Some Citi credit cards don’t earn ThankYou points at all, only cash back. Others only allow you to get ThankYou points and transfer to a select few partner airlines or hotel chains, while others allow you to do one or the other.
Let’s focus on the cards that will get you the most bang for your buck, starting with the best of the best.
Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
There’s a new kid on the Citi block.
After years of rumors and speculation, Citi launched the long-awaited Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, a new premium card with perks like lounge access, an annual hotel credit, better earning bonuses on select spending categories, and an annual fee of $595. It’s Citi’s way of (finally) competing with mainstay cards like *amex platinum*, the *chase sapphire reserve*, and the *venture x*.
It starts with a big welcome bonus, as you can earn 75,000 Citi ThankYou Points after spending $6,000 within the first three months.
Beyond that, you’ll earn:
- 12x points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com
- 6x points per dollar on airfare booked through cititravel.com
- 6x points per dollar at restaurants on “Citi Nights,” available on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. through 6 a.m. ET
- 3x points per dollar at restaurants at other times
- 1.5x points per dollar on all other purchases
Plus, the card comes stocked with benefits like lounge access, money-saving credits, and more.
Learn more about the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is our favorite card from Citi, and it’s not particularly close.
The annual fee is quite reasonable for such a valuable card. You’ll earn 3x points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and at hotels on an unlimited amount of spending. A big welcome bonus sweetens the deal even more.
Plus, you get a $100 annual hotel credit when you spend $500 or more on a single hotel stay that is booked through the Citi ThankYou travel portal. We think the Citi Strata Premier Card is one of the most underrated cards out there.
Welcome Bonus Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
Annual Fee: $95
Learn more about the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Citi Double Cash® Card
The Citi Double Cash® Card is one of the best cards that doesn’t charge an annual fee.
You’ll earn 2% cash back or 2x ThankYou® Points on every dollar you spend (1x point after making the purchase, and another 1x point after paying your bill).
Annual fee: $0
Learn more about the Citi Double Cash® Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a stash of Citi ThankYou points burning a hole in your account? There are a few other things you should know to redeem them.
Can You Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Another Person?
You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to anyone, be it a family member, friend, or a complete stranger, as long as they are a Citi ThankYou account holder. This makes it far easier than other card programs to pool points with family members and friends to book a ticket. Just beware that those points transferred between accounts expire within 90 days.
There’s one caveat, however: If you only hold the Citi Custom Cash Card, you are not eligible to share points.
What Airlines Can Citi ThankYou Points Be Used For?
There are currently 15 different airlines that are Citi transfer partners you can use ThankYou points to book flights with.
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Does Citi Transfer to United?
Citi points don’t transfer to United, but you can still fly on United by transferring points to one of their partner airlines. Avianca, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, and Turkish Airlines are all members of the Star Alliance along with United, which means you can transfer your Citi ThankYou points to any of those airlines to book United flights.
Can I Transfer Citi Points to Delta?
Just like United, you can’t transfer Citi ThankYou points to Delta either. However, you can transfer points to one of their partner airlines to book Delta flights. Of the Citi transfer partners, Delta has partnerships with Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Aeromexico.
How Long Do Citi ThankYou Point Transfers Take?
The amount of time it takes to transfer Citi ThankYou points varies by airline and hotel program. For most, the transfer is instantaneous, allowing you to use your points to book flights or hotel stays right away. Others can take anywhere from 12 hours to several days to transfer.
Most notably, it can take up to a week for Citi ThankYou points to show up in your Thai Airways account.
Do Citi ThankYou Points Expire?
It depends on the card, but most Citi ThankYou points don’t expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing.
Bottom Line
Citi ThankYou points may not get as much love as other transferable currencies, but there are several valuable Citi transfer partners.
Take your Citi points to the next level by transferring points to airline miles, and you’ll be flying around the world for next to nothing.
Lead photo courtesy of Next Trip Network via Flickr
you should mention cathay pacific- they are a cheaper alternative to book british airways international flights without the surcharges of BA!
Why not mention the current transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic?
This story was published yesterday (2/28). The transfer bonus just launched today (3/1). We have a new post on the transfer bonus.
Interesting how you don’t bother mentioning that you can’t book anything through the Thankyou travel portal beyond this year(while they are completely changing the program).
This is a post specifically about transferring ThankYou points, that’s why we don’t mention the ThankYou portal.