Citi cardholders can use their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for gift cards or travel bookings via the Citi Travel portal. However, to get the most value from your points, we suggest transferring them to airline and hotel partners.
Citi offers 22 transfer partners, which include 15 airline loyalty programs, five hotel programs, the Virgin Red rewards club, and one retail program.
Let’s explore the Citi ThankYou transfer partners and how you can maximize your points for the best redemptions.
Overview of Citi Transfer Partners
Here’s a list of Citi’s transfer partners along with their transfer ratios:
At times, transfer bonuses may be offered, allowing you to receive a better ratio when shifting your ThankYou Rewards points.
How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards Points
To transfer your Citi ThankYou points, start by visiting ThankYou.com and logging in just like you would for your Citi credit card account. Click on ‘Travel’ in the top navigation and select ‘Points transfer.’ Transfers must be made in increments of 1,000 ThankYou points, with a maximum of 500,000 points per transaction.
Most transfers are instant, but some may take longer. While Citi mentions a possible processing time of up to 14 days, the longest observed transfer duration has been six days.
Additionally, ensure the name on your loyalty account matches the name on your Citi card; discrepancies can delay the transfer.
Daily Newsletter
Boost your inbox with the Flying Frugal Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive deals from Flying Frugal’s experts
Remember, transfers are irreversible.
Which Citi ThankYou Rewards Transfer Partners Are Best?
Though Citi ThankYou points can be transferred to 22 partners, not all partners hold equal value. The most suitable partner depends on your travel patterns and preferred airlines.
Additionally, keep in mind that some programs have sweet spots, allowing for greater rewards when transferring.
Here’s a summary of our top Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
Related: Best Ways to Redeem Citi ThankYou Points
American Airlines AAdvantage
AAdvantage recently became a transfer partner, greatly benefiting Citi ThankYou cardholders. The program features an excellent partner award chart with notable sweet spots for points and miles enthusiasts.
You can transfer Citi ThankYou points at a 1:1 ratio if you hold select Citi cards. A fantastic redemption option is flying between the U.S. and Japan on JAL for only 60,000 miles one-way in business class or 80,000 miles in first class.
With JAL’s new Airbus A350 planes operating on U.S. routes, this presents an excellent opportunity to experience a top-tier business or first-class service at a competitive cost.
Related: Review of Japan Airlines’ A350 First Class: Exceptional Suites and Amenities
Book Flights to Europe with Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Air France-KLM Flying Blue has become increasingly advantageous, standardizing saver-level redemptions to Europe and adding free stopovers on award tickets in 2023. This program is among Citi’s prime airline transfer partners.
In January 2025, the program slightly raised saver-level award prices, but seat availability has improved, which is a plus for travelers. Saver-level business class seats begin at 60,000 miles one-way, and Flying Blue offers a free stopover program, allowing you to visit two destinations for the price of one.
Even though dynamic pricing applies for non-saver-level requests and fuel surcharges can be high, there are still excellent opportunities available. We suggest keeping an eye on Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards for lower award flight prices.
Related: Finding the Cheapest Redemption Rates with Flying Blue Miles
Travel from the U.S. to Italy or Greece via Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards provides a straightforward way to book award tickets in business or first class on this luxurious carrier. An intriguing option is their fifth-freedom routes connecting the U.S. to Europe.
For instance, you could fly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Athens International Airport (ATH). The following rates are available for flights from JFK to MXP:
- Economy Saver: 17,500 miles
- Business Saver: 87,000 miles
- First Flex Plus: 102,000 miles
You can also travel from Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) to Miami International Airport (MIA) for 52,500 miles one-way in business class on Emirates’ latest fifth-freedom route.
Note that redeeming miles for Emirates first-class requires Skywards Platinum, Gold, or Silver status; however, Flying Frugal provides strategies for booking premium seats without needing elite status.
Though booking these tickets may cost you more Citi points due to the 5:4 transfer ratio, redeeming for a nonstop economy seat to Milan at just 22,000 Citi points is still a great deal.
Related: Your Complete Guide to the Emirates A380 Onboard Bar and Lounge
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
While not the most renowned program, the Qatar Airways Privilege Club is the best way to book the exclusive Qsuite business-class product. This program typically releases more space through its loyalty platform than to partner programs, with redemption rates from the U.S. to the Middle East starting at 70,000 Avios for off-peak travel.
With the program’s switch to Avios, you can amalgamate these points with those from other programs utilizing the same currency, including British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Finnair Plus, Loganair Loyalty, and Aer Lingus AerClub.
Related: Quick Points: Secure Qatar Qsuite Before Anyone Else
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer is the premier choice for booking first-class seats on their Airbus A380. The first-class suite offers exceptional privacy—combine two seats to create even more space if traveling with a companion.
Saver-level bookings for the first-class suite can be as low as 45,000 KrisFlyer miles to Hong Kong and go up to 141,000 miles to London. Additionally, the KrisFlyer program allows you to waitlist for awards that are currently unavailable.
For more appealing rates, keep an eye on the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Despite experiencing a significant devaluation last year, Turkish Miles&Smiles remains a favorite for many travelers, particularly for booking domestic flights on United Airlines.
You can book a one-way domestic ticket for as low as 10,000 miles in economy or 15,000 miles in business on United Airlines flights within the U.S., including Hawaii.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
The Virgin Atlantic Flying Club remains a favorite for travelers despite switching to dynamic pricing for their own flights, providing more opportunities to securely book discounted Upper Class flights between the U.S. and London.
For example, business class flights from the East Coast to London can be booked for under 30,000 miles one-way, or less than 50,000 miles from the West Coast.
Related: How to Book Delta Award Flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points
Value of Citi ThankYou Points
As of Flying Frugal’s August 2025 assessment, each Citi point is valued at approximately 1.9 cents. Transferring points to an airline or hotel partner often yields far greater value than simply using them for cash back or gift cards.
When booking travel through Citi’s travel portal, the point value caps at 1 cent each, making it a less effective way to maximize your points. Other redemption methods exist, such as gift cards and cash back, but they generally don’t offer the best value and should be avoided if you’re aiming to maximize your rewards.
Flying Frugal credit writer Danyal Ahmed, a Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) holder, effectively uses Citi’s transfer partners to enhance his points’ worth. For instance, he redeemed 70,000 Citi ThankYou points for a one-way flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) on Qatar Airways. With the cash fare approximating $9,200, he received a value of 13.1 cents per point.
Related: Review of Qatar Airways Qsuite: The Benchmark for Business Class (and a Mileage Sweet Spot)
Earning Citi ThankYou Points
Transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points can be earned through several Citi credit cards, such as:
Keep in mind that not all ThankYou points possess the same value. To transfer Citi ThankYou points to most partners discussed in this guide, you need to have a premium Citi ThankYou card, like the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Prestige® Card (currently unavailable for new applications), or the Citi Strata Premier. For AAdvantage transfers, holding one of these three cards is required.
If you have the Citi Strata Card, Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees), or the Citi Custom Cash® Card, you can still transfer to most partners, but at reduced ratios.
However, if you also hold a premium Citi card, you can combine your points and transfer them to partners at a 1:1 ratio.
The content regarding the Citi Custom Cash and Citi Prestige cards has been obtained independently by The Points Guy, and the card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Final Thoughts
While there are numerous transfer partners available for your Citi ThankYou points, not all provide equal value. Research your intended destinations and the relevant frequent flyer programs and hotels available for use before deciding which loyalty program to choose, as the process can be intricate.
Investing time and effort into understanding how to optimize your points is key to maximizing their value.
Related: Review of the Citi Strata Premier Card: Attractive Earning Rates on Key Spending Categories
