Unlock Hidden Value: The Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners That Could Supercharge Your Rewards Journey
Ever stare at your Citi ThankYou Rewards points and wonder, “What’s the absolute best way to cash these in without feeling like I got the short end of the stick?” I mean, sure, you could go the easy route—redeeming points for gift cards or booking via the Citi Travel portal—but if you’re anything like me, you’re hungry for more bang for your buck. Lucky for us, Citi rolls out an impressive network of 22 transfer partners, spanning 15 airline programs, five hotel chains, plus a couple of bonus options that sweeten the pot. But here’s the kicker: not all transfer partners shine equally. Navigating through this maze might feel like decoding an ancient treasure map, but cracking it? Well, that’s where the real magic happens. So, buckle up as we unpack the nitty-gritty of Citi’s transfer partners and how to stretch your hard-earned points into unforgettable adventures—because why settle for less when you can maximize every single point? LEARN MORE
Citi cardholders can redeem their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for gift cards or bookings through the Citi Travel portal. However, to maximize your hard-earned points, we recommend transferring them to airline and hotel partners.
Citi has 22 transfer partners, split between 15 airline loyalty programs, five hotel programs, the Virgin Red rewards club and one retail program.
Let’s discuss Citi ThankYou transfer partners and how to best maximize your points for great redemptions.
Citi transfer partner overview
Here is a list of Citi’s transfer partners and their transfer ratios:
Occasionally, a transfer bonus may be offered, in which you can score a higher ratio when transferring your ThankYou Rewards points.
How to Transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points
To transfer your Citi ThankYou points, you must first go to ThankYou.com and sign in just as you would for your Citi credit card account. Next, click ‘Travel’ at the top navigation bar and select ‘Points transfer.’ You must transfer in increments of 1,000 ThankYou points, but cannot transfer more than 500,000 points in one transaction.
Although transfers to most partners are instant, some can take more time. Citi states that a transfer can take up to 14 days to process; however, the longest we’ve seen a transfer take is six days.
It’s also important to note that the name on your loyalty account must match the name on your Citi card. In some instances, a middle name or initial on the credit card account can hold up the transfer to the partner if the same initial or name is not present.
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Additionally, note that transfers are irreversible.
What are the best Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners?
Not all transfer partners are alike, and although Citi ThankYou points can transfer to 22 partners, some are better than others. Ideally, the best partner for you is based on which airlines you fly often and to which destinations you fly.
It’s also important to remember that some programs have sweet spots that can help you maximize your rewards and get the best value when transferring.
Here’s a rundown of our favorite Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points
American Airlines AAdvantage
Citi recently added the AAdvantage program as a transfer partner to Citi ThankYou, which is an amazing development. The AAdvantage program has a great partner award chart with several sweet spots for points and miles enthusiasts.
You can transfer your Citi ThankYou points at a 1:1 ratio if you’re a cardholder of select Citi cards. One of the best ways to redeem AAdvantage miles is to fly between the U.S. and Japan on JAL for just 60,000 miles one-way in business class or 80,000 miles one-way in first class.
With JAL deploying several of their new Airbus A350 planes on U.S. routes, this can be a great way to experience a phenomenal business or first-class product for a relatively low cost compared to other programs.
Related: Huge suites and phenomenal amenities: A review of Japan Airlines’ new A350 first class
Book flights to Europe on Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a popular program that has become even more lucrative over the years. In 2023, the program standardized saver-level redemptions to Europe and added free stopovers on award tickets. This is one of Citi’s top airline transfer partners.
In January 2025, the program slightly increased saver-level award prices — but availability has also increased, which is good news to any avid traveler. Saver-level business class seats start at 60,000 miles one-way, and Flying Blue offers a free stopover program, so you can explore two places for the price of one.
While the program does use dynamic award pricing when there is no saver-level space and adds fuel surcharges for award flights (which can be quite high on some routes), you can still snag a good deal. We recommend checking out Flying Blue’s monthly Promo Rewards to possibly lock in an even lower award flight price.
Related: How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles
Fly from the US to Italy or Greece on Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards is the most straightforward way to book business-class or first-class award tickets on the ever-popular and opulent carrier. A fun and unique way to fly the carrier is through its fifth-freedom routes between the U.S. and Europe.
For example, you could fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Athens International Airport (ATH). You can fly from JFX to MXP at the following rates:
- Economy Saver: 17,500 miles
- Business Saver: 87,000 miles
- First Flex Plus: 102,000 miles
You can also fly between Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) and Miami International Airport (MIA) for 52,500 miles one-way in business class on Emirates’ latest fifth-freedom route.
Note that to redeem miles for Emirates first-class, you must be a Skywards Platinum, Gold or Silver status. However, TPG does have a handy hack on how to book a premium seat on this airline without status.
While booking these tickets will cost you slightly more Citi points due to the 5:4 transfer ratio, booking a nonstop economy seat to Milan by transferring 22,000 Citi points is still a really good deal.
Related: The complete guide to the Emirates A380 onboard bar and lounge
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Qatar Airways Privilege Club isn’t the most popular program, but it’s the best way to book the coveted Qsuite business-class product. Privilege Club releases more space to its own program than it does to partner loyalty programs — plus the redemption rates from the U.S. to the Middle East are not bad, starting at 70,000 Avios for nonpeak travel.
Thankfully, since the program moved to using Avios as its loyalty currency, you can combine your Avios across other programs that use the same currency, which includes British Airways Club, Iberia Club, Finnair Plus, Loganair Loyalty and Aer Lingus AerClub.
Related: Quick Points: Book Qatar Qsuite before anyone else
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is the best way to book Singapore Airlines first-class. If you’re flying on the carrier’s Airbus A380, you’ll be in for a treat as the first-class suite offers maximal privacy — and if booking two seats, you can combine them to give you and your travel partner even more space.
At the saver level, you can book a first-class suite for as little as 45,000 KrisFlyer miles when flying to Hong Kong or up to 141,000 miles when flying to London. Best of all, the KrisFlyer program allows you to waitlist if an award isn’t available.
If premium cabin rates seem high and you’re looking for a deal, the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program offers value.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
The Turkish Miles&Smiles program has been a favorite among award travelers for years; however, with a major devaluation last year, the program has lost some appeal. There is still some value in the program, though, especially if you want to book domestic flights on United Airlines through Turkish Miles&Smiles.
For example, 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 within the U.S., including Hawaii.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has been a favorite of award travelers, and although the program switched to dynamic pricing for Virgin Atlantic-operated flights, there are more opportunities to fly between the U.S. and London for cheap in Upper Class.
For example, you can fly in business class on Virgin Atlantic from the East Coast to London for less than 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
What are Citi ThankYou points worth?
According to TPG’s August 2025 valuations, Citi points are worth 1.9 cents each. Transferring your points to an airline or hotel partner will give you the best value and the chance of maximizing the value of your Citi points far beyond 1.9 cents each.
You can book travel through Citi’s own travel portal — but at most, you’ll only earn 1 cent per point, so it’s not the greatest option for maximizing points. There are additional ways to redeem points, such as purchasing gift cards, shopping with points and cash back; however, these will not get you the best value, and we’d recommend avoiding them if you want to maximize your points.
TPG credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is a Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) cardholder and likes to utilize several of Citi’s transfer partners to maximize his points.
For example, Danyal recently redeemed 70,000 Citi ThankYou points to book a one-way flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) on Qatar Airways. Since the cash fare was almost $9,200, he got a value of 13.1 cents per point.
How to earn Citi ThankYou points?
You can earn transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points with some Citi credit cards, including:
Keep in mind, not all ThankYou points have the same value. To transfer Citi ThankYou points to most partners described in this guide, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou card such as the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to applications) or the Citi Strata Premier. For example, to transfer points to AAdvantage, you must hold either one of these three cards
If you have the Citi Strata Card, Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) or the Citi Custom Cash® Card you can transfer to most partners, but at much lower transfer ratios
However, if you also hold a premium Citi card, you can combine your ThankYou points and then transfer points to partners at a 1:1 ratio.
The information for the Citi Custom Cash and Citi Prestige cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
Although there are plenty of transfer partners with whom you can use your Citi ThankYou points, not all of them are useful or worthwhile. We recommend researching the destinations you want to visit and which frequent flyer programs and hotels you can use. Based on that, you must determine which loyalty program to use, because some can be quite complicated.
Overall, some effort and time are required to maximize your hard-earned points and get the most out of your transferred points.
Related: Citi Strata Premier Card review: Valuable earning rates on top spending categories
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