Citi ThankYou Points has long been #3 (behind Amex and Chase) when it comes to transferable points programs (at least to me it has).
It has some great transfer partners if you know how to use them but they have been lacking in a major way by not having one of the legacy carriers as a transfer partner.
However, for a limited time that will be different.
The new limited-time transfer promo
Citi is now offering the ability to transfer points from Citi to American Airlines AAdvantage for up to a 1:1 ratio. This will only last from July 18 to November 13, 2021.
You transfer ratio to American Airlines AAdvantage will depend on the type of Citi card you have.
Below are the transfer ratios:
1:1 (1,000 Points = 1,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® Miles)
- Citi Chairman
- Prestige
- Premier
1:0.5 (1,000 Points = 500 American Airlines AAdvantage® Miles)
- Citi ThankYou Preferred
- Citi Rewards+
The 1:1 ratio is great but I’m not too crazy about the lower transfer ratio.
I guess if you had no other use for your Citi points it would be better than nothing but I’d maybe even look into upgrading if possible so that you can take advantage of the new transfer ratio (assuming that works).
If you were transferring a lot of miles, you might be able to offset the annual fee with the increased value from your transfer.
Final word
This is a pretty exciting promotion for people who have been looking for a way to boost their AAdvantage accounts.
Perhaps it’s sign of things to come with Citi?
I wouldn’t be too doubtful given that AA is a transfer partner of the new Bilt Mastercard. Maybe AA is looking to make more moves with Citi in the near future?
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
