28 Best Ways To Redeem Citi ThankYou Points [2023]

Q: Who are Citi ThankYou airline partners?

Citi’s transfer partners include: Citi Transfer PartnerMin TransferTransfer RatioTransfer Time Aeromexico Club Premier1,0001:1Almost Instantly Air France / KLM Flying Blue1,0001:1Almost Instantly ALL - Accor Live Limitless1,0002:1Almost Instantly Avianca Airlines Lifemiles1,0001:1Almost Instantly Cathay Pacific 1,0001:1Almost Instantly Choice Privileges1,0001:2Almost Instantly Emirates Skywards1,0001:1Almost Instantly Etihad Airways1,0001:1Almost Instantly EVA Air1,0001:12 Days JetBlue Airways1,0001:1Almost Instantly Qantas Airways1,0001:1Almost Instantly Qatar Airways 1,0001:12 Days Singapore Airlines1,0001:12 Days Thai Airways1,0001:14 Days Turkish Airlines1,0001:1Almost Instantly Virgin Atlantic1,0001:1Almost Instantly

Citi has an assembly of cards that earn Citi ThankYou Points, and one of the best ways to use these points is to transfer them to airline programs — that’s how you’re going to get the most value.

Unfortunately, not all redemption options are of equal value, but Citi offers many ways to use your Citi ThankYou Points for some amazing trips!

Table of contents

Earning Citi ThankYou Points
Transferring Citi ThankYou Points to Travel Partners
- Using the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal
- Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners
The 28 Best Ways To Use Your Citi ThankYou Points
How To Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Partners
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Earning Citi ThankYou Points
Transferring Citi ThankYou Points to Travel Partners
- Using the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal
- Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners
The 28 Best Ways To Use Your Citi ThankYou Points
How To Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Partners
Final Thoughts

Earning Citi ThankYou Points

The best way to earn Citi ThankYou Points is through the strategic use of credit cards that earn these valuable points.

Cardholders of the Citi Premier® Card and Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) have the option to transfer their Citi ThankYou Points to all of Citi’s airline and hotel partners.

Those with the Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Rewards+® Card, Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards, and Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card (no longer open to new applicants) can only transfer ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio and Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue at a 1:0.8 ratio.

Transferring Citi ThankYou Points to Travel Partners

The Citi ThankYou Program provides 2 ways to redeem ThankYou Points for flights:

Redemptions for flights through the Citi ThankYou travel portal
Direct transfers to airline partners

Using the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal

Citi ThankYou cardholders can redeem points for flights through the Citi ThankYou travel portal at a rate of 1 cent per point.

The Citi ThankYou travel portal is a useful tool because it will give you access to using your reward points with airlines beyond the Citi ThankYou airline partners.

Citi Travel Center — Citi ThankYou travel portal. Image Credit: Citi

A great perk of using ThankYou Points to purchase flights via the Citi ThankYou travel portal is that you will earn miles with the airline you fly (or the airline you choose to credit the flight). In effect, this provides a nice rebate when you use ThankYou Points to book airfare.

Cardmembers can redeem ThankYou Points for flights at around a rate of 1 cent per point. This means that a $100 flight will cost 10,000 ThankYou Points.

Citi ThankYou Transfer Partners

Citi airline partners include some great programs like Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Etihad Guest, JetBlue TrueBlue, Avianca LifeMiles, and Turkish Miles&Smiles. Most have a 1:1 transfer rate, depending on the card you hold.

Citi Transfer Partner	Min Transfer	Transfer Ratio	Transfer Time
Aeromexico Club Premier	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
ALL - Accor Live Limitless	1,000	2:1	Almost Instantly
Avianca Airlines Lifemiles	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Cathay Pacific	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Choice Privileges	1,000	1:2	Almost Instantly
Emirates Skywards	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Etihad Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
EVA Air	1,000	1:1	2 Days
JetBlue Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qantas Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qatar Airways	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Singapore Airlines	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Thai Airways	1,000	1:1	4 Days
Turkish Airlines	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Virgin Atlantic	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Wyndham Rewards	1,000	1:1	Within 24 Hours

The 28 Best Ways To Use Your Citi ThankYou Points

Sure, you could use your points for statement credits, gift cards, or one of the other redemption options. But to get the maximum value from your Citi ThankYou Points, you should transfer your points to frequent flyer programs.

These redemptions are especially valuable for international flights.

Please keep in mind that these options aren’t the only options for redemption, but are some of the best ways to use your Citi ThankYou Points to boost your points’ value.

Hot Tip: Need to earn points first? See our article on the best ways to earn Citi ThankYou Points.

1. Fly Singapore Suites on the A380 (KrisFlyer)

Singapore Airlines new A380 First Suite Double Bed — Singapore Airlines’ new A380 Suites features a double bed and separate lounge chair. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Many people transfer points to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer so that they can experience Singapore Suites, one of the premier first class products available. If you have a travel date, you can even enjoy a double bed in the sky! It’s safe to say this is one experience you don’t want to miss.

There is only 1 option to fly Singapore Suites from the U.S., and that’s out of New York. For 97,000 miles you can try Suites from New York to Frankfurt.

If 7 hours in suites class isn’t enough, you can continue on to Singapore for a total of 148,500 miles. Feeling adventurous? You can fly from New York to Sydney for 188,000 miles, which would give you over 24 hours in luxury!

If you aren’t based in New York, you can still enjoy suites after connecting there to start your journey.

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Singapore Suites or first class.

2. Fly United Domestic Economy or Business Class (KrisFlyer)

If you’re looking for a transcontinental flight on United you can use KrisFlyer miles.

One-way in business class costs 26,000 KrisFlyer miles, and one-way in economy class will cost 14,000 KrisFlyer miles.

3. Fly Between the Continental U.S. and Hawaii (KrisFlyer)

Flying to Hawaii is without a doubt one of the most popular uses of miles and reward points. KrisFlyer again provides a great way to utilize the Star Alliance network.

For economy or business/first class flights, you will need 19,500 miles or 39,000 miles, respectively. United charges much more than that for the same flights in many cases.

4. Fly to Europe From the U.S. (KrisFlyer)

Looking for a cheap way to get to Europe? You can get a one-way flight in economy class on a Star Alliance partner for only 30,500 KrisFlyer miles.

5. Fly to the Middle East or North Africa From the U.S. (KrisFlyer)

The KrisFlyer program has some amazing partner redemption options to the Middle East and North Africa: one-way in economy class for 52,000 miles, one-way in business for 88,000 miles, or one-way in first class for 114,000 miles.

6. Fly From the U.S. to Central or South Africa (KrisFlyer)

Flying to Central and South Africa is not always easy and often expensive, but KrisFlyer provides a great option in business class. You can book a one-way flight on a Star Alliance partner in business class for 111,000 miles.

7. Fly From Los Angeles to Tokyo (KrisFlyer)

Check out Singapore Airlines flights from Los Angeles to Tokyo. For 120,500 miles, you can enjoy a great first class experience.

8. Fly From San Francisco to Hong Kong (KrisFlyer)

Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 Business Class — Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 business class. Image Credit: Greg Stone

If you’re looking for a premium experience to Southeast Asia, you can use KrisFlyer miles to fly Singapore business class to Hong Kong for 100,500 miles, or get to Singapore for 146,500 miles.

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Singapore business class using points.

9. Fly Virgin Atlantic Upper Class to Europe (KrisFlyer)

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Seat — Image Credit: Virgin Atlantic

While Singapore Airlines has 1 award chart for all Star Alliance partners, it has a separate one for flights on Virgin Atlantic.

However, you can experience Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class product for only 58,500 miles one-way.

Need Help Booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking Virgin Atlantic Upper Class using points.

10. Fly Lufthansa First Class to Europe (Avianca LifeMiles)

Lufthansa B747-8 First Class Seat — Seats 1A and 1K. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

Without a doubt, Lufthansa first class is an aspirational experience that should be on your list. For 87,000 Avianca LifeMiles, you can fly to Europe and enjoy one of the best first class products in the sky.

To top it off, if you connect in Frankfurt, you will have a chance to visit the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. This is a lounge experience of a lifetime, so make sure your connection leaves you a few hours.

Best of all, you won’t be hit with enormous fuel surcharges!

Need help booking? Check out our step-by-step guide to booking Lufthansa first class.

11. Fly Between the South Pacific Islands (KrisFlyer)

If you’d like to visit some South Pacific islands, KrisFlyer miles can be a great choice.

Singapore charges 13,500 miles in economy. At 34,500 miles for business, KrisFlyer is no longer the great deal it used to be. United charges 30,000 miles for business class, in comparison.

Availability on this one can be tough, but it will be worth the effort if you can make it work with your schedule. You can learn about more KrisFlyer redemptions by using Singapore Airlines’ Star Alliance award chart.

12. Fly Air France or KLM With Promo Rewards (Flying Blue)

Use your Citi ThankYou Points to access Air France business class! Image Credit: Air France

Air France/KLM Flying Blue utilizes a variable award pricing calculator, which it says is tied to revenue prices. This simply isn’t true; as a result, it’s very difficult to pin down an exact cost, as there are many award pricing levels now.

Probably the best way to use the Flying Blue program is its Promo Rewards. These awards run throughout the year and change every few months. You will generally receive a 25% to 50% discount on economy and business class award tickets from Europe to specific cities.

Typically, Flying Blue awards between the U.S. and Europe cost 21,500 to 27,000 miles for economy class and 53,000 to 71,000 miles for business class. With just a 25% discount, that drops the mileage cost to 16,125 to 20,250 miles and 39,750 to 53,250 miles, respectively.

Flying Blue award flights do incur surcharges, so keep that in mind when booking these. Even with the surcharges, though, these awards can provide great value.

Hot Tip: If you need extra Flying Blue miles, you can also transfer any points you have with your Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

13. Take Advantage of a Broad Definition of Europe (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue really shines with its broad definition of Europe. This gives you access to countries such as Algeria, Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, and the Canary Islands at a lower redemption level.

Rooftops of Israel — You could see the rooftops of Israel, North Africa, or Europe for only 25,000 miles (or less with a Promo Reward)! Image Credit: Rostislav Ageev via Shutterstock

As mentioned above, a one-way business class award flight to “Europe” will cost 53,000 to 71,000 miles, which is a solid redemption. If you’re booking an economy class award flight, 21,500 to 27,000 miles for a one-way flight to Israel or North Africa is a fantastic deal.

14. Fly to Hawaii From the Continental U.S. (Flying Blue)

Another great redemption option is for flights from the continental U.S. to Hawaii. At only 15,000 miles for economy class and 30,000 miles for business class award flights on Flying Blue partner Delta, these are among the cheapest options available.

This is actually cheaper than using Delta’s own SkyMiles program to book an award flight with Delta! Read this article for more ideas on using Flying Blue miles.

15. Fly to Mexico at Domestic Redemption Rates (Flying Blue)

Unlike many programs, Flying Blue includes Mexico in the same region as the U.S. rather than the Caribbean and Central America. Because of this, you can book a one-way award flight from the U.S. to Mexico for only 12,500 miles.

16. Fly From the U.S. to the Caribbean (Flying Blue)

Speaking of the Caribbean, you can book an award flight from the U.S. for 15,000 miles one-way. This means you will save at least 5,000 miles per round-trip flight compared to using a U.S. carrier’s program.

17. Cheap Awards to Australia and the South Pacific (Flying Blue)

Flying Blue provides a solid redemption option to the South Pacific, with one-way business class award flights costing 75,000 miles. The program also provides the cheapest award option in economy class at 48,000 miles one-way.

At these rates to Australia, Flying Blue becomes a competitive program for flights down under. You can also fly directly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tahiti (PPT) for 25,500 Flying Blue miles!

To see how many miles you would need for an award flight, check out Flying Blue’s miles price estimator.

18. A Cheap Business Class Flight to Europe (Etihad)

Using Etihad Guest miles to fly Brussels Airlines business class is a great way to visit Europe. Image Credit: Brussels Airlines

While Etihad may not be a member of a major airline alliance, it does have tons of partners. It also has a different award chart for each partner airline. Though the booking process may be tedious, there are some solid awards to be found.

One of these bookings is a round-trip business class trip on Brussels Airlines between New York (JFK) and Brussels (BRU) for 88,000 miles. You can book a round-trip economy class award flight for only 54,000 miles if economy is more your style. The same redemption rates can also be found from Toronto (YYZ) and Washington, D.C. (IAD).

Availability can be tough to find, but for one of the best award flight deals, it’s definitely worth the patience!

19. Fly American Airlines in Flagship Business or Flagship First (Etihad)

American Airlines business class — Flying American Airlines in business class using Etihad Guest is a steal! Image Credit: American Airlines

Etihad’s award chart for American allows you to book flights on American Airlines at some exceptional prices.

Let’s take a look at some of the great options you have by flying American Flagship First or Flagship Business with Etihad miles:

Fly to Europe for 50,000 miles in business class or 62,500 miles in first class
Fly to Asia 1 (Japan, Korea, Mongolia) for 50,000 miles in business class or 62,500 miles in first class
Fly to Asia 2 (China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.) for 55,000 miles in business class and 67,500 miles in first class
Fly to the South Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, etc.) for 62,500 in business class and 67,500 in first class

Need Help Booking? See our step-by-step instructions on booking American Airlines first class or business class using points.

20. Fly Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca (Etihad)

Royal Air Maroc business — Maybe you haven’t heard much about Royal Air Maroc, but keep them in mind if you want to visit Morocco! Image Credit: Royal Air Maroc

Etihad’s award chart for Royal Air Maroc is distance-based. This is different than the region-based award chart for its partnership with American Airlines. It’s also different than an award chart with specific routes, like its partnerships with Brussels Airlines and Czech Airlines.

For flights of 2,001 miles or more on Royal Air Maroc, you can book a one-way ticket in economy for 22,000 miles or business for 44,000 miles. This includes the routes between New York (JFK) to Casablanca (CMN), Miami (MIA) to Casablanca (CMN), and Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Casablanca (CMN), which is an amazing way to reach North Africa!

21. Fly Oman Air in Business Class (Etihad)

Oman Air first class — Experience a great business class product on an under-the-radar airline, Oman Air. Image Credit: Oman Air

Etihad has 2 great award flights on Oman Air. If you are in London, you can fly from London to Muscat one-way in business class for 44,000 miles.

If you are already in the Middle East, check out Oman Air’s route between Muscat and Singapore. For only 42,000 Etihad miles, you can fly one-way in business class on Oman Air.

While not as well known as some major international airlines, Oman Air’s business class has received great reviews.

22. Fly Delta One Suites Round-trip (Virgin Atlantic)

Delta One Suites A350-900. Image Credit: Stephen Au

Always wanted to try Delta One Suites, the phenomenal business class product from Delta Air Lines? You’re in luck! Virgin Atlantic, a Delta partner, has some of the best redemption rates for Delta One Suites.

Here are the routes you can take:

A350 Routes

Atlanta (ATL) – Seoul (ICN)
Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS)
Detroit (DTW) – Beijing (PEK)
Detroit (DTW) – Seoul (ICN)
Detroit (DTW) – Shanghai (PVG)
Detroit (DTW) – Tokyo (NRT)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (HND)
Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo (NRT)

777 Routes and Flight Start Dates

Atlanta (ATL) – Paris (CDG)
Atlanta (ATL) – Tokyo (NRT)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD)
Minneapolis (MSP) – Paris (CDG)
Minneapolis (MSP) – Seoul (ICN)
Minneapolis (MSP) – Tokyo (HND)

In general, the best sweet spots are flights between the U.S. and Europe (excluding the United Kingdom), which cost 50,000 miles one-way in Delta One Suites. All other flights will be significantly more expensive, including flights to the U.K., Asia, and Australia.

If you’d like to see some other great ways to book Delta One flights, check out our booking guide!

23. U.S. to Australia on Cathay Pacific (Asia Miles)

On Cathay Pacific, U.S. to Australia awards now price under the ultra-long-haul one-way price of 85,000 miles in business or 125,000 in first.

Remember that for each of these award prices, you will need to stop in Hong Kong before continuing to Australia. Here are a few routes you can use:

Boston (BOS) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Adelaide (ADL)
Chicago (ORD) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Melbourne (MEL)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Brisbane (BNE)
New York (JFK) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Perth (PER)
San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Sydney (SYD)

24. See 2 Asian Cities and 3 Pacific Islands (EVA Air)

EVA Air 777-300ER business class — EVA Air 777-300ER Business Class. Image Credit: Stephen Au

EVA Air’s Infinity MileageLands program doesn’t provide many great options for award bookings, but it does have some solid options in Asia. It also allows 2 stopovers and an open-jaw on round-trip Star Alliance award flights.

To see 3 islands and 2 Asian cities, you can fly round-trip in business class on United Airlines and Asiana for 55,000 miles.

For example, you can start in Tokyo and stopover in Guam with Saipan as your destination. You can then open-jaw to Palau by using 12,500 United miles for an economy class flight. From Palau, you can then fly to Seoul for your second stopover before returning to Tokyo.

25. Fly to Hawaii, Then Central America (EVA Air)

If you want a fun island adventure, you can fly round-trip in business class for 80,000 EVA Air miles to see Hawaii and 2 Caribbean islands.

Here’s an example of a possible routing: fly from San Francisco to St. Thomas with a stopover in Hawaii, then open-jaw to St. Maarten, and finally stopover in Toronto before returning to San Francisco.

26. Fly Around Europe (EVA Air)

Another fun option with EVA Infinity MileageLand miles is to fly around Europe. For 30,000 miles in economy class or 55,000 miles in business class, you can see several cities in Europe.

EVA Air’s award chart includes both Iceland and Russia in “Europe,” so you have a lot of options!

A sample routing could include a flight from Istanbul to Rome (stopover) and then on to Frankfurt (destination). You could then open-jaw to Berlin before flying to Copenhagen (stopover) and back to Istanbul. This route would include flights on Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and SAS.

Other than the above options, Singapore Airlines is probably the better deal for transferring points from the Citi ThankYou reward program to a partner airline. For more award flights, see EVA’s award charts.

Hot Tip: For more information, check out these ways to redeem EVA Air Miles for maximum value.

27. Fly Qatar Airways in Business Class (Qatar)

Qatar Airways Boeing 777 Qsuite Business Class Cabin — Qatar Airways Qsuites are a sight to see. Image Credit: Greg Stone

The Qatar Airways Privilege Club doesn’t provide a lot of great redemptions, but you can fly in business class to Doha at a reasonable redemption rate.

For 70,000 Avios, you can book a one-way award flight from the U.S. to Doha on Qatar Airways and experience one of the best business class products in the sky.

You can even try one of the most coveted business class products in the world: Qatar Airways Qsuites.

28. East Coast to Dubai Round-trip on Emirates (Qantas)

Emirates A380 Business Class — Emirates A380 business class. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

Emirates is known to have one of the best economy products and a fantastic business class.

There are several East Coast cities in this points range that fly direct to Dubai, including Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), and Toronto (YYZ). For Emirates award flights, you should reference the first Qantas award chart; since the one-way distance is less than 7,000 flown miles, Zone 7 pricing applies.

Need Help Booking? Read our guide on how to book Emirates business class using points.

How To Transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Partners

You can visit the Citi ThankYou travel portal and click Travel, then select Points Transfer from the dropdown menu, or you can jump straight to the Points Transfer page.

Transfer Citi Points — Click on “Points Transfer” to proceed to the screen where you can transfer your points. Image Credit: Citi

Now, it’s time to choose which airline you want to transfer your ThankYou Points to.

Citi Transfer Partners — You will see a list of all the airlines you can transfer your points to and the rates of each transfer. Each transfer starts at a minimum of 1,000 points. Image Credit: Citi

Once you select a transfer partner, you’ll need to choose how many points you would like to transfer.

Citi Point Transfer — You can choose the number of points to transfer using the slider or by manually entering a number. It will tell you how many points you have available to transfer. Image Credit: Citi

Then it’s time to enter your loyalty program number.

Once you accept the terms and conditions, you are only 1 step away from completing the transfer.

Citi Transfer — Accept the transfer amount and the terms and conditions to complete the transfer. Image Credit: Citi

Once you confirm the transfer, there is no way to reverse it. Make sure you want to transfer the points before confirming!

Bottom Line: Still have more questions? Check out this list of FAQs about Citi ThankYou Points to get answers.

Final Thoughts

Transferring your Citi ThankYou Points to one of its partner airlines can provide some fantastic travel options, and is in our opinion the best way to use Citi points.

Make sure you do your research when deciding between transferring your miles to a partner’s program and using the Citi ThankYou travel portal.

With a little planning, you’ll be on your way to Frankfurt in Singapore’s luxury suites class or to Brussels in business class for the fewest points possible.

The information regarding the Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Featured Image Credit: Greg Stone

Frequently asked questions

What are Citi points?

Citi's primary rewards program is ThankYou Rewards and the points you earn are Citi ThankYou Points.

Which credit cards earn Citi ThankYou Points?

There are currently several Citi cards that earn ThankYou Points: the Citi Prestige card, Citi Rewards+ card, Double Cash card, and the Sears card with ThankYou Rewards.

The Citi Prestige card and Citi ThankYou Preferred card also earn points but are no longer open to new applicants.

What are Citi ThankYou Points worth?

The value of Citi ThankYou points depends on the redemption. Overall, we value Citi ThankYou Points at 1.6 cents per point when redeemed with travel partners. That being said, redemptions for less than 1 cent per point should be avoided.

Airline partners are where you will find the most value for your points, particularly on award flights in international premium cabins. Transferring your ThankYou Points to partners can increase your ROI to around 3 to 10 cents per point!

If you redeem for flights through the Citi ThankYou travel portal, the value of your ThankYou Points will max out at about 1 cent per point when you hold a Citi Premier card. That's like getting a $100 ticket for the equivalent of about 10,000 ThankYou Points.

While you can redeem points for gift cards and statement credit for 1 cent each, we highly recommend using points for travel rewards.

What are Citi ThankYou Points worth on Amazon?

You can pay with points on Amazon.com at a rate of 0.8 cents per point.

While it may be tempting to use ThankYou Points to buy any number of items on Amazon, you would be better off using your ThankYou Points on travel.

Who are Citi ThankYou airline partners?

Citi's transfer partners include:

Citi Transfer Partner	Min Transfer	Transfer Ratio	Transfer Time
Aeromexico Club Premier	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
ALL - Accor Live Limitless	1,000	2:1	Almost Instantly
Avianca Airlines Lifemiles	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Cathay Pacific	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Choice Privileges	1,000	1:2	Almost Instantly
Emirates Skywards	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Etihad Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
EVA Air	1,000	1:1	2 Days
JetBlue Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qantas Airways	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Qatar Airways	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Singapore Airlines	1,000	1:1	2 Days
Thai Airways	1,000	1:1	4 Days
Turkish Airlines	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Virgin Atlantic	1,000	1:1	Almost Instantly
Wyndham Rewards	1,000	1:1	Within 24 Hours

Keep in mind that both hotel and airline partners are included in the table above.

When do Citi ThankYou Points update in your account?

Points earned will appear in your account at the end of each monthly billing cycle.

When do Citi ThankYou Points expire?

Citi ThankYou Points will never expire as long as you have an open Citi card that earns ThankYou Points. You will have 30 days from account closing to use your Citi ThankYou Points.

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About Spencer Howard

Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience. Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class! Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal).

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

24 comments

Teresa February 28, 2018

I have 60K thank you reward points and I want to use them to book a trip to Iceland..what would be the best option?
Thanks

Reply
- James J. Lazos June 6, 2019
  
  Apparently, they don’t partner with hotels, and if they do its only 5 bucks off and you pay more than if you purchased directly from the website.
  
  Reply
  - Jarrod West June 6, 2019
    
    Hi James,
    
    While it is true that Citi does not offer any hotel transfer partners, you can still use Citi ThankYou points to purchase hotel stays through their travel portal.
    
    Reply
Kris B October 29, 2018

A disappointing and misleading article. Would except to see much more diversity than just transferring points to an airline for travel. What are other non-travel related options for using ThankYou points? Or at least specify that the article is airline/travel focused in the title.

Reply
- Stephen Au October 29, 2018
  
  Hey Kris,
  
  We understand that you might have been expecting non-travel options. However, non-travel redemptions generally get around 1-1.25 cents per point. With transferring ThankYou points, you will be able to multiply that by 10 most times to receive over 10-15 cents per point in value! That’s why we specify the title post of “Max Value”, where transferring to airlines for travel is the absolute best way to redeem points for max value.
  
  Reply
Gary February 26, 2019

Hi guys,

Thanks for the article. I have 55,000 ThankYou points that came from opening a Citi bank account. They CANNOT be transferred to airlines.

What is the best option to use these severely restricted ThankYou points?

Thanks again for your expert advice.

Gary

Reply
- Stephen Au February 27, 2019
  
  Gary,
  
  Thanks for reading. You can consider opening either the Citi Prestige or Citi Premier card to be able to transfer to airlines. Besides that, you can pretty much only redeem for gift cards or statement credits at 1 cent per point.
  
  Reply
Jeff March 12, 2019

Do these transfer partners allow you to book flights for family using miles? Do you know where I could find a list of airlines that let you book for others and those that restrict you?

Thanks!

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton March 12, 2019
  
  Hi Jeff and thanks for the question. Most airlines let you book tickets for others. I have booked several tickets for friends and family using miles on both domestic and international airlines. You can also book paid flights for others. The only airline I know of that has any restrictions is Korean Air which in the past has required documentation be sent to them.
  
  Reply
Joel June 3, 2019

Hello, I see that the Citi Premier credit card has a 60k bonus but their website shows for only 50k?

Reply
- Jarrod West June 8, 2019
  
  Hi Joel,
  
  Credit card offers change periodically and sometimes without warning.
  
  Reply
Joe September 22, 2019

Which Citi TYP partners are unique to Citi — that is, which partners are only available via Citi and not available via Amex MR or Chase URs?

Reply
- Jarrod West September 23, 2019
  
  Hi Joe,
  
  Citi transfer partners that are not available with American Express or Chase include Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, EVA Air, Qatar Airways, Thai Airways, and Turkish Airways.
  
  Keep in mind that some of these can be booked with Capital One or Marriott Bonvoy points, but none of them can be booked with Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards.
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
  Reply
James Chie November 1, 2019

Hi, great article.

I am a mileage member of American, Asia Miles (Oneworld Ruby), United (1K), EVA Air, and Japan Airlines. I live in Singapore and travel to the USA a lot and my favorite stopover is Tokyo.

I saw that my Citi ThankYou points (I have around 1.2 million) and I also have chase sapphire reserve. And points can be transferred to these partners. Seems like not all partners are equal for instance sounds like the sweet spot is using Alaska Airlines points to book trans-pacific award flights, Eva Air for within Asia.

Is it worth it to use points to book flights themselves because I do get miles from flights and depending on fare class there’s some decent booking class bonuses for them. My intuition tells me that go with the option that gets more cents/mile which is the redemption option but wanted to check since some articles online does do the math on when to actually use points to book a flight vs redeeming. Wanted to get your two cents.

Thanks!

Reply
- Stephen Au November 1, 2019
  
  Hi James! Thanks for reading. We appreciate your support and feedback. If you maximize your Citi points, they can be worth many times more than the “generally accepted value” of the points themselves. For example, an international flight in Lufthansa First Class booked by transferring Citi points is worth a remarkable 10-20 cents per point. This is a return of nearly 10 times better than using them to book paid flights that earn miles.
  
  If you book a paid flight and earn miles, you might only get 1-1.25 cents per point. With a paid flight, you’ll probably earn around 10% of the actual cash value (1.25 cents per point). 10% of 1.25 cents per point is around .125 cent per point. If you add the cumulative value of those two, you’ll get at best a 1.375 cents per point return based on the example we just discussed.
  
  If you compare the 1.375 cents per point return on a paid travel booking redeemed with points with up to 20 cents per point return with redeeming an award flight, you’ll quickly find that the difference is massive.
  
  Thanks again!
  
  Reply
bang quan November 12, 2019

What is the most economical way to redeem Citi ThankYou points for a R/T business seat from LAX to SGN?

Reply
- Stephen Au November 12, 2019
  
  Xin chao, Bang!
  
  We’ve written an in-depth guide on the best ways to fly to Vietnam with points and miles, which you can check out here.
  
  https://upgradedpoints.com/best-ways-to-fly-to-vietnam-with-points-and-miles
  
  Also, if you’d like to have a service that offers personalized help with booking your flights or earning points and miles, you can e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.
  
  Reply
Janet April 17, 2020

Hi, any suggestion on the most economic way to use TYP for award travel from NYC to the Maldives?
Looking at economy as I only have about 100K, and trying to get 3 economy one-way tickets.
Thanks!

Reply
- Stephen Au April 20, 2020
  
  Janet,
  
  If you’re looking to get 3 economy one-way tickets, you should consider transferring your points to either Virgin Atlantic Flying Club or Air France Flying Blue. You can redeem as little as 28,000 miles when using Virgin Atlantic miles.
  
  Find more details on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club here:
  https://www.virginatlantic.com/us/en/flying-club/partners/airlines/air-france.html
  
  Reply
Kelley June 1, 2020

My citi premier becomes 1 year on 6/22/2020 and I wanted to know what was the most flexible airline partner to transfer to in order to conserve my points (since I’m planning on downgrading to rewards + since it has no annual fee).
I go to Korea every year so that would be the most useful, but I’m also interested in miles that can get me to Mexico or Thailand.

Reply
- Jarrod West June 17, 2020
  
  Hi Kelley,
  
  It really depends on how many ThankYou points you have. If you have quite a lot and could split them up amongst a few programs, that would give you a lot more flexibility in the future. But if I had to pick just one partner to transfer my ThankYou points to I would pick Avianca. Avianca is excellent for Star Alliance awards, especially to Korea and Thailand, they have solid award prices, and do not charge fuel surcharges on awards (which can be a big cash saver). Check out our post on the best ways to redeem Avianca miles for some ideas!
  
  I hope this helps and thanks for reading!
  
  Reply
Genise April 29, 2021

In your “updated” version dated April 26th, 2021 there should be an update on:
” Citi Premier Card holders can redeem points for flights through the Travel Center at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. ”
This benefit ended on April 10, 2021 – as I have personally experienced.
For Citi Premier cardholders the rate, when redeeming TYPs, is now 1 cent per point.

Reply
- Jarrod West May 4, 2021
  
  Hi Genise,
  
  Thank you for pointing that out. I have corrected the post.
  
  Reply
Mo Abd December 31, 2021

Emirates 4200 points Skywards redeems for $21.00 at the check out for airfare, it is not good to transfer my Thankyou points to Emirates, I’ll stick to statement credit 1:1.

Reply