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!
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:
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 ThankYou travel portal. Image Credit: CitiA 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 |
| 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 Suites features a double bed and separate lounge chair. Image Credit: Greg StoneMany 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)
Use your Citi ThankYou Points to travel to Hawaii for vacation! Options are available in economy and business/first class if you transfer your points to KrisFlyer. Image Credit: Darren Lawrence via UnsplashFlying 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. Image Credit: Greg StoneIf 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)
Image Credit: Virgin AtlanticWhile 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)
Seats 1A and 1K. Image Credit: Cherag DubashWithout 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 FranceAir 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.
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 ShutterstockAs 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 AirlinesWhile 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)
Flying American Airlines in business class using Etihad Guest is a steal! Image Credit: American AirlinesEtihad’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)
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 MarocEtihad’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)
Experience a great business class product on an under-the-radar airline, Oman Air. Image Credit: Oman AirEtihad 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 AuAlways 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. Image Credit: Stephen AuEVA 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 Qsuites are a sight to see. Image Credit: Greg StoneThe 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. Image Credit: Cherag DubashEmirates 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.
Click on “Points Transfer” to proceed to the screen where you can transfer your points. Image Credit: CitiNow, it’s time to choose which airline you want to transfer your ThankYou Points to.
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: CitiOnce you select a transfer partner, you’ll need to choose how many points you would like to 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: CitiThen it’s time to enter your loyalty program number.
Enter your loyalty account information for your desired airline. You can save it for later! Image Credit: CitiOnce you accept the terms and conditions, you are only 1 step away from completing the transfer.
Accept the transfer amount and the terms and conditions to complete the transfer. Image Credit: CitiOnce 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 for the Citi Prestige® Card, Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card, and Sears Mastercard® with ThankYou® Rewards was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
