American Airlines and Citi Extend Partnership, Will Transition Barclays Cardmembers

Updated: December 5, 2024, 10:11am CST

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American and Citi Extend Credit Card Partnership, Drop Barclays
Citi ThankYou May Add American as a Transfer Partner
Final Thoughts

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American Airlines and Citi are extending their longstanding co-branded credit card partnership.

This extension will again make Citi the sole issuer of American Airlines credit cards, as the Dallas-based airline announced that Barclays’ cardholders will transition to Citi in 2026.

Here’s what we know about the extension and what will happen to the Barclays American Airlines credit card portfolio and Citi ThankYou.

American and Citi Extend Credit Card Partnership, Drop Barclays

According to American Airlines, the airline and Citi inked a deal to extend their 37-year co-branded credit card partnership. Part of this extension includes American ending its Barclays partnership, which it inherited when the airline merged with US Airways in 2013.

AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard — Citi will again become the sole issuer of American Airlines co-branded credit cards. Image Credit: Katie Seemann

The airline announced those with Barclays American Airlines credit cards will transition to Citi accounts in 2026. Barclays’ American credit cards will operate as normal until the transition, and more information will be “made available in the coming months.”

It’s unclear if Barclays cardmembers will transition to existing Citi products or if new credit cards will be made available.

In a press release, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom notes that this closer partnership will allow American and Citi to “unlock even more value and exciting new benefits for all of our customers in the future.”

Hot Tip:

Learn everything there is to know about the American Airlines AAdvantage program in our in-depth guide.

Citi ThankYou May Add American as a Transfer Partner

The press release also notes that “the agreement creates an innovative alignment between the Citi ThankYou and AAdvantage^® card programs,” and that it will “produce a significantly expanded loyalty and rewards offering for AAdvantage^® members and Citi-branded cardmembers.”

No details are available beyond this right now. However, it could be intrepreted that Citi ThankYou will add American AAdvantage as a transfer partner in the coming years. We’ve seen this happen on a promotional basis in the past, when Citi ThankYou added AAdvantage as a temporary transfer partner in 2021.

Further, Bilt Rewards dropped AAdvantage as a transfer partner earlier this year before adding Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan — another Oneworld loyalty program — as a transfer partner. This sets the stage for Citi ThankYou to be American’s only credit card provider and only transfer partner in the U.S.

Final Thoughts

This is big news for American Airlines’ co-branded credit card portfolio. Those with Barclays-issued American Airlines credit cards will be tranisitoned to Citi in 2026. This will again make Citi the only bank issuing American Airlines credit cards. Exactly what cards the Barclays customers will receive remains unknown.

Further, the mention of Citi ThankYou in the press release means that we could see American’s AAdvantage loyalty program be added as a transfer partner in the coming years. If this happens, Citi ThankYou Points could gain further value.

That’s all we know for now, but we’ll be sure to update you when more information is available.