Advertiser Disclosure

Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.

Citi ThankYou Rewards Adds Virgin Red as Its Newest Transfer Partner

Juan Ruiz's image
Juan Ruiz
Juan Ruiz's image

Juan Ruiz

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

218 Published Articles 854 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 41U.S. States Visited: 28

Juan has extensive experience in writing and editing content related to credit cards, loyalty programs, and travel. He has been honing his expertise in this field for over a decade. His work has been ...
Edited by: Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith's image

Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

293 Published Articles 356 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 197U.S. States Visited: 50

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
& Kellie Jez
Kellie Jez's image

Kellie Jez

Director of Operations & Compliance

6 Published Articles 1226 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 10U.S. States Visited: 20

Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Citi ThankYou Rewards, 1 of the 5 major transferable-point programs, has added a new transfer partner.

Starting today, Virgin Red will be joining Citi as the program’s 18th transfer partner. As a result, Citi ThankYou Points can now be transferred to Virgin Red at a 1:1 ratio for cardholders of the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants).

Virgin Red is a rewards program that allows users to earn and redeem points on various types of travel, such as flights, cruises, and hotels, as well as activities and retail purchases.

Here’s what you need to know about the latest transfer partner of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.

Virgin Red Is Citi’s Newest Transfer Partner

Most people are already familiar with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, but what exactly is Virgin Red?

The Virgin Group launched a loyalty program known as Virgin Red in February of 2021. It offers members the opportunity to earn and redeem points across various Virgin brands, including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Voyages cruises, and Virgin Hotels. In addition, it has established partnerships with various U.S. retailers, allowing you to accumulate bonus points when making purchases.

Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady
On board a Virgin Voyages ship. Image Credit: Stella Shon

Effective immediately, the Citi ThankYou Rewards program is expanding its transfer partner list to include Virgin Red. With the addition of Virgin Red, Citi now has 18 airline and hotel transfer partners to which Citi cardholders may transfer their points for maximum value, with many of them converting points at a 1:1 rate.

It’s important to note that Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club loyalty program, which is well-regarded among point enthusiasts, already partners with Citi ThankYou Points. Thus, this new transfer addition of Virgin Red with Citi seems redundant, as points can already be effortlessly transferred between Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying at a 1:1 ratio, even though they are technically separate programs.

Although Capital One has a partnership with Virgin Red, it does not include Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club as a transfer partner. Citi now boasts the status of being the only major transferable points program partnering with both of the Virgin Group’s loyalty programs: Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Is It Worth It To Transfer Points to Virgin Red?

It’s always great to hear about a new transfer partner, but the real question is whether the partnership adds value. It is already possible to transfer Citi ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club at a 1:1 ratio.

It’s a bit puzzling as to why Virgin Red was added as a transfer partner to the Citi ThankYou Rewards program, considering that Flying Club points can already be simply transferred to Virgin Red, and vice-versa, once your accounts are linked.

Having said that, if you have Citi ThankYou Points and want to redeem them for a Virgin Voyages cruise, you can now transfer them directly to Virgin Red instead of first moving them to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club and then over to Virgin Red.

This would provide a simpler way to use points for cruises, hotels, or other entertainment and activity options.

Hot Tip:

For even more ideas on how to use your Virgin Points, check out our complete guide on the best ways to use your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Points for maximum value.

Final Thoughts

Today, Citi added Virgin Red as a 1:1 transfer partner. This makes Citi the only major transferable points program that partners with both Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club. Whether Citi cardholders will benefit from this new transfer partner is still up in the air. On the other hand, having more ways to earn and redeem points may one day open up exciting new opportunities.

The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Juan Ruiz's image

About Juan Ruiz

Juan has extensive experience in writing and editing content related to credit cards, loyalty programs, and travel. He has been honing his expertise in this field for over a decade. His work has been featured in various prestigious publications, such as USA Today, CNN Underscored, Forbes and The Points Guy. Juan is the visionary behind JetBetter, a premier award booking concierge service.

INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse

Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts...

Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.

We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.

Deluxe Travel Provided by UP Pulse
DMCA.com Protection Status