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Should I Transfer ThankYou Points to Virgin America?

Dec. 25, 2016
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3 min read
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Should I Transfer ThankYou Points to Virgin America?
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TPG reader Alec sent me a message to ask about changes coming to Citi ThankYou Rewards:

"Should I transfer my Citi points to Virgin America so I can transfer to Alaska Airlines later?"

The partnership between Citi and Virgin America didn't last long. The Elevate program was added as a ThankYou Rewards transfer partner only about 15 months ago, but Citi recently announced that the partnership will end in late January, reducing its roster of partner airlines and hotels to 14.

That news — paired with the finalized merger between Virgin America and Alaska Airlines — means award travelers now have a window to transfer points from Citi to Alaska's Mileage Plan program. However, just because you can doesn't mean you should, and I'd recommend against transferring points speculatively.

The main drawback is the transfer ratio from Citi to Virgin America. You can transfer to most of Citi's airline partners at 1:1, but Virgin America is an unfavorable 2:1, so 1,000 ThankYou points gets you just 500 Elevate points. In fairness, I think Elevate points are worth more on average than ThankYou points, but they're certainly not worth twice as much, so you'd be losing a fair amount of value in that exchange.

We now know that Elevate points will transfer to Mileage Plan at a ratio of 1:1.3. That's a good deal if you already have points from Virgin America on hand, however transfers from Citi seem lackluster to me despite that more favorable ratio. You'll end up with just 0.65 Mileage Plan miles for each ThankYou point, so again I think you'd be losing value on average.

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You can now transfer Elevate points to Alaska Airlines, but transferring from Citi first isn't a good option.

Ultimately, there are better ways to use ThankYou points. If none of the transfer partners interest you, the ThankYou Travel Center lets you redeem points directly toward travel for as much as 1.6 cents apiece. I don't think you'll get nearly the same value by transferring to Virgin America. The same goes for Amex Membership Rewards, which also transfer to Virgin America at 2:1.

For more on the merger, check out these posts:

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

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Featured image by James Bareham

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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