Citi points now transfer to American Airlines: How long does it take?

Citi's ThankYou Rewards program has just added American Airlines AAdvantage as its newest transfer partner for three of its rewards cards.

This news is part of the unveiling of the all-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees). Existing cardholders with the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) and the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available) can also transfer their ThankYou Rewards points to American going forward.

The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

No other major transferable credit card currencies currently partner with the AAdvantage program, making Citi points even more valuable.

With the new transfer option now live, here's what you need to know about transferring Citi points to AAdvantage.

Related: Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage

Why you should transfer Citi points to AAdvantage

TPG values AAdvantage miles at 1.55 cents each in our July 2025 valuations that use our data-driven valuation method. This is one of the highest valuations of any airline currency, reflecting the great value you can get from both American Airlines and partner-operated flights.

AAdvantage prices American-operated flights dynamically, with prices starting from just 5,000 miles.

The program is one of the few remaining U.S. airline programs with a region-based partner award chart, which translates to some fantastic fixed award prices (think: 57,500 miles one-way in business class to Europe on Finnair or British Airways, 80,000 miles for Qantas business class to Australia or 80,000 miles to fly in first class to Tokyo via Japan Airlines).

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You can also book Qatar Airways' famous Qsuite business class from North America to the Maldives or India for just 70,000 AAdvantage miles via Doha's Hamad International Airport (DOH).

These are among the lowest rates you'll find offered by any airline program on these routes.

Related: Huge suites and phenomenal amenities: A review of Japan Airlines' new A350 first class

How to transfer Citi points to AAdvantage

When you log into your ThankYou Rewards account and select "Points Transfer," the American Airlines AAdvantage program will display as one of the transfer partner options at a 1:1 rate.

To transfer Citi points to AAdvantage, click the blue "Continue" button and then use the sliding scale to select the number of Citi points you'd like to transfer. Remember that Citi requires transferring points in 1,000-point increments, with a minimum of 1,000 points needed per transfer.

You'll also need to enter your AAdvantage number and then confirm it.

You'll then be taken to a confirmation page, where you must confirm the number of points you wish to transfer from Citi to American Airlines. Check the details carefully, as point transfers cannot be reversed.

Related: Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners: Redeem your points with airlines and hotels

How long do Citi transfers to American Airlines take?

In our testing, points transfers from Citi's ThankYou Rewards program to the American Airlines AAdvantage program occurred instantly. This is terrific news for anyone looking to redeem their Citi points instantly through the AAdvantage program.

Citi states that point transfers to AAdvantage are "often completed within 24 hours, however, the process may take up to 5 business days."

Bottom line

It's an exciting time for current and prospective Citi ThankYou Rewards members now that Citi has launched its new Strata Elite Card and added a top-tier U.S. airline as a transfer partner.

ThankYou Rewards points have just become more competitive against Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Capital One miles and American Express Membership Rewards points, making now a great time to become a ThankYou Rewards member to instantly book flights at great rates, especially on partner airlines.

Related reading:

• How to redeem miles with the American Airlines AAdvantage program
• American Airlines passengers can now use AAdvantage miles for inflight purchases
• American AAdvantage miles vs. Loyalty Points: What's the difference?