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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
August 21, 2025 • 10 min read
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Quick summary
The Citi Travel portal enables eligible cardholders to book flights, hotels, rental cars and attractions, with the option to pay using points, a card or both.
Booking through the portal can provide bonus rewards and access to valuable travel perks, such as hotel credits or on-property benefits, depending on the card held.
Hotel and car rental bookings via the portal do not earn elite status benefits from loyalty programs, which may be a drawback for frequent travelers.
Redemptions through the portal value points at 1 cent each, which is less than the value estimated by TPG's August 2025 valuations.
What to consider
Flight bookings through the portal may cost about 10% more than booking directly with airlines, based on August 2024 data.
Multicity flight itineraries are not supported, and filtering out basic economy fares is not possible within the portal.
Booking through the portal forfeits elite status benefits with hotel and car rental loyalty programs.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed walkthrough of booking processes, comparisons of hotel programs and tips for maximizing value when using the portal.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
The Citi Travel portal gives Citi cardholders the ability to book a wide range of travel, from flights and hotels to rental cars and even experiences such as tours and attraction tickets. It can be a good use of ThankYou Rewards points for those who prefer the simplicity of a travel portal, instead of jumping through the steps of transferring points to Citi's transfer partners.
Bookings made through Citi Travel are also eligible for elevated bonus points with select Citi cards and are a solid way to take advantage of perks like statement credits and other benefits.
Let's explore the Citi Travel portal, how to use it and discuss any potential drawbacks. Additionally, I'll review how to book travel and explain how cardholders can pay using their ThankYou Rewards points.
What is the Citi Travel portal?
The Citi Travel portal offers four types of travel purchases:
Attractions
Car rentals
Flights
Hotels
Travel purchases on the portal can be made using Citi ThankYou Rewards points, a credit card or a combination of both.
If you choose to redeem points for purchases made on Citi Travel, you may not be maximizing your hard-earned ThankYou Rewards points because redemptions are valued at a meager 1 cent per point.
WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES
With the recent changes to Citi's lineup of credit cards and the introduction of new cards, including the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see ), the Citi Travel portal is on the radar of new and prospective cardholders.
The portal is lucrative for Citi cardholders who wish to earn bonus rewards on their purchases. For example, the following Citi cards have elevated earnings on Citi Travel purchases:
The information for the Citi Custom Cash 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.
You can access Citi Travel if you hold an eligible Citi ThankYou Rewards points-earning credit card. Click this link and log in to your Citi account.
If you have multiple Citi credit cards, you must select which card you want to use. Once you select a card, you're ready to start booking travel.
How to book flights using Citi Travel
Booking flights through Citi Travel is similar to other issuer portals, such as American Express Travel or Chase Travel℠. Simply enter your origin, destination, number of passengers, dates and class of service.
At the moment, you can book one-way and round-trip airfare, but not multicity itineraries.
CITI TRAVEL
Here's an example of a flight search from Chicago to Los Angeles. If you want a broad search of all the airports at your origin and destination, you can type in the name of a city instead of a specific airport. This gives you the flexibility to see different options.
CITI TRAVEL
You can filter your results by preferred airline, stops, flight times or price. You can also choose "mix and match," which pairs different airline carriers to get you the best price possible.
CITI TRAVEL
Unfortunately, you cannot filter out basic economy fares, and in order to pick a different fare class, you must select your flight and then scroll down to see which fare types are offered.
I seldom use the Citi Travel portal to book flights. I have found from past experiences that when dealing with flight changes, cancellations or interruptions, it's more challenging to deal with an online travel agency versus directly with the airline.
Before using points to pay for a flight in full or splitting the cost with a cash copay, consider transferring points to Citi's transfer partners. Transferring points may cost less than using points through the portal, and is a better way to get more than 1 cent per point. For reference, according to TPG's August 2025 valuations, Citi ThankYou Rewards points are worth 1.9 cents each.
Additionally, I highly recommend comparing prices before booking through the portal. Based on data points obtained in August 2024, Citi Travel flights were about 10% more than booking directly with the airline. It may be cheaper to book directly with an airline or another issuer's travel portal, so be sure to do your research.
Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants): Receive a fourth night free on hotel bookings, available up to twice per calendar year
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.
The Reserve by Citi Travel features five-star properties, and the Hotel Collection features four-star hotels. Here's how the programs compare to each other:
Benefit
The Reserve
Hotel Collection
Daily breakfast for two
Included
Included
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Included
Included
Early check-in/late checkout
Based on availability
Based on availability
Room upgrade
Based on availability
Not offered
On-property credit
$100 experience credit (redemptions vary by property)
None
If you're looking for elevated hotel perks, filter your results by Hotel Collection or The Reserve properties.
Here's an example of a Hotel Collection property showing the included benefits:
CITI TRAVEL
When booking hotels through the portal, you forfeit any elite status earnings and benefits because most loyalty programs require direct bookings to recognize elite status. It's up to you to decide if the benefits you give up are worth the extra ThankYou Rewards points you earn when booking via the portal.
I have Marriott Platinum Elite status, so losing out on perks such as lounge access at select hotels, 50% bonus points and enhanced room upgrades is not a fair trade-off, despite earning bonus ThankYou Rewards points as a Strata Premier cardholder.
How to book rental cars using Citi Travel
Searching for rental cars feels simple and familiar to what you'll find with other online travel agencies.
CITI TRAVEL
After selecting a car, on the next page, you'll see the full details of the rental, including the cancellation policy.
CITI TRAVEL
When reserving a rental car through Citi Travel, you also lose out on taking advantage of any car rental company elite status and benefits you typically receive when booking directly.
One standout feature of the Citi Travel portal is the ability to book attractions. This is what makes the Citi Travel portal so useful: You can book everything from flights and hotels to activities in a single transaction.
CITI TRAVEL
When you search for a destination, you’ll see all available options. For example, when searching in Los Angeles as a destination, you will see options like a Hollywood ghost tour, a private car transfer from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and an LA food tour.
CITI TRAVEL
When you see an activity or tickets you want to purchase, click on the tile. This will take you to a page with details about this offering and the cancellation policies.
Bottom line
The Citi Travel portal allows you to make travel reservations for flights, hotels, rental cars and even attractions. The two main benefits of booking through the portal are the ability to earn bonus ThankYou Rewards points with an eligible Citi card and the ability to pay for your purchase using your existing Citi ThankYou Rewards points.
If you hold the Citi Strata Elite, the Citi Strata Premier or the Citi Prestige, be sure to take advantage of your card's travel benefits with Citi Travel, whether it's a travel credit or a free night perk with eligible bookings. Don't forget the trade-offs of booking with a portal versus booking directly.
If convenience is your deciding factor, this user-friendly portal offers many options when planning your upcoming vacation.
