Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners: Redeem your points with airlines and hotels
Editor's Note
With over 20 transfer partners, Citi ThankYou Rewards provides plenty of options for travelers to redeem their ThankYou points. Whether you have a Citi card or are considering stepping into the ThankYou Rewards program, it's important to understand where your points can go.
Transferring points to airline and hotel partners is often one of the best ways to maximize Citi ThankYou Rewards, but the value you receive depends on which card you hold and how you redeem your points.
Here's everything you need to know about Citi's 22 transfer partners.
Citi transfer partner overview
Here is a list of Citi's transfer partners and their transfer ratios (Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Red are separate transfer partners, but are listed together):
| Transfer partner | Transfer ratio with a premium Citi card | Transfer ratio with a no-annual-fee Citi card |
|---|---|---|
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:0.8 | 1:0.56 | |
Etihad Guest | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
Thai Royal Orchid Plus | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red | 1:1 | 1:0.7 |
1:0.5 | 1:0.35 | |
1:1.5 | 1:1.05 | |
1:0.2 | 1:0.14 | |
1:2 | 1:1.4 | |
1:1 | 1:0.7 | |
Shop Your Way Rewards | 10:1 | 10:1 |
Occasionally, a transfer bonus may be offered, in which you can score a higher ratio when transferring your ThankYou Rewards points.
How to earn Citi ThankYou points
You can earn transferable Citi ThankYou Rewards points with some Citi credit cards, including:
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees): Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Keep in mind, not all ThankYou points have the same value. To transfer Citi ThankYou points at the highest ratio, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou card such as the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to applications) or the Citi Strata Premier.
However, if you hold both a no-annual-fee Citi card and a premium Citi card, you can combine your ThankYou points into a single account and then transfer them to partners at a 1:1 ratio.
The information for the Citi Prestige cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For more information about which cards can transfer rewards to Citi's partners, check out this guide.
How to transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points
To transfer your Citi ThankYou points, follow these steps:
- Visit ThankYou.com and sign in.
- Click 'Travel' at the top navigation bar and select 'Points transfer.'
- Ensure the name on your loyalty account matches the name on your Citi card.
- You must transfer in increments of 1,000 ThankYou points, but cannot transfer more than 500,000 points in one transaction.
Although transfers to most partners are instant, some can take more time. Citi states that a transfer can take up to 14 days to process. If you notice a transfer is taking longer than expected, I suggest being proactive and contacting that loyalty program's customer service sooner rather than later. I didn't do this earlier this year and it cost me.
Before transferring points, confirm your desired award is available and compare the required miles and taxes and fees. Transfers are generally irreversible, so it's best to have a specific redemption in mind before moving your points.
What are the best Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer partners?
Not all transfer partners are alike, and although Citi ThankYou points can transfer to 21 travel partners, some are better than others. Ideally, the best partner for you is based on which airlines you fly often and to which destinations you fly.
That said, here's a rundown of some of our favorite Citi ThankYou transfer partners.
Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines AAdvantage is one of Citi's most compelling transfer partners, particularly for travelers looking to book domestic flights or award travel on American's Oneworld partners, such as Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines. Citi is currently the only credit card issuer that offers transfers to AAdvantage, making this partnership especially valuable for fans of the program.
I enjoy using my AAdvantage miles for domestic flights, since AAdvantage commonly offers the most affordable redemptions among popular award programs that I have access to.
For example, I recently redeemed AAdvantage miles for two separate one-way flights so my mom could visit me in early 2027. The first, from Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) to Portland International Airport (PDX), cost me 8,500 miles plus $11.20 in taxes and fees. The return trip was for 8,500 miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees.
In total, this saved my mom almost $585, meaning I received roughly 3.4 cents per mile for the entire booking. That's more than double TPG's October 2026 valuation of AAdvantage miles at 1.45 cents per mile.
Keep in mind that AAdvantage uses dynamic award pricing, so redemption rates can vary depending on your route and travel dates.
Related: Not enough AAdvantage miles for an award? American's new cash and miles option can help
Book flights to Europe on Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Air France-KLM Flying Blue has long been a favorite here at TPG, since you can often find solid award deals on flights to Europe through this program.
For example, TPG credit cards writer Stephanie Stevens recently redeemed 18,750 Flying Blue miles plus $33 in taxes and fees for a one-way flight from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
The cash price for this flight was $675.50, netting her 3.4 cents per mile in value. That's far above TPG's October 2026 valuations of Flying Blue miles at 1.4 cents per mile.
We recommend checking out Flying Blue's monthly Promo Rewards to possibly lock in an even lower award flight price.
Related: How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles
Fly from the US to Italy or Greece on Emirates Skywards
Emirates Skywards is the most straightforward way to book business-class or first-class award tickets on the ever-popular and opulent carrier. A fun and unique way to fly the carrier is through its fifth-freedom routes between the U.S. and Europe.
For example, you could fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Athens International Airport (ATH) at the following rates:
- Economy Saver: 17,500 miles
- Business Saver: 59,000 miles
Note that to redeem miles for Emirates first-class, you must hold Skywards Silver status or higher. However, we have a handy hack on how to book a premium seat on this airline without status.
Also keep in mind that Citi points transfer to Emirates at a 1:0.8 ratio with eligible premium Citi cards, so you'll need more ThankYou points than the number of Skywards miles required for an award.
Related: The complete guide to the Emirates A380 onboard bar and lounge
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Qatar Airways Privilege Club is most well-known for its Qsuite business-class product. Privilege Club releases more space to its own program than it does to partner loyalty programs, so it may be worth using your ThankYou points for Qatar flights.
Qatar Qsuite business-class seats typically start at 70,000 Avios one-way, such as for routes from the U.S. to Doha.
Since the program uses Avios as its loyalty currency, you can combine your Avios across other programs that use the same currency.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is one of the best ways to book Singapore Airlines first-class. If you're flying on the carrier's Airbus A380, you'll be in for a treat as the first-class suite offers maximal privacy — and if booking two seats, you can combine them to give you and your travel partner even more space.
At the saver level, you can book a first-class suite for as little as 32,000 KrisFlyer miles when flying to Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei or up to 209,500 miles when flying to the U.S. West Coast from Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. Notably, the KrisFlyer program allows you to waitlist if an award isn't available.
Singapore Airlines still uses an award chart, unlike many airline loyalty programs. That can allow you to more easily plan for certain redemptions. If premium cabin rates seem high and you're looking for a deal, the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program offers value.
Related: Worth the upcharge? Flying Singapore Airlines premium economy
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has been a favorite of award travelers, and although the program uses dynamic pricing for Virgin Atlantic-operated flights, there are opportunities to fly between the U.S. and London for cheap in Upper Class.
For example, you can fly in business class on Virgin Atlantic from the East Coast to London for as few as 35,000 miles one-way or 41,000 miles from the West Coast.
If you want to fly to Europe for as few as several thousand miles, you can get to London from the East Coast for as few as 6,000 miles.
As with Air France-KLM Flying Blue, you can expect to pay hefty taxes and fees on most Virgin Atlantic redemptions. For example, a typical business-class flight between the East Coast and London will run you over $600 in taxes and fees.
Economy is somewhat cheaper, at roughly $150 per award ticket. Still, this is quite a bit higher than other award programs. These taxes and fees will reduce the overall value of your redemption.
Related: How to book Delta award flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points
What are Citi ThankYou points worth?
According to TPG's October 2026 valuations, Citi points are worth 1.9 cents each. Transferring your points to an airline or hotel partner will give you the best value and the chance of maximizing the value of your Citi points far beyond 1.9 cents each.
You can book travel through Citi's own travel portal — but at most, you'll only earn 1 cent per point, so it's not the greatest option for maximizing points. There are additional ways to redeem points, such as purchasing gift cards, shopping with points and cash back; however, these will not get you the best value.
I recommend avoiding them if you want to maximize your points.
TPG senior editor for loyalty programs, Christine Gallipeau, recently transferred 230,000 Citi ThankYou points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to contribute to a round-trip business-class flight between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI).
If Christine paid cash for this round-trip, she would've paid $10,443.73. Considering the total cost of her award booking was 344,000 miles, she received roughly 3 cents per mile in value. According to TPG's October 2026 valuations, that's more than double what KrisFlyer miles are typically worth at 1.3 cents per mile.
Bottom line
Knowing how to use your Citi ThankYou Rewards is important if you want to get maximum value from them. Citi offers a range of great transfer partners, but the ones that appeal the most to you will depend on your travel plans and which airlines and hotels you book with most often.
Whenever you're ready to transfer your ThankYou points, use this guide to help you determine which partner will offer you the most value. Pay close attention to transfer ratios and bonuses, since they can make a difference worth thousands or even tens of thousands of points.
And since transfers are generally irreversible, it's best to have a specific redemption in mind before moving your ThankYou points.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Citi credit cards based on offer history
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