News

Citi adds American Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner, offers Admirals Club passes on brand-new card

Sean CudahySenior Aviation Reporter
Sean Cudahy is an aviation reporter covering news about airlines, frequent flyer programs and consumer travel issues.

July 27, 2025 • 7 min read

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Quick summary

A major credit card rewards program now allows direct 1:1 transfers to a leading U.S. airline's loyalty program, making it the only issuer with this option.
Eligible cardholders can transfer points instantly and redeem them for award flights with the airline, including premium cabins and domestic routes.
A new premium-tier card offers annual day passes to the airline's lounge network, with specific guest policies for adults and children.
This marks a significant expansion of transfer options, as the airline previously lacked a direct credit card transfer partner.

What to consider

Only select rewards cards are eligible for direct transfers to the airline's loyalty program; not all cardholders will qualify.
Lounge passes included with the new premium card are single-use and have restrictions on adult guest access, though children can enter without using additional passes.
American's loyalty program miles are currently valued as the most valuable among U.S. carriers as of July 2025 per TPG’s valuations.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed walkthrough of how to transfer points, redeem lounge passes and maximize new partnership benefits.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

A major credit card issuer has just added American Airlines as a transfer partner.

Citi on Sunday announced the launch of 1:1 transfers from its ThankYou Rewards program to American's AAdvantage loyalty program for three of the rewards cards in its lineup.

The move has made Citi the only card issuer with direct transfers to American, one of the three largest U.S. airlines.

Points transfers are expected to go live right away, on Sunday.

Citi revealed the news as part of the unveiling of the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees), its brand-new premium-tier credit card that comes with additional American Airlines benefits in the form of annual day passes to the airline's Admirals Club network.

Those lounge passes will be specific to the new Strate Elite Card, but existing cardholders with two other cards, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) and the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available), will be able to 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.

Citi and American get closer

Citi and American partnering on a credit card is nothing new. The airline and the issuer first joined forces decades ago and already jointly offer American’s suite of airline-specific cards, like the one that's been a workhorse of my wallet for the better part of a decade.

aa montana plane cabin — On board an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8. CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

But a new agreement between the two sides, unveiled late last year, set the stage for deeper ties between the companies.

And on Sunday, those ties led to Citi becoming the only major card issuer to allow consumers with transferable rewards to move those points directly to American.

“I think that we have always desired a major airline point transfer partner, and of course it would only be with American, so we’re delighted that we’ve come to the conclusion that customers will value this,” Pam Habner, Citi’s head of U.S. branded cards and lending, told TPG.

Here's what to know about the new transfer options and new American Airlines perks for Citi cardholders.

Can you transfer Citi ThankYou Rewards points to American Airlines?

Yes, depending on the card. As of Sunday, July 27, cardholders with the following Citi cards can transfer their ThankYou Rewards points directly to American’s AAdvantage program:

Citi Strata Elite (brand-new card with a $595 annual fee)
Citi Strata Premier ($95 annual fee)
Citi Prestige ($495 annual fee, no longer available to new applicants)

Points will transfer at a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards points will become 1,000 AAdvantage miles.

How to transfer Citi points to American Airlines

If you’re hoping to jump right into Citi-American transfers, you should be able to log right into your ThankYou Rewards account, pull up the transfers page and move your points over to the airline.

American Airlines 787-9P business class cabin — American Airlines' new Flagship Suites. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Once they hit your AAdvantage account, you’ll be able to book an award flight on American, whether you’re hoping to book the airline’s brand-new Flagship Suites on a flight to Europe or snag a coach deal on a short domestic flight.

New Admirals Club benefits for cardholders

Among the headlining features of the new Citi Strata Elite Card unveiled on Sunday is access to American’s network of Admirals Clubs.

Specifically, Strata Elite Card holders will get four annual passes to American’s clubs.

American Airlines Admirals Club at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Those can each be redeemed for one-time use; think of them like a day pass.

First look: American's new Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club in Philly shine in big debut

Can you bring a guest?

Yes, but there's a catch.

Strata Elite Card holders can choose to redeem their annual Admirals Club passes for adult guests age 18 and over. However, should you bring three adults into a lounge with you on one visit, know that that would exhaust your annual allotment of four club passes.

A cardholder is allowed to bring in up to three children (under the age of 18) on a visit without using up all their annual passes, though.

If you’re a traveler who wants frequent access to the Admirals Club — and with a more lenient guest policy — you might instead consider the full-fledged club access you get via the cobranded Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (see rates and fees).

Not quite a 'first,' but a major moment for Citi and American

It’s not technically the first time Citi has offered cardholders a chance to transfer points to American. Several years ago, during the coronavirus pandemic, the issuer offered American transfers on a temporary basis.

But now, these transfers seem far more permanent, making Citi’s growing suite of Strata cards a more intriguing option for travelers who like to fly American.

American 787 Dreamliner — American Airlines Boeing 787-9P. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Previously, JetBlue was Citi’s only U.S. airline transfer partner. That meant Citi cardholders hoping to redeem points for a flight on American had to go through its Oneworld alliance partners like Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Qantas.

Per TPG’s July 2025 valuations, American’s miles are the most valuable of any U.S. carrier.

American gains a transfer partner

Up until this announcement, American had been the largest U.S. airline without a credit card transfer partner.

The airline briefly allowed direct transfers from Bilt Rewards, but that tie-up ended a little over a year ago.

Meanwhile, American’s top airline competitors have both allowed points transfers from their top banking partners for years: Delta Air Lines partners with American Express, while United Airlines has a partnership with Chase.

Scott Long, American’s senior vice president of AAdvantage, told TPG that there's more to come on its Citi ties, which customers will see in the future.

“This is a rethinking of what we can do as partners, and a new partnership to go broader and deeper than we have before,” Long said. “We think there’s more that we can do, but this is an exciting first step.”

Related reading:

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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