You can now transfer Citi ThankYou points from no-annual-fee cards to AAdvantage

If you hold select no-annual-fee Citi cards that earn ThankYou Rewards points, your points are now more valuable.

Just a few weeks ago, Citi announced it was adding American Airlines as a transfer partner. Before this announcement, American Airlines AAdvantage was the only major domestic airline program that wasn't a loyalty partner of a major credit card issuer.

Initially, transferring points to American Airlines was only available on Citi cards that have an annual fee, such as the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) and Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees).

Now, Citi has added American Airlines as a transfer partner on its no-annual-fee cards, albeit at a reduced transfer ratio.

Here's what you need to know.

What Citi cards can transfer points to AAdvantage

You can now transfer ThankYou points to AAdvantage at a 1:0.7 ratio if you hold one of the following no-annual-fee cards:

• Citi Custom Cash®
• Citi Double Cash® Card (seerates and fees)
• Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees)

This means for every 1,000 Citi points you transfer, you'll receive 700 American AAdvantage miles.

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

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Plus, you can continue to transfer points to AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio with the:

• Citi Prestige® (no longer available to new applicants)
• Citi Strata Elite
• Citi Strata Premier

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

Related: Earn up to 100,000 bonus Citi ThankYou points with these Strata card offers

My take

I am delighted by Citi's announcement of adding American Airlines as a transfer partner to its no-annual-fee cards. This is a great deal for cardholders who may not be ready to pay an annual fee yet but want access to a valuable transfer partner that has numerous sweet spot redemptions.

I don't mind the reduced transfer ratio either, as it seems quite reasonable to lock the 1:1 ratio behind an annual fee. This aligns with the typical 1:0.7 transfer ratio of most partners, like JetBlue TrueBlue, on Citi's no-annual-fee cards.

You can also create a valuable rewards-earning Citi Duo by pairing a card that has an annual fee (and the 1:1 to ratio) with a no-annual fee card to double down on earning transferable points.

If you'd prefer to only carry one card, for maximum value, I would still recommend the Citi Strata Premier or Citi Strata Elite to access all of Citi's transfer partners at the full ratios.

Related: How to redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for maximum value

Bottom line

Citi has opened the ability to transfer points to American Airlines on select no-annual-fee cards. This is a welcomed addition, as it gives cardholders who don't want to pay an annual fee more flexibility with how they redeem their hard-earned Citi points.

Despite this addition, the transfer ratio is reduced, and if you want the full 1:1 ratio, you may want to consider a Citi card with an annual fee.

Related: Why Citi's newest transfer partner has changed my credit card and points and miles strategies