UPDATES:
Transfer Citi ThankYou points to Accor Live Limitless and get a 50% bonus through May 11, 2024.
Citi ThankYou Points (TYP) offer the best value when you transfer them to loyalty programs that partner with Citi. Your ThankYou points are worth so much more when redeeming them this way. It works by transferring your ThankYou points to a frequent flyer airline for miles at a 1:1 ratio, and you then can use those miles to redeem a flight that the cash price costs more than 1 cent per mile. You also need an eligible Citi credit card that earns ThankYou points to transfer those points to partners directly.
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Citi ThankYou Points Transfer Ratio & Transfer Time
Below is how long Citi ThankYou points typically take to transfer based on the miles and points community data points. Please note that there’s no fee associated with transferring Citi ThankYou points to their partners.
The minimum ThankYou points Citi requires is 1,000 points. See the chart below:
|
Citi ThankYou Points Transfer Partners |
Transfer Ratio (Min. TY Points:Miles) |
Transfer Time (No Transfer Fees) |
| Airline Transfer Partner | Min. TY Points:Airline Miles | |
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Air France KLM Flying Blue | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| [Expired] American Airlines AAdvantage (Limited time offer ends Nov 13, 2021) |
1000:1000 | ~1 day |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Emirates Skywards | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Etihad Guest | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1000:1000 | ~2 days |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Malaysia Airlines Enrich | 1000:1000 | ~2 days |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1000:1000 | ~2 days |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 1000:1000 | ~2 days |
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1000:1000 | ~1 day |
| THAI Airways Royal Orchard Plus | 1000:1000 | ~6 days |
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 1000:1000 | ~2 days |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1000:1000 | Instant |
| Hotel Transfer Partner | Min. TY Points:Hotel Points | |
| Accor Live Limitless | 1000:500 | Instant |
| Choice Privileges | 1000:2000 (Prestige, Premier) 1000:1500 (Preferred, Rewards+, Double Cash) | Instant |
| Wyndham Rewards | 1000:1000 (Prestige, Premier) 1000:800 (Preferred, Rewards+, Double Cash) | Instant |
Which Citi Credit Card Earns ThankYou Points?
The following Citi credit cards earn ThankYou points. You can transfer those points directly to loyalty programs that have a partnership with Citi:
- Citi Prestige Credit Card
- Citi Premier Credit Card
The following Citi credit cards earn ThankYou points also, but you must combine their points with one of the above Citi cards ThankYou points to transfer points to loyalty programs:
- Citi Rewards+ Credit Card
- Citi Double Cash Credit Card
- Citi Custom Cash Credit Card
Editor’s Note: Citi Rewards+ Credit Card is a great combination card with Citi Prestige Credit Card or Citi Premier Credit Card because Citi Rewards+ offers a benefit that each time you transfer ThankYou points to a partner, you receive 10% ThankYou points back for the first 100,000 points redeemed per calendar year.
How To Transfer Citi ThankYou Points To Partners?
It is essential to know that transferring Citi ThankYou points to partners is a one-way street, and you cannot transfer points back to Citi once the transfer is complete.
It is possible to perform Citi ThankYou points to partners transfer online or on the phone. For online:
- Sign in to your account if you have not done that.
- Scroll down a little bit to see your total ThankYou points balance, and select Redeem.
- Citi will take you to the ThankYou points portal.
- Hover your mouse over the Travel menu and select Points Transfer. (See screenshot below).
- Click the Continue button on the partner you want to do the transfer.
- Follow the web interface to indicate how many points you want to transfer, provide or check your frequent flyer program’s information, and more. Then, follow the prompts to finalize the transfer.
Should You Transfer Citi ThankYou Points To Airline Partners?
While transferring Citi ThankYou points to airline miles provides the best value in return, it is crucial to remember that you cannot transfer those miles back to Citi points once the transfer is complete.
Therefore, the rule of thumb is to transfer if you know you will use those miles. Use these as a guideline to help to make a decision:
- Search and confirm the award availability of the flight that you want.
- Understand how that mileage program works, such as how to book, mileage expiration policy, and award cancellation/change policy in case you have to cancel.
- If you cancel, will you be able to use those miles later on?
Generally speaking, the speculative transfer can negatively impact you because you are stuck with a particular airline’s frequent flyer miles and cannot use them. Airlines can devalue their award charts, and most airlines have a policy that those unused miles can expire.
From time to time, Citi offers transfer bonuses that can be lucrative for me personally to perform the transfer speculatively; however, the rule of thumb still applies here: I only transfer if I know I will use those miles. For example, I think Aeromexico Club Premier is one of the worst mileage programs. Their limited award booking site with search functionality and is almost impossible to use. Their award booking call center is also a nightmare to deal with. So, in the end, I do not care when Citi offers any transfer bonus to Aeromexico Club Premier.
Here are my favorite Citi transfer airline partners: Avianca LifeMiles, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Citi ThankYou Points Current & Past Transfer Bonus History
Below is the chart for Citi ThankYou points’ current and past transfer bonuses. These bonus histories are for reference purposes only, so you have an idea of when the next transfer bonus is. There’s no guarantee the transfer bonus will return, but it’s worth waiting it out if you have the flexibility.
| Citi Transfer Partners | Transfer Bonus | Offer End Date |
| Accor Live Limitless (ALL) | 50% | May 11, 2024 |
| 50% | November 30, 2023 | |
| Air France KLM Flying Blue | 25% | June 17, 2023 |
| 25% | May 20, 2022 | |
| 25% | April 16, 2021 | |
| 25% | July 20, 2019 | |
| 30% | August 29, 2018 | |
| Avianca LifeMiles | 25% | November 4, 2023 |
| 25% | June 30, 2023 | |
| 20% | March 31, 2023 Offered by LifeMiles | |
| 25% | April 30, 2022 | |
| 25% | August 27, 2021 | |
| 25% | July 2, 2020 | |
| 25% | July 5, 2019 | |
| 25% | December 12, 2018 | |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 15% | July 22, 2023 |
| 15% | July 4, 2018 | |
| 20% | September 6, 2017 | |
| Etihad Guest | 10% | July 5, 2017 |
| 25% | July 31, 2016 | |
| 25% | December 31, 2015 | |
| 25% | May 15, 2015 | |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 30% | May 19, 2019 |
| 25% | October 25, 2017 | |
| 50% | April 30, 2017 | |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 25% | April 13, 2019 |
| 30% | June 30, 2016 | |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 30% (Offered by Qatar Airways) | November 10, 2023 |
| 30% (Offered by Qatar Airways) | June 30, 2023 | |
| Up to 30% (Offered by Qatar Airways) | November 15, 2022 | |
| 20% (Offered by Qatar Airways) | November 2, 2021 | |
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 25% | February 20, 2019 |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 30% | March 16, 2024 |
| 30% | October 14, 2023 | |
| 30% | March 18, 2023 | |
| 30% | June 22, 2019 | |
| 30% | October 13, 2018 | |
| 25% | March 2, 2017 | |
| 25% | August 23, 2015 | |
| Wyndham Rewards | 20% | August 20, 2023 |
