Citi Adds American Airlines as Transfer Partner

Citi just made a big move for travel fans. They now let you move your ThankYou Rewards points to American Airlines miles. This works for three Citi cards: the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, the Citi Strata Premier® Card, and the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available for new applicants). The points move at a 1:1 rate, so 1,000 ThankYou points become 1,000 AAdvantage miles. This makes Citi the only major bank with direct transfers to American, which is one of the biggest U.S. airlines.

The new Strata Elite Card comes with some extra perks for American Airlines flyers. It gives you four day passes to American’s Admirals Club lounges each year. You can use these passes for yourself or bring adult guests, though each adult uses one pass. Children under 18 can join you without using extra passes. This is part of a deeper partnership between Citi and American Airlines that started last year.

Our Take

This change is huge for anyone who likes to use points for travel. Before this, if you had Citi points and wanted to fly American, you had to use partner airlines or other booking options. Now you can move points straight to American and book flights easily. This makes Citi cards much more valuable, especially since American Airlines miles can get you great deals on flights.

Our team thinks this is a smart move by both companies. American was the last major U.S. airline without a big bank transfer partner, while United works with Chase and Delta works with American Express. Having more ways to earn and use American miles makes them more useful for everyday travelers. If you already have a Citi card that earns ThankYou points, this news gives you more options for your next trip without needing to get a new credit card.