Replace: Some provides talked about beneath are now not accessible. View the present provides right here.
Citi is a TPG promoting companion.
The Citi ThankYou Rewards program stays probably the greatest for bank card customers in search of versatile cash-back choices or journey rewards. This system at present has a number of airline switch companions and a few of these companion packages provide the very best use of ThankYou factors.
Citi at present provides 5 playing cards that help you earn ThankYou factors:
- AT&T Entry Card from Citi.
- Citi® Double Money Card.
- Citi Premier® Card.
- Citi Rewards+® Card.
- Citi Rewards+℠ Scholar Card.
- Citi Customized Money℠ Card.
Although the Customized Money card is branded as a cash-back card, you will earn rewards within the type of Citi ThankYou factors. Should you already carry certainly one of Citi’s journey rewards playing cards (such because the Citi Status® Card or the Citi Premier Card), you’ll be able to mix the factors earned on that card with the factors earned on the Customized Money.
Moreover, there are playing cards that aren’t open to new candidates, however current members can proceed incomes and redeeming factors:
- Citi Status Card.
- Citi ThankYou® Most well-liked Card.
- Citi ThankYou® Most well-liked Card for Faculty College students.
- AT&T Entry Extra Mastercard from Citi.
The data for the AT&T Entry, Rewards+ Scholar, Citi Status, ThankYou Most well-liked, ThankYou Most well-liked for Faculty College students and the AT&T Entry Extra playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
The ThankYou Rewards program might not be as extremely publicized or properly thought to be Chase Final Rewards or American Specific Membership Rewards. Nonetheless, if you know the way to leverage your ThankYou factors by way of switch companions, you will get nice worth. On this information, we’ll discover some methods to benefit from your factors.
Need extra bank card information and recommendation from TPG? Join our day by day publication.
Incomes Citi ThankYou factors
You’ll be able to earn ThankYou factors from spending on Citi bank cards within the ThankYou portfolio or from focused account-opening bonuses.
Citi banking clients with Citigold, Citi Precedence or Citi Personal Financial institution accounts may earn further bonuses by way of that relationship. As of March 28, 2022, the Double Money card now earns ThankYou factors straight, somewhat than needing to transform cash-back earnings into factors.
The worth of your factors is dependent upon which ThankYou points-earning bank cards you maintain. Premium playing cards, such because the Citi Status and Citi Premier, provide extra choices to spend your factors and extra methods to extend their worth.
Each card within the ThankYou Rewards household permits you to redeem factors towards the price of airfare, lodges, cruises, reward playing cards, money or mortgage funds at a redemption worth of 1 cent per level. You can too request a press release credit score or pay with factors when buying, however these will not be the very best methods to spend your rewards since you aren’t maximizing the factors worth.
Associated: The final word information to Citi ThankYou rewards
Sadly, the choices accessible to you and what worth you’ll receive out of your factors will range relying on which ThankYou points-earning card(s) you maintain. Should you solely maintain a card with no annual price, you could have entry to restricted switch companions and a few lowered switch charges — this is applicable to the Double Money, Rewards+ and Rewards+ Scholar playing cards — or no capability to switch to companions in any respect. This is applicable to the AT&T playing cards and the Customized Money.
Should you maintain the Premier or Status card, this may open the entire switch companions to you, in addition to the improved switch charges, and you are able to do so with the factors earned throughout all your playing cards. It’s because you’ll be able to mix your cash-back earnings and ThankYou factors within the account related together with your higher-tier card. Then you need to use your mixed factors with one of many a number of switch companions to squeeze probably the most worth out of your factors.
Citi Premier
The Citi Premier, the second-tier ThankYou points-earning card, is at present providing 60,000 factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. The Premier card earns 3 factors per greenback spent on lodges, air journey, eating places, gasoline stations and supermarkets and 1 level on all different spending. Plus, for a restricted time, earn 10x factors per greenback on lodges, automotive leases, and sights (excluding air journey) booked on the Citi Journey℠ Portal by way of June 30, 2024. The incomes construction is among the huge causes to get the Citi Premier. The cardboard has a $95 annual price.
Whereas it now not provides many buy safety and insurance coverage advantages, the sign-up bonus, comparatively low annual price and excessive incomes capabilities nonetheless make this card worthwhile for incomes and redeeming factors.
Citi sign-up bonus restrictions
Earlier than you apply for the Premier card, you will need to be sure to qualify for the sign-up bonus. You aren’t eligible when you have acquired one for different Citi ThankYou rewards playing cards or closed a Citi ThankYou card account previously 24 months.
With the incomes aspect of ThankYou factors defined, let’s take a look at the redemption choices you must keep away from and those who offers you most worth.
Associated: Greatest methods to redeem Citi ThankYou factors on SkyTeam airways
Greatest methods to redeem Citi ThankYou factors
Avianca LifeMiles
There are a lot of routes price investigating, however you will discover the very best worth on home short-haul flights on Star Alliance companion United. These at present begin at simply 7,500 miles every approach, however sure metropolis pairs dropped to six,500 miles in summer season 2019. We have even seen some fall to as little as 3,500 miles.
You can too ebook Lufthansa top notch to Europe for 87,000 miles one-way with no gas surcharges. The Star Alliance companion award chart is filled with fairly priced award routings, and you may routinely purchase LifeMiles at an inexpensive worth in comparison with the worth these redemptions provide. You’ll be able to even rating decrease charges on mixed-cabin awards.
Associated: 6 suggestions for reserving Lufthansa first-class awards
The extra time you spend on the LifeMiles award-booking engine, the extra acquainted you develop into with among the nuances and nice worth this system provides. If you’re not conversant in this Citi switch companion, create an account and search a number of of your upcoming routes to see what worth this system might present to you.
Singapore KrisFlyer
Singapore Suites and Singapore top notch proceed to be among the many high merchandise within the sky, and so they’re typically solely bookable by way of Singapore Airways’ personal KrisFlyer program. The airline does not launch long-haul premium-cabin award house to its companions. Costs are comparatively affordable for Singapore’s first-class routes serving the U.S., together with from New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) for 86,000 miles in Suites class and from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Tokyo’s Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT) for 107,000 miles in top notch. Even when your required routing or class of service is not open on the time of reserving, you’ll be able to simply waitlist for a greater award.
Singapore KrisFlyer additionally has a number of candy spots for reserving Star Alliance routes, together with 35,000 miles in financial system or 69,000 miles in enterprise for a round-trip award from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii on United. By transferring to this program, you need to use ThankYou factors to fly United to Hawaii for fewer miles than United’s personal program expenses.
Etihad Visitor
The Etihad Visitor program continues to fly below the radar however represents an amazing worth while you use ThankYou factors. You’ll be able to fly virtually anyplace on this planet for extremely affordable costs utilizing solely Etihad Visitor miles and the airline’s big selection of companion packages. This consists of routes and airways you did not know existed, similar to Royal Air Maroc’s Dreamliner service to Africa from JFK to Casablanca’s Mohammed V Worldwide Airport (CMN) for less than 44,000 miles in enterprise every approach.
Most relevant to us right here within the U.S. is the flexibility to ebook awards on Etihad companion American at pre-AAdvantage devaluation costs. American elevated the charges of its personal award tickets, however Etihad has not up to date the Etihad Visitor American award chart (warning: PDF hyperlink). You’ll be able to nonetheless fly American enterprise class one-way to Europe, Japan or South Korea by transferring 50,000 ThankYou factors to Etihad.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
Utilizing factors for flights on Virgin Atlantic’s personal steel not often leads to worth as a result of excessive surcharges, taxes and charges you will need to pay, however the Flying Membership program does have quite a lot of companion awards you’ll be able to ebook. Air New Zealand and Delta routinely produce unimaginable redemption alternatives for long-haul business-class flights with comparatively small quantities of miles, similar to 50,000 Virgin Atlantic miles for the Delta One suite between the U.S. and Europe (excluding the UK) or 62,500 miles for Air New Zealand business-class one-way from Auckland, New Zealand, to the U.S.
After all, you’ll be able to’t overlook the flexibility to ebook ANA top notch from the U.S. to Tokyo for 110,000-120,000 miles round-trip, relying on the place within the States you depart from. That is lower than most airways would cost for a one-way ticket, and it provides you an opportunity to fly on one of many world’s most refined airways.
Associated: The brand new gold customary: Overview of The Room, ANA’s new enterprise class on the Boeing 777-300ER
Turkish Airways Miles&Smiles
Whereas we’re together with this within the “finest” part due to the worth the Miles&Smiles program can present, it does not come with out some caveats.
This system provides quite a few candy spots when flying on Star Alliance companions, together with transcontinental business-class seats for simply 12,500 miles every approach and financial system flights to Hawaii for 15,000 miles round-trip. Likewise, you’ll be able to ebook any U.S. home route for simply 7,500 miles. Sure, these are actual costs.
Sadly, reserving the flights shouldn’t be with out some quirks. The most important of those is the actual fact the Miles&Smiles web site is unreliable concerning what award availability it can present. It’s possible you’ll have to name or electronic mail to finish bookings after first verifying availability together with your favourite option to seek for Star Alliance flights.
You must also know that switch occasions from Citi to Turkish Airways are a day on common, and you can’t put companion awards on maintain. Thus, this system can present excessive worth when it comes to what you’ll be able to ebook, however the seats may disappear whereas ready to your factors to switch for those who’re making an attempt to seize the final seat accessible.
Associated: The whole lot it’s worthwhile to find out about United Polaris enterprise class
Center-of-the-road redemptions
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Program adjustments in June 2018 additionally elevated the price of premium-cabin redemptions and made the net reserving engine much less helpful. One other strike in opposition to this system: There’s nonetheless no award chart for itineraries consisting of solely a single companion airline. Plus, you can’t ebook American Airways awards on-line; you need to name to ebook these flights.
Nonetheless, yow will discover some respectable values. As an example, you’ll be able to ebook round-trip enterprise class to Europe for 100,000 miles. Likewise, a one-way to Europe with a stopover is just 50,000 miles.
Dozens of gems are ready to be found in this system’s complicated guidelines, which even cellphone brokers do not at all times know. Should you’re keen to place within the effort, this may very well be a maximum-value redemption. As a result of so few take benefit, although, I will preserve it within the decent-value class.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
There are a number of unbelievable makes use of of the Air France-KLM loyalty program, although they’re typically tough to seek out. With this system’s dynamic pricing mannequin, you’ll be able to’t make sure what Flying Blue award tickets will value till you really search. That makes it exhausting to proactively set a mileage aim after which work to fulfill it. Nevertheless, you will get some respectable worth from this system’s Promo Rewards, which rotate commonly and usually provide 25%-50% off economy- or business-class awards from particular North American gateways to Europe and past.
This system additionally permits you to go to far-flung locations similar to Papua New Guinea on companion Aircalin, and you need to use inventive routings to decrease the worth of your ticket or probably add further segments at no additional cost. Nevertheless, gas surcharges generally is a actual headache with this system, and so they enhance for premium-cabin redemptions.
Flying Blue is not this system it as soon as was, however for those who catch a Promo Reward or discover award house on a Delta-operated route (you might have to name for home flights), this system can yield good worth.
Associated: Greatest methods to redeem Citi ThankYou factors on Oneworld airways
How to not redeem your Citi ThankYou factors
Assertion credit and Store with Factors
Though Citi has made it simpler to redeem rewards in real-time, utilizing ThankYou factors for assertion credit score or the Store with Factors program is not an incredible concept.
These will all offer you a lot lower than 1 cent per level in worth, which is low in comparison with the redemptions highlighted above. Paying straight with ThankYou factors at BestBuy.com offers you lower than 1 cent per level, in comparison with redeeming factors for 1 cent every for Greatest Purchase reward playing cards. Moreover, assertion credit score choices to erase purchases out of your bank card invoice provide 0.8 cents per level in worth, which isn’t robust in comparison with the choices mentioned above.
A handful of airline switch companions
All Citi airline transfers help you switch miles at a 1:1 ratio when holding the Status or Premier card. Nevertheless, the worth of these miles varies drastically, as does flight availability, ease of reserving, gas surcharges and different charges that may drive up the price of your ticket. Redemptions with EVA Air and Thai Airways offer you a poor return.
You need to keep away from transferring to those companions besides in distinctive and particular circumstances. There are a number of causes for this, together with the variety of miles required, excessive gas surcharges and a prolonged (learn: irritating) reserving course of. It may very well be price trying out these companions in particular cases, however be sure to consider different choices as properly.
Citi ThankYou Journey Heart redemptions
Cardholders might redeem factors at a flat fee of 1 cent every towards airfare by way of the Citi ThankYou Journey Heart. Because of this you most actually have higher choices by transferring your factors to certainly one of Citi’s journey companions.
Little question, it is simple and handy to ebook by way of the Citi Journey Heart, as you’ll be able to ebook practically any seat on any flight and earn redeemable and elite qualifying miles for those who’re a member of that airline’s frequent flyer program. Until the money worth is so low that paying together with your factors is cheaper than transferring them, you are leaving cash on the desk utilizing your factors this fashion.
Associated: Greatest methods to redeem Citi ThankYou factors on Star Alliance airways
Reconsidering cashing out factors
With the switch companions highlighted pretty much as good choices above, you’ll be able to commonly obtain TPG’s common valuation of ThankYou factors, which is 1.7 cents per level. It is also fairly possible that you’ll obtain the next worth in your factors redemptions when utilizing the choices highlighted above or redeeming for award flights in top notch or enterprise class.
We have alluded to the truth that you’ll be able to money out factors at a fee of 1 cent apiece. But it surely’s really potential to do higher than that, assuming you could have the Rewards+ card. That is as a result of a key characteristic of the Rewards+ card is that you just obtain a refund of 10% of your redeemed factors annually, on as much as 100,000 factors redeemed (so 10,000 factors refunded).
When you’ve got a number of ThankYou points-earning playing cards and hyperlink all of them to the identical ThankYou Rewards account, this 10% factors rebate will take impact when cashing out factors out of your Premier or Status card. Thus, cashing out 10,000 factors at 1 cent apiece would offer you $100 in worth by way of financial institution deposit, however the 10% factors rebate provides one other 10% in worth to this when contemplating the larger image — particularly since you’d get an extra 10% of your factors again when redeeming the factors out of your first rebate, and this may proceed till you’ve got reached the annual most.
Can you continue to obtain greater worth by way of switch companions? Sure. Nevertheless, it is price a second take a look at this distinctive capability to mix card advantages for elevated worth when cashing out factors.
Backside line
As with most transferable-point loyalty packages, you will virtually at all times get the largest bang to your buck while you switch your Citi ThankYou factors to companion packages. Many award vacationers usually overlook the Citi ThankYou Rewards program or undervalue its factors.
Even for those who determined to restrict your selections to Virgin Atlantic and Etihad Visitor and their respective companions, you would attain virtually any vacation spot on this planet on fairly priced award tickets. Add in all the opposite switch potentialities and the number of candy spots in this system, and there isn’t any such factor as too many ThankYou factors.
Extra reporting by Daybreak Allcot, Benji Stawski and Ryan Smith.
