American Airlines Citi ThankYou Transfer Partner
The one thing that many people in the miles and points space have been wanting to come true, for what feels like forever, is now a reality! American Airlines is a Citi ThankYou transfer partner for the first time ever. Well, first time outside of a like one month trial period around five years ago. This is a day that many had given up on, but it is finally here. This is what I had wondered out loud after American Airlines ended their partnership with Bilt right before Citi announced that they were taking over the complete American Airlines credit card portfolio. Update 8/26/25: More cards have gained access to American Airlines as a transfer partner and have been added below.
What Is The Transfer Rate
The good news is that American Airlines didn't go all Emirates on the Citi ThankYou points program. It will be a normal 1 to 1 transfer rate between the two programs for the premium credit cards. That means that for every ThankYou point you earn you can easily turn it into 1 American Airlines AAdvantage mile if you hold the right card.
This is great news when you consider the great earning opportunities that the Citi ThankYou points program offers. We are talking about a chance to essentially earn 3x AAdvantage miles on gas, grocery and dining. That is a nice improvement from what we see with the American Airlines credit card offerings. The feather in those cards' cap is still the ability to rack up status earning Loyalty Points in the AAdvantage program. Outside of the status chaser though, the Citi credit card lineup will now be your best way to earn American Airlines miles.
Which Credit Cards Can Transfer To The AAdvantage Program?
While it was rumored that the ability to transfer Citi ThankYou points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles would be available only on the new Citi Strata Elite card, I didn't think that would make sense for Citi or the ThankYou point program. It turns out I was right, since American Airlines is a Citi ThankYou transfer partner if you carry multiple cards.
Transfer At A 1 ThankYou Point to 1 American Airlines AAdvantage Mile Rate With These Cards:
- Citi Strata Premier (old Citi Premier)
- Citi Strata Elite (new card)
- The Citi Prestige (hasn't been available to new cardholders for a long time)
Transfer At A 1 ThankYou Point to .7 American Airlines AAdvantage Mile Rate With These Cards:
- Citi Custom Cash
- Citi Double Cash
- Strata Card (no annual fee version)
Having the ability to transfer to American Airlines at a 1 to 1 rate with a card that has an affordable $95 annual fee is a big plus here. Throw in the fact that the Citi Strata Premier is the best everyday credit card for earning and it gets even better. Seeing Citi add the option to transfer from some no fee cards at a 1 to .7 rate is a nice addition as well. If you value American Airline miles at 1.5 cents each, then you barely get above the 1 cent cash out rate of the Double Cash (1.05 cents per TY point). That means most would be better off securing a card that allows 1 to 1 transfers and combining points though. Just call the number on the back of your Citi credit card to go through the process of linking up your accounts.
Potential Downside To This Change
Let's address the debbie downers of the world out there here. Yes, there is a potential downside to the news that American Airlines is Citi's newest ThankYou point transfer partner. The fear would be that American Airlines AAdvantage miles just got a whole lot easier to earn. That in turn could cause an influx of miles being moved into their program.
Will that lead to a big devaluation in the program? It could, but that is always the worry / case with loyalty programs. This could speed up whatever the timeline was for the next devaluation for sure. That is why we always suggest to keep the points as a transferrable currency (ThankYou points) until you actually need them. That is a way to make them kind of devaluation proof.
American Airlines Citi ThankYou Transfer Partner: ToP Thoughts
There is no doubt that American Airlines becoming a new Citi ThankYou transfer partner for multiple cards is probably the biggest news since Bilt launched a few years back. Having said that, remember to avoid the new Citi ThankYou point FOMO that is sure to follow. These cards, and points, will be there down the road too. There is no reason to break from your Chase 5/24 path for them. Focus on the American Airlines business cards if you need AAdvantage miles in the meantime. If you are over 5/24, well – go make hay! I know that in our household we will likely give the Citi Strata Premier one more college try. If we fail once again, then we will likely product change into the card and move on. Let me know your plans with this news over in the ToP Facebook Group.
