If you’re new to the world of using points and miles for travel, Citi ThankYou points are a great way to start. With certain Citi credit cards, you can earn and redeem points with various travel partners on flights, car rentals, and more, or opt for cash back, statement credits, and other benefits.
Read on for all you need to know about booking award travel with Citi ThankYou points.
Table of contents
How to redeem Citi ThankYou points
Flights
You can redeem Citi points for flights via the Citi ThankYou Travel portal, which is powered by Booking.com and Agoda. If you have an eligible Citi ThankYou rewards card, you’ll simply log into your Citi account and select “Travel” from the redemption options.
When searching for flights, the portal will show both the cash and point costs. Once a reservation is complete, points can be used as a form of payment, with each point worth 1 cent. For example, a $250 flight would cost 25,000 points.
Cash back or statement credit
You can redeem Citi ThankYou points for cash back at a rate of up to 1 cent per point. You can also use points to cover charges on your statement. To do this, you’ll log in to Citi.com or the Citi Mobile app, go to Rewards & Benefits, and click Pay With Points. Select the purchase, accept the terms and conditions, and click Redeem.
Those points will be redeemed for a statement credit within two to three business days. The redemption rate for statement credits can vary based on what Citi credit card you have, but it can be as low as 0.5 cents per point.
However, neither option is the best use of your hard-earned points — we recommend using them to book an award flight instead.
Transfer to airline partners
You can transfer Citi ThankYou points to more than a dozen different loyalty programs across the big three airline alliances, including:
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- Qantas Frequent Flyer.
You can also book Delta flights by transferring points to Virgin Atlantic, a Citi and Delta partner. Note that the transfer rate depends on your eligible Citi ThankYou card, though it’s typically a 1:1 ratio.
Generally, this is the best way to maximize the value of your points.
Booking domestic flights with Citi ThankYou points
Transferring ThankYou points to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles is one of the best ways to book domestic flights with your credit card rewards. Given that Turkish is not a U.S. domestic airline, you might be wondering how that is, and it all comes down to partners.
Citi points transfer to Turkish Airlines at a ratio of 1:1, and thanks to Turkish Airlines’ membership in Star Alliance, you can then use those miles to book domestic flights on partner carriers that do fly domestically in the U.S., such as United.
After you transfer points, a one-way domestic flight will cost just 10,000 miles in economy. This award chart also applies to United award tickets to Hawaii, so a one-way fare from the continental U.S. to Hawaii will cost 10,000 miles in economy — or just 15,000 miles in business class.
Avianca, the flag carrier of Colombia, also has a loyalty program offering solid domestic award flights through its partnership with United, converting ThankYou points to Avianca LifeMiles at the same 1:1 ratio as Turkish Airlines. These LifeMiles are perhaps the best way to book transcontinental domestic flights — as you can see above, a one-way economy ticket from Los Angeles to Newark costs just 13,500 LifeMiles.
And similar to Turkish Airlines’ miles, these Avianca miles are also a great way to book United award flights to Hawaii. In this case, a one-way United flight to Honolulu from San Francisco will run you just 22,500 miles in economy.
Booking international flights with Citi ThankYou points
Booking international flights with Citi ThankYou points is similar to booking domestic flights — there are just a whole lot more programs to help maximize your travel rewards.
For instance, Air France-KLM Flying Blue points (a SkyTeam airline) can be used to book redemptions on airlines such as Delta, while Avianca LifeMiles can be used to book United Airlines, Swiss, and Austria Airlines.
Finally, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles can be used to book Delta award flights and ANA flights — including first class.
The best flights to book with Citi ThankYou points
Some of the best flights to book with Citi points are business- and first-class award flights on Singapore Airlines.
Once you’ve transferred your Citi ThankYou points to Singapore, business class on popular routes, like New York to Frankfurt, starts at just 81,000 KrisFlyer miles each way.
Hoping to book the famed Singapore Suites? You can find tickets for around 143,000 miles each way — one of the best points redemptions out there.
Redeeming Citi ThankYou points for other travel
In addition to redeeming points on flights, you can spend your Citi ThankYou points on car rentals, hotel partners, and travel rewards for someone else. However, we do recommend transferring points to Citi’s airline partners to maximize their value.
Frequently asked questions about redeeming Citi ThankYou points for travel
Can I book flights with Citi ThankYou points?
Yes, you can book air travel with Citi ThankYou points, either by using the Citi ThankYou Travel portal, or, for better value for your points, by transferring to partner airlines.
How many Citi points do I need for a free flight?
The number of Citi ThankYou points needed for a free flight depends on the flight’s price and other factors, like the airline, destination, and class of service. When you redeem Citi ThankYou points through Citi ThankYou Rewards, each point is worth 1 cent — so if you found a $100 round-trip ticket, you’d need 10,000 ThankYou points.
Can I use Citi ThankYou points on Delta Air Lines?
Yes, you can use Citi points on Delta by transferring them to Virgin Atlantic, which is a partner of Citi and Delta.
What other airlines can I use Citi ThankYou points on?
Citi ThankYou points can be used on multiple airlines, including Air France-KLM, American, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and more.
Can I partially pay for a flight with Citi ThankYou points?
Yes, you can use Citi ThankYou points or a combination of points and cash to pay for a flight when booking travel through the Citi Travel portal.
Which Citi credit cards earn ThankYou points?
Citi credit cards that earn ThankYou points include the Citi Custom Cash card, Citi Double Cash card, Citi Prestige Card, and Citi Strata Premier Card.
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