A significant bank card issuer has simply added American Airways as a switch companion.
Citi on Sunday introduced the launch of 1:1 transfers from its ThankYou Rewards program to American’s AAdvantage loyalty program for 3 of the rewards playing cards in its lineup.
The transfer has made Citi the one card issuer with direct transfers to American, one of many three largest U.S. airways.
Factors transfers are anticipated to go stay straight away, on Sunday.
Citi revealed the information as a part of the disclosing of the Citi Strata Elite® Card, its brand-new premium-tier bank card that comes with further American Airways advantages within the type of annual day passes to the airline’s Admirals Membership community.
These lounge passes can be particular to the brand new Strate Elite Card, however present cardholders with two different playing cards, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and charges) and the Citi Status® Card (not out there), will have the ability to switch their ThankYou Rewards factors to American going ahead.
The knowledge for the Citi Strata Elite Card and the Citi Status Card 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.
Citi and American get nearer
Citi and American partnering on a bank card is nothing new. The airline and the issuer first joined forces many years in the past and already collectively provide American’s suite of airline-specific playing cards, just like the one which’s been a workhorse of my pockets for the higher a part of a decade.
However a brand new settlement between the 2 sides, unveiled late final 12 months, set the stage for deeper ties between the businesses.
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And on Sunday, these ties led to Citi turning into the one main card issuer to permit customers with transferable rewards to maneuver these factors on to American.
“I believe that now we have all the time desired a significant airline level switch companion, and naturally it might solely be with American, so we’re delighted that we have come to the conclusion that prospects will worth this,” Pam Habner, Citi’s head of U.S. branded playing cards and lending, advised TPG.
This is what to know in regards to the new switch choices and new American Airways perks for Citi cardholders.
Are you able to switch Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to American Airways?
Sure, relying on the cardboard. As of Sunday, July 27, cardholders with the next Citi playing cards can switch their ThankYou Rewards factors on to American’s AAdvantage program:
- Citi Strata Elite (brand-new card with a $595 annual charge)
- Citi Strata Premier ($95 annual charge)
- Citi Status ($495 annual charge, not out there to new candidates)
Factors will switch at a 1:1 ratio, so 1,000 Citi ThankYou Rewards factors will turn into 1,000 AAdvantage miles.
Find out how to switch Citi factors to American Airways
For those who’re hoping to leap proper into Citi-American transfers, it is best to have the ability to log proper into your ThankYou Rewards account, pull up the transfers web page and transfer your factors over to the airline.
As soon as they hit your AAdvantage account, you’ll e-book an award flight on American, whether or not you are hoping to e-book the airline’s brand-new Flagship Suites on a flight to Europe or snag a coach deal on a brief home flight.
Learn extra: Find out how to redeem miles with the American Airways AAdvantage program
New Admirals Membership advantages for cardholders
Among the many headlining options of the brand new Citi Strata Elite Card unveiled on Sunday is entry to American’s community of Admirals Golf equipment.
Particularly, Strata Elite Card holders will get 4 annual passes to American’s golf equipment.
These can every be redeemed for one-time use; consider them like a day go.
First look: American’s new Flagship Lounge and Admirals Membership in Philly shine in huge debut
Are you able to convey a visitor?
Sure, however there is a catch.
Strata Elite Card holders can select to redeem their annual Admirals Membership passes for grownup friends age 18 and over. Nonetheless, must you convey three adults right into a lounge with you on one go to, know that that might exhaust your annual allotment of 4 membership passes.
A cardholder is allowed to usher in as much as three youngsters (underneath the age of 18) on a go to with out utilizing up all their annual passes, although.
For those who’re a traveler who needs frequent entry to the Admirals Membership — and with a extra lenient visitor coverage — you may as a substitute take into account the full-fledged membership entry you get by way of the cobranded Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges).
Not fairly a ‘first,’ however a significant second for Citi and American
It is not technically the primary time Citi has provided cardholders an opportunity to switch factors to American. A number of years in the past, throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the issuer provided American transfers on a short lived foundation.
However now, these transfers appear way more everlasting, making Citi’s rising suite of Strata playing cards a extra intriguing possibility for vacationers who prefer to fly American.
Beforehand, JetBlue was Citi’s solely U.S. airline switch companion. That meant Citi cardholders hoping to redeem factors for a flight on American needed to undergo its Oneworld alliance companions like Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways and Qantas.
Per TPG’s July 2025 valuations, American’s miles are essentially the most helpful of any U.S. service.
American positive aspects a switch companion
Up till this announcement, American had been the most important U.S. airline with no bank card switch companion.
The airline briefly allowed direct transfers from Bilt Rewards, however that tie-up ended a bit of over a 12 months in the past.
In the meantime, American’s prime airline opponents have each allowed factors transfers from their prime banking companions for years: Delta Air Traces companions with American Categorical, whereas United Airways has a partnership with Chase.
Scott Lengthy, American’s senior vp of AAdvantage, advised TPG that there is extra to come back on its Citi ties, which prospects will see sooner or later.
“This can be a rethinking of what we will do as companions, and a brand new partnership to go broader and deeper than now we have earlier than,” Lengthy mentioned. “We expect there’s extra that we will do, however that is an thrilling first step.”
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