Admittedly, I’ve by no means been large on the Citi bank card ecosystem or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors.
Chase Final Rewards and American Categorical Membership Rewards factors have lengthy been the transferable currencies I most worth (and lately, Bilt Rewards Factors and Capital One miles have joined the combo).
However that’s about to alter, due to the announcement of Citi’s latest switch companion.
Now that sure Citi bank cards let you switch ThankYou Rewards factors to American Airways at a 1:1 ratio, I am planning so as to add the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and charges) to my pockets — and I believe it simply would possibly develop into one in every of my most-used playing cards.
Why not the Citi Strata Elite?
A few of it’s possible you’ll be questioning: Why apply for the mid-tier Citi Strata Premier as an alternative of the brand new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and charges)? Whereas the Strata Elite does have a strong sign-up bonus and a few attention-grabbing perks, the cardboard as a complete simply does not make sense for me.
For somebody with completely different spending habits and a distinct current card lineup, the Citi Strata Elite is perhaps a strong premium card possibility. However I do know I would not get sufficient worth out of the advantages to justify a $595 annual price.
The $95-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier, nevertheless, is an ideal gateway for me to begin banking extra American Airways miles.
Why the Citi Strata Premier is sensible for me
The Citi Strata Premier is a sometimes-overlooked bank card (I do know I’ve definitely ignored it prior to now).
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Incomes charges
It has a number of the strongest incomes charges out there on a mid-tier card. Cardholders earn 3 factors per greenback spent on:
- Air journey
- EV charging stations
- Gasoline stations
- Accommodations
- Eating places (together with takeout)
- Supermarkets
I do not at the moment have a card that earns on gasoline or EV charging stations (I haven’t got a automobile at residence, however I lease automobiles usually after I journey), and it outearns my Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and charges) and American Categorical® Gold Card on lodges not booked through the issuer portals.
My Amex Gold presents 4 factors per greenback spent on eating worldwide (on the primary $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and at U.S. supermarkets (on the primary $25,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback), so I have already got a big stash of Amex Membership Rewards factors constructed up.
I am going to additionally proceed to earn through on-line spending due to Amex’s partnership with Rakuten — so transferring a few of that spending over to the Strata Premier for the good thing about American Airways miles would not be the worst concept.
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Airport desire
I am based mostly in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, and I desire flying out of Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) Terminal A with American Airways for home journey since I get Admirals Membership lounge entry.
Nonetheless, AAdvantage miles aren’t the simplest to come back by since I am not the first cardholder on any cobranded American Airways playing cards, and no card issuer has had a switch relationship with American for the reason that finish of the Bilt partnership in mid-2024.
Due to that, I’ve truly flown Delta Air Strains greater than American over the previous yr since I can simply switch my Amex factors to Delta (and I get a 15% low cost on redemptions as a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Categorical Card cardholder). However that often means trekking from downtown Jersey Metropolis to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) on public transit and forgoing lounge entry.
With the Strata Premier in my pockets, I am going to now have a strong stash of AAdvantage miles that I can use all year long. Here is to taking a fast Lyft as an alternative of transit to the airport and having fun with a preflight drink on the Admirals Membership as soon as once more.
Associated: redeem American Airways AAdvantage miles for optimum worth
Annual price and different advantages
Past the incomes construction, the Strata Premier additionally comes with a low annual price and a strong sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
I could or might not use the annual $100 resort credit score, on condition that it requires reserving a single keep for $500 or extra (excluding taxes and charges) by way of the Citi Journey portal.
Nonetheless, I’ll get worth out of Citi Leisure entry for live performance presales. And in the end, I am not as apprehensive about maximizing each single profit on the cardboard, given its low annual price.
All in all, the Strata Premier will probably be an ideal addition to my pockets that can give me extra freedom when deciding methods to e book journey. I am a free agent in relation to the loyalty recreation as I do not at the moment have elite standing with any resort or airline, so extra flexibility in my redemption choices is at all times music to my ears.
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2 playing cards are higher than 1
You possibly can even mix the Strata Premier with the no-annual-fee Citi Strata℠ Card (see charges and charges) for much more worth.
Whereas the Citi Strata Card does not supply direct transfers to American Airways, you may switch your Strata ThankYou factors to the Premier to get entry to the American switch partnership.
The no-annual-fee Citi Strata Card is at the moment providing a 30,000-point, limited-time sign-up bonus after you spend $1,000 within the first three months from account opening, and it earns 3 factors per greenback spent on a self-selected class of your selection (health golf equipment, choose streaming companies, dwell leisure, beauty shops/barber retailers/hair salons or pet provide shops).
Associated: Greatest journey bank cards
Backside line
American Airways miles will be onerous to earn except you’ve gotten a cobranded card, and TPG values them at 1.55 cents per mile as of August 2025. For those who’re a frequent American Airways flyer, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors simply grew to become the one transferable forex you should not ignore.
As a result of the brand new American Airways switch partnership applies to the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Status Card (not out there to new candidates), you’ve gotten choices when deciding which card it’s best to add to your lineup. If the Elite does not make sense for you, which is the case for me, the Premier is a superb different. I am excited so as to add it to my pockets.
The knowledge for the Citi Status Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
To study extra, learn our full overview of the Citi Strata Premier Card.
Apply right here: Citi Strata Premier
