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I’ve wondered for quite some time why Citi Thank You doesn’t add AA into their transfer partner list. Citi has maintained a very long and strong relationship with American Airlines, but up until today, you could never convert their transferrable currency, Citi Thank You points, into AA miles. If you’re wondering, there are only two programs that allow this transfer: Marriott Bonvoy ( 60k Marriott points = 25k AA miles) and Bilt ( 1:1 transfer ).
But, this great deal ends today, November 13th. This makes the Citi Thank You Premier all time high offer…even better.
Here are the transfer ratios for each qualifying credit card
- Citi Thank You Premier 1:1
- Citi Thank You Prestige 1:1
- Citi Rewards+ Card 2:1
- Citi ThankYou Preferred Card 2:1.
Normal Citi Transfer Partners:
Personally, I think Citi Thank You has an incredible list of partners; however, I do think it requires a larger skillset of redemption understanding than does Chase or Amex. With the temporary addition of AA…this is a game changer for them. In fact, if Citi adopted AA as a permanent partner, it could thrust Citi out of the 2nd tier and in the same conversation as Chase or Amex.
Citi Thank You Premier is offering an all-time high 80k welcome offer – it’s hands down the most underrated card on the market
I think the Citi Thank You Premier is the most underrated credit card on the market and offering a list of benefits including:
- 80k bonus Thank You points after spending $4k in the first 3 months
- 3x points on
- Air Travel
- Hotel
- Supermarkets
- Dining
- Gas
- Access to Mastercard World Elite benefits
- No foreign Transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
What are some great uses of American Airlines miles?
AA miles are some of the most versatile and useful miles in the game…but their best use isn’t on American flights. Let’s go through a few of the top ways I’ve used them:
Qatar Airways QSuites for 70k miles US to Middle East and 75k to Africa
Pop over to Doha, or fulfill your safari dreams by flying QSuites to Africa. Either way…it’s an amazing way to use AA miles and get a good mat pilates session in your quad. Smiles guaranteed
Cathay Pacific Business Class to Asia for 70k miles
One of the absolute best ways to fly is Cathay Pacific business class – I’ve flown it a few times and can’t wait to do it again.
Japan Airlines to Japan for 60k in Business and 85k in First
Japan isn’t open just quite yet, but fingers crossed this winter or early next year borders will open to foreigners. Throwing AA miles to fly in Japan Airlines business class is an outstanding use.
Etihad business class to the middle east or Africa 70k or 75k respectively
Back in 2015, I flew to Africa on an Etihad dreamliner transiting via AUH and it’s one phenomenal experience I’m eager to do again.
- Etihad Business Studio Washington DC to Abu Dhabi
- Etihad Business Studio Abu Dhabi to London
- Etihad First Class apartments
- Etihad First Class Suites
Flying American Airlines business class to Europe or South America for 57.5k
I love American’s business class on the 787-9 or 772s – they are usually fit with Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats which I think are one of the best in the biz. Tons of storage, roomy, and very comfortable. The biggest problem is finding the availability for just 57.5k. It’s possible, but ordinarily quite rare.
- American Airlines Business Class 777-200 Los Angeles to Tokyo
- American Airlines Business Class 777-300ER LA to London
Overall
This adds an incredible amount of value to the Citi Thank You program, and I’m hoping this is a harbinger of things to come on a more permanent basis. If Citi could add AA to their Thank You partner list full time…it would make the program much more attractive to many Americans.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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