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Many people who are new to travel credit cards wonder if you can convert credit card points into airline miles. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy. For instance, American Airlines makes it extremely difficult to transfer credit card points including Citi ThankYou points.

American Airlines Admirals Club at Toronto YYZ Airport. July 25, 2017. Credit: Johnny Jet

How To Transfer Citi Points To American Airlines

Unfortunately, American Airlines isn’t a permanent Citi ThankYou transfer partner. There was a limited-time transfer opportunity from July to November 2021 where a Citi credit card earning ThankYou points either had a 1:1 or a 2:1 transfer ratio.

There is no indication if or when another partnership for American Airlines point transfers with Citi will occur again.

For now, the only way to redeem Citi points for American Airlines flights is through the thankyou.com travel booking portal. Each point is worth 1 cent, which may not be as much as booking directly through American but at least you can redeem your points.

You can explore the option of transferring your points to a oneworld partner such as Cathay Pacific or Qatar to indirectly book an American-operated flight. However, booking directly through thankyou.com can be easier.

Related: How Much is a Citi ThankYou Point Worth?

Transfer Bilt Points to American Airlines

If you’re curious about which program transfers travel points to American Airlines, your only consistent option is Bilt Rewards. It’s possible to pay rent without transaction fees and earn points on your card purchases using the Bilt World Elite Mastercard®.

This card doesn’t have an annual fee, and your points are worth 1.25 cents when booking award flights through the Bilt App. More importantly, there are several 1:1 transfer partners including American Airlines (2,000 points transfer minimum).

As you can book flights through several airlines, the app has a flight comparison tool that finds the best carrier and most affordable flight for your route. It could be American or a competitor.

Related: Bilt Credit Card Review

Citi Transfer Partners

Here are the Citi airline transfer partners for those with an eligible Citi credit card:

  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Aeromexico
  • Avianca
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Emirates
  • Etihad
  • EVA Air
  • Air France KLM
  • JetBlue
  • Qantas
  • Qatar Airways
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Thai Airways
  • Turkish Airlines

Some of the Best Ways to Use American Airlines Miles

So, unfortunately, you can’t transfer Citi points to American Airlines unless there’s a special promotion. Alternatively, here are some of the ways you might redeem your American Airlines miles.

For the time being, American publishes a fixed award chart with discounted SAAver awards. However, the airline is sunsetting this program sometime in 2023. AA will prioritize its Web Special Awards, which are more popular with flyers, according to the airline.

Related: American Airlines AAdvantage Changes for 2023

Domestic American Airlines Flights

Domestic flights within the continental United States and Canada can be the most convenient redemption option. Flying within the states has the fewest travel restrictions.

One-way award flights cost the following amounts:

  • Flights longer than 500 miles: 12,500 miles
  • Flights shorter than 500 miles: 7,500 miles
  • Alaska: 15,000 miles
  • Hawaii: 20,000 miles (off-peak) or 22,500 (peak season)

You can also browse the airline’s web specials, which may provide more savings opportunities.

International American Airlines Flights

International travel in premium cabins can provide the best redemption value on most legs. However, an economy award seat can be an effective way of redeeming your miles too.

Economy class award flights cost the following for one-way tickets:

  • Mexico: 12,500 (off-peak) or 15,000 (peak)
  • Central America: 12,500 (off-peak) or 15,000 (peak)
  • Caribbean: 12,500 (off-peak) or 15,000 (peak)
  • Europe: 22,500 (off-peak) or 30,000 (peak)

Business and first-class tickets cost the following amount each way:

  • Mexico: 25,000
  • Central America: 25,000
  • Caribbean: 25,000
  • Europe: 57,500

oneworld Partner Flights

While you can’t transfer Citi points to American Airlines (unless there’s a special promotion), you may be able to transfer Citi points to another partner.

If American Airlines doesn’t directly serve your desired destination, a oneworld alliance flight can be the next-best option.

The oneworld travel partners include the following:

  • Alaska Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Finnair
  • Iberia
  • Japan Airlines
  • Malaysia Airlines
  • Qantas
  • Qatar Airways
  • Royal Air Maroc
  • Royal Jordanian Airlines
  • SriLankan Airlines
  • Fiji Airways (oneworld connect)
  • Oman Air (future member as of March 06, 2023)

There are relatively few travel restrictions, so you can use your miles to visit most countries in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

Alternatives to Transferring Citi Points to American Airlines

The Citi point transfers may not be the best option if award space isn’t available for your flight dates or your tickets have a cheap cash price. Instead of transferring your miles, you may consider these alternatives.

Book Award Flights on ThankYou.com

Citi Premier® Card and Citi Prestige® cardholders can redeem ThankYou points at ThankYou.com for 1 cent each on upcoming trips.

Usually, your miles can be worth more when you book directly from the airline. But for one reason or another, skipping the point transfer and using the Citi ThankYou travel portal can be the better option.

With the Citi Rewards+ Card, you get a 10% of your redeemed points back (up to 100,000 points per year). This makes each point worth 1.10 cents by using ThankYou.com.

Use an American Airlines Credit Card

If you fly American Airlines consistently, a co-brand American Airlines credit card can be the better option, especially since you can only transfer Citi points to American Airlines for a limited time. Consumer and small business credit cards are available.

There are several card options but here are some of the best options for travelers.

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers these perks:

  • Admirals Club membership for the cardmember
  • The first checked bag is free for you and up to 8 companions traveling on the same domestic American Airlines itinerary
  • 25% savings on in-flight purchases
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Earn 4x miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. 

Plus, earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

New Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® cardholders can earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, enjoy a complimentary Admirals Club® membership (a value of up to $850).

The annual fee is $595, but the Admiral Lounge access can easily offset this charge.

Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard

The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Casual travelers will benefit more from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. You won’t get Admirals Club access, but the annual fee is a reasonable $99 ($0 for the first 12 months).

Featured card benefits include:

  • 1st checked bag is free for you and up to 4 companions
  • 25% in-flight savings on food and beverages
  • Preferred boarding
  • Earn up to 2x miles on purchases (includes restaurants and gas stations)
  • One-time $125 flight discount after $20,000 in purchases per membership year

New cardholders can earn 50,000 miles signup bonus after spending $2,500 in the first 3 months. The annual fee is $0 for the first year, then $99.

CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

The information for the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Johnny Jet. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Small business owners can benefit from the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® as the Citi points transfer offer doesn’t apply to business credit cards.

Card benefits include:

  • The first checked bag is free
  • 25% savings on in-flight food, beverages, and WiFi
  • Earn up to 2x miles on purchases
  • Preferred boarding
  • American Airlines Companion Certificate (domestic main cabin) after $30,000 in purchases per card membership year

Plus, earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

New cardholders can earn 65,000 miles signup bonus after $4,000 in purchases in the first 4 months. The annual fee is $0 for the first 12 months and then $99 on your first renewal.

Related: Best Small Business Credit Cards for Travel Rewards

Summary

Can you transfer Citi points to American Airlines? Not right now as this opportunity is rare, but you can always book award flights through Citi’s ThankYou.com.

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