Citibank and American Airlines AAdvantage® have been partners and have been offering AAdvantage co-branded credit cards for a long time. However, AAdvantage has never been a part of Citi’s ThankYou® Rewards program. Things changed this July, at least temporarily. A long-desired partnership has finally happened. Now and through November 13, 2021, cardholders of qualifying Citi credit cards can convert ThankYou points to American Airlines AAdvantage miles.
Regular airline and hotel program devaluations are becoming the norm, and recently Singapore Airlines has announced program changes without giving us a whole lot of warning. Effective December 7, 2017, many flights booked on Star Alliance partners will be changing in price and there are a few non-price related changes as well. All in all this is a pretty big deal.
The good news is that you don’t need a Social Security number to get a credit card. The bad news is that you’ll probably have to establish a credit history in the United States before applying.
Hurricane Harvey has done unimaginable damage to Houston and the surrounding areas. It’s the wettest tropical storm ever recorded in the contiguous United States, dumping more than 40 inches of rain in just four days. Storm damages are estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.
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There are few travel experiences as annoying as arriving at a hotel after a long trip, and being forced to wait in a line to check in. On the other hand, it’s gratifying to bypass the line and receive immediate service when you have elite status with a major hotel chain.
On top of that, guests with elite status can enjoy other perks like room upgrades, late check-outs and even free breakfast. Finally, having elite status means that you’ll earn more reward points for every dollar you spend.
While Citi’s credit card application rules aren’t as complicated or restrictive as some issuers, they can still be confusing. It’s important to know these rules or else you risk being denied for a new card or forfeiting a sign-up bonus. In this post we‘ll cover the basics for applying and some strategies for insuring that you get the bonus.
Choosing which travel rewards credit card to apply for can be overwhelming, particularly if you’re just getting into the miles game. Even veterans get confused by all the options sometimes. Let’s take a look at some of the best cards to get into the big travel rewards programs.
Citi Prestige® Credit Card is an upscale premium travel reward card that is comparable to the American Express Platinum Card®. It has many similar travel benefits, and quite hefty $495 annual fee. The Citi card is no longer accepting new applications, but current cardholders still enjoy its outstanding perks, particularly those who travel a lot.
For starters, cardholders are reimbursed for Global Entry application fees. If you fly frequently, Global Entry will save you a lot of time in airport security lines. It guarantees you a coveted spot in a TSA Precheck line, and you will be able to skip immigration lines on your return home from international destinations.
Cardholders also receive a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you free access to one of the best airport lounge programs available today. It’s good for you plus your family or two guests, and membership can be extended to authorized users for $50 each.
The Prestige card comes with some other great benefits, such as a $250 annual credit toward air travel and a free fourth hotel night. In addition to the airlines listed below, you can transfer points to your ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Choice Privileges®, Leaders Club, and Wyndham Rewards® account.
| AIRLINE TRANSFER PARTNERS | Aeromexico Avianca LifeMiles Air France KLM Cathay Pacific Etihad Guest EVA Air Emirates Skywards JetBlue TrueBlue Qantas Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Thai Airways Turkish Airlines Virgin Atlantic |
| ANNUAL FEE | $495 |
| Recommended Credit Score | 750+ |
| Type of Card | World Elite MasterCard |
| ISSUER | CitiBank |
Although the Citi Prestige isn’t currently available to new applicants, previously, the card’s sign-up bonus was 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
Citi ThankYou is an incredibly flexible program. It’s the only major travel reward program that allows you to share points with other members.
This is a fantastic benefit, especially considering that other reward programs are adding more restrictions to prevent people from sharing points and miles. Shared points expire in 90 days, so don’t transfer unless you or your friends or family are ready to use them.
You can redeem your points for air travel online through the Citi ThankYou Travel Center at a value of 1.33 cents per point.
While none of the airline transfer partners are based in the U.S., each carrier is either a member of a major alliance or has powerful partners of its own. That means you’ll be able to redeem miles on dozens of airlines all over the world, including all of the major U.S. carriers.
Some of the airline partners are also the most desirable and luxurious carriers in the world, including Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Qatar Airways. These are an excellent option if you want to fly in business or first class.
If you’re interested in premium class travel, one of the best ways to experience ultimate luxury is with Singapore Airlines’ First Suite. It’s best to transfer your ThankYou points to Singapore’s loyalty program, KrisFlyer, because it offers a 15 percent discount to members booking award flights online.With the discount, you can fly one way between New York and Frankfurt, or Houston and Moscow, in the carrier’s extravagant First Suite for 57,375 miles and $203 in taxes and fuel surcharges.
