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.
Chase recently sent out a survey to selected cardholders to gauge opinions on several potential negative changes that could be made to the Ultimate Rewards program and its associated credit cards. While no changes are imminent, this survey could give us some insight into what may occur in the future. Since program devaluations are a constant source of risk in the travel rewards game, it helps to consider which opportunities currently provide outsized value that may be ripe for devaluation.
Earning points and miles through flying on planes, staying in hotels, and credit card spend are all ways to
Act fast to redeem Virgin Atlantic miles before the upcoming devaluation, and Citi ThankYou points transfers to Virgin Atlantic might get you to that award even faster thanks to a new bonus offer.
You may not be a New Year’s resolution type of person, but you’ll actually do yourself a disservice if you don’t make a few promises related to your travel hacking hobby. Earning miles and points that will help whisk you and your family around the globe in style isn’t easy, and it takes planning and organization.
Before you sing “Auld Lang Syne” at the dawn of the New Year, make a few resolutions that may help you get where you want to go in the next 12 months. Here are some resolutions shared by us at RewardExpert. You may want to commit to them as well.
Part of an effective miles and points earning strategy is to take advantage of every opportunity to rack up extra miles. Here are some tips for earning miles in places you may not have thought of before.
This week brings good news in terms of rich promotions, but also sour news in terms of more restrictive airline fees. Read on to see who the winners and losers are in the world of travel this past week.
Southwest frequent flyers have the ability to collect hundreds of
This is the fastest way to earn tons of Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you have opened relatively few credit card accounts over the past 2 years, it should also be one of the easiest.
So you’re savvy enough to collect points and miles from airlines and hotels, but did you realize that you might be missing out on other perks by not signing up for some of these lesser known loyalty programs.
The Blue Sky Card from American Express is not as popular as American Express’ other
The Blue for Business credit card from American Express belongs to the Membership Rewards family. It’s a solid, no-annual-fee
British Airways Executive Club is structured a bit differently from many other airline elite programs, mostly because Avios — the airline’s currency — are points, not miles.
El Al is the flag carrier of Israel. It flies to Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Matmid, El Al’s loyalty program, has two award redemption charts. One is for the those who live in Israel and have the
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.
People seem to love or hate Sun Country Airlines. Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler have ranked the low-cost carrier one of the top 10 domestic airlines, but online reviews seem to be mostly negative, with one suggesting that “the sun has set on Sun Country Airlines.”
Capital One has made a name for itself among consumers with splashy, celebrity-filled ads, but marketing isn’t the only way the company pushes the envelope. Capital One is constantly creating new credit card offers and reward programs, each with more perks than the last.
JetBlue is often credited with raising the bar for the in-flight experience on board a low-cost airline. In addition to comfort advances and customer service innovations, the airline was one of the first to offer personalized in-flight entertainment for all passengers.
When you reserve a room at any of the 12 Morgans Hotel Group Properties, you will triple your TrueBlue rewards points, receive $50 in food and beverages and get free access to wireless internet.
