Are Citi Travel Partners Actually Valuable? A Deep Dive

Following discussions about the Citi Prestige card’s enhanced rewards and comparisons with the Chase Sapphire Reserve, a common question arises: Are Citi’s travel partners any good? Critics often dismiss Citi’s transfer options as inferior to Chase’s, claiming they offer less value for your points. This is a crucial point, as leveraging travel partners for high-value award redemptions is often the smartest way to maximize credit card rewards. If Citi’s partners truly lag behind Chase’s, then even higher earning rates might not bridge the gap in point value.

Let’s examine the reality and put these claims to the test, comparing Citi Travel Partners to those offered by Chase to determine which program truly provides superior value for travelers.

Hotel Partners: Chase Takes the Lead

Currently, Citi lacks direct hotel transfer partners, giving Chase Ultimate Rewards a clear advantage. Chase partners with Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and IHG Rewards Club. Among these, Hyatt stands out for consistently providing exceptional value, often exceeding 1 cent per point, making it the most compelling Chase hotel partner. Hyatt’s award chart is known for its fairness, and they waive resort fees on award stays. Personal experience confirms Hyatt as a prime use for Chase points, offering remarkable value.

Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Costa Rica Mixology Class

For instance, the Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica, a Hyatt property, can be booked for just 15,000 points per night. During peak season, room rates can soar to $1,500 per night, translating to an incredible 10 cents per point value – a truly phenomenal return.

Airline Partners: A Battle in the Skies

Beyond occasional hotel gems, transferring points to airline partners often unlocks the best value, particularly for premium cabin flights at significantly reduced mile costs. It’s important to remember that you don’t always need to use miles from the airline you intend to fly with. Partner airlines can often book the same flights for fewer miles.

Consider flying United first class to Hawaii. Cash fares are typically exorbitant, easily reaching $1,700 or more for a round-trip business/first class ticket from Denver to Honolulu. Booking the same flights with United MileagePlus miles might cost around 80,000 miles round-trip, yielding a decent value of 2.1 cents per mile. However, utilizing Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, a partner of both Chase and Citi, for the same United flights could cost as little as 60,000 miles round-trip, boosting the value to 2.8 cents per mile.

a seat in an airplane

One of the most rewarding uses of transferable points is booking international business or first-class flights at reduced mileage rates. Delta One Suites, for example, are often more cost-effective to book using Virgin Atlantic miles compared to Delta SkyMiles. Both Chase and Citi provide transfer options to Virgin Atlantic, making this valuable redemption accessible to both point currencies.

Shared Airline Transfer Partners: Common Ground

Several valuable airline transfer partners are shared between Citi ThankYou Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, offering flexibility for points redemption:

These shared partners demonstrate that both Citi and Chase offer access to a range of valuable loyalty programs, providing numerous options for flights and travel experiences. For example, Air France often offers more competitive pricing for Delta flights compared to booking directly through Delta.

Unique Airline Transfer Partners: Chase’s Exclusive Alliances

In addition to the shared partners, Chase Ultimate Rewards boasts exclusive 1:1 transfer partnerships with the following airlines:

Chase’s exclusive partnerships, particularly with United and Southwest, give it a slight edge for travelers loyal to these airlines.

Unique Airline Transfer Partners: Citi’s Hidden Gems

Citi ThankYou Rewards also offers unique 1:1 transfer partnerships, some of which are particularly noteworthy:

Unique Recommended Transfer Partners from Citi

Avianca LifeMiles stands out as a uniquely valuable Citi transfer partner, offering a compelling option for Star Alliance flyers.

Unique “Worth a Look” Transfer Partners from Citi

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Images of Serve cards, historically related to points redemption but less relevant today.	These images are placeholders from the original article and are not directly relevant to current Citi Travel Partners.

These images and the associated partners are outdated and less relevant in the current landscape of Citi Travel Partners.

Unique “Not-Recommended” Transfer Partners from Citi

These partners are generally less valuable and not recommended for most users seeking optimal point redemption.

Transfer Bonuses: Citi’s Secret Weapon

While Chase rarely, if ever, offers transfer bonuses, Citi frequently provides bonus miles when transferring ThankYou points to partner programs. You can find updated information on current and past bonuses at “Current Point Transfer Bonuses”. Historically, Citi has offered significant bonuses, further enhancing the value of their transfer partners.

Note: Historical data on transfer bonuses is for illustrative purposes and past performance does not guarantee future bonuses.

Important notes about past Citi transfer bonuses:

• Past JetBlue bonuses often aimed to bring the transfer ratio to 1:1, as the standard rate was lower.
• Hilton was previously a Citi transfer partner, but this partnership ended in 2017.

Comparative Analysis: Citi vs. Chase Travel Partners

Chase undeniably excels in hotel transfer options due to its partnerships, particularly with Hyatt. For hotel stays, Chase provides more direct and potentially high-value redemption paths.

However, when considering airline transfer partners, the landscape becomes more balanced.

• For Delta flyers, both Chase and Citi offer access to Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic, both excellent avenues for booking Delta awards.
• For those preferring American Airlines or OneWorld, Chase has a strong offering with Avios partners (British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia), especially British Airways and Iberia for sweet spot redemptions. Conversely, for long-haul American Airlines business class, Etihad, a Citi-exclusive partner, often presents better value.
• For United Airlines or Star Alliance enthusiasts, the programs are largely comparable. Both provide access to Singapore Airlines, a Star Alliance member, and programs that waive fuel surcharges: United MileagePlus (Chase) and Avianca LifeMiles (Citi). Each program has distinct advantages.
• For Southwest loyalists, Chase is the clear winner due to its exclusive partnership, as Southwest flights are not bookable through partners.

While Chase gains a slight advantage with Southwest exclusivity, the overall airline partner landscape is more nuanced.

Considering Citi’s frequent and often substantial transfer bonuses, the difference becomes negligible, arguably even tilting in Citi’s favor depending on your travel goals and bonus availability.

Bottom Line: Citi Travel Partners Offer Significant Value

Dismissing Citi’s travel partners as “shitty” is inaccurate. A detailed comparison reveals that Citi’s airline partners are comparable in value to Chase’s, and in some cases, even more compelling, especially when factoring in transfer bonuses. While Chase holds a definitive advantage in hotel transfers, the airline partner networks are closely matched. Citi’s frequent transfer bonuses can amplify point value, potentially making Citi ThankYou points as, or even more, valuable than Chase Ultimate Rewards for strategic travelers.

For hotel rewards, Chase is the clear leader with Hyatt in its portfolio. Mic drop.

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