How to Transfer Citi Points to American Airlines AAdvantage

The transfer at a glance

The minimum comes from Citi's Strata Premier page. The card tiers come from The Points Guy and Frequent Miler. Cards and Points prints the same AT&T Access More exclusion. One Mile at a Time reports that Citi doesn't charge a fee to transfer ThankYou points to airline partners. That no-fee line rests on One Mile at a Time (Aug 4, 2025), not on a Citi page. This pair was checked November 1, 2026.

Your card decides the ratio

Frequent Miler and Cards and Points report that only Strata Elite, Strata Premier and Prestige get the 1:1 rate to American Airlines, and that AT&T Access More can't transfer to AAdvantage. No-annual-fee ThankYou cards transfer to AAdvantage at 1:0.7, so 1,000 points become 700 miles. That's fewer miles for the same points, so if anyone in your household holds a premium Citi card, Upgraded Points says you can combine accounts and transfer at the premium rate.

Among the banks we track, Citi is the only one that transfers to AAdvantage. Amex, Chase, Capital One and Bilt don't. AAdvantage, Avios, and Atmos Rewards are in How to book American with miles. You can still book an American flight with a different currency: Avios or Atmos Rewards.

How to transfer, step by step

1. Find the American or partner award first, at the price you want.
2. Log in to Citi with a Strata Elite, Strata Premier or Prestige card for 1:1, or Strata, Double Cash, Custom Cash or ThankYou Preferred at 1:0.7.
3. Open ThankYou Rewards and choose to transfer points to a partner.
4. Pick American Airlines AAdvantage and enter your AAdvantage number. The AAdvantage account must be in your name, matching your ThankYou account.
5. Enter the points, at least 1,000, and confirm.
6. Book the award once the miles show in your American account.

Is it worth moving Citi points to American?

Our values put a Citi point at 1.95 cents per point and an AAdvantage mile at 1.45 cents per point.

A plain transfer gives up value, so move points only for an award that beats 1.95¢ per mile. At 1:0.7 the bar is higher still.

American prices its own flights by demand, but it keeps a partner award chart. A fixed chart charges the same miles whatever the cash fare, so an expensive partner business seat can cost the same miles as a cheap one. That's where AAdvantage miles earn their value.

Where AAdvantage miles go furthest

• Japan Airlines business to Tokyo, JAL nonstop: 60,000 miles one way, per Upgraded Points.
• Etihad A380 first, Abu Dhabi to Europe: 62,500 miles one way, per Points Miles & Bling (Apr 22, 2026).

Partner space comes and goes, so search before you transfer. Prices checked November 1, 2026.

A worked example

The JAL business seat at 60,000 miles takes the same number of Citi points on a premium card, since the ratio is 1:1. On a no-fee card at 1:0.7, each Citi point buys less than a mile, so the same seat takes more points than miles. Price the award first, then move what it shows, starting at the 1,000 point minimum.

When not to transfer

• You haven't found the award. Points stay more useful in ThankYou, with 21 partners.
• You hold only a no-fee card and a premium card in the household could transfer at 1:1.
• A transfer bonus may come. Check transfer bonus alerts.
• The cash fare is cheap. American prices its own flights by demand, so cheap fares are often better paid in cash.

Learn this properly

Lesson 11: Transfer Partners & When to Use Them explains how to pick a partner, and Lesson 13: How to Search for Award Flights shows how to find partner space. The full Citi list is on transfer partners.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Citi to American Airlines transfer ratio?

1:1 on premium cards, 1:0.7 on other cards.

Which Citi cards get the best rate to American?

Frequent Miler and Cards and Points report that only Strata Elite, Strata Premier and Prestige get the 1:1 rate to American Airlines, and that AT&T Access More can't transfer to AAdvantage.

How long does a Citi to AA transfer take?

Most arrive instantly.

Does Citi charge a fee to transfer points to American?

One Mile at a Time reports that Citi doesn't charge a fee to transfer ThankYou points to airline partners.

Can I transfer Citi points to someone else's AAdvantage account?

No. The AAdvantage account must be in your name, matching your ThankYou account.