Introduction to the Citi Travel Portal

Accessing the citi travel portal, citi credit cards that earn thankyou points, what to know about the citi travel portal, citi travel portal: your guide to booking and rewards.

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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige® Card, Citi Custom Cash℠ Card, Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi Rewards+® Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

  • If you have a Citi credit card that earns ThankYou points, you can book your travel with them.
  • The Citi Travel Portal is like an online travel agency, allowing you to make bookings with ease.
  • You can pay with points (worth 1 cent each), your Citi credit card, or a combination of both.

Citi ThankYou Rewards is a flexible points program that allows you to earn points from eligible Citi credit cards and banking products. You can redeem points in a number of ways, including for travel, cash back, or gift cards.

One of the best ways to use points is for travel, either by transferring Citi ThankYou points to airline partners for award flights (only available with certain Citi credit cards), or through an even easier option available to all program members — the Citi Travel portal.

Citi Travel recently got a big overhaul, and it's now partnered with Booking.com and powered by Rocket Travel by Agoda technology. Here's what to know about the new Citi Travel portal and what to expect if you decide to book.

Overview of the Portal

The Citi Travel Portal is an online travel booking platform that works in a similar way to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) like Orbitz or Expedia. You can search for flights, hotels, rental cars, and attractions based on your destination, travel dates, and other preferences, and you have the option to pay with Citi ThankYou points, your Citi card, or a combination of both.

Benefits of Booking Through the Portal

Although Citi Travel doesn't get as much attention as American Express Travel or the Chase Ultimate Rewards® Travel Portal , it has many of the same benefits:

  • You can book travel with no blackout dates
  • There's no need to worry about loyalty program award charts or availability 
  • Your points are worth a flat 1 cent each toward travel, and you can combine them with cash if you don't have enough for a booking
  • You'll still earn airline miles and elite-qualifying miles when you book flights, even when you pay entirely with points
  • It's possible to pool Citi points from different credit cards (or even share with friends and family who have Citi ThankYou accounts)

A downside to using the Citi Travel Portal is you won't earn points or elite status credit for hotel stays, and you might not have your elite status recognized because it's considered a third-party booking.

If you're looking for the easiest way to cash in Citi points for travel, the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal is a better choice for most people. That said, it's possible to get more than 1 cent per point in value if you skip the Citi Portal and instead transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to an airline or hotel partner for award travel — but that involves more legwork.

The full range of partners is available if you have the Citi Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to new applicants). Otherwise, JetBlue, Choice, and Wyndham are the only airline and hotel options, with a reduced transfer ratio.

How to Log In

To access the Citi Travel Portal, you must be a Citi customer with a ThankYou rewards account. Once you sign in to your Citi account online and click the "View/Redeem" button in the rewards section, you'll land on a screen with several redemption options. Click "Book Travel" in the lower left-hand corner.

Alternatively, you can get to the same screen by signing in with your Citi login details at ThankYou.com . 

Once you click "Book Travel," you'll be prompted to select the Citi card account you want to book with if you have multiple Citi cards. Then you'll land on the main Citi Travel search screen.

How to Book Flights with Citi Travel

To search for flights, click the "Flights" tab and enter your departure and destination airport and dates of travel. You'll also have options to select round-trip or one-way flights, class of service, number of passengers, and if you prefer non-stop flights. Then hit "Search."

Next, you'll see a list of flight search results — starting with your outbound flight — which you can sort by price, number of stops, departure time, arrival time, duration, or "best overall" (cheap, short flights). On the left sidebar, there are also filters for the departure and arrival times, airline, number of stops, price range, and total journey duration. To choose a flight, click on the "Select" button, then repeat the process for your return leg if you've searched for a round-trip itinerary.

Once you've selected your flights, you'll be prompted to enter passenger details and will be given options to upgrade your fare (most folks will skip this step). Then, on the final booking screen, you'll have the opportunity to select your payment method — either using your Citi card, ThankYou points, or a combination of both. 

How to Book Hotels with Citi Travel

The process of finding a hotel to book through the Citi Travel portal is similar to searching for flights. After selecting the "Hotels" option from the main menu, enter your destination, stay dates, and the number of guests in the search fields.

The results page allows you to sort by property class, price, distance, hotel name, and recommended results. You can filter by price, class, TripAdvisor rating, amenities, nearby landmarks, and even hotels offering deals. One useful feature is the ability to quickly identify properties that have discounted rates by looking for the "Sale" flag in the corner of the hotel listing. 

To find out more about the hotel you're interested in, click on the hotel name and you'll be shown different bed options, rate types with cancellation policies, and available packages (breakfast included, for instance) if applicable. Select "Check out" next to the room you want to book. You'll then be asked for guest details (name, address, phone number, and email).

Once you've entered your information, you'll come to the final booking screen where, again, you can choose your method of payment.

How to Rent a Car with Citi Travel

Searching for a car rental through Citi Travel is similarly easy. Once you've clicked "Cars" on the main menu, enter your pick-up location (you can select a different drop-off location if needed), rental dates and times, and the driver's age.

The results list allows you to sort by price, rental company, or car type. 

Once you find a car you like, click on its listing to learn more about the rental and enter the driver's name and details.

On the final booking screen, you'll choose your method of payment — again, your Citi card, ThankYou points, or a combination of both.

How to Book Attractions Through Citi Travel

Select the "Attractions" tab on the main search page, and enter the city name where you want to search.

Depending on the destination, you'll get a list of all kinds of activities — from tours and sightseeing tickets to airport transfers and excursions. 

When you click on the attraction, you'll get more details about what's included in the activity.

Click "See options" to choose your activity dates, times, and the number of participants. 

Once you select "Choose" you'll have the opportunity to enter your traveler details. Then, you'll be brought to the final booking screen where you can select your payment method.

Before you choose between booking through the Citi Portal or transferring points to a partner for an award flight, be sure to compare the number of points required in each case — and verify that an award flight is actually available before you decide on that route.

Citi Citi Premier® Card

Earn 10x ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024. Earn 3x ThankYou® points on restaurant, supermarket, gas station, air travel, and hotel purchases. Earn 1x ThankYou® points on all other purchases.

21.24% - 29.24% Variable

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points

Good to Excellent

  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong bonus
  • Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous bonus categories
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Doesn't offer much in the way of statement credits or other perks
  • con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Citi ThankYou Rewards may not be as convenient as other points for US-based travelers

If you're looking for an all-purpose travel credit card with strong rewards, many ways to use your points, and an annual fee under $100, the Citi Premier should be on your shortlist. Beyond the welcome bonus offer, the Citi Premier® Card offers great 3x earning categories that just about anyone can take advantage of — and the rewards it earns are incredibly flexible.

Citi offers several different cards that earn Citi ThankYou points:

  • Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening 
  • Citi Custom Cash℠ Card : Earn $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening 
  • Citi® Double Cash Card
  • Citi Rewards+® Card : Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first three months of account opening 
  • Citi Prestige® Card: No longer available to new applicants 

If you have the Citi Premier® Card, there's an additional incentive to book through the Citi ThankYou portal. Once per calendar year, cardholders can get $100 off a hotel stay of $500 or more (before taxes and fees) when they book through the Citi portal — whether the stay is booked with points, charged to the Citi Premier® Card, or a combination of both.

The Citi Travel Portal is a terrific tool if you're looking for a way to redeem points for flights, hotels, car rentals, and attractions without worrying about blackout dates or fussing with loyalty program award charts. You'll even earn frequent flyer miles and elite credits for flight bookings (but you won't earn hotel points or elite nights on hotel stays, because it's a third-party booking).

Anyone with an eligible Citi ThankYou credit card can redeem their points through the portal at a rate of 1 cent each. Or, if you don't have enough points to cover the entire booking, you can pay with your Citi card in combination with rewards to make up the difference.

Even though using the Citi Travel Portal is easy and convenient, it is usually possible to get more value from your Citi ThankYou points by transferring them to Citi's airline and hotel partners. This method requires jumping through more hoops and searching for award availability, so if you'd rather avoid that inconvenience, the Citi Travel Portal is an ideal booking method.

Citi cardholders can access the travel portal by logging into their online account and navigating to the travel section or directly through the Citi Travel website.

Yes, you can use your Citi points to book flights, hotels, car rentals, and more through the portal. Points can cover all or part of the booking cost.

Typically, bookings made through the portal using your Citi card will earn points according to your card's rewards program.

The portal does not usually charge additional booking fees, but it's always best to review the terms and conditions for any specific charges that may apply.

Yes, you can cancel or modify bookings, but the ability to do so without penalty depends on the specific terms of your booking. Always check the cancellation policy at the time of booking.

citi rewards travel

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Citi Travel With Booking.com Portal: Your Guide To Booking Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals, Theme Parks, & More

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Citi Travel With Booking.com Portal: Your Guide To Booking Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals, Theme Parks, & More

Who Can Use the Citi Travel With Booking.com Portal?

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Citi ThankYou Points are an often underappreciated, yet valuable point currency. Often overshadowed by the bigger players like Chase and American Express, Citi offers cardmembers the opportunity to earn and redeem points with some great travel partners.

While transferring points to partners may often yield better value, using points to book travel via Citi’s travel portal can be a convenient option. And the updated Citi Travel with Booking.com portal makes that process even easier and more robust.

In this guide, we will show you exactly what the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is, who can use it, how to use it, and whether or not you should use it.

Ready? Let’s go!

What Is the Citi Travel with Booking.com Portal?

Citi Travel with Booking

The Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is a third-party online travel agency (OTA) run by, you guessed it, Booking.com . This portal operates very similarly to other OTAs such as Orbitz and Expedia .

Like other online travel agencies, users have the option to book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and more. However, since it’s linked to your Citi account, you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points towards travel at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Unlike other travel portals, like AmexTravel.com , you can only use the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal if you have a Citi credit card that earns ThankYou Points.

Some of our favorite travel cards are issued by Citi. The option to earn flexible points with cards that have some great everyday bonus categories is an excellent way to level up your travel game.

If you want to boost your Citi ThankYou Points balance, here are some of our favorite cards:

Citi Premier® Card

Citi Premier ® Card

Frequent flyers will enjoy 3x ThankYou Points at restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels.

The Citi Premier ® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

  • 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
  • Access to Citi transfer partners
  • Annual hotel credit
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • $95 annual fee
  • Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou ® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.
  • Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
  • Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
  • Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
  • 60,000 ThankYou ® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
  • No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 21.24% - 29.24% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Citi Rewards+® Card

Citi Rewards+ ® Card

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

  • Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
  • Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 Thank You ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.*
  • 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
  • Earn 2X ThankYou ® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou ® Points on All Other Purchases.
  • The Citi Rewards+ ® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
  • No Annual Fee
  • APR: 0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars
  • No Annual Fee Cards
  • Citi Transfer Partners

Citi Double Cash® Card

Citi Double Cash ® Card

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

The Citi Double Cash ® Card  has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points . This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

  • Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
  • Flexible redemption options
  • No annual fee
  • No bonus categories
  • 3% foreign transaction fees
  • Lack of premium travel benefits
  • Bonus Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou ® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
  • Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
  • To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
  • Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
  • Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
  • If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
  • There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
  • Citi Double Cash ® Card Travel Portal Limited Time Offer: Earn a total of 5 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions, excluding air travel, when booked through the Citi Travel SM portal on ThankYou.com or by calling 1-800-Thankyou and saying “Travel.” Offer is valid through 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) 12/31/2024.
  • APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 19.24% - 29.24% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase
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Citi Custom Cash® Card

Citi Custom Cash ® Card

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

The Citi Custom Cash ® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.

Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.

  • 5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
  • Multiple redemption options
  • No redemption minimums
  • Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
  • Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category
  • Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou ® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
  • 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% – 29.24%, based on your creditworthiness.
  • Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Also, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked via the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2025.
  • No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
  • Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash ® Card account per person.
  • APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.24%.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%
  • Citi Custom Cash Card Launches [Earn 5% Back on Your Top Purchases]

While many in the travel community prefer to earn points and then transfer them to partners to book award redemptions, that process can be complicated and confusing to some people.

For a lot of people, booking through an OTA, like the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, is straightforward and easy — and if that helps you book more travel, then you should absolutely do it.

But there are plenty of other reasons to use the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal as well …

Bonus Points

To kick off the launch of the new portal, Citi is offering up to 10 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions  if you hold a Citi Prestige ® Card or Citi Premier card . If you hold the Citi Rewards+ card , you can earn up to 5 ThankYou Points per $1. This promotion is valid through December 31, 2025.

No Blackout Dates

If there is a seat on the flight you want, you can book it. There are no blackout dates or stress about finding award availability. With the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, if you see a flight, you can book it.

Earn Airline Miles

One of the nice things about booking flights through an OTA is the fact that you still earn airline miles and elite-qualifying miles despite not booking directly through the airline.

Use Points and Money

If you are a little short on points or don’t want to use them all, you can use a combination of points and money to pay for your travel.

At checkout, simply select how many points you want to redeem and the difference will be calculated for you to pay in cash.

Book Non-chain Hotels

While points are great for booking hotels from the big chains, your options are limited when it comes to independent, boutique hotels.

That is when booking through an OTA like the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal comes in handy. You can use your ThankYou Points to book hotels that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

Get a Fourth Night Free

One of the many benefits of the Citi Prestige card (no longer open to new applicants) is that cardholders are eligible for a fourth night free at select hotels.

Simply select a hotel for 4 or more nights and if the hotel is eligible, the price will reflect the discount.

Pool Citi ThankYou Points

If you are short on points or want to boost your balance, Citi allows members to combine ThankYou Points.

This can be done online or by calling the phone number on the back of your Citi credit card.

Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection Benefits

As part of the new travel portal, Citi is gradually introducing 2 new programs for hotel bookings; Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection.

These programs offer unique benefits at select hotels, although the number of hotels is still quite limited. However, you can expect the following if you book:

Luxury Collection Benefits (Citi Premier Card and Citi Prestige Card members):

  • $100 experience credit
  • Room upgrade, upon availability
  • Daily breakfast for 2
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi
  • Early check-in, upon availability
  • Late checkout, upon availability

Hotel Collection Benefits (All eligible cardmembers):

Hot Tip: It’s not all positive — if you book a chain hotel via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal you are typically ineligible to receive any elite night credits or elite benefits during your stay. 

Accessing the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is pretty straightforward. You can simply visit Citi Travel with Booking.com and log in with your Citi credentials.

From there you will have options to choose Hotels, Flights, Cars, and More . Let’s start with booking flights …

Once you are logged in and click on Flights , you will be directed to the online search tool — which may look familiar if you have used Booking.com before.

Searching for a flight using the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is pretty straightforward.

Simply select:

  • Round-trip or one-way (multi-city is no longer an option)
  • Flying from
  • Departure date
  • Return date (if applicable)
  • Cabin class

Citi Travel flights

Once you have started a search, the results will populate and you will have additional options to filter through the flights.

Currently, you can filter flight results by:

  • Departure times
  • Arrival times

Citi will even break down the results into 3 categories: Cheapest , Fastest , and Best overall — which is a combination of low price and short duration.

By default, the results are shown by price per person, but you can also sort them by:

  • Total journey time (fastest first)
  • Best overall (cheap, short flights)
  • Outbound departure time (earliest first)
  • Outbound arrival time (earliest first)
  • Stops (fewest stops first)

Once you have found a flight that works for you, click on the blue Select  button to proceed with the booking.

American Airlines flight Citi Travel portal

If eligible, you will be prompted with options to upgrade your seat, similar to what airline websites offer.

After confirming your selection and adding the passenger information, click the Continue to payment button where your flight details will be shown alongside your Citi ThankYou Points balance.

You then will have the option to use points, pay with your Citi card, or a combination of both. From here, you can use as many (or as few) points as you would like to cover the cost of the flight, and if there is a balance, it will be charged to your Citi card.

Citi Travel flight point redemption

After confirming the information, simply click on Complete Purchase and your ticket will be issued. As with most OTAs, there is a 24-hour cancellation window.

Comparing Rates

While it isn’t uncommon for flight prices to fluctuate and be slightly different between online travel agencies and with airlines directly, during our search we found that most prices were the same price on Google Flights as they were through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal.

Google Flights American Airlines

While prices are often similar, it is always a good idea to double-check prices on Google Flights.

As an extra data point, American Airlines was charging 11,500 miles for that flight, so that was slightly less than the 12,790 Citi ThankYou Points needed.

Once logged in, click on the Hotel tab to start the booking process through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal (the default landing page may already be set to hotels).

Searching for a hotel is pretty straightforward and similar to many other OTAs.

  • Destination
  • Check-in date
  • Check-out date
  • Number of guests and rooms

If you have a Citi Prestige complimentary 4th night free available, there will be a message displaying that information.

Citi Travel hotel search

Once you have started a search, the results will populate and you will have additional options to filter through hotel options.

Currently, you can filter hotel results by:

  • Price per night
  • Property type
  • Sustainability
  • Distance to center
  • Neighborhood
  • Star rating
  • Payment options
  • Guest rating
  • Room amenities
  • Near popular attractions
  • Location rating
  • Property facilities
  • Room offers
  • Beach access
  • Location highlights
  • Number of bedrooms
  • Popular hotel brands

By default, the results are sorted by Best match , but you can sort by lowest price , distance , and top reviewed as well.

Hot Tip: Beware, the prices shown on the first page do not include taxes and fees , so the price may change significantly from one page to another. 

Once you have found an option that works for you, click on the hotel to proceed with the booking.

Citi Travel hotel search results

After finding a room that you like, click Add to cart or Check out to be directed to the Review page where you will enter the guest information.

Citi Prestige Card Benefit

On the next page, if you have a Citi Prestige card, you will have the option to apply the Complimentary 4th Night Benefit.

Citi Travel Prestige 4th night

If you don’t have a Citi Prestige card, you can skip ahead.

Citi Premier Card Benefit

If you have a Citi Premier card, you can receive $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more.

Citi Premier 100 annual hotel saving benefit

This $100 credit is available once per calendar year when booking via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, and you will have the option to use it or not.

After filling out the guest information, click on Continue to payment.

Finally, on the Payment page, you will have the option to apply your Citi ThankYou Points towards the total at a rate of 1 cent per point. So, for example, using 10,000 points would reduce the total by $100.

Citi Travel hotel point redemption

Hotels always want guests to book directly with them in order to avoid paying commission fees to online travel agencies, so it’s not uncommon to see prices be different from site to site.

That is why hotels do not provide elite benefits when booking through an OTA, as an extra incentive to book direct.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort Orlando

In the case of the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, our example was actually cheaper than the price on Expedia as well as directly with the hotel, which is great news for Citi cardholders.

The total for 4 nights via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal was $1,228, before factoring in any card benefits or points. The price for the same room and dates directly with the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort was $1,266.09 — $38.09 more expensive. 

Once you are logged in, click on the Car tab to start booking a car through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal

If you have searched for a rental car using an online travel agency before, you will notice that the layout is quite similar.

  • Same drop-off
  • Different drop-off (if applicable)
  • Pick-up city or airport
  • Drop-off city or airport (if applicable)
  • Driver’s age
  • Pick-up date
  • Drop-off date
  • Pick-up time
  • Drop-off time

Citi Travel car search

Once you have started a search, the results will be displayed and you will have some additional options to filter through the rental car inventory.

Currently, you can filter rental car results by:

  • Vehicle type
  • Rental agency
  • Cancellation fee
  • Price per day

By default, the results are sorted by price — lowest price first. 

Additionally, you can see the results on a map, which can be helpful if you are picking up somewhere besides an airport.

Once you have found a price that works for you, select the car to proceed with the booking.

Citi Travel car search results

After adding the driver information, you can now use as many (or as few) Citi ThankYou Points as you would like to cover the cost of your rental car.

Citi Travel car point redemption

After confirming all of the information, simply click on Confirm Purchase and your confirmation will be emailed to you. The cancellation policy will vary based on the car and rate you selected.

As a reminder, rental car company-specific credits and benefits will not be available when booking through a third-party travel agency.

Rental car rates are constantly fluctuating, so booking a car with a generous cancellation policy is a good idea in case you find a better price later on.

Comparing prices for this guide was an excellent example of that. In our sample search, Expedia had the same car class from SIXT, but for $22 more for the week. However, Expedia also had several rental car companies that Citi didn’t, many of which were cheaper.

Expedia Sixt car rental

But the good news is, renting via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal was cheaper than booking directly with SIXT, which was the same price as Expedia, plus you can use points.

One thing to note was the lack of other well-known rental agency options. For example, in Miami, there were many companies that we had never heard of, and the portal was missing big names like Hertz and National. Meanwhile, in Boston, there was only 1 option: Payless. Definitely do your research and don’t rely solely on the Citi search results.

Bottom Line: It is always a good idea to compare OTAs as well as directly with the rental car company when searching for a car. See our guide on finding the best websites for finding cheap car rentals for more tips!

Booking an attraction (think: theme parks) is an awesome feature of the updated Citi Travel with Booking.com portal.

Once you log in, click on the Attractions tab to start the booking process via the portal.

To start, simply type in the city you would like to visit and click Search .

Citi Travel attractions search

Once the attractions have been populated, you can filter them by:

You can also sort by:

  • Lowest price first
  • Highest rating first

Once you have found an activity that you like, click on it to bring up more details.

Citi Travel attracttions search results Universal Orlando

Click on See Options to search for availability and additional ticket options.

If there is availability for your request, click the blue Choose button and then add the number of travelers in your party.

You can now use as many or as few Citi ThankYou Points as you would like to cover the cost of the attraction. If you are short on points, don’t worry, you can add the difference to your Citi card.

Citi Travel attractions point redemption

After confirming the trip information, simply click Confirm Purchase and your ticket will be emailed to you. As a quick note, many attractions are non-refundable.

Comparing prices on local activities can be difficult because many of them are run by individuals or small companies who may not be on all booking sites.

However, for this example, we chose a 1 day Park-2-Park ticket for Universal Orlando, which sells directly from UniversalOrlando.com for $217.26.

Universal Orlando ticket price

Booking via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal would be $15 more expensive, per person. That may not be a big deal if you are planning on using your ThankYou Points, but it is something to consider.

Booking a cruise with Citi ThankYou Points was never an easy task, and with the rollout of the new Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, it appears that Citi has decided to move away from that category.

You can still find the occasional river cruise or local boat tour via the attractions search, but weeklong trips to the islands, for instance, are not available at the moment.

Bottom Line: If you are looking to book a cruise, we can show you the best websites to book cruises at the cheapest prices . 

Overall, the refreshed Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is a convenient, easy-to-use, and valuable travel tool for those who don’t like to deal with transferring points to partners.

Redeeming Citi ThankYou Points at a rate of 1 cent per point won’t get you the greatest redemptions, but if you would otherwise not use the points, using them (or earning them) to book travel through the portal is a solid deal.

There are some unique perks, like being able to use points at non-chain hotels, but there are drawbacks as well, like not receiving elite night credits and other loyalty perks at some of the chain hotels and rental car companies.

While the cruise section is non-existent, the booking process for flights, hotels, and car rentals is easy and straightforward, and theme parks are now an option — which is always a plus in our book.

If you have some Citi ThankYou Points and are looking for an easy way to redeem them for some upcoming travel, the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is just a few clicks away.

The information for the Citi Prestige ® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information for the Citi ThankYou ® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does citi have a travel portal.

Yes, Citi has the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal which is an online travel agency (OTA) similar to Expedia and Orbitz.

Can I redeem Citi ThankYou Points for any travel?

Most travel like flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and even some cruises can be booked via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal using Citi ThankYou Points.

Is booking through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal a good deal?

You can often get better value from your points by transferring them to a travel partner, but if there is no award availability or if your desired hotel or airline isn’t a partner, booking via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal can make sense. Plus, we have found some hotels are even cheaper than booking direct.

How do I use my Citi ThankYou Points?

There are many ways to use Citi ThankYou Points, including buying gift cards, cashing them out, or redeeming them for travel (our preference). Here we will show you how to use them to book travel via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal.

Can I book Disney World tickets with my Citi points?

No, Disney is not an available attraction, however, you can book Universal tickets with your Citi ThankYou Points.

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About Chris Hassan

Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.

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UP's Bonus Valuation

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What are the Travel Benefits of the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi?

Exclusively for Costco members, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offers cash back on all purchases and additional cash back on categories such as eligible gas and EV charging, restaurants and eligible travel and purchases from Costco and Costco.com. Cardholders also enjoy access to Citi Entertainment ® .

These benefits and more can make the Costco Anywhere Visa a great card for travel. Let’s look at how it works.

Cash back rewards on travel

Cardholders earn unlimited 3% cash back at restaurants and eligible travel purchases. This can include airfare, hotel stays, car rentals, travel agencies, cruises and Costco travel.

Cardholders can also make the most of road trips and vacation car rentals with 4% cash back on eligible gas and EV charging transactions for the first $7,000 every year. After the first $7,000, cardholders continue to earn 1% cash back in these categories.

Other travel benefits

Cardholders can also get access to services and benefits like:

  • Travel and emergency assistance
  • Worldwide car rental insurance
  • Travel accident insurance
  • Roadside assistance dispatch service
  • Zero foreign transaction fees 1

Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, please see here for more information.

These services and benefits help take the stress out of travel so you can enjoy a worry-free, relaxing vacation.

Access to Citi Entertainment

Citi Entertainment opens the door to popular experiences, such as concerts, sporting events and dining.

With the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, cardmembers can get special access to purchase tickets to thousands of events, including presale tickets and exclusive experiences for some of the most anticipated concerts, sporting events and dining experiences.

Whether you want to attend a local event while on vacation or plan a trip around a concert, your Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi can enhance your travel with special entertainment experiences.

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Disclosure : This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.

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Citi Rewards+ Review: Rounding Up Equals Modest Rewards

Melissa Lambarena Author Avatar

Despite its bonus tiers and "round up" feature, the card underwhelms when compared with others in its category.

  • No annual fee
  • Intro APR period
  • Spending caps on bonus rewards
  • Requires good/excellent credit
  • Complicated redemptions

Citi Rewards+® Card Image

18.74%-28.74% Variable APR

0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening.

Citi Rewards+® Card Image

Rewards rate

Bonus offer

Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com. Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.

Ongoing APR

APR: 18.74%-28.74% Variable APR

Cash Advance APR: 29.99%, Variable

Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%, Variable

Balance transfer fee

Intro fee 3% of each transfer ($5 min) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, 5% of each transfer ($5 min).

Foreign transaction fee

  • Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
  • Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.
  • 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% - 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
  • Earn 2X ThankYou® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou® Points on All Other Purchases.
  • The Citi Rewards+® Card - the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase - with no cap.
  • No Annual Fee.

Compare to Other Cards

Discover it® Miles Image

Detailed review: Citi Rewards+® Card

The Citi Rewards+® Card underwhelms when compared with other rewards credit cards in its class.

Yes, modest spenders may appreciate the card's unique "round up" offer, which can make small purchases a little more rewarding. There's also a "Points Back" benefit each year on rewards that you redeem, up to an annual limit, plus some decent introductory offers.

But overall, you can find other no-annual-fee options that offer richer and less complicated rewards on everyday spending.

» MORE: Credit cards that earn 2% cash back or more on purchases

Citi Rewards+® Card : Basics

Card type: Rewards .

Annual fee: $0 .

Sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com. Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.

2 ThankYou points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations (for the first $6,000 spent per year).

1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

10% points back for the first 100,000 ThankYou Points redeemed per year.

Rewards are rounded up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase. So if you buy a $4 cup of coffee, you get 10 points instead of four.

Redemption options:

You can redeem points for things like gift cards, travel and potentially statement credits (for eligible purchases in select categories). You can also use points to shop online at eligible merchants , via the "Shop With Points" option. But point values vary widely depending on what you choose.

You can also transfer your points to loyalty programs like JetBlue and Wyndham. But unless you can find a good deal on reward redemptions, this might not be the best use of your points. For example, 1,000 ThankYou points earned on this card will net you 800 JetBlue points, a .8 cent value. When you redeem for a statement credit, each point is worth 0.5 cent.

Citi has other travel partners , but you'll need a card like the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card to access them. Plus, both of these cards will snag you a higher redemption value when you transfer to JetBlue or Wyndham.

» MORE: The 4 best Citi ThankYou travel partners — and 7 to avoid

APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74%-28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. .

Foreign transaction fee: 3%.

Balance transfer fee: There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening (5% ongoing).

Drawbacks and considerations

Low rewards rate and complicated rules.

The Citi Rewards+® Card will very likely limit your rewards-earning potential. Many households, especially larger ones, will exceed a $6,000 spending cap on gas and groceries in a year. Plus, the card's roundup feature — while interesting — is ideal only on small, sporadic purchases, and even then you have to do the math to determine the exact value you're getting upfront. The 10% redemption bonus is worth, at the very most, $100 per year. Rather than worrying about tiered bonus categories, spending caps and rounded-up rewards, you're probably better off with a card that earns a flat, simple 1.5% back or higher on everything .

With the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card , for instance, you earn 2% cash back on every purchase. Plus, unlike a points-based system with values and redemption options that can vary, cash back is straightforward and can be used on whatever you like. The card's annual fee is $0 .

» MORE: Which 1.5% cash-back card should you choose?

Varying point values

The Citi Rewards+® Card offers plenty of redemption options, but they're not all created equal. And while it's hard to find a no-annual-fee card that offers any kind of point transfer to travel partners, the selection and value with the Citi Rewards+® Card are limited.

For a more straightforward experience, consider the Discover it® Miles . It earns 1.5 miles per $1 on all purchases. Point values are the same whether you redeem for travel or cash back.

The card's 3% foreign transaction fee means it'll be costly to use internationally. If you’re looking for a card that earns travel rewards but also travels well itself, consider the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card . It earns 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, and it skips the foreign transaction fees.

alternate-pick-product-card-image

You'll get a flat rate of 2% back on all purchases: 1% when you buy, 1% when you pay. No bonus categories, spending caps or rounded-up rewards to keep track of. Annual fee: $0 .

How to decide if it's right for you

The Citi Rewards+® Card could work for low spenders who make a lot of small purchases. But many other credit cards can offer more value, flexibility and simplicity. See NerdWallet's list of the best credit cards for more options.

  • The best credit cards of 2024
  • Best travel credit cards
  • Best rewards credit cards
  • Best cash back credit cards

Methodology

NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.

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Melissa Lambarena

Citi transfer partners: Maximize your ThankYou points with these loyalty programs

Katie Genter

Editor's Note

Many Citi cardholders redeem their Citi ThankYou Rewards points for gift cards or bookings through the Citi travel portal . But if you have a premium Citi ThankYou card, you may get greater value from your points by utilizing the Citi transfer partners.

In this guide, we'll discuss how to earn Citi ThankYou points you can redeem with the Citi transfer partners.

Earning points you can use with Citi transfer partners

You can earn Citi ThankYou points through some Citi credit cards , including:

  • Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees ): Best for supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants and air travel
  • Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees ): Best for earning rewards with no annual fee
  • Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees ; via a linked ThankYou account): Best for everyday purchases
  • Citi Custom Cash® Card (see rates and fees ; via a linked ThankYou account): Best for flexible earning

Keep in mind, though, that not all ThankYou points have the same value. To transfer Citi ThankYou points to most partners described in this guide, you must hold a premium Citi ThankYou card such as the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer available to applications) or the Citi Premier.

If you only have the Citi Rewards+ Card, you'll earn more limited ThankYou points that you can transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue, Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards. If you only have the Citi Double Cash Card or the Citi Custom Cash Card, you earn cash back as "basic" ThankYou points that you can't transfer to partner programs.

However, if you also hold the Citi Prestige or the Citi Premier, you can combine your limited and basic ThankYou points with those from your Citi Prestige or Citi Premier account. Then, you can transfer your combined rewards to any Citi ThankYou transfer partners.

The information for the Citi Prestige card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Is the Citi Premier worth the annual fee?

Citi transfer partner overview

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program currently has 19 transfer partners: 14 airline loyalty programs, four hotel loyalty programs and one retail loyalty program.

Here's an overview of the Citi transfer partners and the ratios at which you can transfer ThankYou points:

  • Accor Live Limitless : 2:1 transfer ratio
  • Aeromexico Rewards : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Air France-KLM Flying Blue : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Avianca LifeMiles : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Choice Privileges : 1:2 transfer ratio (2:3 transfer ratio for cards that earn limited ThankYou points)
  • Emirates Skywards : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Etihad Guest : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • EVA Air Infinity MileageLands : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • JetBlue TrueBlue : 1:1 transfer ratio (5:4 transfer ratio for cards that earn limited ThankYou points)
  • Leaders Club : 5:1 transfer ratio
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Shop Your Way : 1:10 transfer ratio
  • Thai Royal Orchid Plus : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club : 1:1 transfer ratio
  • Wyndham Rewards : 1:1 transfer ratio (5:4 transfer ratio for cards that earn limited ThankYou points)

Occasionally, you may be able to transfer Citi points to select partners at a higher ratio during a transfer bonus .

To transfer Citi ThankYou points, go to thankyou.com and sign in to your account. You may need to select the ThankYou account you want to use. Then, click "Travel" on the top navigation bar and select "Points transfer." Each transfer must be at least 1,000 ThankYou points but no more than 500,000. ThankYou points can only be transferred in increments of 1,000.

Some partners recognize transfers from Citi ThankYou Rewards quicker than others. Citi says transfers can take up to 14 days to process, but our tests on how long Citi ThankYou points take to transfer show most transfers occur much quicker.

In the remainder of this guide, we'll discuss each Citi transfer partner and whether they'll likely provide good value if you transfer Citi points.

Related: Best ways to redeem Citi ThankYou points

Accor Live Limitless

Accor Live Limitless has 53 brands, including popular names like Sotifel, Fairmont, Raffles and Movenpick. Its redemptions are simple — 2,000 points are worth 40 euros (around $44, based on current exchange rates). That means each Accor point is worth around 2.2 cents.

Transferring Citi points to Accor at a 2:1 ratio means you'll get just over 1 cent per Citi point (significantly lower than TPG's valuation of Citi points at 1.8 cents each). That said, if you have a limited number of Citi points, Accor Live Limitless could be a compelling transfer partner that will offer slightly more value than redeeming your points for travel through the Citi travel portal.

Aeromexico Rewards

citi rewards travel

While Aeromexico Rewards has an award chart for limited-availability classic award tickets, it uses dynamic pricing for most award tickets operated by Aeromexico, Delta, KLM and Air France. This dynamic pricing varies depending on demand, availability, destination and your class of service — but the rates usually aren't compelling. Even if you book your award online, you'll still need to pay an award booking fee of 365 Mexican pesos (about $22).

You may get good value from Aeromexico if you use your points in the right situations, but generally, Aeromexico Rewards isn't one of the most valuable Citi transfer partners.

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Air France-KLM Flying Blue is a popular program that some might argue is one of the best Citi transfer partners. However, Flying Blue uses dynamic award pricing and adds fuel surcharges that can be hefty on some routes.

Flying Blue standardized prices of saver-level redemptions to Europe in late 2023, and you can find great value through the monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards and Flying Blue stopovers . You can also use Flying Blue's calendar search tool to find cheaper award tickets.

Related: How to find the cheapest redemption rates using Flying Blue miles

Avianca LifeMiles

citi rewards travel

With its mixed cabin ticketing and low taxes and fees, Avianca LifeMiles is a popular currency for booking flights on Star Alliance carriers. Unlike some frequent flyer programs, LifeMiles doesn't pass along carrier surcharges on award tickets.

Although Avianca LifeMiles raised award costs to Asia in late 2022, two of our favorite sweet spots remain:

  • Lufthansa business class one-way to Europe for 63,000 miles
  • One-way economy domestic awards on United Airlines for as few as 6,500 miles

You'll also often find inexpensive Avianca-operated award flights within the Americas.

Related: The best websites to search for Star Alliance award availability

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles uses distance-based award charts for flights on its own metal and Oneworld partner awards. Long-haul flights, such as those between the U.S. and Hong Kong, can be expensive. Specifically, you can book one-way "ultra-long" Cathay Pacific flights of 7,501 miles or longer for 160,000 Asia Miles in first class, 110,000 miles in business, 75,000 miles in premium economy and 38,000 miles in economy.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles passes on fees and surcharges from other carriers and often charges significant fees on its own tickets. But, even after Cathay increased most Asia Miles award rates in late 2023, you'll still occasionally find award flights where booking through Asia Miles is the best option.

Related: Traveling soon? These 10 apps and websites make award redemptions easier to find

Choice Privileges

citi rewards travel

Choice integrated Radisson Rewards Americas into its loyalty program in mid-2023. Now you can book Choice hotels, including legacy Radisson Rewards Americas brands, through Choice Privileges . Award nights at most properties worldwide range from 6,000 to 35,000 points per night.

You can transfer Citi points to Choice at a 1:2 ratio (2:3 ratio for cards that earn limited ThankYou points), which makes it easier to get good value. Check out our stories on Choice Hotels Sweet Spot Rewards and unique ways to redeem Choice points to learn how to maximize Choice points.

Related: Register for Choice Hotels Your Extras to earn gift cards or other perks on weekday stays

Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards is perhaps most useful for booking Emirates business-class or first-class award tickets, but its award prices are high. For example, a business-class one-way flight from New York to Dubai costs 138,000 miles and $839 in taxes and fees.

citi rewards travel

A more viable option is to look at one of the carrier's fifth-freedom routes between the U.S. and Europe. For example, you can book a one-way business-class award from New York to Milan for 87,000 miles plus $106 in taxes and fees, but if you can find round-trip, saver-level awards, your total price for the New York-to-Milan fifth-freedom route drops to 108,000 miles plus $248.

Related: The complete guide to the Emirates A380 onboard bar and lounge

Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest used to be a fantastic program for maximizing partner redemptions. Unfortunately, Etihad slashed its sweet spots and increased award rates by over 300% on some routes in 2023.

Etihad is making more loyalty program changes this year, including reduced GuestSeat award prices and the ability to redeem miles to upgrade to the Residence on some A380 flights . However, Etihad Guest award rates tend to be high, and the award charts you'll find only list introductory rates, so the rates you'll find when you go to book will often be significantly higher.

Related: Your ultimate guide to searching award availability for the major airlines

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands

EVA Air Infinity MileageLands generally won't be your program of choice. After all, it is often beaten by other programs and is rather difficult to understand. But there are a few notable cases in which you might want to use Infinity MileageLands.

One particular area to consider is intra-region round-trip itineraries. You're allowed up to two stopovers, up to six segments and one open jaw on round-trip Star Alliance awards — and some regions are very broad. For example, the "North Asia" region consists of "Guam, Japan, Micronesia, Palau, Russian Far East, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Saipan." So, you could piece together a nice island hopper for just 30,000 miles round trip in economy or 55,000 miles in business class. Likewise, the "South West Pacific" and "South America" regions also look appealing.

Check out the award chart for Star Alliance awards and the award chart for EVA Air awards .

Related: Is EVA Air business class worth it on the Boeing 787-10?

JetBlue TrueBlue

citi rewards travel

Redeeming JetBlue TrueBlue points for the carrier's flights is simple: The more a flight costs in cash, the more it will require in points. According to TPG's valuations, you can expect to get roughly 1.4 cents of value for every TrueBlue point you redeem, but some flights may yield slightly better or worse value.

Another option is to redeem JetBlue points for travel on Hawaiian Airlines . You can usually book nonstop, one-way intra-Hawaii economy flights for 7,500 points plus $5.60. However, this isn't as good of a deal as it sounds since paid flights are often inexpensive on these routes.

Leaders Club

The newest Citi transfer partner is Leaders Club , the loyalty program of The Leading Hotels of the World. Leaders Club uses dynamic award pricing, but you'll usually get between 6 and 8 cents per point. Given that you can transfer Citi points to Leaders Club at a 5:1 ratio, you'll usually get between 1.2 and 1.6 cents per Citi point (lower than TPG's 1.8 cents per ThankYou point valuation).

Suppose you want to redeem Citi points for a stay at a LHW property. In that case, you'll usually be better off transferring points to Leaders Club instead of redeeming points when booking through the Citi travel portal, but it's worth doing the math for your specific booking.

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas Frequent Flyer generally isn't the most lucrative loyalty program with its high fuel surcharges and lackluster award charts. You'll find multiple distance-based award charts for the program, so you must select the correct award chart based on the airlines you plan to fly.

There are some sweet spots to be found, including short Qantas-operated flights, around-the-world Oneworld tickets, transatlantic business-class awards operated by American Airlines and short-haul American Airlines flights.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

citi rewards travel

Qatar Airways Privilege Club isn't the most popular program, but it's worth caring about since it switched to Avios as its currency in 2022. Now, it is the only Avios-accruing program to partner with Citi ThankYou Rewards.

Since you can combine your Avios across the loyalty programs that use Avios, you can transfer Citi points to Qatar and then book sweet spots in the British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus loyalty programs.

Related: Book Qatar Qsuites before anyone else

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is usually your best bet if you're looking to book Singapore Airlines first-class Suites with points and miles . You'll usually only find Advantage space for 243,000 miles one-way in first class on the nonstop flight from New York to Singapore. But, if you want to fly in business class on this flight, Advantage awards cost 143,500 miles, and Saver awards cost 111,500 miles. If there isn't an award available when you book, you can join the waitlist.

If those business- and first-class award rates seem a bit high, you can also find value in the monthly KrisFlyer Spontaneous Escapes program.

Shop Your Way

Shop Your Way is a shopping rewards program. You can't see your redemption options until you have enough Shop Your Way points. However, according to an article on the Shop Your Way website, 1,000 points are worth $1 toward a gift card.

Citi points transfer to Shop Your Way at a 1:10 transfer ratio, which means you'd get about 1 cent per Citi point if you transfer to Shop Your Way. Considering you can get 1 cent per point when redeeming Citi points for a statement credit or check, there's little reason to transfer your points to Shop Your Way.

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus

Despite some decent intra-region award pricing, you won't find much value in Thai Royal Orchid Plus. You can find the Thai award chart for originating in Bangkok here , the Thai award chart for connecting in Bangkok here and the Star Alliance partner award chart here .

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

citi rewards travel

The Turkish Miles&Smiles program has been a favorite among award travelers in recent years. However, Turkish Airlines devalued its award charts last month. Although this devaluation certainly dropped some of the program's appeal, there's still some value to be found.

You'll still get the most value when you use your miles to book Turkish- or Star Alliance-operated flights. Based on the Miles&Smiles region-based award charts , one-way awards are bookable for half the price of a round-trip award. However, fuel surcharges are high on some Miles&Smiles redemptions.

One of the best ways to redeem Turkish miles is on domestic flights operated by one of the Turkish Miles&Smiles partners. This sweet spot works in many countries with partner hubs, but you'll pay 10,000 miles one-way in economy and 15,000 in business class on United flights within the U.S., including Hawaii.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has been a favorite of award travelers, but the program has removed many of its sweet spots over the last few years. In 2021, Virgin Atlantic axed many of its Delta sweet spots . In 2023, Virgin Atlantic increased ANA first-class redemptions and devalued the award chart for many Delta flights outside Europe and the United Kingdom .

There are still ways to find value, especially when you consider the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club partners . For example, Delta Main Cabin flights between the U.S. and the U.K. on standard season dates start at 15,000 Virgin points each way. You can sometimes get good value by booking discounted award flights through Virgin Atlantic Promo Rewards .

Related: How to book Delta award flights with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

Wyndham Rewards

Wyndham Rewards has a simple award chart: Each award night costs 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points, depending on the property you choose. Not all properties are a good deal, but you can sometimes find bargains in expensive cities, at high-end properties or during peak travel dates.

You can also redeem Wyndham points for stays at Wyndham vacation club resorts, Caesars Rewards properties and Vacasa vacation rentals.

Related: The 12 best Wyndham hotels in the world

Bottom line

As you can see, there are plenty of Citi transfer partners. As such, it can make sense to earn Citi ThankYou points even if you don't know exactly how you'll want to spend them. Once you know where you want to go, you can determine which transfer partners provide the best options and value for your trip.

citi rewards travel

How to book a cruise using points and miles

If you're eager to embark on a cruise and have accumulated points, you might not have to pay for your next trip.

In this guide, we will explore strategies to help you optimize your points and miles to reduce the cost of your cruise vacation. We'll discuss leveraging your existing loyalty programs and the best ways to unlock savings on your cruise fare.

Here are the top ways to use your points and miles for a cruise.

Should you book a cruise with points and miles?

While various options are available for redeeming your points and miles toward a cruise, it is important to note that the value you receive may not always be optimal (i.e., less than TPG's valuations ). In the realm of travel rewards, there are often more lucrative opportunities to leverage your points and miles for flights or hotel stays, where the value and flexibility tend to be higher.

If you have American Express, Capital One, Chase or Citi points, you might be able to get a redemption value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point for cruises. In this case, you'd get $100 or $150 off your cruise fare by redeeming 10,000 points. While this may seem high, it falls short compared to the value some travelers get when redeeming points for luxury hotels or first-class flights.

Some cruise lines have their own credit cards, but a few have formed partnerships with other brands. For example, Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and redeem points on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection cruises . These partner options are often limited, though, and may require loyalty to a specific travel brand.

You can always use points to reduce travel expenses for any cruise vacation. For example, you can use American Express Membership Rewards points , Bilt Rewards points , Capital One miles , Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Citi ThankYou points to cover costs associated with airfare, hotels or rental cars for your cruise. This often proves to be a better use of your rewards.

However, if you really want to use your accumulated points to reduce your cruise costs, here are various options for booking a cruise with points and miles.

Book a cruise with credit card points

You can use certain credit card points to book a cruise. Typically, you will be required to make the reservation through the portal provided by your credit card issuer, but some require calling a booking center. You may also be able to charge the cruise to your card and then redeem your rewards for a statement credit against some (or all) of that purchase.

Here's how you can book a cruise on points with several major credit card companies.

Amex Travel Pay with Points

If you have an eligible American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points , you can use those points to cover the cost of your cruise through the Pay with Points program . With this program, you can redeem Membership Rewards points at a value of 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point for most travel purchases. However, we value each Membership Rewards point at 2 cents when you maximize the program's transfer partners, so you would be using them at a lower value.

The Amex Travel portal has a user-friendly search feature that allows you to explore different cruises based on specific filters such as date, destination, cruise line and trip duration even before you log in.

To book a cruise using Pay with Points, log in to the travel portal and do the following:

  • Select your preferred cruise itinerary and cabin.
  • Enter your passenger information.
  • When it's time to check out, enter your Membership Rewards-enrolled American Express card information and select "Yes" to determine how many Membership Rewards points your account has.
  • You can pay for the entire cruise using Pay with Points or erase a portion of the cost and pay the rest with cash.

Alternatively, you can look up the cruise you want and call 800-297-5627 to book directly with the Amex Travel team over the phone.

Related: The best credit cards for booking cruises

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal is similar to Amex Travel, but the redemption value is higher.

Points from the $95 per year Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are worth 1.25 cents each toward travel booked through Chase, while points from the $550 per year Chase Sapphire Reserve are worth 1.5 cents.

Unfortunately, Chase's booking system doesn't let you book cruises directly through Chase's online Ultimate Rewards portal. You'll have to call the Ultimate Rewards booking hotline and talk to someone in the cruise reservations department instead.

To book a cruise and pay with Chase Ultimate Rewards points:

  • Find the cruise itinerary and availability you want directly through the cruise line's website . If you have a specific cabin in mind, have that information handy. Unfortunately, reports indicate that you cannot book Disney Cruise Line sailings with Chase Ultimate Rewards.
  • Call a Chase travel specialist directly at 855-234-2542, and be prepared to walk the adviser through the cruise line booking page on their end so they can find and book the cabin and options you want. Cruise advisers are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
  • Your cruise adviser will set up the itinerary for you and, upon checkout, will ask you how many points you want to apply against your final balance.

Citi ThankYou Rewards

The Citi ThankYou portal allows cardholders to use their ThankYou points as credit toward a cruise. Some cardholders can redeem points at a value of 1 cent apiece.

Finding your cruise within the Citi ThankYou portal can be frustrating because the search functionality isn't very robust. Travelers can only search for cruises by destination or cruise line, not by available dates.

To book a cruise using Citi ThankYou points:

  • Log in to the travel portal by navigating through your Citi account (or directly at thankyou.com) and clicking on "Cruises" on the travel booking page.
  • Then, filter by cruise line or destination. (Note that you can't search for cruises by a specific date.)
  • Once you've identified the cruise you wish to book, call 800-842-6596 to speak directly with a Citi ThankYou travel specialist, who will allow you to apply Citi ThankYou points toward the final cost at checkout.

You can also use Citi ThankYou points to book a Disney cruise if you desire.

Capital One miles

Capital One offers more flexibility and a more straightforward redemption process than Amex, Chase and Citi. Unless you transfer your miles to an airline or hotel partner , each mile is worth a flat 1 cent toward travel.

Redeeming points doesn't require booking through a portal , thus freeing you up to book your cruise directly with the company or via a travel agent to get extra perks. This option also lets you pursue promotional package rates or discounts that might not be available through the Amex, Chase or Citi portals.

The award redemption process is straightforward: Use the card when paying for your cruise package, then log in to your account and use the "cover your travel purchases" option to apply your mileage balance as a credit toward the total amount you owe on your credit card statement.

You can earn Capital One miles with cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card . Each has varying features, so do some research to decide which card is best for you.

Related: Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Capital One Venture X: Worth the extra $300 in annual fees?

Book a cruise with airline miles

You can also book cruises using airline miles. However, like other options, the value of your travel rewards is often underwhelming. The following travel providers offer cruise portals that allow you to redeem rewards:

  • American Airlines Cruises
  • Delta Cruises
  • United Cruises

For example, in the United Cruises portal, this seven-night Disney cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, costs 151,571 United MileagePlus miles per person for an interior cabin — worth $2,198 by TPG's current valuation for United miles.

In contrast, the same room and sailing dates cost just $1,061 per person when paid for with cash — clearly a better value than paying with United miles.

Use cruise cobranded credit card points to book

With cruise line cobranded credit cards , you can earn points for purchases that you can then use to offset the cost of your cruise booking. However, this might not be your best option for earning and redeeming points.

Here, you'll want to be sure you can use your points toward the cruise fare instead of only onboard purchases. For example, the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Card offers a welcome bonus of 25,000 MyCruise Rewards points after spending $1,000 or more on purchases within the first 90 days of card membership to use on your next cruise. Your redemption choices vary.

For instance, you can redeem 25,000 points toward your companion's cruise fare on a three- or four-night Royal Caribbean cruise (certain conditions apply, i.e., minimum available ocean-view cabin and may not exceed $500 in value). Or, you can redeem 30,000 points for a $300 discount on a Celebrity Cruises voyage. To learn more about how to redeem MyCruise Rewards points, check out this PDF .

The information for the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Redeem Marriott Bonvoy points

In 2021, Marriott announced that The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection would participate in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Members can redeem points on Ritz-Carlton cruises and enjoy elite status perks on voyages. However, the redemption rates aren't great.

You can redeem a minimum of 180,000 points toward a flat $1,000 savings on the cruise fare. After that, you can redeem increments of 90,000 points toward $500 in savings, up to the entire cruise fare. This redemption rate equates to about 0.56 cents per Marriott point, well below TPG's valuation of 0.84 cents per point.

Related: 17 ways to earn lots of Marriott Bonvoy points

Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy's Cruise with Points program allows you to cash in Marriott points for credit toward any cruise that's bookable on the Cruise with Points website.

You can redeem points in the following denominations, all valued at 0.4 cents per point:

  • 63,000 points for $250 off your cruise fare
  • 125,000 points for $500 off
  • 250,000 points for $1,000 off
  • 625,000 points for $2,500 off
  • 1,250,000 points for $5,000 off

To redeem Marriott points for a cruise, call 1 800-596-0452.

Use points and miles for pre-cruise hotels and flights

You might make better use of your points and miles by redeeming them for flights to your departure port and for pre- and post-cruise hotel stays instead of for the cruise fare itself. With flights and hotels, you can often get more than 1 or 1.5 cents per point, unlike cruises, which generally provide lackluster redemption rates.

For example, you could transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus and get 3 cents per mile by booking a flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Miami International Airport (MIA). If you're an elite member or have a United credit card , you might even have access to special member award pricing .

Or, you could use 12,000 to 18,000 World of Hyatt points or an annual Category 1-4 award from the World of Hyatt Credit Card to pay for a room at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport in Florida before heading to Port Canaveral the next day.

By using points on this given one-night stay, you're getting 2.5 cents per point.

Bottom line

It isn't always easy to get great value for your points and miles when you use them toward cruise redemptions — at least, not the way you can for first-class flights. However, redeeming your points for free or discounted cruise travel is possible.

That said, you should steer clear of using airline miles or hotel points for cruises if you want to redeem your rewards for maximum value. Those are better used on flights and overnight stays.

It's a similar story for credit card currencies. Capital One offers the most flexibility of all the major issuers because you can book your cruise directly or through a travel agent . With multiple booking options, you can take advantage of additional perks and access promotional rates from travel agents and online retailers that aren't available through credit card portals. You could even stack those deals for additional savings by booking via an airline portal to earn miles.

Once booked, the Capital One award redemption process is straightforward; simply apply your mileage balance as a credit toward your total credit card statement. Each mile is worth a flat 1 cent toward travel, so you always know the value for comparison purposes.

If you ask me, that's how I'd book a cruise with points and miles to get the best value.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

  • The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
  • The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
  • The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
  • A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
  • 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
  • Top ways cruisers waste money
  • The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas

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Best Credit Cards To Pair With the Capital One Venture X

Ariana Arghandewal

Ariana Arghandewal

Travel Expert

Ariana Arghandewal is a travel rewards expert and founder of Pointchaser.com, an award-winning blog. She has over a decade of experience writing about personal finance and travel rewards. She is passionate about helping people leverage credit cards to achieve their travel goals. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bankrate, Business Insider, CNN Underscored, Forbes Advisor and Lonely Planet.

Claire Dickey

Claire Dickey

Senior Editor

Claire is a senior editor at Newsweek focused on credit cards, loans and banking. Her top priority is providing unbiased, in-depth personal finance content to ensure readers are well-equipped with knowledge when making financial decisions. 

Prior to Newsweek, Claire spent five years at Bankrate as a lead credit cards editor. You can find her jogging through Austin, TX, or playing tourist in her free time.

Updated April 26, 2024 at 4:14 pm

Closeup credit card on table.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular travel credit cards , thanks to a generous rewards structure, luxury travel perks and recurring mileage bonus. The card earns a minimum of 2X miles on all spending and includes an annual $300 credit through Capital One Travel and 10,000 bonus miles every anniversary. While the card is a powerhouse on its own (and quite reasonable even for its $395 annual fee), it might not suffice on its own if you’re looking to earn as many rewards as possible on all of your purchases.

For example, many credit cards offer 3 or more points per dollar spent on common spending categories like dining, gas and groceries. Adding one of these cards to your wallet can help you earn more rewards and unlock better travel opportunities.

So, which card pairs best with the Capital One Venture X? Ultimately, it depends on your specific needs. However, we’ve rounded up some options for different types of consumers.

Here’s a look at the best credit card to pair with Capital One Venture X:

Understanding the value of cash back is simple, but valuing airline miles or points redeemable for travel requires digging a bit deeper. At Newsweek, we’ve developed a common language to talk about the value of points and miles: our valuations.

Our valuations translate points into dollars and cents in a way that reflects reality. They are based on actual data across a balance of accessible redemption options, not just the aspirational first and business class redemptions that require a PhD in miles and points to book. The upshot is that our valuations help you understand the actual value you can easily get from your miles and points.

Vault’s Viewpoint

  • A good companion card to the Capital One Venture X card would have a lower annual fee and earn higher rewards on everyday spending categories.
  • The Citi Premier® Card is an excellent companion to Capital One Venture X, thanks to its 3X bonus categories on daily spending.
  • When pairing a card with the Venture X, remember to consider how the cards’ loyalty programs would mesh together.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital one venture x and citi premier card.

The Citi Premier® Card complements the Capital One Venture X nicely thanks to its comprehensive category bonuses and loyalty program. While the Venture X card earns a flat 2X miles on all purchases, the Citi Premier offers higher rewards in categories like restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations. Thanks to numerous overlapping transfer partners , combining these two cards can help you achieve your travel goals faster.

The Venture X earns 2X miles on all purchases, 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It’s great for maximizing rewards on most purchases, including travel. However, the Citi Premier takes it up a notch by helping you maximize rewards on everyday purchases. Cardholders earn 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.

Additionally, the card offers 10X points on hotels and rental cars booked through ThankYou.com (through June 30, 2024). Combining these two cards is a great way to elevate your rewards on every dollar spent.

The Capital One Venture X and Citi Premier also complement each other well when it comes to benefits. The Venture X offers a $300 annual travel credit valid on Capital One Travel bookings, a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus automatically received each year you pay the annual fee and renew your card, comprehensive lounge benefits and up to a $100 Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership credit every four years. With the Citi Premier, you’ll get up to an annual

$100 hotel benefit that applies to single hotel bookings of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) made through ThankYou.com. These combined benefits create a power suite of perks that can significantly enhance your travel experience.

While Citi eliminated most of its travel and purchase protections a few years ago, Capital One makes up for it with comprehensive purchase and travel protections. These include trip cancellation and interruption coverage, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, primary auto rental collision damage waiver, cell phone protection, purchase security and more.

Similar Transfer Partners

Additionally, the two cards allow you to transfer Capital One miles 1:1 to over a dozen loyalty programs. The Citi ThankYou and Capital One miles transfer programs have 14 programs in common, making it easy to combine your rewards for redemptions with the following programs:

  • Accor Live Limitless
  • Aeromexico Club Premier
  • Air France/KLM Flying Blue
  • Avianca Lifemiles
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • Choice Privileges
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Etihad Guest
  • Eva Air Infinity MileageLands
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer
  • Singapore KrisFlyer
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
  • Virgin Red/Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Wyndham Rewards

If you prefer to redeem your Thank You points or Capital One miles for travel redemptions, you can do so at 1 cent each. Both currencies are incredibly versatile, and you can combine them in numerous ways to save on travel.

Citi Premier® Card

Citi Premier® Card

After spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com

Why Would You Want To Pair One Card With Another?

Pairing the Capital One Venture X with another credit card can help you maximize rewards across various spending categories. While the Venture X excels in providing generous travel rewards, it doesn’t offer competitive rewards on dining, groceries or other daily spending categories. By pairing it with another credit card, you can earn rewards in a broader range of purchases.

For instance, coupling the Venture X with a card like the Citi Premier can help you earn points at an accelerated rate on everyday purchases like gas, dining and grocery spending. By strategically using each card for its respective bonus categories, you can optimize your points accumulation and ultimately increase the value of your rewards.

Other Cards To Consider

While the Citi Premier is a great card to pair with the Venture X, it has some drawbacks. Primarily, the card lacks purchase and travel protections. While the Venture X makes up for this disadvantage, some consumers prefer that all their credit cards offer these protections. If the Citi Premier doesn’t quite fit the bill, here are some alternatives to pair with the Capital One Venture X Card.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

If you want a card similar to the Citi Premier but with better category bonuses, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is worth a look. The card earns an unlimited 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Target and Walmart). While the rewards are in cash back form , the elevated earning rate compared to the Venture X makes it worthwhile.

The Savor Cash Rewards card has a $95 annual fee, which is reasonable considering the Venture X card comes in at $395. Further, new applicants can earn a welcome bonus of $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is one of the best no-annual-fee cards to pair with the Capital One Venture X. The card earns 3X points on gas, transit, travel, restaurants, popular streaming services and phone plans—all pretty significant purchase categories for most people. By charging these expenses to the Autograph Card and all others to the Venture X, you can earn a lot of rewards quickly.

The great thing about the Autograph Card is that it recently introduced transfer partners . In addition to redeeming points for cash back at 1 cent each, cardholders can transfer their points 1:1 or better to five loyalty programs: Aer Lingus AerClub, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, Choice Privileges and Iberia Plus Avios. Three of these programs overlap with Capital One, allowing you to stack rewards easily for an award redemption.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card is a great addition to your wallet if you want to earn 2X miles on all purchases while separating your business expenses. The card earns unlimited 2X miles on all purchases and 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The Spark Miles for Business has a $95 ongoing annual fee with no annual fee in the first year, making it an excellent option for business owners who want rewards similar to those of the Venture X without a steep annual fee.

Cardholders also get access to up to a $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee credit every four years. Additionally, the card comes with a generous one-time welcome bonus of 50,000 miles earned once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the downsides of the capital one venture x.

The main downside of the Capital One Venture X card is the high annual fee. Some cardholders will have trouble justifying the $395 annual fee if they don’t utilize the card’s benefits fully or earn enough rewards. Additionally, Capital One pulls your credit from all three credit bureaus when you apply for the card. Most other banks pull from one or two.

Is the Capital One Venture X Hard To Get Approved For?

The Capital One Venture X card is somewhat hard to get approved for since it’s recommended for those with excellent credit, or a FICO Score of 800 and above.

Can I Get a Venture X Card if I Have a Capital One Venture Card?

Yes, you can get the Venture X card if you have the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card . Many cardholders, myself included, have been approved for both. Keep in mind that Capital One considers numerous criteria when evaluating credit applications. Being an existing card member won’t guarantee you’ll be approved.

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Best credit cards for airport lounge access in April 2024

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Stepping into an airport lounge from the chaotic main terminal can feel like stepping onto dry land from a whitewater raft. It evokes a feeling of peace, tranquility and “phew – we made it.”

As a result, airport lounge access is one of the most enviable perks you can get with a travel rewards credit card. But which cards still offer it in 2024, and from that list, which are still worth getting?

The best cards for airport lounge access in April 2024

Best overall: capital one venture x rewards credit card, best for extensive lounge access: the platinum card® from american express, best for affordable lounge access: u.s. bank altitude® connect visa signature® card, best for delta: delta skymiles® reserve american express card, best for united: united club℠ infinite card, best for american airlines: citi® / aadvantage® executive world elite mastercard®.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to a wide lounge network comprising Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group. Plus, its $395 annual fee is easy to recoup on account of the $300 back annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel plus 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary. 

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Intro bonus.

citi rewards travel

Rewards Rates

  • 10X 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 5X 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2X 2x miles on everyday purchases
  • Annual $300 travel credit and 10,000 Miles upon card anniversary make up for the annual fee
  • Airport lounge access
  • Capital One Miles require effort to maximize
  • Limited cash redemption options

Other benefits

  • Travel protections including car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption and travel delay protection
  • Consumer protections including extended warranty and return protection

Why we like this card: We like how the Capital One Venture X comes with a hefty 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ airport lounges, including Capital One Lounges and our Partner Lounge Network, and 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 

The $395 annual fee may seem steep, but it’s actually a relative bargain among premium travel cards offering unlimited lounge access. Plus, you’ll earn $300 back annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel plus 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary–a combined $400 in travel value–which instantly covers your fee for the year.

The cherry on top is up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, so you can scoot through security and get to the lounge a little faster. And the Capital One Lounge network is small, but mighty, with game-changing features such as extensive to-go options. All things considered, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the airport lounge card to beat. 

The Platinum Card® from American Express claims to have the widest lounge access of any card on the market, with access to well over 1,500 lounge locations in over 140 countries. Combine that with a list of travel-centric benefits longer than a CVS receipt, and it’s an easy pick for this list. 

The Platinum Card® from American Express

See Rates and Fees

citi rewards travel

Reward Rates

  • 5X Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year)
  • 5X Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel
  • 1X Earn 1x points on all other eligible purchases
  • Packed with valuable potential credits for digital entertainment, Equinox gym, Walmart+ membership, and more.
  • Airport lounge access with a larger network than any other card
  • Membership Rewards are valuable due to their flexibility.
  • The multiple potential credits can be cumbersome to track.
  • Sky-high annual fee
  • Some of the perks can be hard to use if they don’t align with your lifestyle.
  • Travel benefits including hotel and car rental chain statuses, car rental insurance, trip cancellation/interruption and travel delay protection

Why we like this card: Like a fully-loaded Mercedes S-Class, The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with an eye-watering price tag but an expansive list of benefits to justify it. 

Naturally, one of those benefits is airport lounge access. You’ll have access to Amex’s Global Lounge Collection, which includes the Centurion Network, Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge and Priority Pass Select. That’s 1,500+ lounges in total, meaning an Amex Platinum is the closest we have to an airport lounge master key. 

You’ll also get up to $189 back per year on a CLEAR® Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®, up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your card, up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal (enrollment required), up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card® (minimum 2-night stay required) and a welcome bonus of at least 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $8,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of card membership, so there are plenty of ways to extract value from your “Plat” outside of an airport lounge. 

To view rates and fees of the The Platinum Card® from American Express , see this page  

Amex Centurion Lounge Atlanta review Best travel credit cards What is Global Entry and why should I want it? What is TSA Precheck and why should I want it?

The U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect VISA Signature® Card card includes four free visits to over 1,500 Priority Pass locations worldwide, a $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit and a $500 welcome bonus–all for a modest annual fee of $95, which is waived for the first year.

U.S. Bank Altitude Connect

citi rewards travel

  • 5x 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center
  • 4x 4X points on travel, at gas stations and EV charging stations
  • 2x 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and streaming services
  • 1x 1X on all other purchases
  • High earnings on travel
  • No annual fee the first year
  • 4 Priority Pass lounge visits per year
  • Points not transferable to travel partners
  • Additional perks: Cell phone protection, Trip cancellation/interruption, TSA/Global Entry fee rebate
  • Foreign transaction fee: None

Why we like this card: As an affordable travel rewards card, U.S. Bank’s Altitude Connect card is a worthy rival to the reigning Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card . Unlike the “CSP,” the U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect VISA Signature® Card includes complimentary Priority Pass Select membership with four airport lounge passes, a $100 credit towards TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and up to 4X on travel purchases. 

The card also waives its $95 annual fee for the first year and offers a hefty welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 in the first 120 days worth $500 towards travel and more. In short, it’s positively packed with value for travelers, and if you’re not sure whether you’ll even visit a lounge more than four times this year, it’s a logical choice.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card offers Delta fans a truly elevated experience, with 15 visits to the Delta Sky Club per year, four guest passes, free checked bags, an Annual Companion Certificate, upgrade priority and more. It doesn’t include automatic Medallion status, but offers plenty of ways to to get there faster (e.g. MQD Headstart).

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Intro bonus.

citi rewards travel

  • 3x Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases
  • 1x Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • Premium benefits for Delta flyers, like first checked bag free and access to the Delta Sky Club
  • Companion certificate good for a round trip domestic Main Cabin, Comfort+ or First Class flight each year upon renewal of your card
  • Access to Centurion Lounge network
  • High annual fee
  • Access to Delta Sky Club limited to 15 passes a year after February 2025
  • Base earnings rate is low compared to other cards
  • 15% discount on Delta award flights
  • Travel protections including accident insurance, rental car coverage, trip cancellation and delay insurance
  • Consumer protections including cell phone insurance, extended warranty, purchase and return protection

Why we like this card: Though it charges a heart-stopping $650 annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card does include a 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership to help cover your first two years with the card. You’ll also 3X Miles on Delta purchases, up to 15% off award travel on Delta when booked on Delta.com, a free first checked bag, up to $240 Resy Credit, up to $200 Delta Stays statement credit and more to make the card’s high fee more palatable. 

In terms of lounge access, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card includes 15 visits to the Delta Sky Club per year. That’s objectively pretty stingy considering there are cheaper cards on the market offering unlimited access to a larger network for both you and multiple guests. Still, if you’re a solo Delta traveler, 15 visits to the Delta Sky Club per year may be all you need.

The United Club℠ Infinite Card may charge $525 per year, but it covers a United Club membership–which alone retails for $650–and includes a litany of other travel-friendly benefits like Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access® travel services, 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases and 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

United Club℠ Infinite Card

citi rewards travel

  • 4x 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
  • 2x 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and dining
  • 1x 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • United Club lounge membership
  • Valuable welcome bonus
  • Path to earn elite airline status by card spend
  • Mostly useful if you want lounge access
  • Additional perks: Primary rental car coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement

Why we like this card: If you and your travel companion frequently fly United, check multiple bags each and relish the thought of decompressing in the United Club lounge, the United Club℠ Infinite Card might deserve a place in your wallet. 

That’s because the card’s marquis feature is a $650 United Club membership, granting unlimited access for you and your travel companions. You’ll also get Free first and second checked bags - a savings of up to $320 per roundtrip (terms apply) - and Premier Access® travel services, 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, 25% back on food/beverage/Wi-Fi purchases and 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 

Once the welcome bonus dries up it can be hard to continue justifying the United Club℠ Infinite Card‘s $525 annual fee–especially since you can only take advantage of the card’s best benefits while traveling with United. The lack of Polaris Lounge access is a bummer, too. But if you’re a hardcore brand loyalist who doesn’t travel light, the United Club℠ Infinite Card could still be a worthy travel companion. 

With complimentary Admirals Club membership (valued up to $850), up to nine free checked bags per trip and an “enhanced airport experience,” the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® rolls out the figurative red carpet for AA frequent flyers.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

  • 10x Earn 10X AAdvantage miles on eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels and on eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars.
  • 4x 4x AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases (5X after you spend $15,000 on airfare)
  • 1x 1x AAdvantage miles on all other purchases
  • Earns AAdvantage miles, which are not easily accessible outside of co-branded AAdvantage credit cards.
  • Every dollar spent earns one Loyalty Point toward elite status.
  • Includes Admirals Club lounge membership, valued at up to $850.
  • High spending requirement for earning the 70,000-mile welcome bonus
  • No category bonuses outside of American Airlines spending.
  • Travel perks: AAdvantage club membership, checked bag benefit, trip cancellation and interruption protection
  • Credits: Up to $120 annual credit to Avis or Budget rental cars, Up to $10 monthly credits to Lyft and Grubhub

Why we like this card: If you’re ready to pledge fealty to American Airlines via a $595 rewards card, you’ll be receiving plenty of perks and value in return from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. For starters, you’ll get a complimentary Admirals Club membership and free first checked bags for you and up to eight travel companions–saving up to $720 per round trip. 

You’ll also get 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening, 25% savings on inflight purchases of food and beverages on flights and 10X AAdvantage® miles on hotels booked through aa.com/hotels. But perhaps most intriguingly, the card unlocks an “enhanced airport experience” with priority check-in, screening and boarding when flying with AA. 

Just keep in mind that Admirals Club membership only includes access to 50ish Admirals Clubs and 60ish partner lounge locations total, so you may want to confirm that there’s one in your home airport before committing. 

Frequently asked questions

Which card is best for airport lounge access.

The Platinum Card® from American Express has the most expansive lounge access, with unlimited visits to locations within the Centurion Network, Delta Sky Club, Lufthansa Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge and Priority Pass Select. 

However, we think the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers better value, with access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group locations for a $395 annual fee ($300 less than the Platinum).  If you are looking for a lower price tag, check out our article about the best cards for cheap airport lounge access .

Are lounge access cards worth it? 

A rewards card with airport lounge access could be worth it if you fly several times a year, value having a secluded place to work, and relax and plan to take advantage of the card’s other benefits. 

Some say that the most underrated perk of airport lounges is having access to a dedicated airline representative inside. That way, you can skip the long customer service line outside if something goes wrong with your travel plans. 

How do I know if my credit card has lounge access? 

Check your card benefits, which can usually be found online following a quick search. While you’re there, check to see if any of the included lounge networks require you to register your membership in advance–that way, you can save time and hassle at the airport.

Methodology

Fortune Recommends surveyed all the cards still offering airport lounge access in 2024 and handpicked the very best. In evaluating cards that offer airport lounge access, we compared the annual fees to the amount of lounge access provided. From the card granting access to the most locations worldwide to another charging a mere $95 annual fee ($0 for the first year), we found the best credit cards for airport lounge access in 2024.

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.  

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.  

EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE : The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends ™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.

Guide to airline credit cards

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    Costco credit card travel points. Nov 30, 2023. Exclusively for Costco members, the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi offers cash back on all purchases and additional cash back on categories such as eligible gas and EV charging, restaurants and eligible travel and purchases from Costco and Costco.com. Cardholders also enjoy access to Citi ...

  18. Citi ThankYou Points: How to Earn and Use Them

    Citi Rewards+® Card. 2 ThankYou points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations (on up to $6,000 in purchases per year). 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Rewards are ...

  19. Citi Rewards+ Review: Round Up For More Rewards

    Detailed review: Citi Rewards+® Card. 2 ThankYou points per $1 spent at supermarkets and gas stations (for the first $6,000 spent per year). 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on all other purchases ...

  20. Citi transfer partners: Airline and hotel loyalty programs

    The Citi ThankYou Rewards program currently has 19 transfer partners: 14 airline loyalty programs, four hotel loyalty programs and one retail loyalty program. Here's an overview of the Citi transfer partners and the ratios at which you can transfer ThankYou points: Accor Live Limitless: 2:1 transfer ratio. Aeromexico Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio.

  21. Citi ThankYou® Rewards ? Sign On

    Sign On. Select an Account. Use primary cardmember's Citi Online User ID and password. Remember my User ID. Forgot User ID? Forgot Password? Register your Citi Online account.

  22. Redeem ThankYou ® Points from Citi

    See where you can go with ThankYou® Points. Pay with points or shop with points. Use the Citi ThankYou® Rewards program for great rewards every day.

  23. How to book a cruise using points and miles

    To book a cruise using Citi ThankYou points: Log in to the travel portal by navigating through your Citi account (or directly at thankyou.com) and clicking on "Cruises" on the travel booking page ...

  24. I Travel Often, But an Airline Credit Card Isn't the Best Rewards

    Since I travel often, I'm a big fan of using credit cards to earn rewards. For some travelers, an airline credit card is the best option. For some travelers, an airline credit card is the best option.

  25. Best Credit Cards To Pair With the Capital One Venture X

    The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular travel credit cards, thanks to a generous rewards structure, luxury travel perks and recurring mileage bonus.The card earns ...

  26. Citi Travel

    To book new travel: visit the Citi Travel portal or call 1-833-737-1288 (U.S. Toll-Free, for TTY: Use 711 or other Relay Service) For new bookings, earn ThankYou Points when you pay for part, or all, of your trip with your eligible Citi Card through Citi Travel, your booking destination. Plus, you can redeem your points towards even more ...

  27. American Airlines

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  28. ThankYou® Rewards

    Easily redeem your ThankYou Points online for gift cards from your favorite retailers, travel rewards, cash rewards, and much more. Online Bill Pay With Points lets you use the ThankYou ® Points you've already earned toward your bill payments. Thank You Points cannot be used for bill payments toward any accounts with Citibank or a Citibank ...

  29. Best credit cards for airport lounge access in April 2024

    Why we like this card: If you're ready to pledge fealty to American Airlines via a $595 rewards card, you'll be receiving plenty of perks and value in return from the Citi® / AAdvantage ...

  30. Citibank Rewards Programs

    Here you can find limited-time offers to help you maximize savings, earn reward points, enjoy additional benefits and more. Or, call us at 1-800-374-9700 ( TTY 1-800-788-0002) to open an account or learn more. Explore Citi rewards programs, like Citi ThankYou® Rewards, Cash Back and more. Earn Citibank rewards for doing the things you do every ...