Admittedly, I’ve never been big on the Citi credit card ecosystem or Citi ThankYou Rewards points.
Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards points have long been the transferable currencies I most value (and in recent years, Bilt Rewards Points and Capital One miles have joined the mix).
But that is about to change, thanks to the announcement of Citi’s newest transfer partner.
Now that certain Citi credit cards allow you to transfer ThankYou Rewards points to American Airlines at a 1:1 ratio, I’m planning to add the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees) to my wallet — and I think it just might become one of my most-used cards.
Why not the Citi Strata Elite?
Some of you may be wondering: Why apply for the mid-tier Citi Strata Premier instead of the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees)? While the Strata Elite does have a solid sign-up bonus and some interesting perks, the card as a whole just doesn’t make sense for me.
For someone with different spending habits and a different existing card lineup, the Citi Strata Elite might be a solid premium card option. But I know I wouldn’t get enough value out of the benefits to justify a $595 annual fee.
The $95-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier, however, is a perfect gateway for me to start banking more American Airlines miles.
Why the Citi Strata Premier makes sense for me
The Citi Strata Premier is a sometimes-overlooked credit card (I know I’ve certainly overlooked it in the past).
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Earning rates
It has some of the strongest earning rates available on a mid-tier card. Cardholders earn 3 points per dollar spent on:
- Air travel
- EV charging stations
- Gas stations
- Hotels
- Restaurants (including takeout)
- Supermarkets
I don’t currently have a card that earns on gas or EV charging stations (I don’t have a car at home, but I rent cars often when I travel), and it outearns my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and American Express® Gold Card on hotels not booked via the issuer portals.
My Amex Gold offers 4 points per dollar spent on dining worldwide (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar) and at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar), so I already have a large stash of Amex Membership Rewards points built up.
I’ll also continue to earn via online spending thanks to Amex’s partnership with Rakuten — so moving some of that spending over to the Strata Premier for the benefit of American Airlines miles wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular Citi credit cards based on offer history
Airport preference
I’m based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and I prefer flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) Terminal A with American Airlines for domestic travel since I get Admirals Club lounge access.
However, AAdvantage miles are not the easiest to come by since I’m not the primary cardholder on any cobranded American Airlines cards, and no card issuer has had a transfer relationship with American since the end of the Bilt partnership in mid-2024.
Because of that, I’ve actually flown Delta Air Lines more than American over the past year since I can easily transfer my Amex points to Delta (and I get a 15% discount on redemptions as a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card cardholder). But that usually means trekking from downtown Jersey City to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on public transit and forgoing lounge access.
With the Strata Premier in my wallet, I’ll now have a solid stash of AAdvantage miles that I can use throughout the year. Here’s to taking a quick Lyft instead of transit to the airport and enjoying a preflight drink at the Admirals Club once again.
Related: How to redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for maximum value
Annual fee and other benefits
Beyond the earning structure, the Strata Premier also comes with a low annual fee and a solid sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
I may or may not use the annual $100 hotel credit, given that it requires booking a single stay for $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) through the Citi Travel portal.
However, I will get value out of Citi Entertainment access for concert presales. And ultimately, I’m not as worried about maximizing every single benefit on the card, given its low annual fee.
All in all, the Strata Premier will be a great addition to my wallet that will give me more freedom when deciding how to book travel. I’m a free agent when it comes to the loyalty game as I don’t currently have elite status with any hotel or airline, so more flexibility in my redemption options is always music to my ears.
Related: How to decide if a credit card’s annual fee is worth paying
2 cards are better than 1
You could even combine the Strata Premier with the no-annual-fee Citi Strata℠ Card (see rates and fees) for even more value.
While the Citi Strata Card doesn’t offer direct transfers to American Airlines, you can transfer your Strata ThankYou points to the Premier to get access to the American transfer partnership.
The no-annual-fee Citi Strata Card is currently offering a 30,000-point, limited-time sign-up bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first three months from account opening, and it earns 3 points per dollar spent on a self-selected category of your choice (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons or pet supply stores).
Related: Best travel credit cards
Bottom line
American Airlines miles can be hard to earn unless you have a cobranded card, and TPG values them at 1.55 cents per mile as of August 2025. If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, Citi ThankYou Rewards points just became the one transferable currency you shouldn’t ignore.
Because the new American Airlines transfer partnership applies to the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Prestige Card (no longer available to new applicants), you have options when deciding which card you should add to your lineup. If the Elite doesn’t make sense for you, which is the case for me, the Premier is a great alternative. I’m excited to add it to my wallet.
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.
To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Strata Premier Card.
Apply here: Citi Strata Premier
