It has been a busy summer season for bank card issuers with all of the modifications and introductions of latest bank cards.
And now, Citi joined the social gathering and eventually launched the successor to the Citi Status® Card — the all-new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card.
This card has been anticipated for years, and now that it is lastly right here, it is absolutely shocked everybody with its $595 annual charge and a few distinctive advantages.
This is a rundown of the brand new Citi Strata Elite, a card with some versatile choices and Citi’s try and align a premium card with its long-standing airline accomplice, American Airways.
The knowledge for the Citi Status Card and Citi Strata Elite Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
At a look
The brand new Citi Strata Elite has a $595 annual charge, considerably larger than that of its Citi Strata counterpart, the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and charges), which is available in at $95.
Citi Status cardholders won’t be transformed to the brand new Citi Strata Elite and might proceed carrying their Status card. As well as, Status cardholders can apply for and be eligible to earn the welcome provide on the Citi Strata Elite, assuming they’re inside Citi’s eligibility guidelines.
The cardboard provides over $800 in assertion credit, a number of journey protections and Precedence Go lounge entry. It is usually the one card in the marketplace to supply Admirals Membership entry within the type of 4 yearly lounge passes.
The Citi Strata Elite might be issued as a Mastercard World Legend card, the primary of its type, whose perks embody precedence reservations at high-demand eating places overseas and tickets to music, theater and sporting occasions globally.
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Associated: How lengthy does it take to get assertion credit from issuers?
New switch accomplice unveiled
Coinciding with the launch of the Citi Strata Elite, Citi added American Airways AAdvantage as a switch accomplice to the ThankYou Rewards program.
Eligible playing cards that may make the most of this thrilling new accomplice are the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Status. Citi is the one main bank card issuer to have American Airways as a switch accomplice. The factors switch ratio is 1:1, which means 1,000 ThankYou factors will turn out to be 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles.
The Citi Strata Elite additionally has entry to the remainder of the switch companions of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program.
Associated: Finest makes use of of American Airways AAdvantage miles
Licensed customers
Cardholders can have the power so as to add licensed customers for $75 every.
Licensed customers can have entry to their very own Precedence Go Choose memberships, together with the power to carry two company. They may also have entry to all journey and procuring protections provided by the cardboard.
Associated: Every thing it’s good to learn about licensed bank card customers
Stunning incomes charges
The brand new Citi Strata Elite has incomes charges which are somewhat completely different from what you’d count on from a premium bank card. Cardholders will earn:
- 12 factors per greenback spent on inns, automotive leases and sights booked via the Citi Journey portal.
- 6 factors per greenback spent on airfare booked via the Citi Journey portal.
- 6 factors per greenback spent at eating places, together with restaurant supply providers on CitiNights℠ purchases, each Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to six a.m. Jap time. Cardholders earn 3 factors per greenback spent on restaurant purchases exterior of lately and hours.
- 1.5 factors per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Citi is closely prioritizing cardholders’ use of its personal journey portal to earn probably the most rewards. Though that is much like what different issuers are providing, the cardboard lacks every other bonus class for journey, corresponding to reserving airfare or inns immediately.
This can be a actual painpoint, as opponents corresponding to The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) each provide bonus factors when reserving immediately.
Then again, the elevated incomes fee on Fridays and Saturdays is a novel perk for many who dine out usually on the weekends.
Distinctive way of life credit and journey perks
The Citi Strata Elite provides sufficient assertion credit and advantages to offset the cardboard’s annual charge, and a number of the choices are distinctive in comparison with different bank cards.
For starters, Citi and American Airways are edging nearer and nearer with their partnership, and cardholders will obtain 4 Admirals Membership passes every calendar yr along with Precedence Go lounge entry with the power to carry two company.
As a premium journey card, it additionally has no overseas transaction charges.
The cardboard provides a number of assertion credit:
- $300 annual resort profit: Every calendar yr, cardholders obtain as much as $300 off a pay as you go resort keep (minimal two-night reserving) when booked via Citi Journey.
- $200 Splurge credit score: Every calendar yr, cardholders obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit on their selection of two manufacturers: 1stDibs, American Airways, Finest Purchase, Future Private Coaching and Reside Nation.
- $200 Blacklane credit score: Obtain a biannual assertion credit score of up $100 (as much as $200 yearly) for Blacklane chauffeur bookings.
- $120 World Entry/TSA PreCheck credit score: As much as a $120 assertion credit score each 4 years towards World Entry or TSA PreCheck.
The assertion credit and Admirals Membership entry are value about $1,100. A number of the assertion credit are straightforward to maximise, such because the resort profit, which immediately reductions eligible bookings by $300 on the time of checkout. The Splurge credit score can simply be used to buy American Airways airfare or upgrades.
As a frequent traveler, I discover the Blacklane credit score helpful; nevertheless, as a chauffeur service, the pricing will be fairly excessive and bookings could exceed $100.
Cardholders may also have entry to premium inns via The Reserve by Citi Journey. This contains entry to a group of 4.5-5-star inns on Citi Journey and supplies perks corresponding to complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, a $100 expertise credit score (varies by property), early check-in, late checkout and room upgrades (topic to availability).
Associated: American joins ‘grab-and-go’ rush, will open new lounge idea in Charlotte
Backside line
The Citi Strata Elite is the newest premium card to affix the ranks dominated by Chase, American Categorical and Capital One.
Relying in your spending and journey habits, it could have been definitely worth the wait to have entry to American Airways as a switch accomplice, Admirals Membership passes and distinctive assertion credit. Sadly, Citi lacks its personal branded airport lounges, and Precedence Go lounges aren’t too spectacular these days, but it surely does include a Precedence Go Choose membership.
Cardmembers will get pleasure from excessive incomes charges for Citi Journey bookings; nevertheless, journey booked immediately will solely earn 1 level per greenback spent, which makes it arduous for vacationers to maximise their reward incomes potential.
The area of interest incomes fee for restaurant purchases is revolutionary and could also be a pleasant welcome for many who get pleasure from eating on the weekends.
In the event you’re not a frequent traveler with American Airways or different Oneworld airways, or favor to guide journey immediately, you might must discover a completely different card.
Associated: New Citi Strata Card now accepting functions
