Admittedly, I’ve by no means been huge on the Citi bank card ecosystem or Citi ThankYou Rewards factors.
Chase Final Rewards and American Specific Membership Rewards factors have lengthy been the transferable currencies I most worth (and in recent times, Bilt Rewards Factors and Capital One miles have joined the combination).
However that’s about to alter, due to the announcement of Citi’s latest switch associate.
Now that sure Citi bank cards let you switch ThankYou Rewards factors to American Airways at a 1:1 ratio, I am planning so as to add the Citi Strata Premier® Card (see charges and costs) to my pockets — and I feel it simply may change into considered one of my most-used playing cards.
Why not the Citi Strata Elite?
A few of chances are you’ll be questioning: Why apply for the mid-tier Citi Strata Premier as a substitute of the brand new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see charges and costs)? Whereas the Strata Elite does have a stable sign-up bonus and a few attention-grabbing perks, the cardboard as an entire simply would not make sense for me.
For somebody with completely different spending habits and a special present card lineup, the Citi Strata Elite may be a stable premium card possibility. However I do know I would not get sufficient worth out of the advantages to justify a $595 annual payment.
The $95-annual-fee Citi Strata Premier, nevertheless, is an ideal gateway for me to begin banking extra American Airways miles.
Why the Citi Strata Premier is smart for me
The Citi Strata Premier is a sometimes-overlooked bank card (I do know I’ve actually missed it up to now).
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Incomes charges
It has a few of the strongest incomes charges accessible on a mid-tier card. Cardholders earn 3 factors per greenback spent on:
- Air journey
- EV charging stations
- Gasoline stations
- Accommodations
- Eating places (together with takeout)
- Supermarkets
I do not at the moment have a card that earns on fuel or EV charging stations (I haven’t got a automobile at house, however I lease automobiles typically after I journey), and it outearns my Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs) and American Specific® Gold Card on lodges not booked by way of the issuer portals.
My Amex Gold affords 4 factors per greenback spent on eating worldwide (on the primary $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback) and at U.S. supermarkets (on the primary $25,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback), so I have already got a big stash of Amex Membership Rewards factors constructed up.
I am going to additionally proceed to earn by way of on-line spending due to Amex’s partnership with Rakuten — so shifting a few of that spending over to the Strata Premier for the advantage of American Airways miles would not be the worst concept.
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Airport desire
I am primarily based in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, and I desire flying out of Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) Terminal A with American Airways for home journey since I get Admirals Membership lounge entry.
Nonetheless, AAdvantage miles should not the simplest to return by since I am not the first cardholder on any cobranded American Airways playing cards, and no card issuer has had a switch relationship with American because the finish of the Bilt partnership in mid-2024.
Due to that, I’ve really flown Delta Air Traces greater than American over the previous yr since I can simply switch my Amex factors to Delta (and I get a 15% low cost on redemptions as a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card cardholder). However that normally means trekking from downtown Jersey Metropolis to John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) on public transit and forgoing lounge entry.
With the Strata Premier in my pockets, I am going to now have a stable stash of AAdvantage miles that I can use all year long. Here is to taking a fast Lyft as a substitute of transit to the airport and having fun with a preflight drink on the Admirals Membership as soon as once more.
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Annual payment and different advantages
Past the incomes construction, the Strata Premier additionally comes with a low annual payment and a stable sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
I’ll or could not use the annual $100 lodge credit score, on condition that it requires reserving a single keep for $500 or extra (excluding taxes and costs) by way of the Citi Journey portal.
Nonetheless, I’ll get worth out of Citi Leisure entry for live performance presales. And in the end, I am not as anxious about maximizing each single profit on the cardboard, given its low annual payment.
All in all, the Strata Premier can be an ideal addition to my pockets that can give me extra freedom when deciding the best way to ebook journey. I am a free agent with regards to the loyalty sport as I do not at the moment have elite standing with any lodge or airline, so extra flexibility in my redemption choices is at all times music to my ears.
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2 playing cards are higher than 1
You can even mix the Strata Premier with the no-annual-fee Citi Strata℠ Card (see charges and costs) for much more worth.
Whereas the Citi Strata Card would not supply direct transfers to American Airways, you’ll be able to switch your Strata ThankYou factors to the Premier to get entry to the American switch partnership.
The no-annual-fee Citi Strata Card is at the moment providing a 30,000-point, limited-time sign-up bonus after you spend $1,000 within the first three months from account opening, and it earns 3 factors per greenback spent on a self-selected class of your alternative (health golf equipment, choose streaming companies, stay leisure, beauty shops/barber retailers/hair salons or pet provide shops).
Associated: Greatest journey bank cards
Backside line
American Airways miles may be onerous to earn except you could have a cobranded card, and TPG values them at 1.55 cents per mile as of August 2025. In the event you’re a frequent American Airways flyer, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors simply grew to become the one transferable forex you should not ignore.
As a result of the brand new American Airways switch partnership applies to the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier and Citi Status Card (not accessible to new candidates), you could have choices when deciding which card you must add to your lineup. If the Elite would not make sense for you, which is the case for me, the Premier is a superb different. I am excited so as to add it to my pockets.
The data for the Citi Status Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
To study extra, learn our full evaluation of the Citi Strata Premier Card.
Apply right here: Citi Strata Premier
