Citi Is Handing Out 25-30% Transfer Bonuses Right Now - Two Different Programs, One Deadline

✈️ Miles & Points Daily

Two transfer bonuses from the same program, running at the same time, to two completely different sweet spots. That is not a thing that happens often - and today we are breaking down exactly what to do with it.

Quick question before we get into the bonuses: which airline program lets you book All Nippon Airways (ANA) First Class with points transferred from Citi ThankYou Rewards - now that JAL is a partner?

• 🇯🇵 Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

• 🇺🇸 United MileagePlus

• 🇬🇧 British Airways Executive Club

• 🇩🇪 Lufthansa Miles & More

The answer is waiting near the bottom - keep scrolling. 👇

Citi ThankYou Rewards does not run two simultaneous transfer bonuses very often. Right now it is running both a 30% bonus to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and a 25% bonus to Avianca LifeMiles, and both run through October 24. That gives you over a month to decide - but the decision is not arbitrary, because these two programs do very different things.

The JAL bonus is the flashier of the two. We covered the JAL partnership launch in detail yesterday, and the 30% bonus means 10,000 ThankYou points become 13,000 JAL miles. JAL miles are genuinely valuable for booking oneworld Business and First Class - including on American Airlines metal - and the program is known for low surcharges on partner awards. If you have been eyeing a Japan or Europe redemption, this is your on-ramp.

Avianca LifeMiles is a different beast. The 25% Citi bonus means 10,000 ThankYou points become 12,500 LifeMiles. LifeMiles shines for Star Alliance redemptions - United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines - often at rates significantly cheaper than booking directly through those programs. There are no close-in booking fees and historically solid premium cabin availability on partner airlines.

The catch with LifeMiles is that miles expire if your account goes inactive for 12 months. Make sure you have a redemption plan before you transfer. If you do, the 25% bonus stacks on top of an already-strong program for transatlantic and transpacific premium redemptions.

If you want to compare how far your Citi points stretch across both programs, our Transfer Bonuses tracker has every live promotion in one place - worth bookmarking before October 24 rolls around.

If the Citi transfer bonus to LifeMiles caught your eye, here is a way to stack even more miles into that account: Avianca is currently selling LifeMiles at a 145% bonus, which ends this Friday, September 25. That is one of the richest buy-miles offers LifeMiles has run this year, and pairing purchased miles with transferred Citi points is a legitimate strategy for reaching a specific redemption target fast.

Aeroplan is also selling at a 100% bonus through this Friday. And if you are sitting on Chase Ultimate Rewards, there is a 20% transfer bonus to Aeroplan running through September 30 - so you can either buy Aeroplan miles at double the rate, transfer Chase points with a 20% bonus, or both. Award Travel Finder has been spotting strong Aeroplan availability on partner airlines this week if you need inspiration for where to spend them.

Full details on every active buy-miles promotion - including the LifeMiles and Aeroplan sales - are on our buy points tracker.

Separate from the Citi bonuses, American Express is running a 30% transfer bonus to British Airways Avios, Iberia Avios, and Aer Lingus Avios - all three simultaneously, all ending this Sunday, September 27. That is five days, and given how often this particular bonus runs, it is worth acting on if you have a redemption in mind.

BA Avios are distance-based, which makes them excellent for short-haul redemptions - domestic US flights on American Airlines, Caribbean hops, intra-Europe legs. The 30% bonus means 10,000 Amex Membership Rewards become 13,000 Avios. Iberia Avios are the better play for long-haul to Spain and Latin America, often at lower surcharges than BA. Aer Lingus is the sleeper pick for transatlantic business class at modest rates.

UK readers - Smart With Points has a full breakdown of how to use Avios across all three programs and which carrier makes the most sense depending on your departure airport.

When Bilt launched its 2.0 card lineup back in February - the Bilt Blue, Bilt Obsidian, and Bilt Palladium - one of the most common reader questions was whether you could upgrade or downgrade between them after opening. The answer at launch was essentially: we will get back to you on that. Bilt has now published formal upgrade and downgrade terms and conditions, and the short version is yes, you can move between cards.

The terms matter here. Moving between Bilt cards counts as a product change, not a new application - so it should not trigger a new hard pull or restart your welcome bonus eligibility clock. That is meaningful because it means someone who opened the no-fee Bilt Blue can move up to the Palladium if their lifestyle changes, without having to apply fresh and worry about whether they are eligible for another welcome offer.

If you are currently on a lower Bilt tier and have been thinking about the Palladium - which we called the best everyday card right now in Friday's newsletter - this is the path to get there without a new application. Worth checking the published terms on Bilt's site to confirm timing rules before you request the switch.

The Business Platinum Card from American Express is currently showing the highest publicly available welcome offer it has ever posted: up to 300,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $20,000 in the first three months. At a conservative valuation, that is somewhere north of $6,000 in travel value - genuinely life-changing for a single welcome offer if you can hit the spend.

The critical phrase there is 'up to.' Amex uses a targeted offer system, meaning the 300,000-point number is the ceiling, not the floor. The offer you see when you click through may be lower depending on your credit profile and history with Amex. There is also the standard Amex once-per-lifetime rule on welcome bonuses - if you have held the Business Platinum before and collected a bonus, you are likely out of luck.

If you have never held the card and can genuinely put $20,000 through it in 90 days on real spend, this is worth a serious look. The card's ongoing perks - 35% points back on Pay with Points flights, up to $200 in airline fee credits, Priority Pass Select, and a long list of business credits - make the $695 annual fee defensible even after year one. Check your eligibility before applying.

With Q4 starting in nine days, now is the right time to audit every annual credit before December 31 wipes the slate. The Upgraded Points Podcast flagged this week that the Chase Sapphire Reserve's $250 prepaid hotel credit can actually be combined with a special $250 prepaid credit for specific brands - IHG, Montage, Pendry, Omni, Virgin Hotels - to get $500 off a single booking. If you were not aware of that stack, it is worth revisiting your CSR benefits right now.

The same episode highlighted that the Hilton Aspire card's $200 resort credit can be triggered by prepaid nonrefundable rates at Hilton Resorts outside the US - including properties like the Hilton Tokyo Bay. That is a legitimate way to burn the credit on a future international trip rather than scrambling for a domestic resort stay in December.

Southwest Companion Pass qualification also resets January 1, and the threshold is 135,000 qualifying points earned in the calendar year - not just held. If you are within striking distance, the Rapid Rewards Shopping portal and Rapid Rewards Dining can close the gap without booking more flights. Friday Flight Deals tracks cheap Southwest cash fares if you want to combine a mileage run with a genuinely useful trip.

The answer is Japan Airlines Mileage Bank - option A. Now that Citi ThankYou transfers to JAL, you can use JAL miles to book ANA First Class through the JAL program. ANA's own program does not let you book ANA First Class on partner redemptions, but JAL miles can - and the rates are genuinely excellent. This is one of the most coveted premium cabin redemptions in the hobby, and Citi just handed US-based points collectors a direct path there.

With Citi running two transfer bonuses simultaneously, I'm curious: do you tend to transfer points speculatively when a bonus is live, or do you only transfer once you have a specific redemption locked in? Hit reply and let me know - I read every response and genuinely curious how readers approach this one.

That is it from me today. Two simultaneous Citi bonuses plus the Amex Avios window closing Sunday - there is real urgency this week, and I would hate for you to miss it by a day.

- Jack

A real US flight runs today. Pin the airport on the map, then guess the route in 5 tries. Wordle for plane geeks.

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend ... ($1.95/yr)

3. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points Plus A $250 Statement Credit after yo... ($6.5/yr)

Points sitting in your account? These are the redemptions worth looking at this week, tracked by Award Travel Finder:

Hotels:

• Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui - Wailea, HI, US | 1.7cpp value | 88,000 pts/night

• The St. Regis Aspen Resort - Aspen, CO, US | 2.4cpp value | 114,000 pts/night

• Casa Marina Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton - Key West, FL, US | 1.7cpp value | 95,000 pts/night

• Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts - West Indies, AI | 2.3cpp value | 110,000 pts/night

• Holiday Inn Resort Aruba-Beach Resort & Casino - Aruba, AW | 1.3cpp value | 61,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Flying Blue Status Match - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue (New Markets) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

• Flying Blue UK (BA Status Holders) - Air France / KLM | SkyTeam

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → Aer Lingus Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 5 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → British Airways Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 5 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Hilton: +30% bonus - ends October 14 (in 22 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Iberia Avios: +30% bonus - ends this Sunday (September 27, in 5 days)

• Capital One Miles → JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +30% bonus - ends Wednesday September 30 (in 8 days)

• Chase Ultimate Rewards → Air Canada Aeroplan: +20% bonus - ends Wednesday September 30 (in 8 days)

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 100% bonus at - ends this Friday (September 25, in 3 days)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at - ends October 22 (in 30 days)

• Avianca (LifeMiles): 145% bonus at - ends this Friday (September 25, in 3 days)

• Copa Airlines (ConnectMiles): 80% bonus at - ends Friday October 2 (in 10 days)

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles): 50% bonus at - ends October 31 (in 39 days)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at - ends October 22 (in 30 days)

Full live tracker → milesandpointsdaily.com/buy-points-promotions

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →