Transfer bonuses are a great way to get even more value from your credit card points – and if you’ve got Citi ThankYou points from a card like the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card there’s a new bonus to help you do just that.
You can currently get a 25% bonus when transferring ThankYou points to Air France / KLM’s Flying Blue program. But unlike typical transfer bonuses, it’s unclear when this one ends. Representatives from Citi did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on how long the bonus would last or if, however unlikely it may be, it’s a permanent change.
Unfortunately, if you had your sights set on using this bonus to fly Air France or KLM to Europe, it’ll cost you more than it did just a few weeks ago. From economy to business class, Flying Blue recently devalued awards on it’s own planes by as much as 25%.
But even so, Flying Blue is still one of the better airline mileage programs for getting from the U.S. to Europe using fewer points … or booking Delta flights and saving SkyMiles in the process – and this transfer bonus is certainly worth your attention.
We typically see Citi roll out a big transfer bonus to Air France/KLM once or twice a year, but no matter how appealing a 25% bonus might be, you should (almost) never transfer credit card points without a specific use in mind. This is a one-way street: Once you send your credit card points to an airline account, you can’t get them back. That means you’ll want to have a purpose for these points before you send them to Air France or any one of Citi’s other travel partners.
Fortunately, there are some great ways to put this bonus to use…
Not sure where to start? Read our guide on Citi transfer partners and how it works!
Best Ways to Use This Bonus
We’ll never turn down some free Flying Blue miles.
This is the combined mileage program for Air France and KLM, and it’s one of the best ways to book flights with SkyTeam airlines including Delta, Korean Air, and Air France or KLM, of course.
This is just the start – read our full guide on the best ways to use Flying Blue miles!
Fly Air France or KLM to Europe for Less
Even after this most recent devaluation, you can still find flights flying business class to Europe for as low as 60,000 miles each way – a relatively mild increase from the old 50,000-mile price point. You’ll find this price whether you want to get to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Amsterdam (AMS), or connect almost anywhere in Europe.
Factor in this transfer bonus, you’d need just 48,000 ThankYou points to make it happen.
With Flying Blue’s dynamic award pricing, you’re more likely to see rates of 200,000 miles or more – especially in business class – though, increased saver-level availability is supposed to be the silver-lining of this most recent devaluation. But if you’re flexible, you can find a deal like this and it remains one of the best ways to book business class with miles. Luckily, Air France and KLM allow you to easily scroll through up to a month’s worth of flights to find the best deals.
Thrifty Tip: Leave your date(s) blank when searching for award tickets to pull up a monthly calendar – check out our full walkthrough on using Flying Blue miles!
Flying Blue typically tacks on about $200 for a one-way business class award to Europe – and about $380 or more for the way back. That’s a small price to pay for $6,000-plus flights. And it’s a great ride across the Atlantic ocean whether you’re flying with Air France or KLM.
Read our full Air France business class review!
You can also book economy awards to Europe using Air France and KLM miles – including one-way trips from most U.S. cities for 25,000 miles.
But the cash surcharges Flying Blue passes on, even on economy award tickets, can make that less appealing. While it can easily be worth paying $200 or so for a one-way business class ticket to Europe, that’s less competitive when it comes to economy class pricing.
Occasionally, though, the deals get even better.
Book Discounted Promo Rewards
Every month, Flying Blue unleashes a set of discounted routes it calls Promo Rewards. And the airlines’ latest monthly promo is a great one, offering deeply discounted economy rates to Europe from a handful of U.S. cities … and, a couple of deep discounts for premium economy, too.
Just beware: You’ll have to act fast, as availability at these rates tends to go fast (or has already disappeared). With fares as low as 15,000 miles each way (12,500 with the transfer bonus!), it could easily be worth paying $150 or so in taxes and fees to pull off a trip to Europe this fall or winter.
For travel through June 2025, you can book:
- Economy from Atlanta (ATL) starting at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
- Economy from Miami (MIA) starting at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
- Economy from Phoenix (PHX) starting at 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
- Premium Economy from New York City (JFK) starting at 26,250 miles
- Premium Economy from Chicago (ORD) starting at 26,250 miles
No matter which route or cabin you choose, this 20% bonus just makes these flights even cheaper. For instance, this 15,000-mile redemption flying Air France economy between Miami (MIA) and Europe could be yours by transferring just 12,000 Citi points with this 20% bonus.
With this apparent devaluation, these Promo Rewards fares are an even better deal … unless, of course, Air France and KLM decide to eventually torch those monthly discounts, too.
Book Delta Flights for Less
If you fly Delta and have SkyMiles, you know just how frustrating it can be with constantly changing award rates. Flying Blue miles can be your solution, even after a recent scare.
Because they’re close partners in the SkyTeam alliance, you can use Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles to book Delta flights – often for a fraction of what Delta itself is charging. These days, booking through Flying Blue is almost always the best workaround to score Delta flights for less.
Here’s just one example: For a trip down to Mexico City (MEX) this spring, Delta is charging 66,000 SkyMiles for roundtrip flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP).
But using Flying Blue miles, you can book those exact same flights for just 30,000 miles total – less than half the cost! Factor in this 20% transfer bonus and you need just 24,000 Citi points to make it happen.
Along with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, using Air France/KLM miles is one of the best workarounds to book Delta flights for less. And after Virgin raised many Delta award rates recently, Flying Blue might just be your best bet now, period.
Fly to Taipei in Business Class
One of the best ways to get to Taiwan – or connect elsewhere in Southeast Asia – is in China Airlines’ spiffy business class seats. And using Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles is the best way to make it happen.
Whether you fly from San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), or all the way from New York City (JFK), you can get to Taipei (TPE) for just 89,500 Flying Blue miles, give or take a few thousand miles.
Factor in this 25% transfer bonus, and you’ll need to transfer just 72,000 Citi points or a tad more. Not bad for a 15-plus hour flight in seats like these, right?
Bottom Line
Transfer bonuses like this one are great – it means you need fewer points to book your next getaway. And a 25% bonus when transferring Citi points to Air France/KLM Flying Blue is a great one.
Just make sure you have a plan to take advantage of this bonus before transferring your points.
