After years of sitting on the sidelines, Citi is back in the premium card game.
The new Citi Strata Elite Card officially launched on July 27 and marks a splashy return to luxury travel cards. This is Citi’s first premium travel card launch since it closed applications to the popular Citi Prestige® Card back in 2021.
With a unique earning structure, flexible perks, and some exciting extras for American Airlines loyalists, this card is coming in strong — and ready to compete with longtime favorites like The Platinum Card® from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
It’s essential to note that this is a brand-new card, not an overhaul of the Prestige card, so the existing card will continue to be available for current cardholders with no changes to those benefits.
Let’s dig in.
Welcome Offer: Up to 80,000 Points
The Citi Strata Elite offers a very generous welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. And if you live near a Citi branch, you may be able to get a slightly higher offer by applying in person.
Depending on how you redeem your points and what transfer partners you take advantage of, you can easily get over $1,000 in travel value from this bonus.
Better yet, since this is a brand-new card, there are no major eligibility restrictions. You can open this card and earn the welcome offer even if you’re a Citi Strata Premier® Card or Citi Prestige® cardholder.
Annual Fee
Now for what you’re probably most curious about… The Citi Strata Elite has a $595 annual fee and charges $75 per authorized user.
Citi estimates there’s nearly $1,500 in total value here if you maximize the perks — which can easily offset the fee for frequent travelers.
Big Earning Potential
If you spend a lot on travel or love going out to eat on the weekends, the Citi Strata Elite offers some valuable earning rates:
12x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through Citi Travel
6x points on air travel booked through Citi Travel
6x points at restaurants (and delivery) every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET
3x points at restaurants all other times
1.5x points on everything else (including all travel booked outside of Citi Travel)
While you need to book through Citi Travel, being able to earn up to 12x points on travel is huge. And up to 6x points at restaurants? Basically unmatched. Just remember that this elevated earning rate for restaurants only applies on Fridays and Saturdays and that it’s based on Eastern Time — especially useful to know if you’re dining abroad. 😉
Travel Benefits
The Citi Strata Elite comes with a handful of easy-to-use travel perks:
Four Admirals Club℠ passes per year (worth $300+)
Priority Pass™ Select membership (for you and two guests, but unfortunately, no access to Priority Pass restaurants)
No foreign transaction fees
Access to The Reserve by Citi Travel hotel collection with perks like free breakfast and $100 experience credit
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit (up to $120 every 4 years)
The Citi Strata Elite also includes various travel and shopping protections:
Trip delay and cancellation insurance
Lost or delayed baggage coverage
MasterRental car insurance
Purchase protection and extended warranty coverage
The Admirals Club passes will be connected to your AAdvantage Wallet (via the AA mobile app) or your boarding pass if it includes your AAdvantage number. You can bring up to three children under 18 years of age without needing to redeem additional passes.
Authorized users receive their own Priority Pass membership, but not Admirals Club passes.
Up to $700 in Annual Credits
As is the case with basically any other premium travel card on the market, the Citi Strata Elite comes with various statement credits — but at least they’re all awarded annually or semi-annually, so you don’t need to keep track of them each month:
$300 annual hotel credit: For stays of two or more nights booked through Citi Travel
$200 Splurge Credit: Use it at your choice of two brands like American Airlines, Best Buy, Live Nation, Future, or 1stDibs
$200 in Blacklane ride credits: Up to $100 January through June and up to $100 July through December
Personally, I would have no trouble using the hotel credit and splurge credit since the hotel credit applies to any hotel (not just a subset of premium ones like some other cards, ahem Amex Platinum and Sapphire Reserve), and I fly American Airlines a lot. The Blacklane credit is a bit more niche than an Uber or Lyft credit, but at least it can be used globally, and Blacklane has a big international footprint.
Things get even better if you have a banking relationship with Citi…
If you’re a Citigold® or Citigold® Private Client, you’ll get up to $145 in annual credits — plus a $595 first-year credit if you're a Private Client.
Improved Redemption Options
When it’s time to redeem your Citi ThankYou® Rewards points, you have two main options:
1. Book travel through Citi Travel: Use your points to book flights, hotels, or car rentals directly in the Citi Travel portal at a flat rate of 1 cent per point. It’s straightforward and convenient, but not the most valuable use of points.
2. Transfer to airline and hotel partners (best value): Citi Strata Elite unlocks Citi’s full suite of 1:1 travel transfer partners, which is generally your best bet for stretching your points.
The most exciting part of this card’s launch is that Citi added American Airlines AAdvantage as a transfer partner of the ThankYou Rewards program. AA miles can be extremely valuable, and no other major credit card program transfers to American.
Here’s the full list of airline partners:
AeroMexico Rewards
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Avianca LifeMiles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Emirates Skywards
Etihad Guest
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
JetBlue TrueBlue
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
Hotel partners include:
Choice Privileges (1:2)
Leaders Club (5:1)
Preferred Hotels & Resorts (1:4)
Wyndham Rewards (1:1)
As with the Citi Premier, if you also have the Citi Double Cash® Card, you can combine your rewards with the Citi Strata Elite to unlock full access to these partners.
💡 Pro Tip: Want to know whether to transfer your points or book directly? We have a free Cents-Per-Point Calculator that will tell you if you’re getting good value for your points!
How It Compares
Chase Sapphire Reserve® vs. Citi Strata Elite
The Sapphire Reserve comes with a higher $795 annual fee, but you get a $300 flexible travel credit, lounge access (including Chase Sapphire Lounges and Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges), and access to Points Boost, which can make your rewards go even further on premium flights and hotels. You’ll also earn up to 10x points on Chase Travel purchases. The big edge over Citi here is access to more lounges, additional statement credits, and Points Boost.
The Platinum Card® from American Express vs. Citi Strata Elite
The Amex Platinum is all about luxury — think Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Fine Hotels + Resorts, and over $1,500 in statement credits, based on our subjective valuation (and that’s if you actually use them). It earns 5x points on flights (booked through American Express Travel®) and comes with a $695 annual fee (rates & fees). The downside? A complex web of benefit enrollments and credits that can be tricky to track. But for travelers who love premium service and luxury lounges, it’s still a top contender.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card vs. Citi Strata Elite
At just $395 per year, the Venture X is the budget-friendly premium card. You get 10x points on Capital One Travel, Priority PassTM access (with enrollment), and Capital One Lounge access, and a $300 annual travel credit. It’s a simpler, more beginner-friendly card, but still loaded with value — especially with its anniversary bonus miles.
💡 Heads Up: The main difference between the Citi Strata Elite and these other cards is that Citi doesn’t have its own lounge network, and the Admirals Club access is limited to just four passes per year.
Who Should Get the Citi Strata Elite?
✅ American Airlines flyers who want lounge access and transfer options
✅ Travelers who book hotels and flights through Citi Travel
✅ Weekend foodies looking to earn 6x points at restaurants
✅ Citigold® or Citigold® Private Client customers who want a premium card in their rotation
✅ People who want flexible perks without tracking a bunch of monthly credits
Bottom Line
The Citi Strata Elite is Citi’s first true premium card since the Citi Prestige era — and it’s coming in hot. 🔥
With strong earning rates, flexible statement credits, and access to valuable transfer partners, including American Airlines, the card has a lot going for it. While Citi doesn’t have its own branded lounge network (at least not yet), the value from its perks and points-earning potential may still outweigh the annual fee, especially if you already have a relationship with Citi or are an American Airlines loyalist.
If you’ve been waiting for Citi to step back into the premium card ring, this is your moment.
