Citi To Permanently Increase JetBlue Transfer Rate On 09/13 (1:1 For Most Cardholders)

Citi has announced that they will be permanently increase the rate that ThankYou points transfer to JetBlue starting on September 13th. Currently the transfer rates are:

  • 1,000 Citi ThankYou Points = 800 TrueBlue points for Citi ThankYou® Premier, Citi Prestige® and Citi Chairman®
  • 1,000 Citi ThankYou Points = 500 TrueBlue points  For Citi ThankYou Preferred

After September 13th they will be :

  • 1,000 Citi ThankYou Points = 1,000 TrueBlue points for Citi ThankYou® Premier, Citi Prestige® and Citi Chairman®
  • 1,000 Citi ThankYou Points = 800 TrueBlue points  For Citi ThankYou Preferred

Chase recently added JetBlue as a transfer partner at that 1:1 rate. Citi has also frequently offered transfer bonuses:

It will be interesting to see if those transfer bonuses are still sometimes offered with the permanent rate being increased.

View Comments (13)

  • Guess what, everybody is "revaluing" their JetBlue points "upwards" (AMEX with the current promo, Chase by adding as a transfer option at parity, now Citi), and they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

    I went to check and now understand why: JetBlue has stealthily devalued their points from nearly a fixed 1.4x to 1x-1.2x for nearly all desirable flights. It's no longer a fixed peg. Combine that with the now unrestricted family pooling that has been promised whose cost must be clawed back elsewhere and whose devaluation potential I sniffed a mile away, it all makes sense now.

    If you do the total math, real transfer values are worse than before across the board for TrueBlue.

    • Exactly. And if you hold a JetBlue card with 10% back on point redemptions it's now basically a 5% card. Both Jetblue cards and it's ~5.5%.

      • Sorry, to be clear: is that going on the ThankYou portal to book a Jet Blue flight using Citi ATTAM? Or using the Jet Blue card to book? Or if you simply have a Jet Blue card, you get the 10% back for any booked Jet Blue flight, whether or not you use it (so you should always book with the ATTAM card)? I haven't used Jet Blue much, but my daughter just started college in Boston, so it's in my future.

  • Side question. I converted my Sears card to thankyou points. But I didn't realize you can only cash them out at 0.5 cents each. I don't necessarily care about transfer partners via a premium card, but what's the best way to use up those points?

    • If you have premier or prestige card, you can use your points at the thankyou travel center to book hotels or airline tickets, and if you do in this way, one point will worth 1.25 cent.

    • I just wish amex wish amex would get rid of their blue cash series of credit cards and switch everything over to MR points, then change the redemption rate to 1c per point like chase UR points. Not much of a traveler but do like cash.

  • This is good news. Assuming there will be an occasional 25-30% bonus, it might make transfers worthwhile.