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The Guide to the Citi ThankYou Travel Portal

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Table of Contents

Who can use the Citi ThankYou travel portal?

The baseline value of citi thankyou points, how to book travel in the citi thankyou rewards travel portal, benefits of booking in the citi thankyou travel portal, what else you need to know about citi travel portal, how good is the citi travel portal.

Citi has rolled out big changes to its online travel portal that will have a sizable impact on how its credit cardholders search and book travel — whether they’re paying for a trip or redeeming points.

In March 2023, Citi launched its revamped booking platform, officially called Citi Travel with Booking.com. Certain cardholders can book everything from flights and hotels to rental cars and experiences through the portal. 

The booking website now offers some 1.4 million hotel options worldwide, including a growing list of properties in Citi’s two new hotel portfolios: the Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection. Bookings in these collections come with special perks such as property credit, free breakfast and more.

The changes give members more options to use Citi ThankYou points. In addition to redeeming ThankYou points for travel, members can also redeem points for cash back or transfer them to airline or hotel partners. In fact, members sometimes extract a higher value from their points by transferring them.

However, applying them toward travel in the Citi’s online travel portal can be a compelling option, particularly given some of the perks available at the platform’s two hotel collections and the current bonus Thank You points promotion on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.

In this guide, we’ll go over which cards that members can use the Citi ThankYou travel portal, what the points are worth and when redeeming points through the Citi Travel portal can make sense.

Most cards that earn Citi ThankYou Points offer members access to the Citi Travel portal, including:

AT&T Access Card from Citi (not open to new applications).

AT&T Access More Card from Citi (not open to new applications).

Citi Custom Cash® Card .

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card .

Citi Prestige® Card (not open to new applications).

Citi Rewards+® Card .

Citi Double Cash® Card .

The portal offers cardholders perks like same-day booking opportunities, a 24-hour cancellation window for full refunds and flexible payment options.

Cardholders can redeem Citi ThankYou points between 1 cent to 1.25 cents through the Citi Travel portal or when redeemed for cash back. So, 1 cent per point should be your baseline redemption rate when deciding whether you should transfer points to one of Citi's airline or hotel partners .

If the booking you are considering gives you less than a 1-cent-per-point redemption rate, consider getting cash back instead. Then, pay for that same booking in cash. This may be more optimal than redeeming your ThankYou points at a lower rate.

» Learn more: Plan your next redemption with our credit card points tool

1. Log into your Citi account

One of the benefits of Citi’s new travel portal is that you can book a trip and manage your credit card account with just a single login. Eligible ThankYou members can access the new travel portal directly .

You can redeem Citi ThankYou Points at a rate of 1 cent to 1.25 cents toward the following travel purchases: flights, hotel rooms, car rentals and activities. The Citi Travel portal is powered by Booking.com and Rocket Travel by Agoda, and works like the online travel agencies you’ve likely used before.

» Learn more: How to earn miles through online travel agencies

2. Search your travel dates and destinations

Let’s say you want to book a flight. Select the “Flights” tab and begin your search. Select your trip type (round trip, one way or multicity), and enter the number of passengers and preferred class of service. Input your departure and destination cities and travel dates. Check the nonstop box if necessary and select “Search.”

Review your flight options on the following page. To further filter the search results, you can sort by price, travel duration, as well as departure and arrival time. You can also filter results by the number of stops and operating airlines.

3. Choose to pay with cash, points or a combination of both

Once you select the fare, you’ll have the option to select a payment method: using ThankYou Points or a Citi credit card. If you choose to redeem points, you can either pay in full or redeem for a partial payment.

Here’s an example of a flight booking through the portal: a flight from Salt Lake City to Denver aboard Delta Air Lines. You can see, it’s available for $113.90 or 11,390 ThankYou points — a 1 cent-per-point rate.

You can also type in the number of points you want to apply toward the cost of the flight, select “Apply” and pay attention to the payment summary. If the points cover only part of the fare, use your credit card to pay the remaining amount. Then, enter passenger information and complete your booking.

Follow the same process online to make reservations for hotel rooms, car rentals and activities. 

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards you might not have

Historically, transferring ThankYou points to one of Citi’s partners, like airlines or hotel loyalty programs, sometimes results in a higher value for your rewards (in that they are likely to be worth more than 1 cent apiece). In a recent NerdWallet analysis , we value Citi ThankYou points between 1 cent to 1.3 cents per point. However, there are a few reasons you might consider booking travel through the ThankYou Travel portal instead.

Book flights on the dates you want

Let’s get real for a moment: Award travel is great when everything goes according to plan. But what if you want to travel on specific dates and can’t find available seats using miles with a specific airline? In that case, you have to be flexible and pick less convenient travel dates or times.

You can reserve any open seat on a plane by booking your flight through the Citi ThankYou Rewards travel portal because there are no blackout dates.

You might use slightly more points at a fixed redemption rate of 1 cent to 1.25 cents per point, but at least you can fly on your preferred dates. This option works best with inexpensive economy flights.

Book non-chain hotels with points

When you participate in hotel loyalty programs , you end up staying at chains. But what if you want to book that bewitching beachfront bed-and-breakfast and still take advantage of credit card rewards? Well, the good news is if it shows up in the portal search results, you can redeem points to reserve it.

In the Citi Travel portal, hotel reward bookings aren’t limited to chain hotels, which means you can book all kinds of properties outside of popular brands. This benefit is all the more noteworthy now that Citi has bolstered its property offerings through its Booking.com partnership.

Keep money in your pocket

If you’ve amassed a large collection of Citi ThankYou points, you might have more points than you know what to do with. And now that you’re ready to book a trip, you want to make use of your points instead of spending cash — essentially avoiding paying out of pocket for the same expense.

Though you’ll get a redemption rate of 1 cent to 1.25 cents per point, your trip will be paid for entirely with points. This can be a smart money move for the right situation.

Citi Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection 

Perhaps the most significant change unveiled as part of the revamped Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is the addition of two hotel portfolios, at which eligible cardholders can enjoy added perks, not to mention, savings in some cases.

Citi is in the process of rolling out its new Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection — both bookable through its new platform. This may sound like a familiar concept. It’s similar to what other major credit card companies have offered through their travel portals, such as American Express Travel’s Hotel Collection and Fine Hotels and Resorts. 

Citi’s Hotel Collection is available to all eligible ThankYou credit cardmembers. Guests who book one of these properties will enjoy a host of perks, including free breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi and early check-in and late checkout (when available).

Here’s one property in San Francisco — the Argonaut Hotel, not far from Fisherman’s Wharf — available as part of the Hotel Collection. As you can see, the listing explicitly mentions late checkout and free premium Wi-Fi as a perk for this booking.

Meanwhile, the higher-end Luxury Collection portfolio is available only for ThankYou members who carry the Citi Prestige® Card or Citi Strata Premier℠ Card . On top of the same perks offered as part of the Hotel Collection, eligible members who book one of these properties will also enjoy room upgrades (when available) and a $100 experience credit, which can be used for on-property purchases ranging from food and beverages to spa treatments, depending on the hotel.

Citi’s initial rollout of the Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection is confined to the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, but the company plans to expand the two portfolios to new destinations around the world over the next year.

Complimentary fourth night on certain hotel bookings

Both the Citi Prestige® Card offers a fourth night free on eligible bookings, twice per year. One of the best ways to maximize use of Citi’s travel portal is to combine this card benefit with the perks offered as part of the Hotel and Luxury Collections.

To use this benefit, filter your hotel search results in the portal to display hotels designated as “Complimentary 4th Night Eligible.” Book at least four nights and look closely at checkout to confirm that the system applied the savings.

Bonus points for bookings

Extra points are certainly a way to sweeten any deal when it comes to booking, and Citi is offering a hefty promotion in concert with the new portal.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card members can earn a total of 10 points per dollar when booking hotels, rental cars or eligible attractions through Citi Travel.

Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card and Citi Rewards+® Card members can earn a total of 5 points per dollar on those bookings. Through Dec. 31, 2025, Citi Double Cash® Card members also earn a total of 5 points per dollar on hotels, rental cars or eligible attractions.

Meanwhile, Citi Custom Cash® Card cardholders earn an additional 4 points per dollar cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2026.

Earn airline miles

Similar to other credit card travel portals like American Express or Chase, Citi members earn airline miles even when booking through the portal. Just add your airline frequent flyer number to the reservation.

On the other hand, a notable downside of Citi’s new portal is that, at least for now, members cannot add their hotel loyalty numbers. So, for instance, if you book a stay at a Hilton property through Citi Travel, you would earn ThankYou points for the purchase, but not Hilton Honors points for the stay.

The Citi Travel with Booking.com portal includes 24/7 customer service, which can assist with reservation and rebooking needs.

Members with existing travel booked through the old ThankYou Travel Center (prior to March 19, 2023) can access their reservation at ThankYou.com. Select “Travel” and then “My trips."

Despite improvements as part of the revamped Citi Travel portal, it likely won’t appeal to points and miles enthusiasts whose main objective is to maximize value.

However, for others who simply want to use their ThankYou points, it offers plenty of options. And there are certain situations where booking through Citi Travel can be even more beneficial than transferring points, particularly as the company continues to expand the Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection. 

The opportunity for certain cardmembers to earn up to 5 or 10 points per dollar on purchases through the portal doesn’t hurt, either. Plus, using the portal can help you travel on dates with limited award availability and expand your lodging selection. 

Although the value of your rewards won’t always reach its ceiling, you’ll keep money in your pocket by using ThankYou points for travel.

The information related to the AT&T Access More Card from Citi and Citi Prestige® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product or service.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

On a similar note...

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Citi Travel With Booking.com Portal: Your Guide to Booking Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals, Theme Parks and More

Chris Hassan

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Table of Contents

What is the citi travel with booking.com portal, cards that earn citi thankyou points, why should you use the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to access the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to book a flight through the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to book a hotel through the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to book a rental car through the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to book attractions through the citi travel with booking.com portal, how to book a cruise through the citi travel with booking.com portal, final thoughts.

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Citi ThankYou Points are an often underappreciated yet valuable points currency. Often overshadowed by the bigger players like Chase and American Express, Citi offers cardmembers the opportunity to earn and redeem points with some great travel partners.

While transferring points to partners may often yield better value, using points to book travel via Citi’s travel portal can be a convenient option. And the updated Citi Travel with Booking.com portal makes that process even easier and more robust.

In this guide, we will show you exactly what the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is, who can use it, how to use it, and whether or not you should use it.

Ready? Let’s go!

The Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is a third-party online travel agency (OTA) run by, you guessed it, Booking.com . This portal operates very similarly to other OTAs such as Orbitz and Expedia .

Like other online travel agencies, users have the option to book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities, and more. However, since it’s linked to your Citi account, you can redeem Citi ThankYou Points towards travel at a rate of 1 cent per point.

Who Can Use the Citi Travel with Booking.com Portal?

Unlike other travel portals, like AmexTravel.com , you can only use the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal if you have a Citi credit card that earns ThankYou Points.

Some of our favorite travel cards are issued by Citi. The option to earn flexible points with cards that have some great everyday bonus categories is an excellent way to level up your travel game.

If you want to boost your Citi ThankYou Points balance, here are some of our favorite cards:

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is a great all-around travel rewards card that allows you to earn big rewards on a variety of purchases like air travel, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and more, along with flexible redemption options, all for a modest annual fee.

• 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, and EV charging stations
• $100 annual hotel benefit
• $95 annual fee
• For a limited time: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards on thankyou.com.
• Earn 10X points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.
• Earn 3X points per $1 on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations.
• Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• $100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card.
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases.
• APR: 21.24%- 29.24% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  None

This no annual fee card rewards cardholders for everyday purchases. Earn bonus points at supermarkets and gas stations, plus your points are rounded up on every purchase.

• Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within 3 months of account opening; redeemable for $200 in gift cards at thankyou.com
• Plus, as a special offer, earn a total of 5 Thank You ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com through December 31, 2025.*
• 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months from date of first transfer and on purchases from date of account opening. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• Earn 2X ThankYou ® Points at Supermarkets and Gas Stations for the first $6,000 per year and then 1X Points thereafter. Plus, earn 1X ThankYou ® Points on All Other Purchases.
• The Citi Rewards+ ® Card – the only credit card that automatically rounds up to the nearest 10 points on every purchase – with no cap.
• No Annual Fee
• APR: 0% intro APR on balance transfers and on purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR of 18.74% - 28.74%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  3% of each purchase transaction in US dollars

Great card for the average spender with no specific focus category; worry-free cash-back earning on everything!

The Citi Double Cash ® Card  has long been one of the top cash-back credit cards on the market, and the card now has the ability to earn Citi ThankYou Points!

This means that cardholders of the Double Cash card will now earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. Cash back is earned in the form of ThankYou Points . This means each billing cycle, you will earn 1 ThankYou point per $1 spent on purchases and an additional ThankYou point for every $1 paid on your purchase balance as long as there is a corresponding balance in your Purchase Tracker.

Citi has turned the Double Cash card into a top choice for those who are looking for an everyday, no-fuss credit card.

• Uncapped 2% for every $1 spent (1% when you buy and another 1% when you pay)
• Flexible redemption options
• No annual fee
• No bonus categories
• 3% foreign transaction fees
• Bonus Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou ® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
• Balance Transfer Only Offer: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers; after that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Balance Transfers do not earn cash back. Intro APR does not apply to purchases.
• If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
• There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).
• Citi Double Cash ® Card Travel Portal Special Offer Earn a total of 5 ThankYou ® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rental, and attractions, excluding air travel, when booked through the Citi Travel℠ portal via cititravel.com or by calling 1-833-737-1288 (TTY: 711). Offer is valid through 12/31/2025.
• APR: 0% Intro APR for 18 months on balance transfers, then 18.74% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  3% of the U.S. dollar amount of each purchase

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Earn big on purchases in your top eligible spend category, up to the first $500 each billing cycle, with no annual fee!

The Citi Custom Cash ® Card is inventive when it comes to cash-back credit cards. Instead of earning a set amount of cash-back on predetermined bonus categories, the Citi Custom Cash card earns 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each billing cycle, without an annual fee.

Thanks to that unique perk, you’ll never need to worry about whether you’re using the right card for the right purchase, as your Citi Custom Cash card will always pay you 5% back on whichever category you end up spending the most on each month.

• 5% cash-back (on up to $500 each billing cycle) from your largest purchase category, including restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, and live entertainment
• Multiple redemption options
• Your 5% category is limited to $500 in spend ($25 in cash-back) each month
• Not particularly rewarding for any purchases outside of your top 5% cash-back category
• Earn $ 200 cash back after you spend $ 1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou ® Points, which can be redeemed for $ 200 cash back.
• Get 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers; after that, the variable APR will be 18.74% – 28.74%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Earn 5% cash back on purchases in your top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent, 1% cash back thereafter. Earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.
• Special Travel Offer: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.
• No rotating bonus categories to sign up for – as your spending changes each billing cycle, your earn adjusts automatically when you spend in any of the eligible categories.
• No annual fee.
• Citi will only issue one Citi Custom Cash ® Card account per person.
• APR: 0% Intro APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. After that, the variable APR will be 18.74% - 28.74%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees:  3%

While many in the travel community prefer to earn points and then transfer them to partners to book award redemptions, that process can be complicated and confusing to some people.

For a lot of people, booking through an OTA, like the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, is straightforward and easy — and if that helps you book more travel, then you should absolutely do it.

But there are plenty of other reasons to use the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal as well …

Bonus Points

To kick off the launch of the new portal, Citi is offering up to 10 ThankYou Points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions  if you hold a Citi Prestige ® Card or Citi Strata Premier ℠ card . If you hold the Citi Rewards+ card , you can earn up to 5 ThankYou Points per $1. This promotion is valid through December 31, 2025.

No Blackout Dates

If there is a seat on the flight you want, you can book it. There are no blackout dates or stress about finding award availability. With the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, if you see a flight, you can book it.

Earn Airline Miles

One of the nice things about booking flights through an OTA is the fact that you still earn airline miles and elite-qualifying miles despite not booking directly through the airline.

Use Points and Money

If you are a little short on points or don’t want to use them all, you can use a combination of points and money to pay for your travel.

At checkout, simply select how many points you want to redeem and the difference will be calculated for you to pay in cash.

Book Nonchain Hotels

While points are great for booking hotels from the big chains, your options are limited when it comes to independent, boutique hotels.

That is when booking through an OTA like the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal comes in handy. You can use your ThankYou Points to book hotels that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

Get a Fourth Night Free

One of the many benefits of the Citi Prestige card (no longer open to new applicants) is that cardholders are eligible for a fourth night free at select hotels.

Simply select a hotel for 4 or more nights and if the hotel is eligible, the price will reflect the discount.

Pool Citi ThankYou Points

If you are short on points or want to boost your balance, Citi allows members to combine ThankYou Points.

This can be done online or by calling the phone number on the back of your Citi credit card.

Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection Benefits

As part of the new travel portal, Citi is gradually introducing 2 new programs for hotel bookings; Luxury Collection and Hotel Collection.

These programs offer unique benefits at select hotels, although the number of hotels is still quite limited. However, you can expect the following if you book:

Luxury Collection Benefits (Citi Strata Premier Card and Citi Prestige Card members):

• $100 experience credit
• Room upgrade, upon availability
• Daily breakfast for 2
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Early check-in, upon availability
• Late checkout, upon availability

Hotel Collection Benefits (All Eligible Cardmembers):

Hot Tip: It’s not all positive — if you book a chain hotel via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal you are typically ineligible to receive any elite night credits or elite benefits during your stay. 

Accessing the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is pretty straightforward. You can simply visit Citi Travel with Booking.com and log in with your Citi credentials.

From there you will have options to choose Hotels, Flights, Cars, and More . Let’s start with booking flights.

Once you are logged in and click on Flights , you will be directed to the online search tool — which may look familiar if you have used Booking.com before.

Searching for a flight using the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is pretty straightforward.

Simply select:

• Round-trip or one-way (multicity is no longer an option)
• Flying from
• Departure date
• Return date (if applicable)
• Cabin class

Once you have started a search, the results will populate and you will have additional options to filter through the flights.

Currently, you can filter flight results by:

• Departure times
• Arrival times

Citi will even break down the results into 3 categories: Cheapest , Fastest , and Best overall,  which is a combination of low price and short duration.

By default, the results are shown by price per person, but you can also sort them by:

• Total journey time (fastest first)
• Best overall (cheap, short flights)
• Outbound departure time (earliest first)
• Outbound arrival time (earliest first)
• Stops (fewest stops first)

Once you have found a flight that works for you, click on the blue Select  button to proceed with the booking.

If eligible, you will be prompted with options to upgrade your seat, similar to what airline websites offer.

After confirming your selection and adding the passenger information, click the Continue to payment button where your flight details will be shown alongside your Citi ThankYou Points balance.

You then will have the option to use points, pay with your Citi card, or a combination of both. From here, you can use as many (or as few) points as you would like to cover the cost of the flight, and if there is a balance, it will be charged to your Citi card.

After confirming the information, simply click on Complete Purchase and your ticket will be issued. As with most OTAs, there is a 24-hour cancellation window.

Comparing Rates

While it isn’t uncommon for flight prices to fluctuate and be slightly different between online travel agencies and with airlines directly, during our search we found that most prices were the same price on Google Flights as they were through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal.

While prices are often similar, it is always a good idea to double-check prices on Google Flights.

As an extra data point, American Airlines was charging 11,500 miles for that flight, so that was slightly less than the 12,790 Citi ThankYou Points needed.

Once logged in, click on the Hotel tab to start the booking process through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal (the default landing page may already be set to hotels).

Searching for a hotel is pretty straightforward and similar to many other OTAs.

• Destination
• Check-in date
• Check-out date
• Number of guests and rooms

If you have a Citi Prestige complimentary 4th night free available, there will be a message displaying that information.

Once you have started a search, the results will populate and you will have additional options to filter through hotel options.

Currently, you can filter hotel results by:

• Price per night
• Property type
• Sustainability
• Distance to center
• Neighborhood
• Star rating
• Payment options
• Guest rating
• Room amenities
• Near popular attractions
• Location rating
• Property facilities
• Room offers
• Beach access
• Location highlights
• Number of bedrooms
• Popular hotel brands

By default, the results are sorted by Best match , but you can sort by lowest price , distance , and top reviewed , as well.

Hot Tip: Beware, the prices shown on the first page do not include taxes and fees , so the price may change significantly from one page to another. 

Once you have found an option that works for you, click on the hotel to proceed with the booking.

After finding a room that you like, click Add to cart or Check out to be directed to the Review page where you will enter the guest information.

Citi Prestige Card Benefit

On the next page, if you have a Citi Prestige card, you will have the option to apply the Complimentary 4th Night Benefit.

If you don’t have a Citi Prestige card, you can skip ahead.

Citi Strata Premier Card Benefit

If you have a Citi Strata Premier card, you can receive $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more.

This $100 credit is available once per calendar year when booking via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, and you will have the option to use it or not.

After filling out the guest information, click on Continue to payment.

Finally, on the Payment page, you will have the option to apply your Citi ThankYou Points towards the total at a rate of 1 cent per point. So, for example, using 10,000 points would reduce the total by $100.

Hotels always want guests to book directly with them in order to avoid paying commission fees to online travel agencies, so it’s not uncommon to see prices be different from site to site.

That is why hotels do not provide elite benefits when booking through an OTA, as an extra incentive to book direct.

In the case of the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, our example was actually cheaper than the price on Expedia as well as directly with the hotel, which is great news for Citi cardholders.

The total for 4 nights via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal was $1,228, before factoring in any card benefits or points. The price for the same room and dates directly with the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort was $1,266.09 — $38.09 more expensive. 

Once you are logged in, click on the Car tab to start booking a car through the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal

If you have searched for a rental car using an online travel agency before, you will notice that the layout is quite similar.

• Same drop-off
• Different drop-off (if applicable)
• Pickup city or airport
• Drop-off city or airport (if applicable)
• Driver’s age
• Pick-up date
• Drop-off date
• Pickup time
• Drop-off time

Once you have started a search, the results will be displayed and you will have some additional options to filter through the rental car inventory.

Currently, you can filter rental car results by:

• Vehicle type
• Rental agency
• Cancellation fee
• Price per day

By default, the results are sorted by price — lowest price first. 

Additionally, you can see the results on a map, which can be helpful if you are picking up somewhere besides an airport.

Once you have found a price that works for you, select the car to proceed with the booking.

After adding the driver information, you can now use as many (or as few) Citi ThankYou Points as you would like to cover the cost of your rental car.

After confirming all of the information, simply click on Confirm Purchase and your confirmation will be emailed to you. The cancellation policy will vary based on the car and rate you selected.

As a reminder, rental car company-specific credits and benefits will not be available when booking through a third-party travel agency.

Rental car rates are constantly fluctuating, so booking a car with a generous cancellation policy is a good idea in case you find a better price later on.

Comparing prices for this guide was an excellent example of that. In our sample search, Expedia had the same car class from SIXT, but for $22 more for the week. However, Expedia also had several rental car companies that Citi didn’t, many of which were cheaper.

But the good news is, renting via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal was cheaper than booking directly with SIXT, which was the same price as Expedia, plus you can use points.

One thing to note was the lack of other well-known rental agency options. For example, in Miami, there were many companies that we had never heard of, and the portal was missing big names like Hertz and National. Meanwhile, in Boston, there was only 1 option: Payless. Definitely do your research and don’t rely solely on the Citi search results.

Bottom Line: It is always a good idea to compare OTAs as well as directly with the rental car company when searching for a car. See our guide on finding the best websites for finding cheap car rentals for more tips!

Booking an attraction (think: theme parks) is an awesome feature of the updated Citi Travel with Booking.com portal.

Once you log in, click on the Attractions tab to start the booking process via the portal.

To start, simply type in the city you would like to visit and click Search .

Once the attractions have been populated, you can filter them by:

You can also sort by:

• Lowest price first
• Highest rating first

Once you have found an activity that you like, click on it to bring up more details.

Click on See Options to search for availability and additional ticket options.

If there is availability for your request, click the blue Choose button and then add the number of travelers in your party.

You can now use as many or as few Citi ThankYou Points as you would like to cover the cost of the attraction. If you are short on points, don’t worry, you can add the difference to your Citi card.

After confirming the trip information, simply click Confirm Purchase and your ticket will be emailed to you. As a quick note, many attractions are nonrefundable.

Comparing prices on local activities can be difficult because many of them are run by individuals or small companies who may not be on all booking sites.

However, for this example, we chose a 1 day Park-2-Park ticket for Universal Orlando, which sells directly from UniversalOrlando.com for $217.26.

Booking via the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal would be $15 more expensive, per person. That may not be a big deal if you are planning on using your ThankYou Points, but it is something to consider.

Booking a cruise with Citi ThankYou Points was never an easy task, and with the rollout of the new Citi Travel with Booking.com portal, it appears that Citi has decided to move away from that category.

You can still find the occasional river cruise or local boat tour via the attractions search, but weeklong trips to the islands, for instance, are not available at the moment.

Bottom Line: If you are looking to book a cruise, we can show you the best websites to book cruises at the cheapest prices . 

Overall, the refreshed Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is a convenient, easy-to-use, and valuable travel tool for those who don’t like to deal with transferring points to partners.

Redeeming Citi ThankYou Points at a rate of 1 cent per point won’t get you the greatest redemptions, but if you would otherwise not use the points, using them (or earning them) to book travel through the portal is a solid deal.

There are unique perks, like being able to use points at nonchain hotels, but there are drawbacks as well, like not receiving elite night credits and other loyalty perks at some of the chain hotels and rental car companies.

While the cruise section is nonexistent, the booking process for flights, hotels, and car rentals is easy and straightforward, and theme parks are now an option — which is always a plus in our book.

If you have some Citi ThankYou Points and are looking for an easy way to redeem them for some upcoming travel, the Citi Travel with Booking.com portal is just a few clicks away.

The information regarding the Citi Rewards+ ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi Double Cash ®  Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi Custom Cash ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information for the Citi Prestige ® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information for the Citi ThankYou ® Preferred Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Related Posts

TPG exclusive: Revamped Citi travel portal launched

Citi is a TPG advertising partner.

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available.

After months of delays, TPG can reveal that the new Citi travel portal will finally launch Sunday in the afternoon. From what Citi has told us, the new portal's features sound awesome. However, whether the portal will be a game-changer in practice is yet to be seen.

We first noticed issues with the current Citi ThankYou Travel Center in July 2022. Citi launched a "coming soon" page for its new portal in August after TPG was the first to report on the planned launch of a new portal. In response to delays, Citi provided band-aids to enable customers to book travel in its portal for travel dates through June 2023 — not ideal for those planning future trips.

However, the wait is almost over — Citi Travel with Booking.com will launch Sunday, March 19.

Here's a closer look at the new Citi travel portal, which features you can expect at launch and which additional features will be coming in the future.

Overview of the new Citi travel portal

Citi's existing travel portal — the Citi ThankYou Travel Center — is disappearing, and it will be replaced with a new travel portal.

The new Citi Travel portal is powered by Booking.com and will provide access to over 1.4 million hotels worldwide, thanks to the Booking.com platform. The new portal will be called Citi Travel with Booking.com, and you will be able to access it through this link .

Citi promises that the new platform will be easier to use and will be accessible through Citi's website (starting Sunday afternoon) and Citi's mobile app (after app updates, which are expected by the end of this month). Cardmembers can customize their payments, choosing which credit card(s) or points to pay with — or a combination of the two.

Another new aspect is 24-hour customer support. Cardmembers will be able to receive help with their bookings around the clock.

You'll earn points on all paid bookings through Citi Travel. You'll also be able to redeem your ThankYou Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent per point toward travel booked in the portal. This means a $150 flight will cost 15,000 Citi ThankYou points.

Related: How to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards for maximum value

From what we've seen, the new portal feels very similar to Booking.com and other travel portals. You can search by destination (for hotels, rental cars and activities), by property name (for hotels) or by route (for flights).

Key features of Citi Travel with Booking.com

Citi's new portal will be integrated with your online Citi account and with the mobile app for the first time, making it easier to book travel without needing additional logins. Additionally, your points balance will be visible to help you see which travel purchases align with the spending power of your points.

You will be able to redeem points for all or part of your reservation. Redemption rates in the portal will be 1 cent per point. This is below TPG's valuation of ThankYou points at 1.8 cents apiece, but it provides options for using points in additional ways — such as tours and activities (more on that below).

As Booking.com powers the new portal, all hotels you see on Booking.com should be available through the portal. This includes not just chain hotels and resorts but also boutique properties, bed-and-breakfasts and Disney properties, including the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. However, most hostels won't be bookable.

Highlight: Attractions available in the Citi travel portal

Citi's new travel portal offers access to more than just hotels, flights and rental cars. Hundreds of thousands of attractions will be available in all 50 U.S. states and in countries around the globe. This includes Universal theme parks (including multiday tickets and passes) but not tickets to Six Flags or Disney parks — though some Disney hotels can be booked in the new portal.

Additional offerings include river cruises, guided hikes in the Grand Canyon and entrance tickets to popular tourist attractions, like the Kennedy Space Center. To find and book attractions, search by your destination (e.g., New York City or Paris).

You'll be able to pay for all of these with points.

Launch of 2 new Citi hotel programs

Citi is also launching two new hotel programs: Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection. These programs are launching Sunday with the new travel portal, but they will start with a limited footprint of properties (the same thing happened with the recently-launched Capital One Premier Collection ). Initially, hotels will be available in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, then the number of hotels available will expand on a rolling basis.

For those familiar with other credit card issuer hotel programs , these two new hotel programs will sound familiar.

Related: A comparison of luxury hotel programs from credit card issuers: Amex, Chase and Capital One

Citi's Hotel Collection will offer free breakfast for two people daily and complimentary Wi-Fi as guaranteed perks. When available, you'll also get early check-in and late checkout privileges.

Citi's Luxury Collection — the more premium program of the two — will offer those benefits plus room upgrades (when available) and a $100 on-property credit. Uses of this benefit will vary by location, and it may cover purchases like spa services, meals at the hotel's restaurant and overnight parking.

There are no minimum stay requirements for these bookings (unlike American Express' The Hotel Collection , which has a minimum two-night stay when booking with The Platinum Card® from American Express ). Anyone with a credit card that earns ThankYou points can make reservations through the Hotel Collection. However, only those with the Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new applicants) or the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees ) can access the Luxury Collection.

The information for the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Unfortunately, there is no option for adding your hotel loyalty program number to these reservations. However, as explained below, you can stack a valuable Citi-provided benefit on top of these reservations.

No changes to Prestige and Strata Premier card portal benefits

The Citi Prestige Card and the Citi Strata Premier Card both offer valuable hotel credits. Using these benefits requires booking your room through Citi's travel portal. The good news is that these benefits are not changing.

Citi Strata Premier cardholders will continue to receive a once-per-year $100 credit for hotel bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, through Citi Travel.

Those who have the Citi Prestige will still enjoy their fourth-night-free perk. This benefit is available twice yearly and offers a fourth night free on hotel bookings made in Citi's travel portal.

Thus, you can use these benefits on hotel reservations with the Hotel Collection or Luxury Collection to stack the hotel programs' benefits with your cardholder benefits. We will do a deeper dive on how to maximize these benefits in a guide coming soon.

Bonus points promotion

To coincide with the launch of Citi Travel with Booking.com, select Citi cardholders will be able to earn up to 10 points per dollar on bookings in the portal through June 30, 2024. Depending on your card, you'll earn:

• 10 points per dollar on bookings for hotels, rental cars and eligible attractions with the Citi Prestige Card (no longer open to new applicants).

Additionally, select Citi cardholders will be able to earn up to 5 points per dollar on bookings in the portal through December 31, 2025. You'll earn:

• 5 points per dollar on these bookings with the Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees ).

Once these limited-time earning rates end, a Citi spokesperson promised updates on the standard earning rates for travel booked in the portal.

The information for the Citi ThankYou Preferred card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The ultimate guide to Citi ThankYou Rewards

Unfortunately, flights are not included in the bonus-earning rates.

Quick comparison of earning rates through different travel portals

For comparison, several banks have elevated earning rates on travel booked through their respective portals. Here are the points you can earn on these bookings when using a travel rewards credit card:

*Values are based on TPG's latest valuations .

Related: 9 things to consider when choosing to book via a portal vs. booking directly

Bottom line

Citi's new travel portal is powered by Booking.com and is launching Sunday. It includes several valuable benefits and additions, plus bonus points-earning opportunities. The launch also includes two new hotel programs: Hotel Collection and Luxury Collection. We're excited to do a deeper dive after the portal goes live.

Hopefully, Citi Travel with Booking.com will work as expected. And this concern has been the main reason for delays, according to a Citi spokesperson: "We are committed to everything being seamless at launch, so we have pushed back the launch date to make sure it's working correctly on day one."

For those who've been waiting, set your alarm. You'll be able to start using Citi Travel with Booking.com Sunday afternoon.

Related: Ultimate guide to the Citi travel portal