I receive compensation for content and many links on this blog. Citibank is an advertising partner of this site, as is American Express, Chase, Barclays and Capital One. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners. I do not write about all credit cards that are available -- instead focusing on miles, points, and cash back (and currencies that can be converted into the same). Terms apply to the offers and benefits listed on this page.
Citi Strata EliteSM Card (See rates and fees.)
Citi has introduced its competitor to Sapphire Reserve, Venture X and Amex Platinum in the premium card space, the Citi Strata EliteSM Card. It has an initial bonus offer to earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. Current Strata Premier and Prestige customers are not excluded. There have been reports of even bigger in-branch offers.
Along with this new card, Citi has also brought American AAdvantage onboard as a transfer partner, which is huge. AAdvantage cards earn 1 point per dollar on most spend. Even unbonused spend with this card earns 1.5x. So you’re earning more American miles for your spend than with an American card, plus you have flexibility to move points elsewhere (or redeem directly for travel, etc.).
Points can be transferred to:
- oneworld: American Airlines AAdvantage, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Airways Privilege Club
- Star Alliance: Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
- SkyTeam: Aeromexico Club Premier, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Non-alliance: Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, JetBlue TrueBlue
- Hotels: Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club, Accor ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Choice Hotels Choice Privileges, Preferred Hotels I Prefer, Wyndham Hotels Wyndham Rewards
American Airlines Boeing 787-9P Flagship Preferred Suite
Citi Strata EliteSM Card seems like an easy win for the up front bonus offer, even with the annual fee, especially given the card benefits you’ll reap.
In fact, many of the card’s annual benefits are on a calendar year basis so you have the opportunity to take advantage of them twice in your first cardmember year: the $300 hotel benefit for 2+ night stays booked through Citi Travel; the $200 Splurge credit (take it for American Airlines travel!), and $100 in Blacklane credits twice each year. That’s $1,200 in credits you can reap in year 1 if you’re approved now.
The list of Splurge Credit merchants is 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply) and you have to activate up to 2 merchants at a time prior to purchase, though you can change your selection as you wish. The Blacklane credit is actually $100 January – June and $100 July – December.
The card comes with Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage; Trip Delay coverage; Lost or Damaged Luggage; MasterRental Coverage (Car Rental).
It offers a Priority Pass Select Membership (as with other major issuers for most cards, this does not cover airport restaurants). It includes 2 guests. Authorized cardmembers receive Priority Pass as well. And there’s also four American Airlines Admirals Club passes each year.
Washington National Airport E Concourse Admirals Club
Philadelphia A West Admirals Club
It’s not a club membership like with the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, but for many four visits is enough. These are valid for 24 hours and can be used across multiple visits in different airports during that same trip. A pass includes entry for up to 3 children under age 18 traveling with the adult primary cardmember, and additional passes can be redeemed for other accompanying adults.
The card has a $595 annual fee, though Citigold customers get $145 of that rebated (Citigold Private Client customers receive the full $595 back the first year, then $145 in subsequent years).
The Citi Strata EliteSM Card seems like an obvious first year play, and then if you’re going to maximize the travel credits you’ve got a strong value card that transfers to American AAdvantage – just consider putting your unbonused spend on a no annual fee Citi Double Cash card instead to earn 2x points and then paired with a premium card those points now transfer to American AAdvantage.
American Airlines Boeing 787-9
It seems to me that on an ongoing basis, though, the $95 annual fee Citi Strata Premier® Card (See rates and fees) is a stronger points-earning card for your spending (3x on air, hotel, restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging).
I’m interested, and glad to see the AA transfers are back; not happy about the lack of the ‘fourth night free’ benefit that was a primary benefit of the old Prestige card; however, I’ll use the silly credits, and may even be a keeper card. Or, get that SUB, attempt a double/triple dip on the calendar year credits, then close.
@L737 — He finally got to it!
Gary, your math is off. $1200 presumes you’ll get both halves of the Blacklane credit this year, but the first half of 2025 is in the past.
@1990 — Wawaweewa!
I am strongly considering this as well. Grab the SUB, maximize benefits in the first calendar year(s) and then debate whether to keep long term.
No coupon book cards for me.
I currently have the Barclays Silver AA MC. Loyalty points are more important to me than the actual miles so the Strata Elite card is probably not for me.
I will probably go for the Citi Elite AA card when it comes time to transfer. It will probably replace either my AA Platinum card or Chase Reserve card as I do not need 3 Premium cards. I fly out of PHL a lot and lounge access is important to me. The Centurian lounge at PHL leaves a lot to be desired to say the least but I do get Value out of some of the perks( Uber, Digital Subscription). The Chase Lounge is great but is it worth 795/year as I will probably not use much if any of the new Chase enhancements.
My Question for Gary:
Should I apply for the Citi Elite AA card now or wait until I see what they will be offering to Barclays customers? Thank you in advance.
Gary – Citi must be giving extra comp on the links from bloggers. To me this is a HARD NO. There is little, if anything, I don’t already have and sure I could get some value but already have more than enough options.
First of all I have the Citi Strata Premium for $95 so can transfer to AA, and get a $100 hotel credit through Citi travel. The need to book all travel through Citi to get the bonus is a non-starter. Also, I get 10x on things I book through them (independent hotel to get the $100 credit, tour bookings, etc) so 12X isn’t that exciting. Sure 1.5x on all spend is nice but not worth $595.
As for the credits, I have the Amex Platinum and Gold, CSR plus a variety of hotel and airline cards so get FHR/Edit credits, credit on hotels through Chase travel w United card, Resy credits from Amex (and likely more coming on next Platinum refresh), etc.
As for Pre Check/Global Entry, Priority Pass, etc I have more cards that offer that than I can ever use.
Only thing on the Citi Strata Elite that has any uniqueness is the 4 AA club passes but I I live in CLT and just go to the Centurion Lounge or even “The Club” (go ahead Gary clutch your pearls) so frankly haven’t missed Admirals Club since I retired 6 years ago and cancelled my Citi AA Executive card.
Maybe for people that don’t have other premium cards or want to focus on Thank You points this may make sense but I equate it to people that have the CSP not feeling a need to upgrade to the CSR or even Amex Gold not wanting to move to Platinum. I’ve got the higher end Chase and Amex cards so I’m just fine with my lowly Strata Premium Citi card
Why do your posts fail to show up in my rss reader? Is there a setting your can have your tech guy fix on your website to enable this? I enjoy reading your posts, but miss 90% of them since they don’t ever show up in my reader. Thanks.
The AA cards have two legs up for AA flyers:
– Spend counts towards status, whereas the transfers from the Strata card won’t count
– AA lounges often won’t take day passes due to “capacity” (whether actual or expected), so having a full membership with the AA Executive card gives you better access
@Steve — If you recall from Gary’s December 5, 2025, post, Barclays will soon no longer issue American Airlines credit cards; in a new deal, Citi will become the sole issuer of American Airlines credit cards in the U.S. starting in 2026.
So, if you’re really into Loyalty Points, I’d go with the Citi AA Exec (the one with lounge access), because it has the 50K and 90K bonus 10K LPs at each level. Best SUBs on that card are usually 100K. Good luck!
@1990-Thank you so much for your response.. One way or the other I will be transitioning from the Barclays AA Silver MC to the Citi Elite Aa card for the very reasons that you mentioned. My only question is if I do it now and take the existing bonus or wait to see what Citi will be offering with the transition.
Thanks again
Citi must be going crazy in with their commission payout in the affiliate link…. This card is TRASH
How much they paying you Gary for full disclosure
@Steve — Trying to help, and I do genuinely enjoy these things (cards, airlines, hotels, status, etc.) As for when to open, it’s up to you; currently, SUB seems to be 70K after $7K spend in 3mo. The 100K offers usually involve a $10K spend; that can be a lot in a short amount of time for some folks. Either way, hope it goes well for you!
@Gary – if possible , can you do a comparison between this new Citi Strata Elite and the no longer offered Citi Prestige ? I know the Citi Prestige benefits have been watered down over time so curious if this new offering is comparable or exceeds the Prestige . Can Prestige holders apply for Strata Elite ? Thanks
@Maxie Dean — Prestige was clearly better if you used the fourth night free benefit. Since Prestige is no longer open to new applications, I’m not sure the comparison is even necessary for most folks. These are different card products, so you can hold both Prestige and Strata Elite, if you still have the Prestige. I still think the best thing about all these recent changes is that Citi brought back AA as a transfer. Hopefully it doesn’t lead to a SkyPesos-style devaluation of that currency…
@ Gary — Seriously? It’s got a mediocre SUB, but otherwise this card sucks. It is FAR from a “goldmine.”
@Gene — Would you accept ‘silver-mine’?
@ 1990 — Platinum or Diamond only.
@Gene — And, in the case of Citi American Airlines cards… ‘Platinum Select,’ psh.
Sorry, can’t go through Gary’s (or any referral) link when there is already a 100k branch offer out there.
@jon — That ‘branch offer’ supposedly expires today, so good luck with that. Most folks don’t even have a Citibank branch in their area. (We’ve got plenty in NYC, so if you’re here, maybe go for it.)
@ jon — Only the best offers are posted here on BoardingArea…at Frequent Miler.
I understand why you’re pushing this card but it’s lipstick on a pig. Citi needed to knock one out of the ballpark on this one. You know, generate a ton of buzz with a card that offers real value. They failed spectacularly. Citi has no lounge network, the annual fee is high, the benefits are ludicrous (how many of us have used Blacklane before?), and the only non-portal bonus that’s worth anything is on specific hours for specific things on specific days of the week. That’s ridiculous. The card might be worth getting for one year but overall it’s a huge failure by Citi.
@1990 — Oof, does the branch offer expire today? I thought it was at the end of the month. Either way, still debating whether to apply maybe I’ll give my local branch a call before I swing by to see if it’s still a go.
@Gene — you’re thinking not even worth a 1 year go at it?
@Christian — I admit I had no idea what Blacklane was before this card came out, ha.
The Strata Premier would seem the better play with a lower AF and fewer coupon book credits.
But really, isn’t the best move to load up on Barclays AA cards which will go bye bye soon? Citi will be here for the rest of the year.
I wonder how this will all shake out with other issuers? All the new offers are sure to take Chase off the map due to its harsh 5/24 rule.
@Gary For Citi’s premier credit card, does it include:
1. Primary rental car insurance?
2. 6 hour trip delay coverage?
I am guessing both of these are no compared to the CSR. Even the 80k SUB is weaker than the CSR’s 100k.
Thanks for all of this analysis. Very helpful.
As you get to at the end of the post, I think after the first year the true gold mine is the Premier combined with Double Cash. But wait there’s more – the new Strata (regular flavor) has 3x other transit and 3x a self-selected bonus category!! Plus 3x supermarkets, gas, EV charging, even 2x restaurants, although you get that / do better with the Premier. Here’s the new trifecta which I think beats Chase hands down (1.5x freedom unlimited with CSP/CSR):
DoubleCash – $0 – 2x points on everything
Strata – $0 – 3x select transit, 3x selected bonus category (Fitness Clubs, Select Streaming Services, Live Entertainment, Cosmetic Stores/Barber Shops/Hair Salons, or Pet Supply Stores)
Strata Premier – $95 (but effectively $0 if you use the $100 hotel credit on $500 spend) – 3x direct air, direct hotel, restaurants, supermarkets, EV charging, gas; 10x portal (hotel/car rental/attractions)
Go for the quadfecta with the Custom Cash with 5x points on a selected category, but only on $500 a month – 5% eligible categories: Restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, select travel, select transit, select streaming services, drugstores, home improvement stores, fitness clubs, live entertainment.
This is incredibly compelling while the Elite is mostly smoke and mirrors to pretend that Citi has a competitive card with CSR and Amex Plat and VentureX (which it still does not, other than the SUB, and will not unless they start opening their own lounges which is meaningful value that those cards unlock – I’m sorry but 4 AA passes are a joke compared to the lounge benefits with Amex/Chase/CapOne).
I wish TY program had a couple more transfer partners, and still don’t love the AA devaluation that AA transfers open up. But unless you desperately need Admirals Club access and the 20k LP, bonus AA Exec card is a thing of the past. And can still use AA Hotels and get massive mileage bonuses there with a no-fee AA card and any AA status.
@Peter — It’s a decent strategy; if you travel abroad, just watch out on the FTFs with the DoubleCash, etc. I will say, I did enjoy your use of ‘quadfecta,’ maybe that’ll catch-on!
@1990 – domestic strategy only for sure. But can put foreign spend on the Premier.
It’s been a long time since I went to bet on a horse race and just looked up that 4 horses in a row is a superfecta! Kind of like quadfecta more though.