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New Citi Transfer Partner JAL Launches With a 30% Bonus
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The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.
Citi added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a transfer partner on September 20, 2026, and launched it with a 30% bonus. The new Citi Japan Airlines transfer partner brings ThankYou Points to 16 airline programs and 22 transfer partners overall. The bonus runs through October 24, 2026.
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New to ThankYou Points? Our guide covers every way to earn and redeem them, not just transfers. Read the Citi ThankYou Points guide
The Ratio, and Why Your Card Matters
Japan Airlines transfers at 1:1 from Citi cards that charge an annual fee. Cards without an annual fee transfer at 1:0.7, which is a meaningfully worse deal.
With the 30% bonus applied through October 24, 2026:
- Annual fee cards: 1,000 ThankYou Points become 1,300 JAL miles
- No annual fee cards: 1,000 ThankYou Points become 910 JAL miles
The cards that get the full ratio are the Citi Strata Premier® Card, the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, the Citi Prestige® Card and the AT&T Access More Card. Everything else sits in the reduced tier, including the Citi Double Cash® Card and the Citi Custom Cash® Card, which Citi closed to new applicants on May 28, 2026 but which existing cardholders can still use to transfer.
Kudos tracks the rewards each of your cards earns, so you can see which ones are actually feeding your ThankYou balance before a transfer window closes.
Transfer bonuses come and go quickly. Knowing the usual ranges tells you when an offer is actually good. See how transfer bonuses usually compare.
What JAL Miles Actually Buy
The headline redemption is JAL business class between North America and Japan at 55,000 miles each way. With the 30% bonus, that costs roughly 43,000 ThankYou Points from a full ratio card. That is a strong number for a long haul business class seat, and it is why this partnership is getting attention rather than a shrug.
Point cost formulated by Kudos, calculated by dividing 55,000 miles by the 1.3 bonus multiplier.
Not sure which of your cards earns what? A quick pairing check often reveals points you did not know you had. Review your card pairing strategy.
There Is a Second Citi Bonus Running, Too
Citi launched an Avianca LifeMiles bonus the same day, on the same calendar. It runs September 20 through October 24, 2026 at 25%, so 1,000 ThankYou Points become 1,250 LifeMiles.
The same card tier rule applies. The Citi Strata Premier® Card, Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, Citi Prestige® Card and AT&T Access More Card get the full ratio. If you are new to how any of this works, start with our guide to credit card transfer partners.
Should You Transfer Now or Wait?
Transfer when you have a specific award in mind and you have confirmed the seat is available. That rule does not change just because a bonus is running. A 30% launch bonus on a brand new partner is worth paying attention to, but points sitting in an airline program are locked to that airline. Points sitting in ThankYou can still go 21 other places.
The Bottom Line
The Citi Japan Airlines transfer partner is a real upgrade to the ThankYou program, and a 1:1 partner with a 30% launch bonus is worth acting on if a Japan trip is already on your calendar. Confirm award space first, then transfer. If you hold a no annual fee Citi card, run the math before you move anything, because 1:0.7 erases most of the bonus.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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