Fall foliage season is just around the corner in Japan, and if you’ve been dreaming of a trip to Tokyo or Kyoto, Citi just gave you another way to get there, with a little bonus to sweeten the deal.

Citi just added Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as its newest airline transfer partner! And to celebrate the new partnership, Citi is offering a limited-time 30% transfer bonus.

Here’s what you need to know about the new partnership and how the transfer bonus works.

 

Citi Adds Japan Airlines as a New Transfer Partner

Eligible Citi ThankYou® Rewards cardholders can now transfer their points directly to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, the airline’s loyalty program.

The standard transfer ratio depends on which Citi card you have. If you hold an eligible annual-fee card, such as the Citi Strata Premier® Card or Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, you’ll get one JAL mile for every ThankYou® Point transferred.

Cardholders with no-annual-fee cards can also transfer points, but at a lower rate of 1,000 ThankYou® Points to 700 JAL miles.

 

Get a Limited-Time 30% Transfer Bonus

To celebrate the new partnership, Citi is offering a 30% transfer bonus through October 24, 2026.

During the promotion, eligible annual-fee cardholders can transfer 1,000 ThankYou® Points and receive 1,300 JAL miles. That means transferring 50,000 points would get you 65,000 miles.

The bonus is also available to eligible no-annual-fee cardholders, but just note that your transfer ratio is a reduced 1,000 ThankYou® Points to 910 JAL miles.

The 30% bonus is temporary, so once the promotion ends, the standard transfer ratios will return.

 

What Can You Do With Japan Airlines Miles?

One of the biggest reasons to get excited about this partnership is the opportunity to book Japan Airlines flights, including its premium cabins.

One-way award flights between the U.S. and Japan start at just 27,000 miles in economy, 40,000 miles in premium economy, and 55,000 miles in business class. Of course, the actual pricing and award availability will vary.

You can also redeem JAL miles for flights on its Oneworld alliance partners, including American Airlines, British Airways, and Qatar Airways.

One important thing to know: Japan Airlines requires new Mileage Bank accounts to be open for anywhere between 7 and 60 days before you can redeem miles for award flights. (Anecdotal evidence of the time period differs depending on what you’re reading.) If you’re thinking about taking advantage of the bonus, make sure to factor that into your plans.

 

Bottom Line

Citi ThankYou® Rewards points can now take you a little further, thanks to the addition of Japan Airlines Mileage Bank as a new transfer partner.

And don’t forget to take advantage of the limited-time 30% bonus.

As always, check award availability before transferring your points. Once you move them to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, you generally can’t transfer them back to Citi.