Citi is one TPG advertising partner.
“Do you know what is happening with the Citi travel portal?” We’ve received numerous emails with this question over the past few months – ever since Citi cardholders lost the ability to book in 2023 through Citi’s travel portal.
TPG employees and readers noticed this issue in June 2022 and reached out to Citi to ask what was going on. Back in August, we got our first look at what’s changed with the Citi Thank You Travel Center (detailed later in this post).
However, the new portal does not work as originally expected. And since we first published this article in August, we’ve received countless emails asking when reservations are available for 2023 or if we have any updates. Here’s the latest from a Citi spokesperson on what’s happening.
Delay for new portal, but fix coming soon
Currently, Citi cardholders cannot book before 2023. As we are approaching November and people want to plan their travel for next year, this has left our readers continuously disappointed.
However, on November 13, 2022, there will be a resolution, according to a Citi spokesperson. On that date, Citi cardholders will be able to book travel tickets through the first half of 2023.
Obviously, this only alleviates part of the problem. The new tourist portal will still be closed on this date, and reservations will only be available in the first half of next year. However, this will allow cardholders to use their points to book travel in the near future and will remove some of the bottlenecks that are happening now. It will also allow cardholders with hotel privileges to request reservations through Citi’s travel portal to utilize these benefits.
So when will the new portal go live? According to a Citi spokesperson, that won’t happen until early 2023. “We’re committed to a smooth launch, so we’ve pushed back the launch date to make sure it works correctly. in the first day.”
It’s also important to note that a Citi Travel representative has also received similar information, according to a Citi spokesperson. For phone and chat inquiries asking about bookings in 2023, these agents were instructed to provide November 13, 2022 so that bookings can be made in the first half of 2023.
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New Citi travel portal coming soon
The most obvious change is that Citi’s current travel portal – the Citi ThankYou Travel Center – will disappear. It will be replaced by a new tourist portal.
The new Citi Travel portal is powered by Booking.com and will provide access to more than 1.4 million hotels worldwide, thanks to the Booking.com platform.
Citi promises that the new platform will be easier to use and accessible through Citi’s website and mobile app. Cardholders will be able to customize their payments, choose a credit card(s) or points to pay, or a combination of the two.
Another new aspect is 24/7 customer support. Card members will be able to get help with their booking around the clock.
You will earn points for all bookings paid through Citi Travel. You can also redeem your ThankYou Rewards points at the rate of 1 cent per point for travel booked in the portal. This means a $150 flight will cost 15,000 Citi ThankYou points.
Related: How to redeem Citi Thank You Bonus for maximum value
Bonus points promotion
For a limited time, Citi credit card holders can earn up to 10 points per dollar on Citi Travel bookings. This promotion starts when the new portal goes live and lasts until December 31, 2023 and your bonus points multiplier will depend on the credit card you used to make your reservation:
- 10 points per dollar on Citi Travel qualifying hotel, rental car, and attractions bookings:
- Citi Prestige® Card (no longer open to new subscribers).
- Citi Premier® Card.
- 5 points per dollar on these bookings:
- Citi ThankYou® Priority Card (no longer open to new subscribers).
- Citi Rewards Card + ®.
Citi Prestige and ThankYou Preferred card information has been independently collected 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 Thank You Rewards
This increased income applies to qualifying hotels, rental cars, and attractions offered in the Citi Travel portal. Unfortunately, flights are not included in the bonus earning rate. Once these limited-time earning rates are over, Citi will publish the standard earning rates for travel booked in the portal.
By comparison, some banks have increased the percentage of earnings on trips booked through their respective portals. Here are the points you can earn using a travel rewards credit card:
| Card | Rate earned on booking through the portal | Rates earned on booking other travel | Value of each point * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum Card® from American Express |
|
|
2 cents each. |
| American Express® Gold Card |
|
|
2 cents each. |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
|
1.85 cents each. | |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|
1.85 cents each. | |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
|
2 cents each. | |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|
2 cents each. |
* Value based on TPG . latest valuation.
It is interesting to note that Citi Travel’s high earnings rate includes attractions that we have not seen in other bank travel portals. Given the delay in the launch of the new Citi travel portal, we asked Citi if the bonus closing date could be extended. We will update this section whenever Citi provides an answer.
Related: 9 things to consider when choosing to book through the portal versus direct booking
No changes to Prestige and Premier card portal benefits
The Citi Prestige (no longer open to new subscribers) and Citi Premier both cards offer valuable credits when booking with Citi Travel. These benefits do not change.
Citi Premier cardholders receive once per year $100 credit for hotel booking $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, when booking at thankyou.com. This benefit will continue.
Also, note that this card currently offers 80,000 bonus points when new cardholders spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. This will be worth $800 when the new portal launches, but you can also maximize it by transferring points into one of the Citi’s Remittance Partner.
Citi Prestige holders can continue to enjoy”free Wednesday night” extra remuneration. This benefit is applied twice per year and offers a free Wednesday night when booking a hotel at thankyou.com.
Related: 4 reasons the Citi Premier Card should be on your list of choices
Key point
After we noticed that you couldn’t book with thankyou.com (Citi’s travel portal site) in 2023, it was clear that something was changing. Luckily, we now know what it is: Citi is launching a new travel portal, called Citi Travel, with Booking.com.
Until December 31, 2023, increased earnings rates are available for travel booked through Citi Travel. Once the new portal is live, trust TPG to put it to the test to see how well it performs and what features are available.
For those who have inquired about the delay, at least we know that there is a temporary solution coming soon.
