How to transfer
The deal
1:1
Citi TYP → LifeMiles
Instant
Cents per LifeMiles point
Economy
1.3¢
Business
1.7¢
First
1.9¢
Approx value per point on average bookings. Sweet-spot redemptions can hit 4¢+ per point.
Do this first
Confirm award space on LifeMiles BEFORE you transfer
Transfers are final and cannot be reversed. Open LifeMiles's site in another tab, sign in, and load the exact flight you want at the points price you expect. Come back only when you're ready to redeem.
Open LifeMiles award search →What you should know
You need a free LifeMiles account
Citi TYP asks for your LifeMiles member number during the transfer. Sign up takes a minute and costs nothing.
Create LifeMiles account →Minimum transfer: 1,000 Citi TYP points
You can't transfer less than 1,000, and transfers must be in increments of 1,000.
Instant — usually under a minute
This transfer pair is marked instant and typically posts within seconds to a few minutes. Even so, occasional system delays happen — wait until you see the points in your destination account before doing anything else. These are typical times, not guarantees — always confirm award space first because transfers can't be reversed.
Cancellation: cancellation has a fee
$50-$200 redeposit fee (by cabin/distance) plus $25 booking fee that is never refunded.
Fee: ~$50Window: Anytime pre-departureTaxes: Partial refund
Points expiration
Citi TYP: ThankYou Points never expire while your card account is open. If you close the card, points expire after 60 days unless transferred to another Citi card on the same account.
LifeMiles: Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of no activity. Easy to reset with a small partner earn or buying as little as 1,000 miles.
Heads up: your Citi TYP points don't expire, but LifeMiles points (after transfer) do.
LifeMiles: Avianca LifeMiles expire after 12 months of no activity. Easy to reset with a small partner earn or buying as little as 1,000 miles.
Heads up: your Citi TYP points don't expire, but LifeMiles points (after transfer) do.
Step by step
- 1Go to ThankYou.com and open the sign-on menuVisit thankyou.com. In the top-right corner, click the blue person icon to open the Sign On panel.
- 2Pick "Citi® Card / Banking" and sign onIn the dropdown, select Citi® Card / Banking (not "Other ThankYou Member"), then enter your Citi username and password.
- 3Open Travel → Points TransferOnce signed in, hover the Travel dropdown in the top toolbar and click Points Transfer.
- 4Find LifeMiles in the partner gridOn the Points Transfer page, scroll the airline and hotel tiles to LifeMiles — the ratio is 1:1 — and click it. Watch the banner at the top for live transfer bonuses.
- 5Enter the amount, your LifeMiles number, then submitDrag the slider or type the number of ThankYou points to transfer (1,000-point increments). Fill in your LifeMiles name and member number, then continue through Review → Confirmation. Transfers are final — confirm award space on LifeMiles.com before submitting.
What LifeMiles points are great for
Lufthansa Business to Europe
63–80k LifeMiles pts
BOS → FRA·Business
63k points, no fuel surcharges. The smartest J redemption.
TAP Business to Lisbon
63–80k LifeMiles pts
JFK → LIS·Business
Premium cabin to Europe for under 70k.
Sweet-spot pricing means LifeMiles charges far fewer points for these specific routes than the cash value of the ticket — typically 4¢+ per point versus the average of 1.45¢.
Watch out
- !Mixed-cabin priced at lower tier
- !Buy-miles promotions up to 145% bonus regularly
- !Cash + miles allowed on most awards
Other ways to get LifeMiles points
Official sources
Transfer ratios verified 2026-05-01. Programs change terms occasionally — confirm on the official site before transferring.