Citi is a TPG promoting companion.
“Do you know what’s happening with the Citi travel portal?” We’ve obtained quite a few emails with this query over the previous few months — ever since Citi cardholders misplaced the power to make bookings into 2023 by Citi’s journey portal.
TPG staffers and readers seen this downside in June 2022 and reached out to Citi to ask what was happening. Back in August, we received a primary take a look at what’s altering with the Citi ThankYou Travel Center (which is detailed later on this put up).
However, the brand new portal didn’t go stay as initially anticipated. And since we initially printed this text in August, now we have obtained numerous emails asking when bookings for 2023 shall be attainable or whether or not we had any updates. Here’s the newest from a Citi spokesperson on what’s occurring.
Delays to the brand new portal, however a repair is coming
At current, Citi cardholders can not make bookings into 2023. Since we’re approaching November and folks wish to make journey plans for subsequent 12 months, this has been an ongoing supply of frustration for our readers.
However, on Nov. 13, 2022, there shall be an answer, in line with a Citi spokesperson. On that date, Citi cardholders will be capable of guide journey by the primary half of 2023.
Obviously, this solely alleviates a part of the issue. The new journey portal nonetheless received’t be stay on this date, and bookings will solely be attainable by the primary half of subsequent 12 months. However, this may permit cardholders to make use of their factors to guide near-term journey and can eradicate among the bottlenecks at present occurring. It may even permit cardholders who’ve resort perks that require reserving by Citi’s journey portal to make use of these advantages.
So when will the brand new portal go stay? That received’t occur till early 2023, in line with Citi’s spokesperson. “We are committed to everything being seamless at launch, so we have pushed back the launch date to make sure it’s working correctly on day one.”
It’s additionally price noting that Citi journey representatives have obtained this similar data, in line with the spokesperson for Citi. For cellphone and chat inquiries asking about bookings into 2023, these brokers have been instructed to supply the Nov. 13, 2022 date for when bookings into the primary half of 2023 shall be attainable.
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A brand new Citi journey portal is coming
The most evident change is that Citi’s current journey portal — the Citi ThankYou Travel Center — goes away. It shall be changed with a brand new journey portal.
The new Citi Travel portal is powered by Booking.com and can present entry to greater than 1.4 million accommodations worldwide, because of the Booking.com platform.
Citi guarantees that the brand new platform shall be simpler to make use of and accessible by Citi’s web site and cellular app. Cardmembers will be capable of customise their funds, selecting which bank card(s) or factors to pay with, or a mix of the 2.
Another new facet is 24/7 buyer assist. Cardmembers will be capable of obtain assist with their bookings across the clock.
You’ll earn factors on all paid bookings by Citi Travel. You may also redeem your ThankYou Rewards factors at a fee of 1 cent per level towards journey booked within the portal. This means a $150 flight would price 15,000 Citi ThankYou factors.
Related: How to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards for max worth
Bonus factors promotion
For a restricted time, Citi bank card holders can earn as much as 10 factors per greenback on Citi Travel bookings. This promotion begins when the brand new portal is stay and runs by Dec. 31, 2023, and your bonus factors multiplier will rely on which bank card you utilize in your reserving:
- 10 factors per greenback on Citi Travel bookings for accommodations, rental automobiles and eligible points of interest:
- Citi Prestige® Card (now not open to new candidates).
- Citi Premier® Card.
- 5 factors per greenback on these bookings:
- Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card (now not open to new candidates).
- Citi Rewards+® Card.
The data for the Citi Prestige and ThankYou Preferred playing cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Related: The final information to Citi ThankYou Rewards
These elevated incomes charges apply to accommodations, rental automobiles and eligible points of interest provided within the Citi Travel portal. Unfortunately, flights aren’t included within the bonus-earning charges. Once these limited-time incomes charges finish, Citi will unveil the usual incomes charges for journey booked within the portal.
For comparability, a number of banks have elevated incomes charges on journey booked by their respective portals. Here are the factors you’ll be able to earn on these bookings when utilizing a journey rewards bank card:
| Card | Earning charges for portal bookings | Earning charges on different journey bookings | Value of every level* |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Platinum Card® from American Express |
|
|
2 cents every. |
| American Express® Gold Card |
|
|
2 cents every. |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
|
1.85 cents every. | |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card |
|
1.85 cents every. | |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
|
2 cents every. | |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve |
|
2 cents every. |
*Values are based mostly on TPG’s newest valuations.
It’s fascinating to notice that Citi Travel’s elevated incomes charges embody points of interest, which now we have not seen with different financial institution journey portals. With the delay in launching the brand new Citi journey portal, now we have requested Citi whether or not the tip date for bonus earnings shall be prolonged. We will replace this part each time Citi offers a solution.
Related: 9 issues to think about when selecting to guide through a portal vs. reserving instantly
No modifications to Prestige and Premier card portal advantages
The Citi Prestige (now not open to new candidates) and Citi Premier playing cards each supply priceless credit when reserving with Citi Travel. These advantages aren’t altering.
Citi Premier cardholders obtain a once-per-year $100 credit score for resort bookings of $500 or extra, excluding taxes and charges, when booked at thankyou.com. This profit will proceed.
Also, be aware that this card at present presents 80,000 bonus factors when new cardholders spend $4,000 within the first three months of account opening. This shall be price $800 in journey when the brand new portal launches, however you may also maximize by transferring factors to one in all Citi’s switch companions.
Those who’ve the Citi Prestige can proceed to take pleasure in their “fourth night free” perk. This profit is on the market twice per 12 months and presents a fourth evening free on resort bookings made at thankyou.com.
Related: 4 causes the Citi Premier Card must be in your shortlist
Bottom line
After we seen that you simply couldn’t make bookings with thankyou.com (Citi’s journey portal web site) into 2023, it turned clear that one thing was altering. Luckily, we now know what it’s: Citi is launching a brand new journey portal, often known as Citi Travel with Booking.com.
Through Dec. 31, 2023, there are elevated incomes charges accessible on journey booked by Citi Travel. Once the brand new portal is stay, depend on TPG to take it for a take a look at drive to see how properly it really works and what options can be found.
For those that have been inquiring concerning the delays, at the very least we all know that there’s a brief answer coming quickly.