Why the Citi Premier is 1 of my favourite bank cards

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The Citi Premier® Card (see rates and fees) is kind of an underdog in the world of travel credit cards, especially in comparison to big names such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card® from American Express — both of which I hold and love. Although I have many travel credit cards, I can confidently say that the Citi Premier is one of the most valuable cards I have added to my collection.

Here is why the Citi Premier holds a special place in my wallet and is a key player in my points and miles strategy.

The Citi ThankYou Rewards program has a long and favorable list of transfer partners. My personal favorites include Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Avianca LifeMiles.

Miles&Smiles is one of the most lucrative loyalty programs out there. As an avid traveler, I use this program often because it offers the cheapest redemptions for seats in business class, which is my preferred cabin. Business-class flights from the U.S. to Europe clock in at just 45,000 miles, while those to the Middle East are just 47,000 miles. You can even add a stopover in Istanbul without an increase in miles. I visit Istanbul several times a year (for the food and cats, of course), and I love booking tickets where I can sneak in a quick stay in my favorite city before continuing onward to continental Europe or the Middle East.

If you’re interested in domestic travel, you can redeem your Turkish miles for United Airlines flights when there’s saver-level inventory available. This costs just 7,500 miles in economy (the X fare class) or 12,500 miles in business (I fare class) in each direction. This can allow you to book a transcontinental business-class flight in a lie-flat seat for just 12,500 miles each way. This same flight could set you back 60,000 United miles but can reach 100,000 or more thanks to the carrier’s dynamic pricing.

Another sweet spot for domestic travel is the ability to fly from any United gateway in the U.S. to Hawaii. Since Turkish uses the same domestic pricing for the Aloha State, it’ll set you back 7,500 miles in economy or 12,500 miles in business each way — an amazing value in the world of points and miles.

Another reason I love my Citi Premier Card is that I can transfer my ThankYou points to Avianca LifeMiles, which offers competitive pricing for economy- and business-class award tickets. It even features excellent first-class redemption options. For example, you can book Lufthansa first class for as low as 87,000 miles one-way with minimal taxes and fees, a price lower than some programs offer for business-class redemptions.

Read more: How to redeem Citi ThankYou points for maximum value

Of course, to book these tickets, you need to earn enough points — and this is another area where the Citi Premier Card shines. New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening, but beyond that initial bonus, it’s easy to accumulate ThankYou points through both everyday purchases and travel spending. You earn 3 points per dollar on the following purchases:

• Hotels
• Air travel
• Restaurants
• Supermarkets
• Gas stations

You’ll then earn 1 point per dollar on everything else.

Living in California, I always use my Citi Premier Card for gas, which makes the $6-per-gallon price sting slightly less as I build up my ThankYou points. I also use it as my everyday card for restaurants, takeout and groceries. When we aren’t traveling, I love to cook at home with my family, so I accumulate points easily through grocery bills at local supermarkets.

As a travel credit card, the Citi Premier has no foreign transaction fees, and the 3 points per dollar for restaurants is applicable worldwide, so I fully take advantage of this while traveling and eating out.

But the card works best alongside other products from Citi. Whenever possible, I try to incorporate the pooling of points to bolster my rewards balances, and as a holder of the Citi Premier, you can combine points in the ThankYou Rewards ecosystem. My future plans include opening the Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees) or the Citi® Double Cash Card (see rates and fees), both of which earn rewards that can be transferred to the Citi Premier Card and utilized for travel.

The annual fee for the Citi Premier Card is only $95, which is as low as it gets in the world of travel credit cards. This is comparable to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which also has a $95 annual fee, but the earning potential is not nearly as strong as what you get with the Citi Premier.

Even with such a small annual fee, I have called Citi customer service in the past to inquire about a possible retention offer to keep my card open. Last year, I got to pick between waiving the $95 annual fee and 10,000 Citi ThankYou points for spending $1,000 in three months. I chose the bonus points (worth $180 according to TPG’s valuations).

Out of all of my credit cards, the Citi Premier Card is often my everyday card and a card I typically recommend to friends and family. Earning 3 points per dollar for gas, groceries and restaurants allows you to rack up points even when you’re not on the road. Being able to transfer Citi ThankYou points to valuable partners like Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles and Avianca LifeMiles is also a key reason this card stands out, all while having a modest annual fee of $95.

Official application link: Citi Premier Card with 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in three months