Two bonuses, one deadline
Citi ThankYou Rewards has run two transfer bonuses side by side since September 20, and both close on October 24, 2026. Points sent to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank earn 30% extra, and points sent to Avianca LifeMiles earn 25% extra. Frequent Miler quotes the Avianca terms as valid until 11:59 p.m. Eastern on October 24; the JAL window is the same day, with no time published.
The JAL bonus is a launch offer. Japan Airlines joined Citi's partner list on September 20, which made Citi the first US bank besides Bilt to move points to JAL at 1:1, as The Points Guy reported. With the bonus, 1,000 ThankYou points become 1,300 JAL miles.
Which card you hold matters
Citi's full 1:1 ratio applies only to its annual-fee cards: the Strata Premier, the Strata Elite, and the legacy Prestige and AT&T Access More. Points held on no-fee cards such as the Strata or Double Cash transfer at 1:0.7. On those cards the bonus still applies, but 1,000 points become 910 JAL miles or 875 LifeMiles rather than 1,300 or 1,250. If you hold both kinds of card, combine points into the premium account first; Citi lets you pool ThankYou points across your own cards.
Our ThankYou Rewards calculator values a point at about 1.75 cents, so you want an award that beats that after the bonus. JAL's chart makes it easy to do. The Points Guy's example is a US-to-Japan business class seat at 55,000 JAL miles, which costs about 43,000 Citi points with the bonus. On LifeMiles, the standard 25% bonus has appeared at least twice a year since 2018, so there is less urgency; this is the second one in 2026.
The JAL fine print
Two JAL rules catch first-time users. A new Mileage Bank account generally cannot redeem for about 60 days after opening, so if you do not already have an account, the bonus is for banking miles, not booking this week. And JAL miles expire 36 months after they post, with no extension by activity. Awards can be booked only for the member and relatives by blood or marriage, and a ticketed award cannot be changed, only canceled for 3,100 yen.
LifeMiles has the opposite expiry problem: miles lapse after 12 months without activity, and transferred miles do not count toward LifeMiles elite status. Both programs are best used for a redemption you have already found. Transfers from Citi are final.
Qatar stacks a bonus on top
There is a third bonus that touches Citi this month, and it comes from the airline side. Qatar Airways' Global Points Exchange promotion lists Citibank USA among its partners, so a Citi transfer to Privilege Club between October 1 and October 31 earns bonus Avios: 15% on transfers under 50,000, 25% from 50,000 to 99,999, and 35% at 100,000 or more. The bonus is calculated per transaction, not on the month's total, and posts by November 30. Avios can then move to British Airways, Iberia, Finnair or Aer Lingus at 1:1.
What to do before Saturday
Find the seat first. Search JAL award space for the dates you need, confirm your Mileage Bank account is past the 60-day block, then transfer in 1,000-point increments. For LifeMiles, price the award on Avianca's site and compare it with the cash fare and with what the same points would buy through Citi's travel portal. If neither program has a flight you want now, let the deadline pass. A 30% bonus on miles that expire unused is worth nothing.