Apr 9, 2013, 10:59 am
Last edit by: stheller
This benefit ends in October 2014. See THIS thread.
Please verify that you are posting in the correct thread.
This thread discusses a Companion Ticket benefit provided to Citi Premier and Prestige cardholders.
There is also a 15% Discount benefit, which is discussed in a separate thread:
New Citi Premier & Prestige 15% Off Travel when booked through Spirit Incentives
Both benefits can be booked online: http://www.thankyoucompanion.com/
Can also be booked by phone: (866) 428-4078, M-F 9a-6p ET, Sat 10a-1p ET. There are some reports that Delta results will not populate online but can be booked by phone, assuming it is among the lowest published fares.
Please verify that you are posting in the correct thread.
This thread discusses a Companion Ticket benefit provided to Citi Premier and Prestige cardholders.
There is also a 15% Discount benefit, which is discussed in a separate thread:
New Citi Premier & Prestige 15% Off Travel when booked through Spirit Incentives
Both benefits can be booked online: http://www.thankyoucompanion.com/
Can also be booked by phone: (866) 428-4078, M-F 9a-6p ET, Sat 10a-1p ET. There are some reports that Delta results will not populate online but can be booked by phone, assuming it is among the lowest published fares.
Citi Prestige card companion ticket
Oct 19, 2011, 6:10 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Detroit Rock City
Posts: 43
In my experience, it's not really a 'free' companion ticket. I've used twice I think, ended up saving about $100 total each time. Won't always have the flights you want, but sometimes will. If you can get a ticket for $300, you can call and probably will have to pay $500 for that same ticket, but will also get the free companion ticket.
YMMV, but I think it's a perk that you'll probably be able to value around the cost of the annual fee (maybe less now that it has been raised to $125). I think now they are also offering unlimited tickets purchased through them at $50 off what you could get anywhere else.
Also, you won't accumulate any flight points for tickets purchased through their travel agency in my experience.
Hope this helps.
YMMV, but I think it's a perk that you'll probably be able to value around the cost of the annual fee (maybe less now that it has been raised to $125). I think now they are also offering unlimited tickets purchased through them at $50 off what you could get anywhere else.
Also, you won't accumulate any flight points for tickets purchased through their travel agency in my experience.
Hope this helps.
Oct 19, 2011, 6:38 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2
flyerjay,
Thanks so much for your kind reply.
I recently got the card approved.
I'm a bit puzzled. You said that you can get your ticket $50 less if you purchase via spirit incentives. if so, why would the ticket cost more if you are paying for a companion ticket? is it becaue for the sake of 'companion ticket', they have to raise the ticket price. thanks for clarification.
by the way, the bonus thank you points 50K you get from making certain amount of purchase within 3 months. does that also qualify you for 50K flight points to redeem? if not, you roughly get 2% travel reward.
the perks of this card in my personal opinion
1. bonus ponts
2. using ty points to buy travel tickets (additional 33%)
3. discount to purchase tickets via spirit incentives
thanks again
Thanks so much for your kind reply.
I recently got the card approved.
I'm a bit puzzled. You said that you can get your ticket $50 less if you purchase via spirit incentives. if so, why would the ticket cost more if you are paying for a companion ticket? is it becaue for the sake of 'companion ticket', they have to raise the ticket price. thanks for clarification.
by the way, the bonus thank you points 50K you get from making certain amount of purchase within 3 months. does that also qualify you for 50K flight points to redeem? if not, you roughly get 2% travel reward.
the perks of this card in my personal opinion
1. bonus ponts
2. using ty points to buy travel tickets (additional 33%)
3. discount to purchase tickets via spirit incentives
thanks again
Oct 20, 2011, 9:58 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Detroit Rock City
Posts: 43
The companion program you can use once per year (as I recall). You get 2 tickets for the price of 1 (but the one is more expensive than you could normally get) - as described.
The $50 off I mentioned is separate - it is unlimited and as long as you purchase the tickets through Spirit Incentives. May not be $50, but somewhere in that ballpark ($25-$50).
I don't know if you can earn flight points against the bonus points (search some other threads - I'm sure that has been answered somewhere). I signed up about 5 years ago, and at that time you could get flight points against the bonus points. For some reason I think I read that is no longer the case. I've never worried too much since I have more spend than flight points each year.
Huge bonus of the card in my eyes is that when you travel on 'reward' tickets, you acrue ff miles that also qualify for elite status because you are flying on a purchased ticket. With an airline cc, you don't get miles when you fly on an award ticket.
Good luck - enjoy the card!
The $50 off I mentioned is separate - it is unlimited and as long as you purchase the tickets through Spirit Incentives. May not be $50, but somewhere in that ballpark ($25-$50).
I don't know if you can earn flight points against the bonus points (search some other threads - I'm sure that has been answered somewhere). I signed up about 5 years ago, and at that time you could get flight points against the bonus points. For some reason I think I read that is no longer the case. I've never worried too much since I have more spend than flight points each year.
Huge bonus of the card in my eyes is that when you travel on 'reward' tickets, you acrue ff miles that also qualify for elite status because you are flying on a purchased ticket. With an airline cc, you don't get miles when you fly on an award ticket.
Good luck - enjoy the card!
Oct 25, 2011, 6:21 am
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: AAMM & PLT; UA Gold, DL Silver, Marriott LT Titanium Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz #1 Gold Club
Posts: 1,591
Is this correct? I know you do not get flight points for a reward ticket, however, I thought you get flight points for tickets purchased through SI (and a 15%reward discount).
Oct 25, 2011, 12:09 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 331
I was under that impression too.
TYN redeemed tickets will only acrue your airline's ff points but purchased tickets should always be able to acrue both TY flightpoints and the airline's points.
The main benefit for this card for me is the ability to acrue points for miles flown, not just the cost of the ticket. I don't know any other card that does that.
I am consider converting from another Citi card. I am interested to know of the TY Premier Card requires you to match flight points with purchase points before they will be deposited, as my other card does.
Oct 25, 2011, 12:24 pm
#9
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
ThankYou Flight Points are not transferred to your ThankYou Member Account unless we transfer, or have previously transferred, an equal or greater number of ThankYou Points earned from purchases. ThankYou Points, including ThankYou Flight Points are not eligible for redemption until they are transferred to your ThankYou Member Account
Oct 25, 2011, 2:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 22
I booked two JetBlue tickets this past labor day using the 15% reward discount. I entered our JetBlue TrueBlue program account numbers online before we took the flights, so they were in the "system" and I was able to choose seats. To date I have not received the TrueBlue points for the flights I took. This discussion reminded me, so I went back and requested the missing points. I'll let you know if I hear anything in the coming weeks.
Nov 1, 2011, 11:41 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
OK, so I just got my Citi ThankYou Premier Card (for the 50K sign-up bonus), and the pamphlet mentions the "complimentary domestic companion ticket" supposedly available by calling Spirit Incentives at 1-866-428-4078.
So I'm curious as to how this will go down. Most of my domestic ticket purchases are on mileagerun-type fares -- really cheap stuff, usually at around 4 cents per mile. Paying $250 for a transcon is a lot for me. So when I call Spirit, am I correct that I won't be able to book a free companion at this fare level? Are there fixed rules involved here: like do we know their booking bucket and can look for affordable fares in that bucket to maximize the value of this companion ticket?
Or is it not even worth the effort to figure this out?
So I'm curious as to how this will go down. Most of my domestic ticket purchases are on mileagerun-type fares -- really cheap stuff, usually at around 4 cents per mile. Paying $250 for a transcon is a lot for me.
So when I call Spirit, am I correct that I won't be able to book a free companion at this fare level? Are there fixed rules involved here: like do we know their booking bucket and can look for affordable fares in that bucket to maximize the value of this companion ticket?Or is it not even worth the effort to figure this out?
Nov 1, 2011, 11:32 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
OK, so I just got my Citi ThankYou Premier Card (for the 50K sign-up bonus), and the pamphlet mentions the "complimentary domestic companion ticket" supposedly available by calling Spirit Incentives at 1-866-428-4078.
So I'm curious as to how this will go down. Most of my domestic ticket purchases are on mileagerun-type fares -- really cheap stuff, usually at around 4 cents per mile. Paying $250 for a transcon is a lot for me. So when I call Spirit, am I correct that I won't be able to book a free companion at this fare level? Are there fixed rules involved here: like do we know their booking bucket and can look for affordable fares in that bucket to maximize the value of this companion ticket?
Or is it not even worth the effort to figure this out?
So I'm curious as to how this will go down. Most of my domestic ticket purchases are on mileagerun-type fares -- really cheap stuff, usually at around 4 cents per mile. Paying $250 for a transcon is a lot for me.
So when I call Spirit, am I correct that I won't be able to book a free companion at this fare level? Are there fixed rules involved here: like do we know their booking bucket and can look for affordable fares in that bucket to maximize the value of this companion ticket?Or is it not even worth the effort to figure this out?
I would venture to say, almost all free companion ticket schemes work this way - same mechanism with the AMEX program. Both this and AMEX programs are opaque.
Citi's AAdvantage card used to have this feature too - however AAdvantage card's program was clear-cut - that scheme requires the ticket booked into higher fare buckets (not just $ threshold), so basically you will NOT save the full amount on the companion ticket. Sometimes you dont save anything at all with the fare bucket requirements.
Nov 2, 2011, 5:49 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Basically for the same $250 ticket you can buy direct, you would pay probably $350 to $400 for the SAME flights then you get your companion ticket. With your cheapo fares you may save even less than $100 on the companion ticket.
I would venture to say, almost all free companion ticket schemes work this way - same mechanism with the AMEX program. Both this and AMEX programs are opaque.
Citi's AAdvantage card used to have this feature too - however AAdvantage card's program was clear-cut - that scheme requires the ticket booked into higher fare buckets (not just $ threshold), so basically you will NOT save the full amount on the companion ticket. Sometimes you dont save anything at all with the fare bucket requirements.
I would venture to say, almost all free companion ticket schemes work this way - same mechanism with the AMEX program. Both this and AMEX programs are opaque.
Citi's AAdvantage card used to have this feature too - however AAdvantage card's program was clear-cut - that scheme requires the ticket booked into higher fare buckets (not just $ threshold), so basically you will NOT save the full amount on the companion ticket. Sometimes you dont save anything at all with the fare bucket requirements.
Nov 6, 2011, 4:29 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 22
I booked two JetBlue tickets this past labor day using the 15% reward discount. I entered our JetBlue TrueBlue program account numbers online before we took the flights, so they were in the "system" and I was able to choose seats. To date I have not received the TrueBlue points for the flights I took. This discussion reminded me, so I went back and requested the missing points. I'll let you know if I hear anything in the coming weeks.
Nov 6, 2011, 8:28 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Scenic Great Plains USA
Programs: AGR Starwood Whoever I can get points with :D
Posts: 677
Basically for the same $250 ticket you can buy direct, you would pay probably $350 to $400 for the SAME flights then you get your companion ticket. With your cheapo fares you may save even less than $100 on the companion ticket.
I would venture to say, almost all free companion ticket schemes work this way - same mechanism with the AMEX program. Both this and AMEX programs are opaque.
Citi's AAdvantage card used to have this feature too - however AAdvantage card's program was clear-cut - that scheme requires the ticket booked into higher fare buckets (not just $ threshold), so basically you will NOT save the full amount on the companion ticket. Sometimes you dont save anything at all with the fare bucket requirements.
I would venture to say, almost all free companion ticket schemes work this way - same mechanism with the AMEX program. Both this and AMEX programs are opaque.
Citi's AAdvantage card used to have this feature too - however AAdvantage card's program was clear-cut - that scheme requires the ticket booked into higher fare buckets (not just $ threshold), so basically you will NOT save the full amount on the companion ticket. Sometimes you dont save anything at all with the fare bucket requirements.
What's the best scheme to minimize cash outlay? Pay cash for cardholder & "companion" ticketing scheme, for (hopefully) $400-$500, then use the TY points for the other two tickets?