Citi is the first US credit card program that transfers to Copa Airlines, a Star Alliance member based in Panama City.
Copa is not the first program most people think of for points redemptions sweet spots. But ConnectMiles has one of the better Emirates business class deals around with no carrier-imposed fuel surcharges.
Transfer ratios
Your ratio depends on which Citi card holds your points:
- 1:1 for the Citi Strata Elite, Citi Strata Premier, Citi Prestige, AT&T Access More
- 1:0.7 for no fee credit cards like the Citi Strata, Citi Double Cash, Citi Custom Cash, Citi ThankYou Preferred, and some older AT&T cards
You need to transfer a minimum of 1,000 points.
Citi says transfers usually post within 24 hours, but they can take up to 5 business days. Transfers cannot be reversed, so confirm your award seat on the airline website before you transferring your points.
For the full partner list, check out the Citi transfer partners overview.
Why Copa is worth a look
While most airlines have dropped their award charts, Copa ConnectMiles still uses a fixed award chart.
Even better, ConnectMiles usually skips carrier-imposed surcharges on partner awards. You still need to pay taxes, but without the fuel surcharges, the total fees are much lower.
Also, ConnectMiles round-trip awards allow 1 free stopover and 2 open jaws, which is generous by today’s standards.
Here are some sample one-way prices:
Route | Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|
Within US or Canada | 12,500 | 25,000 |
US to Central America or Caribbean | 15,000 | 30,000 |
US to northern South America | 15,000 | 35,000 |
US to Panama on Copa | 17,500 | 30,000 |
US to Europe | 30,000 | 70,000 |
US to Dubai on Emirates | Check pricing | 80,000 |
The Emirates sweet spot
Probably the best use case for ConnectMiles is to fly Emirates business class from the US to Dubai for 80,000 miles one-way, with no carrier-imposed fuel surcharges.
While Citi already transfers to Emirates Skywards. But Skywards awards on Emirates flights usually come with big carrier surcharges. Booking through Copa can save you hundreds of dollars in cash on the same seat.
The same 80,000 miles can also get you to the Maldives on partners like Emirates, Austrian, or Air India.
For what it’s worth, there is a catch. Copa’s online booking engine has a reputation for being glitchy. If a partner seat does not show up, you may need to call ConnectMiles to book it.
Emirates business class cabin. Photo courtesy of Emirates.
A few more perks
Copa’s stopover program lets you spend up to 15 days in Panama at no extra airfare.
Cirium ranked Copa the most punctual airline in Latin America in 2025, with 90.75% of its flights on time.
Starlink Wi-Fi is also rolling out across the fleet.
Business Class Dreams. Photo courtesy of Copa Airlines.
Finding award space
Finding saver space on Star Alliance partners can be hit or miss. That’s where Roame’s SkyView comes in handy. You can scan a full month of award space at once and find the dates that actually work.
Once you spot a seat on one of Copa's Star Alliance partners, confirm that ConnectMiles shows the same space on their website before you transfer points over.
Final Thoughts
Copa is a solid new option for Citi points. The 1:1 ratio on premium cards, the fixed chart, and the surcharge-free partner awards really sets it apart.
