Is Now The Time To Sign Up For Citi Prestige?

With the latest transfer partner additions to the Citi Thank You Points, I have been taking a serious look into Citi’s premium Thank You point earning cards that would allow me to transfer the points.

Some of the changes that have been published to the Citi Prestige are:

• Travel Credit
• Companion Pass
• Free fourth night
• Airport Angel
• Priority Pass

And other changes

While reading the changes, I was trying to wrap my head around the terms and conditions:

$200 Statement Credit for Airline Fees
Effective October 19, 2014, this benefit will no longer be offered Only the Primary Citi Prestige cardmember is permitted to enroll the Card Account. The credit resets each year on your Cardmember Anniversary Date. It can take up to 10 business days after Cardmember enrollment for the statement credit to be effective. Purchases made by the Primary cardmember and Authorized Users on the enrolled Card Account are eligible for statement credits. Airline Incidental Fees are defined as purchases charged on the enrolled Card Account under 9 qualified airline merchant codes. The credit will apply toward purchases of $100 or less, with an annual cap of $200 for all fees charged by October 18, 2014. Please allow 1-2 billing cycles after the qualifying incidental air travel fee is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the account. Qualified airlines include: AirTran Airways, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United/Continental Airlines and US Airways. We do not determine whether merchants appropriately identify all transactions you make on your Card Account, but we do reserve the right to determine which purchases are eligible for the statement credit. Cardmembers are responsible for payment of all charges on the Card Account regardless of eligibility for statement credit. To be eligible for this benefit, the enrolled Card Account must be open and current at the time of statement credit fulfillment.

$250 Air Travel Credit
Effective October 19, 2014, purchases made by the Primary cardmember and Authorized Users on the Card Account are eligible for this statement credit. Please allow 1-2 billing cycles after the qualifying incidental air travel fee is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the account. This statement credit is an annual benefit available for purchases appearing on your billing statements from December through the following December. Pending transactions that do not post in your December billing cycle will count towards the next year’s Air Travel Credit. Airline Fees are defined as purchases made with airlines including Air fares, baggage fees, lounge access and some in-flight purchases. Please allow 1-2 billing cycles after the qualifying air travel expense is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to the account.

We do not determine whether merchants appropriately identify all transactions you make on your Card Account, but we do reserve the right to determine which purchases are eligible for the statement credit. Cardmembers are responsible for payment of all charges on the Card Account regardless of eligibility for statement credit. To be eligible for this benefit, the enrolled Card Account must be open and current at the time of statement credit fulfillment.

Cardmembers can call the number on the back of their card if statement credits have not posted to their Card Account after 2 billing cycles. Cardmembers are responsible for payment of all charges on the Card Account regardless of eligibility for statement credit.

To be eligible for this benefit, the enrolled Card Account must be open and current at the time of statement credit fulfillment.

This is my understanding. If you sign up for the card before the changes and use the $200 Airline fee before October 19, 2014, it looks like you can use the $250 Air Travel Credit after October 19, 2014. Therefore, in the first year, it could make your first year profitable (if you include the $100 refund on the Global Entry).

What do you think? Is that the same understanding that you have? If you have the same understanding, and assuming this would work, we should be signing up for the Citi Prestige before the changes go into effect.