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If you are a frequent American Airlines flyer, you have plenty of credit card options to help you earn additional miles and make the most out of every American Airlines flight. While Barclays and Citi both have a cobranded card partnership with American Airlines, Citi is the issuer with the largest number of American Airlines card options.
Notably, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® carries significant benefits and is currently offering a welcome bonus of 80,000 miles after you spend $5,500 within the first three months of account opening. But this offer is ending soon, so act quickly if you want to take advantage of it.
Here’s a rundown of the top Citi/AAdvantage credit cards and their current offers.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
ERIC HELGAS/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: For a limited time, earn 80,000 miles after spending $5,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $450.
Best for: Those who desire Admirals Club access.
The top-tier Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is currently offering 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,500 in the first three months plus 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. After that, you’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. The Executive card has a higher annual fee than some other options but comes with a notable benefit for frequent flyers — Admirals Club access for you and any authorized users, plus access for up to two guests traveling with you.
This benefit is less useful to American Airlines customers who already have top-tier elite status or those who frequently fly first or business class on international or transcontinental flights, as those both grant you same-day entry to the Admirals Club. This card is most beneficial to those who want help hitting elite status while enjoying the benefits of Admirals Club access when flying American.
APPLY HERE: Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Welcome bonus: Earn 65,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first four months of account opening.
Annual fee: $99, waived for the first 12 months.
Best for: Business travelers.
Right now, the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard is offering 65,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in the first four months of account opening. This bonus is worth $1,150.50, according to TPG valuations. And for most small businesses, $4,000 is an attainable spending threshold to hit over the course of four months.
You’ll earn an industry-standard 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, plus 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible business expenses including telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and gas stations. The card comes with perks such as a free checked bag when flying American, priority boarding, and inflight discounts on Wi-Fi, food and beverages.
If you put $30,000 in spending on the card in a cardmember year, you’ll also be rewarded with a companion certificate — allowing you to take a companion on a flight for $99 plus taxes/fees. The certificate is granted upon account renewal and the account must remain open at least 45 days after anniversary date.
The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
For more details, check out our full card review.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
JOHN GRIBBEN/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: Earn 50,000 miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $99, waived for the first 12 months.
Best for: Casual American Airlines flyers.
The personal Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles after you spend $2,500 in the first three months of account opening — worth $885 according to TPG valuations. This card only charges a $99 annual fee (with the first year’s fee waived) and comes with no foreign transaction fees.
The card offers 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas stations. As a cardholder, you’ll also earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases. A great feature of the personal card is the ability to earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card. In addition to the 2 miles per dollar categories and the $125 flight discount, you’ll get benefits like preferred boarding, a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions as well as discounts on inflight purchases, such as snacks and beverages.
If you’re flying American Airlines often enough to want an upgraded flight experience but are uninterested in Admirals Club access or fast-tracking to elite status, this is a solid card option. It’s affordable to keep in your wallet, and the current bonus offers a large bang for your buck. In fact, this card is the one card at least one TPG staffer can’t live without.
APPLY HERE: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card
ERIC HELGAS/THE POINTS GUY
Welcome bonus: Earn 10,000 miles and a $50 statement credit after making $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Annual fee: $0.
Best for: Beginners looking to earn American Airlines miles.
The AAdvantage MileUp Card is Citi’s entry-level American Airlines cobranded card, offering a modest sign-up bonus worth a total of $227 ($177 in miles according to TPG valuations, plus the $50 statement credit). You’ll also get 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and at grocery stores. The grocery store bonus category does include grocery delivery services, but you won’t get the best return by using the MileUp card for your weekly grocery runs. As a no-annual-fee card, it offers little in the way of perks, but you will get 25% savings on inflight drinks and snacks.
If you’re a beginner looking for an inexpensive way to earn American miles, this could potentially be a good entry point into the Citi/AAdvantage credit card lineup. However, anyone taking more than a couple of American Airlines flights per year will likely be better off with the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select.
APPLY HERE: American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card
Bottom line
If you are looking to give your AAdvantage balance a boost to save up for future travel — or if the sweet spots in the AAdvantage program align with your travel goals — this could be the time to pick up one of these cobranded American Airlines cards.
However, keep in mind that Citi has stripped travel protections from most of its cards, which is something to consider before booking trips on your cobranded Citi card. It can still make sense to have an American Airlines co-branded credit card in your for the American Airlines-specific perks and mileage earning potential, but do the math on which card in your collection is best for booking airfare.
Also, make sure to note the restrictions on the sign-up bonus. With these Citi American Airlines cards, you won’t be able to earn the sign-up bonus on any version of the card if you have received a new account bonus for that same exact card in the past 48 months.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson.