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If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, you have plenty of credit card options to earn extra miles and get the most out of every American Airlines flight.
While both Barclays and Citi have cobranded card partnerships with American Airlines, Citi is the issuer with the largest number of American Airlines card options.
Here’s a list of the top Citi / AAdvantage credit cards and their current offers, with the first card’s bonus expiring soon.
Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
This Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is AA’s top tier personal card.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 100,000 miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This offer is ending soon.
Annual Fee: $595
Best for: Those who want Admiral’s Club access.
Citi last offered such a high sign-up bonus about a year ago when the card was refreshed. The ability to earn 100,000 bonus AAdvantage miles is worth taking advantage of. According to TPG’s July 2024 valuation, this bonus is worth an impressive $1,700.
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The AAdvantage Executive Card was overhauled in July 2023, with increased annual and authorized user fees and increased earning rates. The card earns 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. After you spend $150,000 on your card in a calendar year, you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases for the rest of the year. Plus, you’ll earn 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American Car rental And Hotel booking sitesrespectively.
At $595, the AAdvantage Executive card has a higher annual fee than other options but comes with significant perks for frequent flyers — Admirals Club access for you and any authorized users, and two guests traveling with you when you have the same day. boarding passes, loyalty point bonuses, travel protection and statement credits for car rentals, food delivery, ride-hailing services and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck for eligible flights up to
This card benefits those who frequent American and want elite benefits like valuable statement credits and Admirals Club access.
For more details, check out our full review of the AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard.
Apply here: Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard
Citi/Advantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard
This The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is Citi’s mid-tier AA option.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 in the first three months of account opening.
Annual Fee: $99, waived for the first 12 months
Best for: Casual American Airlines Flyers.
This welcome bonus is worth $850 as per TPG’s July 2024 valuation. This card charges a reasonable $99 annual fee (with a first-year fee waiver) and has no foreign transaction fees.
It offers 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines, restaurants and gas station purchases. As a cardholder, you will 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 2 miles per dollar category and a $125 flight discount, you’ll get benefits like preferred boarding, a free first checked bag for you and up to four companions, and discounts on inflight snacks and beverage purchases.
If you’re flying American Airlines often enough to get an upgraded flight experience but aren’t interested in Admirals Club access or fast-tracking to elite status, this is a solid card option. Affordable to keep in your wallet.
For more details, check out our full review of the AAdvantage Platinum Select card.
Information for the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
American Airlines AAdvantage Mileup
This The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card is Citi’s entry-level AA product.
Welcome Bonus: Earn 15,000 miles 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.
According to TPG’s July 2024 valuation, AAdvantage MileUp offers a modest sign-up bonus of $255.
You’ll also earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and grocery stores. The grocery store bonus category includes grocery delivery services, but you won’t get the best returns using this card for your weekly grocery runs. As a no-annual-fee card, it offers few perks, but you’ll get 25% savings on inflight drinks and snacks.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to earn American miles, this can be a good entry point into the Citi/AAdvantage credit card lineup. However, anyone who takes more than two American Airlines flights per year will be better off with an American Airlines card that features an annual fee because they offer higher earning rates and benefits.
For more details, check out our full review of Citi AAdvantage MileUp.
Information for the AAdvantage MileUp Card is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard
This Citi® / AAAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is Citi’s business card for AA loyalists.
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.
This bonus is worth $1,105, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuation. And for most small businesses, $4,000 is an attainable spending threshold to reach over four months.
With Citi AAdvantage Business, 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. This card includes benefits like a free checked bag when flying American.
If you put $30,000 in spending on the card in a card member year, you’ll also be awarded a companion certificate — allowing you to take a companion on a flight for $99 plus taxes/fees. A certificate is issued upon account renewal, and the account must remain open at least 45 days after the anniversary date.
For more details, check out our full review of the Citi AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard.
Apply here: Citi / AAAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard
Bottom line
If you’re looking to increase your AAAdvantage balance to save for future travel — or The sweet spots in the AAdvantage program align with your travel goals — it might be time to pick one of these cobranded American Airlines cards.
Remember that Citi doesn’t offer travel protection on many of its cards (but they’ve been reintroduced on the Executive card), which you should consider before booking trips on your cobranded Citi card.
It may still make sense to have an American Airlines cobranded credit card in your wallet for American Airlines-specific benefits and the potential to earn miles, but do the math on which card is best in your collection for booking airfare.
Also, be sure to note the restrictions on sign-up bonuses. With these Citi American Airlines cards, you can’t earn a sign-up bonus on any version of the card if you earned a new account bonus for the same card within the last 48 months.