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Earn 70K AAdvantage miles with the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months. Personally I value AAdvantage miles at 1.5 cents each, so to me that bonus is worth $1,050. There are some incredible uses of American AAdvantage miles, so you can redeem this for experiences like Etihad’s A350 business class or Qatar Airways’ 777 business class.
Also keep in mind that any spending on the card will qualify for Loyalty Points (helping you earn elite status, including Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum), though the welcome bonus as such won’t. Upon completing minimum spending, you’d earn a minimum of 7,000 Loyalty Points.
Citi AAdvantage Executive Card eligibility requirements
If you’re interested in applying for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, the typical Citi credit card application restrictions apply, including that you can be approved for at most one Citi card every eight days, and at most two Citi cards every 65 days.
On top of that, the bonus isn’t available to those who have received a new account bonus on this exact card in the past 48 months. Eligibility is unrelated to having any other American Airlines credit cards, though, whether personal or business, and whether issued by Citi or Barclays.
Why the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is worth it
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card has a $595 annual fee, though it offers a bunch of perks that can help offset that. For one, this is the best card for accessing American Admirals Clubs:
- The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers an Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember
- The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers Admirals Club access for authorized users; you can add up to three authorized users for a total of $175 (so potentially under $60 each), and then beyond that it’s $175 per authorized user
What’s the difference between the Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember and Admirals Club access for authorized users? Well, the member can access some partner lounges, like Alaska Lounges, while the authorized users can’t. Regardless, the primary cardmember and authorized users are each able to bring two guests or their immediate family into Admirals Clubs when flying American or an eligible partner airline on the same day.
On top of that, the card offers a variety of other perks, including:
- A first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for the primary cardmember and up to eight companions on the same reservation
- Priority check-in, priority security, and early boarding, when flying American Airlines
- Up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year, unrelated to spending on the card — if you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points with AAdvantage you’ll receive 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points, and if you earn 90,000 Loyalty Points you’ll receive another 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points
- Up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget rentals every calendar year, which can even be used toward a single rental
- Up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases every year, in the form of up to a $10 statement credit with each billing statement
- Up to $120 in Lyft credits every year, in the form of up to a $10 credit each month after making three eligible rides
- A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit of up to $100 every four years, as reimbursement for the application fee
- Travel protection, including for trip cancellation and interruption, trip delay, lost baggage, and worldwide rental cars
- 10x AAdvantage miles on eligible rental cars booked through aa.com/cars, and eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels
Read a detailed review of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card.
Bottom line
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card has a welcome bonus of 70,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months. While the bonus is great (and I value it at $1,050), there are lots of reasons beyond the miles that you might want to keep the card.
The card’s $595 annual fee is less than you’d otherwise pay for an Admirals Club membership. You can then add up to three authorized users at a reasonable cost, and take advantage of all kinds of other perks, ranging from up to $360 worth of credits, to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year.
If this card has been on your radar but you haven’t yet picked it up, this would be a fantastic time to apply. This card has been in my wallet for years.
Anyone plan to pick up the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card with 70K miles?
The drawback of this card compared to the citi advantage platinum (about $95 a year I think) is that with Plat you get 2x miles on a lot of things. Where Plat exécutive is mostly 1x miles for everyday purchases .
I decided that since i buy business class ticks anyway for any flight 5 hours and above — such as coast to coast (unless the cost is super egregious), I get admirals club access with the flight.
So i see less value with this card for me.
The drawback of this card compared to the citi advantage platinum (about $95 a year I think) is that with Plat you get 2x miles on a lot of things. Where Plat exécutive is mostly 1x miles for everyday purchases .
I decided that since i buy business class ticks anyway for any flight 5 hours and above — such as coast to coast (unless the cost is super egregious), I get admirals club access with the flight.
So i see less value with this card for me.
Flying from a Star Alliance hub this card is very difficulty to justify. But from an OW hub if you fly often this is a god send card.
I was thinking of applying for it since I have a reservation on hold, can anyone tell me if I will can get immediate access after approval so I can purchase my tickets?
Am a little gunshy right now. Have a low 700 credit score and the plan was to apply for a Strata Premier and this card next. Already have 3 Citi cards (rewards+, prestige, AA plat) Got a denial for the Strata but it didn't clearly state why. I'm waiting for the letter from Citi but for me this is a bit of a worrying development to my strategy this year.
I had a citiAAdvantage generic card for many years, then called Citi, and upgraded that card to this citiAAdvantage Executive card about a year ago. I did not get any bonus for doing so. Do you think I could sign up for this card now (it would be my second Executive card) and get the bonus now?
You must have asked to do this. No bank just arbitrarily upgrades any customer to a different card WITH a higher annual fee. I've heard of them ending cards and them switching customers to new ones with the same AF, but definitely not from $95 up 600% to $595. No way.
@ Mike mcG -- If you already have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, Citi wouldn't approve you for a second card if you're a current cardmember. However, you would be eligible for the bonus at some point in the future if you didn't have the card anymore, since you haven't received a bonus on the product.
is this SUB only via link on. your site? I'm not seeing it anywhere else, just 70k miles for $7k/3month spend.
@ Barb P. -- I believe the offer is in the process of being updated across channels at the moment, as it's new as of today. :-)
thanks, if we have the Platinum Select World Elite we could apply for this one since we have never had the "Executive" World Elite (the club card). Correct? And actually, the SUB on the Platinum Elite was ages ago.
@ Barb P. -- That's correct, you'd be eligible for the welcome offer. :-)