Link: Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (review) is American Airlines’ most premium credit card. Not only does the card have a huge welcome bonus at the moment, but it also offers valuable ongoing perks.
If you don’t yet have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, in this post I’d like to take a look at why you might want to apply. Here are 10 reasons you should consider picking up this $595 annual fee, in no particular order…
In this post:
Welcome bonus of 100K AAdvantage miles
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is offering a limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months. This is among the best offers that we’ve ever seen on the card.
I value American AAdvantage miles at ~1.5 cents each, so to me, those miles are worth around $1,500. That’s a great bonus, especially for a card that also offers a lot of value in the long run. There are lots of great uses of American AAdvantage miles.
An American Admirals Club membership
The single biggest perk of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is that the card offers an Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember. This card is arguably the best way to get Admirals Club access, as the card’s annual fee is less than the Admirals Club membership cost, even if you have elite status.
If you fly American with any frequency, having Admirals Club access is worth it for having somewhere comfortable to sit with complimentary drinks and snacks, and for access to the Admirals Club agents during irregular operations.
Admirals Club access for authorized users
Authorized users on the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card can also receive Admirals Club access. You can add up to three authorized users for a total of $175 (so potentially under $60 each), and then you’ll pay $175 for each authorized user beyond that.
The sweet spot is really adding three authorized users, as you’re looking at paying under $60 each for them to get Admirals Club access annually. They can access Admirals Club whenever flying a oneworld airline same day, and can bring two guests or immediate family.
Up to 20K Loyalty Points just for being a cardmember
If you’re going for elite status with American AAdvantage, the reason you may want to get the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is because it offers up to 20,000 Loyalty Points per year, without even spending a dime on the card.
The card offers 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year, and another 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. It doesn’t matter how those Loyalty Points are earned, so it could be from spending on the card, or from flying.
Note that this also applies retroactively within a membership year. So if you’ve already passed 50,000 or 90,000 Loyalty Points for this year and get the card now, you’d still qualify for this offer. This can also be stacked with the up to 15,000 Loyalty Points bonus you’ll find on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (review).
The ability to earn Loyalty Points with spending
As is the case with virtually all of American’s co-branded credit cards, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers one Loyalty Point per dollar spent. Loyalty Points is the system by which you can qualify for elite status nowadays, so spending on the card can help you achieve that.
For example, AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requires 200,000 Loyalty Points per year, so spending $180,000 on this card would earn you that (since you earn 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points). I’m not suggesting you should qualify for status that way, but you could.
4-5x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines spending
If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers (by far) the best return of any American Airlines card when it comes to spending on American.
The card offers 4x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases. On top of that, if you spend $150,000 on the card in a calendar year, you earn 5x AAdvantage miles on all American Airlines purchases for the rest of the calendar year.
10x AAdvantage miles on AAdvantage Hotels spending
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers 10x AAdvantage miles on eligible spending with the AAdvantage Hotels booking platform. I’d argue that AAdvantage Hotels is the most lucrative airline portal for booking hotels.
Not only can you earn a huge number of AAdvantage miles when booking through AAdvantage Hotels in the first place, but then you earn an extra 10x miles when paying with the card. Given the excellent earnings rates through the portal, this can be really lucrative.
For context, all miles earned directly through AAdvantage Hotels are Loyalty Points. Meanwhile for the credit card spending, only 1x miles would be considered Loyalty Points, while all miles would be redeemable. Admittedly there’s sometimes an opportunity cost to booking through AAdvantage Hotels, but I know it’s a feature that many AAdvantage loyalists appreciate, especially if they don’t otherwise care about hotel loyalty.
Priority services with American Airlines
If you’re a less frequent flyer with American Airlines and don’t have elite status, you’ll appreciate the perks offered by the card, which include the following:
- A first checked bag free on domestic American itineraries for the cardmember and up to eight companions on the same reservation
- Priority airport check-in
- Priority airport security screening
- Preferred boarding
The value of that can add up. However, I do think this card is most valuable for those who have AAdvantage elite status.
Up to $120 annual credit with Avis & Budget
To help offset the annual fee, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget rentals every calendar year. All you have to do is charge an eligible prepaid rental to your card, and you’ll receive a statement credit up to the $120 limit. You can use this for one rental or multiple rentals, it’s totally up to you, as long as they’re prepaid.
Up to $120 back annually with Grubhub
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases every calendar year. This comes in the form of up to $10 in statement credits with Grubhub each billing cycle. Just charge at least that much to your card from Grubhub each billing cycle, and you’ll receive the credit.
While I wouldn’t say it’s as useful as the Avis or Budget credit (given that it can be used in one go), there’s still potentially quite a bit of value to be had if you use the food delivery service regularly.
Bottom line
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is American’s most premium credit card. While it has a steep annual fee, many American flyers will find it worthwhile. The card offers an Admirals Club membership, the ability to get reasonably priced Admirals Club access for authorized users, up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year just for being a cardmember, and more.
If you’ve been considering the card, now is the time to apply, given the increased offer that’s currently available.
What’s your take on the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card?
If you fly AA enough it may be worth it just for the lounge access
I keep this card for two reasons only: AC membership and credit for the one time a year I rent a car. These two alone far exceed the AF.
Not worth it. Because you can’t use the card (or any card) on AA hotels and earn LPs. Actually making a booking is akin to winning lotto. everything about AA is defunct. It’s No wonder they choose Citi.
I have earned loyalty points every time I book a hotel. If you add bonus miles, you won't get loyalty points, only miles.
I like that the number of reasons is a nice round figure unlike 9 or 11 for some other cards. Nice going, Ben.
Does anyone know if Hawaiian Airlines flights would grant access to Admirals Club? I don’t think it’s a member of OW yet, but maybe by association with AS? I know Admirals Club membership doesn’t include access to the Hawaiian Airlines Plumeria Lounge at HNL.
Good question, I believe it does as a "partner" airline and on some flights a codeshare or as part of Alaska as a OW marketed flight, depending on how it was marketed. I'm guessing that you could run into some random route if booked on Hawaiian 'paper' that isnt' included, but I doubt that would be on most flights.
Do folks know if this card offers primary rental car insurance/protection?
Family of 4 here. AA is our preferred airline from Chicago. The fee is totally worth it for us traveling 6-7 times per year with 2 kids in tow. Way cheaper than buying food for 4 at overpriced airport restaurants. We also use the $200 Amex credit to purchase to-go meals in the lounge.
This card is not that good. The Avis credit sounds good but it must be prepaid. I suppose you can find one rental per year that you can tolerate prepaid.
The costs of the card is high and I see no mention of Global Entry reimbursement but I wouldn't be surprised if it had it.
This card can generate a lot of miles. However, when you generate a lot of miles, you start wasting them....
This card is not that good. The Avis credit sounds good but it must be prepaid. I suppose you can find one rental per year that you can tolerate prepaid.
The costs of the card is high and I see no mention of Global Entry reimbursement but I wouldn't be surprised if it had it.
This card can generate a lot of miles. However, when you generate a lot of miles, you start wasting them. A Europe to US flight is a waste to fly business class. Even economy is fine. A US to Europe red eye is a different story and arguably business class can be put to good use. If a business class Europe to US flight cost 80,000 miles one way, that is not a good use of miles even if you try to justify it as getting a high fare seat for free. I look at it as 80,000 miles for something a tad better than economy class and that is not a good use of miles.
In other words, you hate American. You're probably a Delta fanpoodle. Your reputation would be better off if you were in the Epstein files than being a Delta fanpoodle.
ORD, you’re not wrong about derek, if this is the derek, who is Canadian and hates Canada, but, also, seemingly hates American (Airlines) and American (people). Apologies if this is a different derek, but if it’s the same one from VFTW and LALF, too, then he’s likely a foreign disinformation agent, pretending to be one of those Canadian MAGAs. Yikes.
@1990 I am very disappointed at Canadians. Maybe 1/3 of them are honourable but 1/3 of them are just hateful of Americans and love to rip off other Canadians with unfairly high prices. Canadian MAGA? There's no such thing. More likely that there is an illogical Vulcan. I don't hate Americans. In fact, I hate it when Canadians hate Americans.
I am surprised you are on this site. Airline credit cards? I thought you...
@1990 I am very disappointed at Canadians. Maybe 1/3 of them are honourable but 1/3 of them are just hateful of Americans and love to rip off other Canadians with unfairly high prices. Canadian MAGA? There's no such thing. More likely that there is an illogical Vulcan. I don't hate Americans. In fact, I hate it when Canadians hate Americans.
I am surprised you are on this site. Airline credit cards? I thought you people hate rich people and want to punish them....take away their miles and their expense accounts.
Alright, so, that confirms it; ORD, it is *that* derek. You can want progressive policies and enjoy your credit cards and travel, too. It’s not all-or-nothing.
ORD, not hate but deep disappointment that American is not so good. Years ago, it was among the best. Delta fanpoodle? The Delta name should have been dropped for the Northwest name. United has the most potential among US carriers but Alaska is decent among the smaller players.
Oh, sorry that your name appears in the Epstein files. At least that means that you don't (grape) little boys unless you do that, too, when you're not with Epstein.
Oookkkk. Not sure what Delta did to you. But they’re far and away best airline in USA.
They screwed me over more than once with horrible irrops at MSP and a totally disdainful attitude toward me as a customer. I've never had a good flight on DL. So I detest them.
@Derek --->. Uh, no. Burning miles on flights to *somewhere,* for most of us, is not a waste. Neither is a flight from Europe to the US in Business class. LHR-SFO is an 11+ hour flight. Am I going to change into pajamas and sleep? No, though I might doze a bit. But I will recline, stretch out, and watch someone on the IFE or off my laptop; this is not something I could do...
@Derek --->. Uh, no. Burning miles on flights to *somewhere,* for most of us, is not a waste. Neither is a flight from Europe to the US in Business class. LHR-SFO is an 11+ hour flight. Am I going to change into pajamas and sleep? No, though I might doze a bit. But I will recline, stretch out, and watch someone on the IFE or off my laptop; this is not something I could do in Economy or Premium Economy.
I am oneworld emerald, but by way of Alaska rather than AA. But the Citi Exec card grants me access not only to Admiral's Clubs but also to Alaska lounges and oneworld lounges outside the US. Ben already pointed out the AF for the card is LESS than the AF for Admiral's Club membership; but add in the cost of an Alaska Lounge membership, and we're seriously talking about beaucoup bucks.
I can easily recoup the cost of the AF for this card and then some.