Link: Apply now for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Airline credit cards are among the most popular co-brand credit cards out there. Many people may be loyal to an airline because of where they live or their travel patterns, and picking up a co-branded airline credit card seems like the most logical way to extend that relationship. In this post I wanted to look at one of the most popular cards of the world’s largest airline.
In this post:
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card Basics For March 2023
American Airlines has credit cards issued by both Citi and Barclays, and in this post I wanted to look at the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, which is a personal credit card that many American Airlines frequent flyers have.
This card has a nice welcome bonus, an annual fee that’s waived for the first year, and offers some useful perks if you frequently fly American. Who should be considering applying for this card? Let’s break it down, point by point.
Earn 50,000 AAdvantage Miles With Welcome Bonus
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card is offering a bonus of 50,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months. That’s a pretty reasonable spending requirement. I value American miles at ~1.5 cents each, so to me those 50,000 miles are worth about $750. There are so many great ways to redeem AAdvantage miles.
Keep in mind the general restrictions on being approved for Citi cards, which include that you can apply for at most one Citi card every eight days, and at most two Citi cards every 65 days. Furthermore, note that the bonus miles aren’t available to those who have received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 48 months (however, you are eligible if you’ve received a bonus on a different American Airlines credit card).
$99 Annual Fee, Waived The First 12 Months
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card has a $99 annual fee, though it’s waived for the first 12 months. This is a great way to try the card before you have to really pay for it. You can also add authorized users to the card at no extra cost.
Rewards Structure For Earning AAdvantage Miles
When it comes to actually spending money on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card, the card does have a few bonus categories:
- Earn 2x AAdvantage miles at gas stations (the best credit cards for gas stations)
- Earn 2x AAdvantage miles at restaurants (the best credit cards for restaurants)
- Earn 2x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases (the best credit cards for airfare)
- Earn 1x AAdvantage miles on all other purchases (the best credit cards for everyday spending)
There are no limits to how many miles you can earn with this card.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card has no foreign transaction fees, so this can be a good option for purchases you make abroad. That’s especially true if you’re spending in a category that’s eligible for bonus miles.
Earn AAdvantage Elite Status With Spending
Major changes were recently made to the American AAdvantage program, as elite status is now based on earning Loyalty Points. AAdvantage elite status requirements are as follows:
- AAdvantage Gold status requires 30,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Platinum status requires 75,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro status requires 125,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requires 200,000 Loyalty Points
Spending money on AAdvantage credit cards earns you Loyalty Points, as you earn one Loyalty Point per dollar spent. Some people might find it worthwhile to put spending on American Airlines credit cards in order to earn status, as you could even earn Executive Platinum status exclusively through credit card spending (though you will need to earn 30 qualifying segments to select Loyalty Choice Rewards).
Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card Benefits
In addition to the welcome bonus and the ability to earn elite status through spending, there are some other reasons to get the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card, which could cover the annual fee over and over. Unfortunately, I don’t consider the benefits to be quite as strong as some other airline cards. So let’s talk about the perks you should be aware of with this card.
First Checked Bag Free
Receive a first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation. There’s no need to actually pay for the ticket with your card, you just have to make sure it’s linked to your AAdvantage account.
American Airlines charges $30 for the first checked bag, so that’s a $60 value per person roundtrip (and if you had four companions all checking a bag, that would be a value of $300).
$125 American Airlines Flight Discount
You can receive a $125 American Airlines flight discount after you spend $20,000 or more on purchases during your anniversary year and renew your card. Personally, I don’t think this is worth it in and of itself, since I think there are better credit cards on which to spend $20,000. However, with the card now offering the ability to earn Loyalty Points, many may find it worthwhile spend that amount to earn Loyalty Points and the flight discount.
Is The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card Worth It?
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card offers a good welcome bonus with the annual fee waived for the first year. Furthermore, the first checked bag free benefit could more than justify the annual fee after the first year for many. With spending on the card now counting towards elite status, I imagine that many people are putting this card front of wallet and using it for more purchases.
Let’s take a closer look at a few other considerations — how does this card compare to American’s no annual fee card, which cards should you be using for your everyday spending, etc.?
What About The No Annual Fee AAdvantage MileUp Card?
There’s also the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® (review), which has no annual fee and offers some potentially valuable benefits, like 2x miles on supermarket purchases, and 25% savings on inflight food & beverage purchases.
However, I’d still highly recommend applying for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card. Why?
- The card’s $99 annual fee is waived for the first 12 months
- The card has a much larger welcome bonus
- If after a year you decide the card isn’t right for you, you should be able to downgrade to the MileUp Card, so you can get a no annual fee option long term
Citi Platinum Card Comparison: Business Vs. Personal
How does the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card compare to the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® (review), aside from the obvious distinction that one is a business card and one is a personal card?
- The business version of the card has a significantly better welcome bonus
- The business version of the card offers a companion certificate after spending $30,000, while the personal version offers a $125 American flight discount after spending $20,000
- The business version of the card offers 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations, while the personal version of the card offers 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, gas stations, and restaurants
As you can see, the cards are very similar. Personally, I think the biggest distinction is that the business card often has a better bonus.
What Cards Should You Be Spending Money On?
In general, I don’t think the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card is a great option for everyday spending. So depending on whether you want to earn cash back or travel rewards, I think a few of the otherwise most compelling cards include the following:
- The no annual fee Citi® Double Cash Card (review) offers 1% cash back when you make a purchase, and 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase in the form of ThankYou points
- The $95 annual fee Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) offers a big welcome bonus, 3x points on dining and online groceries, 2x points on travel, flexible points, and much more
- The $95 annual fee Citi Premier® Card (review) offers a huge welcome bonus, 3x points on dining, groceries, gas, hotels, and airfare, and other valuable perks
- The $395 annual fee Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) offers a massive welcome bonus, 2x miles on all purchases, and all kinds of awesome perks
Bottom Line
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card offers a good welcome bonus with an annual fee that’s waived for the first year. The card also offers some potentially valuable perks, like a first checked bag free on American itineraries, which can quickly cover the annual fee. Furthermore, spending on this credit card can help you earn AAdvantage elite status, which I know will interest many.
You can always get this card and then after a year decide if you want to keep it, or downgrade to the no annual fee AAdvantage MileUp Card.
If you want to learn more about the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card or apply, follow this link.
Worst card ever! In an effort to keep my Executive Platinum status, I opened the card, used for a significant purchase and paid off the same day. Citibank held my payment for three weeks and put a block on my card to blockage future use. Reason given, it is a new card and my payment was larger than previous payments. I have never made other payments, there is no point of comparison. With the hold...
Worst card ever! In an effort to keep my Executive Platinum status, I opened the card, used for a significant purchase and paid off the same day. Citibank held my payment for three weeks and put a block on my card to blockage future use. Reason given, it is a new card and my payment was larger than previous payments. I have never made other payments, there is no point of comparison. With the hold applied, I cannot use the card for the month of February and will not achieve status. I will be cancelling my card and I will likely move to United Airlines.
I have been an AAdvantage membership since 1980. I was satisfied when Citi AAdvantage customer service was in U.S. Now, the customer service outsourced to to India. I was unhappy with my calls to this change of customer service just to save money on outsourcing ti a 3rd world customer service country and culture. Recently, I was misled to apply for a business AAdvantage world elite master card by having verified my eligibility for the...
I have been an AAdvantage membership since 1980. I was satisfied when Citi AAdvantage customer service was in U.S. Now, the customer service outsourced to to India. I was unhappy with my calls to this change of customer service just to save money on outsourcing ti a 3rd world customer service country and culture. Recently, I was misled to apply for a business AAdvantage world elite master card by having verified my eligibility for the bonus miles. I went to great pains to provide article of incorporation, FTB id. number, management contract, and trust documents. It took about 2 months for this process before I received my credit card. During multiple calls, I was repeatedly assured that I was eligible for the bonus miles by the credit card processing team because this time it's a business credit card not my personal card in 2019. After having met the spending amount requirement within 4 months, I was told that I was not eligible for the bonus miles. It would take 48 months since my last AAdvantage credit card. I am closing my account due to this marketing deception by a 3rd world culture which has no idea how to garner customer loyalty. APPLICANTS BEWARE OF THIS DILEMMA OF A 1ST WORLD CITI CREDIT CARD ISSUER OUTSOURCING MARKETING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IN INDIA TO SAVE MONEY JE0PARDIZING THEIR LONG STANDING REPUTATION !!!!!
As a result, I am closing my account today.
I just got the 48 months letter myself. I'd asked via chat a few times where my bonus was, and was told "oh, it will be on your next statement". Feel completely ripped off by the card not disclosing you are ineligible for the bonus offer when applying... Finally spent some time on the phone, and they said they could not "find my offer" and would get back to me in 7 business days.
Think I had opened this card about 3.5 years ago and did get the sign up bonus then.
Question on procedure for applying for this card, if any kind soul here may be able to help answer:
I've had the Citibank Aadvantage Gold Card since 1988. I wanted to upgrade to the Platinum card, reviewed here, mainly because unlike the Gold, the Platinum doesn't have foreign exchange fees.
Is it possible to just do a "switch" or "upgrade"? Or do I have to apply for the platinum and then close out my gold...
Question on procedure for applying for this card, if any kind soul here may be able to help answer:
I've had the Citibank Aadvantage Gold Card since 1988. I wanted to upgrade to the Platinum card, reviewed here, mainly because unlike the Gold, the Platinum doesn't have foreign exchange fees.
Is it possible to just do a "switch" or "upgrade"? Or do I have to apply for the platinum and then close out my gold card?
Ideally, I'd only like to have one card from Aadvantage, but would rather "upgrade" (if possible) then close out the gold card since I've had it since 1988 and it's good for my credit rating to have the card for so long.
What do you think?
Am I overthinking it?
I have a $6k purchase imminent, so this was a good find and getting the 100k bonus will be easy now. All of the other perks mentioned are still intact and - using Lucky's link - I was immediately approved at $30k like others. Score in mid 800's and good income, etc. While I use the Amex Plat and Aspire for most travel benefits (like Hilton Diamond, etc), I can easily see using the $300 travel benefit of this card, so it's a no-brainer.
Howdy Ben! I'm thinking of upgrading to the CITI AA card with the Admirals Lounge. I've had this platinum card for nearly 2 years and spend ALOT on it. I haven't seen any offer on upgrading yet and have even called Citi on it. Should I just get that card and downgrade this one to the miles up? I don't know what to do!
Hi Benjamin, did you "downgrade" or get the Citi Card with Admiral's Lounge in addition to to keeping the platinum card?
Curious how it worked out either way.
I received an email offer 10 days ago for this card, with 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 within the first 3 months. Maybe there are others out there with even better targeted offers?
@lucky - given the shift to Loyalty points and the lack of a “better” American card option if you don’t value Admirals Clubs — think anyone is working on an option? Better bonus categories for spend or suped up perks for spend with higher fee etc. thanks!