Rewards Plan
Sign up Bonus
Our Rating
0% Intro
Annual Fee
APR
- No limit on number of miles earned
- Domestical and International Rewards
- Annual Fee
- Blackout Dates
Rewards Plan
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
Sign up Bonus
Our Rating
PROS
- Free Checked bag
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
CONS
- Annual Fee
- Blackout Dates
APR
20.74% - 29.74% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$99 (waived for the first 12 months)
0% Intro
N/A
Credit Requirements
Good – Excellent
While the Citi®/AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is not considered as one of the best airline credit cards, it offers some great rewrads for loyal AA customers.
When it comes to rewards. the card offers Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.. There is a sign up bonus of 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
The card's perks include preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees, a free checked bag on domestic flights, and a $125 flight discount after spending $20,000 annually. For redemption, the card is recommended for premium-cabin partner bookings rather than domestic flights, where other programs like Southwest and JetBlue may offer better value.
However, the card comes with annual fee of $99 (waived for the first 12 months) and the standard variable APR for purchases is 20.74% – 29.74% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness.
Overall, the Citi/ AAdvantage is a great card with great benefits. Although there are some drawbacks that might have you consider another card, this is certainly one that is worth taking a closer look at to see if the rewards and benefits fit what you are wanting in a travel rewards credit card, especially if you are a frequent flyer with American Airlines.
Can I Redeem for Flights With Airline Partners?
American Airlines has no airline partners where you could redeem their miles. However, there is now a reciprocal arrangement in place between American Airlines and JetBlue. So, you can use your AAdvantage miles for a JetBlue flight, but you may not get as high a redemption rate as you would get with American Airlines.
Can I Get Pre Approval?
Unfortunately, this is not possible, the Aadvantage has a full application process, which will trigger a hard credit search when you complete the form on the website or apply by phone.
What is the Initial Credit Limit for the Cards?
The minimum credit limit for the AAdvantage Platinum Select is $1,500.
How Much is 10,000 Miles Worth?
AAdvantage miles have a lower redemption value with an average of 1.27 cents per mile or $127 for 10,000 miles. However, this is again dependent on your redemption method, so it is possible to find deals that offer a comparable redemption rate.
Does the Card Insurance Cover Flight Cancellations?
Unfortunately, the benefits package for either card does not include trip cancelation, delay or interruption insurance. So, if your flight is canceled, you would need to pay for any unreimbursed costs
What are the Top Reasons Not to Get it?
If you fly frequently, you may find that there are other cards that offer greater miles per dollar and have a more comprehensive benefits package that will easily outweigh any higher annual fees.
The AAdvantage Platinum Select has a low annual fee, which means that you don’t need to cover the costs before you start to see savings, which makes them better suited to less frequent travelers.
In This Review..
Pros & Cons
Let’s look at the pros and cons of the AAdvantage Platinum Select credit card and see if it’s the right one for your wallet.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Miles Rewards
| Limited Earning Potential |
Free Checked bag and Preferred Boarding | Annual Fee |
Loyalty Points | Alternative Redemption Options |
No Foreign Transaction Fees | Blackout Dates on Some Rewards |
Sign-Up Bonus | Limited Travel Insurance |
- Miles Rewards
The offers Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases..
You can also earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your cardmembership year and renew your card
- Free Checked bag and Preferred Boarding
Being able to have a free checked bag is extremely valuable. With the Citi/ AAdvantage Platinum Select WorldElite Mastercard, the first checked bag is free for you and for up to four other people on your reservation, which can save you as much as $300 dollars round trip per every trip that you take.
There is also preferred boarding option is also beneficial so you can get settled into your seat sooner in a lower number boarding group. Liked the checked bags, this perk can be applied to you and four other people on your reservation.
- Loyalty Points
Cardholders earn one Loyalty Point for every eligible AAdvantage mile earned, contributing to elite status qualification, although the sign-up bonus is excluded from Loyalty Points-earning.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
The absence of foreign transaction fees makes this card attractive for international travelers, saving money on currency conversions.
- Sign-Up Bonus
Although the Citi/ AAdvantage Platinum Select WorldElite Mastercard has an annual fee of $99 (waived for the first 12 months) , this fee is waived for cardholders the first year.
The card's sign-up bonus that gives the card holder 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
- Blackout Dates on Some Rewards
Although this is quite normal for most travel rewards cards, blackout dates on claiming rewards can be a hassle for anyone who is hoping to use these points at a specific time for a reason.
The blackout dates on the Citi/ AAdvantage Platinum Select WorldElite Mastercard aren’t anything ridiculous, but it still can be a major inconvenience that no one would want to deal with.
- Annual Fee
The Citi/ AAdvantage Platinum Select WorldElite Mastercard includes an annual fee of $99 (waived for the first 12 months) .
This is quite similar to other cards in this catergory, such as the Delta SkyMiles® Gold or the United Explorer annual fee which is $95 ($0 first year).
- Limited Earning Potential
The 2 miles per dollar earning rate on bonus categories might not be as lucrative as other premium cards, potentially limiting the overall earning potential for cardholders.
- Alternative Redemption Options
For domestic flights, alternative programs like Southwest and JetBlue may offer better value, reducing the attractiveness of using AAdvantage miles for such bookings.
The AAdvantage program has shifted to dynamic award pricing, potentially affecting the value of miles for certain redemptions, particularly for domestic flights.
- Limited Travel Insurance
Citi removed several valuable travel and purchase protection benefits in recent years, potentially leaving cardholders with fewer protections compared to other cards in the market.
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Simulation: How Much Miles You Can Earn?
If you're a frequent traveler, there is no doubt you can leverage your AAdvantage Platinum Select card to get a bunch of miles rewards, in addition to another benefits it offers. But how much exactly can you earn?
In order to understand that, we need to calculate the miles based on the card terms and spend per each category. However, everyone has its own habits, so it's important to adjust the according to your specific category breakdown. If you'd like to explore it compared other cards, check out our Citi AAdvantage card vs Delta Skymiles Blue comparison.
| |
|---|---|
Spend Per Category | Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® |
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets | 10,000 miles |
$4,000 – Restaurants
| 8,000 miles |
$4,000 – Airline | 8,000 miles |
$3,000 – Hotels | 3,000 miles |
$4,000 – Gas | 8,000 miles |
Total Miles/Points | 37,000 miles |
Estimated Redemption Value (Flights) | 1 point = ~1.5 cent |
Estimated Annual Value | $555 |
How to Redeem Your Miles Rewards?
There are many redemption options are available with Citi AAdvantage rewards.
You can use your miles to book flights to over 1,000 destinations worldwide. American Airlines awards are flexible, and you can use your accumulated miles for Business and First Class upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, or vacation packages.
You can also redeem A miles for various attractions and experiences:
Best Ways to Maximize Miles Rewards
Here are some pointers to help you make the most of your AAdvantage Platinum Select membership:
- Research: There are various strategies for making the most of your AAdvantage miles, but they all revolve around spending the time to thoroughly research your flight options and understand all types of benefits the card offers.
- Leverage Sign up bonus – the minimum spending required in the first 3 months is definitely reasonable – don't waste it.
- Be Flexible: If you can be flexible with your travel dates and itinerary, and have the time and patience to research your options, you could save thousands of miles, especially if you plan on taking long international flights and purchasing premium seats.
While the average value for a mile is about 1.5 to 2 cents, with careful planning, it is possible to get a higher value. Unfortunately, the opposite can also be true. If you simply book any flight, you risk undervaluing yourself and receiving a value of less than one cent per mile.