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If you are interested in one of the best travel credit cards, think about signing up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard® because you can earn easy miles while traveling around the world.
You have the opportunity to earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Bonus Miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This bonus is worth up to $700 in airfare.
This card has no foreign transaction fee but $450 annual fee. If that wasn’t enough, you can earn priority boarding on domestic American Airlines flights, 25% off in-flight purchases and a free checked bag on American Airlines flights. Get the most out of your next adventure by signing up for this card and get perks for booking and flying!
*Citibank is the issuer of this card, so if you want great sign-up bonuses check out their Checking/Savings accounts.
Other Citi cards that earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles to consider:
- American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUpSM Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Table of Contents
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Mastercard
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| Bonus Available | Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you make at least $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. |
| Bonus Value* | $700 |
| Travel Credit | No travel credit. But, up to $100 statement credit every 5 years towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits |
2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| Airport Lounge Access | 50 Admirals Club lounges & nearly 60 partner lounges worldwide. |
| Annual Fee | $450 |
PROS
- Bonus miles
- Admirals Club access
- Free checked bag
- VIP airport treatment
- Elite Qualifying Miles
- Option to redeem with partner airlines
- No foreign transaction fees
CONS
- Has an annual fee
- Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Low ongoing rewards rate
- Complicated rewards program
Editor’s Alternate Pick
 The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You'll earn 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. When redeeming your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 50% more value. This card does carry a $550 annual fee and there are no foreign transaction fees. However, you're able to earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year & up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
What Are AAdvantage Miles Worth?
Like many other airline-branded credit cards, the value of your miles depends on how you use them. On average, I value each AAdvantage mile at around $0.014. Using this figure, 50k miles would be worth around $700. When you fly, airline choice and destination all play a part in your miles’ value.
You can redeem your miles towards American Airlines, American Eagle and OneWorld flights. Or with one of their many partners (see below for the list).
AAdvantage miles can also be used towards gift cards, magazines, seat upgrades, car rentals and hotel stays. But the best value for your miles is to use them towards flights.
Cardholders have reduced mileage award privileges.
When you use your AAdvantage miles to purchase round-trip domestic MileSAAver flights, you get to book award travel for:
- 7,500 miles on longer destinations
- 2,000 miles on shorter destinations
Destinations change monthly, and MileSAAver seats are limited. To book, call American Airlines or visit a ticket office.
If you love finding the best value, this process can be worthwhile. But if fiddling with numbers sounds like a chore, you’re better off with a general travel rewards credit card (suggestions below).
AAdvantage Partner Airlines
| Air Tahiti Nui | Alaska Airlines | British Airways |
| Cape Air | Cathay Pacific | Etihad Airways |
| Fiji Airways | Finnair | Gulf Air |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Iberia | Interjet |
| Japan Airlines | Jet Airways | LATAM Airlines |
| Malaysia Airlines | Qantas | Qatar Airways |
| Royal Jordanian Airlines | S7 Airlines | Seaborne Airlines |
| SriLankan Airlines | WestJet |
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Benefits
Admirals Club is a collection of airport lounges. It consists of 50 American Airlines lounges and nearly 60 partner lounges around the world. As a cardholder, you’ll have access to any of the Admirals Club lounges. Your immediate family or up to two traveling companions may join you.
You can add up to 10 authorized users (who get their own cards) at no extra cost. Authorized users also have access to Admirals Club without the primary cardholder present – up to 2 of their guests have access as well.
A one-day Admirals Club pass costs $59 for non-cardholders. So, accessing a lounge eight times within a year will cover the card’s annual fee.
A one-year Admirals Club membership costs $650 (base AAdvantage membership status), so the $450 card cost is a steal.
How much have you spent on checked bags on your recent trips? At $30 a pop, that can add up.
When you fly American Airlines within the United States, your first checked bag (and the first bag of up to 8 people in your party) are free.
If you’re flying with 8 other people, you’ll be saving $540 round-trip. That’s a very generous perk for an airline-branded credit card.
- Priority check-in
- Priority airport screening (where available)
- Boarding privileges
Getting through the airport and on the plane will be much less hectic.
Get up to $100 in statement credit every five years. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, so go that route.
Going for elite status? If you’re willing to charge a lot to the card, you’ll earn 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles. What’s a lot? At least $40,000 in purchases within one year.
When you gain elite status, you’ll get mileage bonuses, upgrades, additional airport benefits and more.
Make sure your miles don’t expire. Earn or redeem with American Airlines or an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months.
Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees.
Bottom Line
The Citi® AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard provides you with additional benefits such as Admirals Club airport lounge access, priority boarding on domestic American Airlines flights, no foreign transaction fee for the first year, and much more.
That said, there are a few limitations to keep in mind:
- Annual fee. This card costs $450 a year. For all that you get, it’s a fair price. But you’ll want to make sure it works for you.
- Low ongoing rewards rate. You’ll only get bonus miles for American Airlines purchases. In comparison, the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card offers double miles on dining and gas as well.
- Complicated rewards structure. To get the most value for your points, you’ll need to do some serious strategizing.
If Admiral Club access isn’t important to you, there are better premium travels cards available:
If premium luxury perks aren’t as important to you, many other travel cards offer great rewards for a much lower annual fee.
If you are interested in more deals from CitiBank, check out our list of Citibank Promotions and the full list of more credit card promotion to find the card that best fits you!
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What’s The Competition?
Below are some of the top competitors to the Citi / AAdvantage Executive credit card you should consider.
Great General Travel Rewards & Lower Annual Fee
The Barclaycard Arrival Plus® World Elite Mastercard® offers a top sign-up bonus and rewards that don’t restrict you to any airline or hotel. You’ll effectively earn 2.1% on all your purchases, regardless of merchant category. Fewer luxury perks equal a lower annual fee here.
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®! You'll earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide, eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. And when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! Furthermore, you'll earn 2X total points on up to $1,000 in grocery store purchases per month from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Includes eligible pick-up and delivery services. You get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee & reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. This card carries a $95 annual fee. |
What Are The Premium Card Alternatives?
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You'll earn 3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. When redeeming your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 50% more value. This card does carry a $550 annual fee and there are no foreign transaction fees. However, you're able to earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year & up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
 The The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 75,000 Membership Rewards(R) Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 10X points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That's an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases. • 5X Membership Rewards(R) Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards(R) Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com. This card comes with an annual fee of $550 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Plus, up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card® & receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts. |
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Hustlermoneyblog has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Hustlermoneyblog and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
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