Our take:
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is worth its $595 annual fee if you frequently fly with American Airlines and want lounge access as well as a leg up when it comes to earning elite status.
If you frequently fly on American Airlines and value airport lounge access, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is well worth its cost. Along with complimentary Admirals Club® membership — which is valued at up to $850 — you’ll get access to premium travel benefits, like your first checked bag free, annual statement credits and a path to elite status.
You’ll also earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
That said, if you’re loyal to American Airlines but prefer a much lower annual fee, you may want to consider the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. Or, if you prefer a general premium travel card that offers Priority Pass™ Select lounge access, The Platinum Card® from American Express is a better choice.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
21.24% - 29.99% (Variable)
Intro BT APR
N/A
Regular BT APR
21.24% - 29.99% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$595
Cash Advance Fee
5% of each cash advance; $10 minimum
Foreign Transaction Fee
0%
Balance Transfer Fee
5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum
Sign-up bonus
With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, you’ll earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
We estimate that this bonus is worth approximately $840 in American flights. Although the spending requirement is high, you can strategically book upcoming flights and pay expenses with the card to hit that threshold and earn the bonus.
That said — as you compare airline credit cards across different travel brands, remember that among major U.S. carriers, American AAdvantage miles are worth the least. They only average 1.2 cents per mile, which is below the average value for airline miles.
Rewards on every purchase
While the earning rate for non-travel purchases falls short of the industry average, there are opportunities to earn bonus miles.
Earn 10x miles on car rentals and hotels booked through AA.com and 4x miles on American Airlines purchases. Plus, earn 5x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the year after you spend $150,000 in a calendar year.
By contrast, with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® you can get elevated rewards in everyday spending categories, like gas and dining. Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases, then 1x miles on everything else.
Faster path to elite status
Another perk of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is that it can help you reach elite status faster.
You earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
You can also earn a 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus when you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. Plus earn an additional 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after earning 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year.
Here’s what you can get with each status level:
| Reward level | Loyalty points required | Benefits include (but aren't limited to) the following: |
|---|---|---|
| AAdvantage Gold® | 40,000 | |
| AAdvantage Platinum® | 75,000 | |
| AAdvantage Platinum Pro® | 125,000 | |
| AAdvantage Executive Platinum® | 200,000 | |
There are also 11 new reward levels that start at 15,000 and go up to 5,000,000. With each level, new rewards are unlocked and range from upgraded boarding to bonus miles to trip credits.
Redeeming miles
The price of an award flight with American Airlines can start at 7,500 miles and vary quite a bit depending on the destination and type of ticket.
Keep in mind that the award chart is meant to provide insights into how many miles you may need for a flight, but American also uses dynamic award pricing. This means you’ll frequently find flight awards that cost significantly more than the chart shows, and that you may have to be flexible with your dates and destinations to get the best deal.
The following award mile numbers apply to one-way main cabin flights departing from the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada:
| Region | Main cabin starting at: | Premium Economy starting at: | Business/First starting at: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada | 7,500 miles | N/A | 15,000 miles |
| Mexico + Caribbean + Central America | 10,000 miles | N/A | 20,000 miles |
| South America (Short haul) | 15,000 miles | N/A | 30,000 miles |
| Hawaii and Alaska | 20,000 miles | 40,000 miles | 60,000 miles |
| Europe | 25,000 miles | 50,000 miles | 75,000 miles |
| South America (Long haul) | 30,000 miles | 60,000 miles | 90,000 miles |
| Asia | 35,000 miles | 60,000 miles | 95,000 miles |
With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® you qualify for access at nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide. You may extend this benefit to one authorized user. Lounge amenities vary by location, but all include free WiFi access, snacks, house drinks and coffee. Some also have specialty foods and shower suites.
You’ll need a same-day boarding pass for a flight on American, any oneworld® airline or JetBlue® (excluding JetBlue flights to and from Europe) to enter the lounge.
This membership also qualifies you for entry into other airline lounges:
You can receive up to $100 in credit to cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years.
As the primary cardholder, you’ll get your first checked bag free on domestic American Airline itineraries for you and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation. This can equal savings up to $540 per round trip.
You and up to eight companions on your itinerary qualify for priority boarding on American Airlines flights. The priority boarding benefit will be shown as Group 4 on your boarding pass.
While not available at all airports, being a cardholder can help you become eligible for VIP airport screening. Cardholders can also check in at the Business or First class check-in counter regardless of the cabin they’re flying in.
Since this card has 0% foreign transaction fees (which typically run 3% of the amount of each transaction for purchases made outside the U.S.), you won’t be charged additional fees when you use your card abroad.
Enjoy a 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when purchases are charged to your Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
This card offers trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay protection, lost baggage protection and worldwide car rental insurance coverage.
Receive annual credits for eligible purchases made with your card when you use Avis and Budget car rental, Lyft rides or Grubhub purchases.
High annual fee
While this card’s $595 annual fee is high, it’s actually on par with similar premium travel cards. And if you can make use of the benefits, like free lounge access, you’ll find that the perks outweigh the fee.
But if you don’t fly on American Airlines frequently or you don’t plan to take advantage of the travel benefits, you’ll be better off with an airline card that charges a lower annual fee.
Low rewards rate on general purchases
Unlike some rewards cards that offer accelerated rewards in everyday spending categories, like gas, groceries and dining, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® only lets you earn elevated rewards on American Airline-related purchases. All other purchases will only get you 1 mile per dollar spent.
No intro APR
If you’re hoping to finance a trip and pay it off over time, know that this card doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR on purchases. If you carry a balance on your card from month to month, you’ll be subject to interest charges at an APR of 21.24% - 29.99% (Variable).
| Credit Cards | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Review Coming Soon
|
$595 | Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases | Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. | Review Coming Soon |
|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Review Coming Soon
|
$99, waived for first 12 months | Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases | Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening | Review Coming Soon |
The Platinum Card® from American Express
|
$695 | 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. |
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a much more affordable option than the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, with an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months. Naturally it has fewer perks. For example, you won’t get complimentary Admirals Club membership.
But you can get double miles on select purchases and a solid sign-up bonus with a significantly lower spend requirement. Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® also offers a free checked bag for you and up to four travel companions on the same reservation, preferred boarding on American flights and a 25% discount on inflight purchases. Additionally, you can add authorized users at no additional charge, and receive a $125 American Airlines flight discount when you spend $20,000 on purchases during your card membership year and renew your card.
The Platinum Card® from American Express also offers benefits worth over $1,000, including a CLEAR® Plus credit*, airline fee credit*, Equinox credit*, digital entertainment credit*, a hotel credit, an airline fee credit, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit and more.
*Enrollment is required for these benefits.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
If you frequently fly on American Airlines and plan to regularly take advantage of its complimentary lounge access and other benefits, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is well worth considering.
But if you’re not loyal to American Airlines, you may find that a generic travel credit card better suits your needs.
American Airlines credit cards offer the most value to those who frequently fly with American and its partners. If you fly less or shop for flights by price rather than brand, consider a general travel credit card.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is our pick for the best American Airlines credit card. Along with elevated miles on everyday purchases, it offers valuable airline benefits — all for a reasonable annual fee.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is the only American Airlines credit card that comes with lounge access.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has a $595 annual fee.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
The information related to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
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