Summary
- American Airlines offers credit cards with benefits like 70,000-mile bonuses, free upgrades, and dining discounts.
- Cards provide perks like lounge access, companion certificates, free checked bags, and inflight Wi-Fi credits.
- Options include Aviator, Executive, Platinum Select, MileUp, and Business cards with varying annual fees and bonuses.
American Airlines is a pivotal name in the world of credit cards. Such cards have become a staple diet of the aviation community. It was AA (and the Air Transport Association) which started out aplomb (with airline credit cards) with a policy that allowed travelers to buy their tickets with the option of paying later.
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Close to a century after the advent of its credit card, the AAdvantage credit card offers several perks such as bonuses up to 70,000 miles while signing up, besides providing preferential treatment and free upgrades. AA’s credit cards were also ranked among the top 5 best US airline credit cards. But what exactly are the credit card options that American Airlines gives? Let’s find out.
Photo: rafapress | Shutterstock
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
Issued by Barclays, the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® has a generous welcome bonus of 60,000 miles. The card is priced at $99 per year. The card also offers 2 miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Here are some of the numbers associated with the card:
Regular Apr | 21.24% – 29.99% depending upon your creditworthiness |
Foreign Transaction Fees | None |
Miles earned on purchases other than AA purchases | 1 mile for every dollar |
Photo: Barclays
This card also offers some other rich benefits, such as an annual companion certificate, which you can get for $99 per guest. However, you must have spent $20,000 on purchases in a year and your account must be open for 45 days after the completion of a year.
There are some perks of using the cards on flights operated on American Airlines. These include:
- A discount of 25% as statement credits on purchase of food and beverage
- $25 back as statement credits on inflight Wi-Fi purchases
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
This card comes with an annual fee of $595. It offers two times the miles offered by AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® on eligible AA purchases. The Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard also offers 10 miles per every dollar spent on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the carrier’s website.
Regular Apr | 21.24% – 29.99% depending upon your creditworthiness |
Foreign Transaction Fees | None |
Miles earned on purchases other than AA purchases | 1 mile for every dollar |
Photo: Citi
One of the great advantages of this card is that you get a chance to earn 70,000 AAdvantage bonus miles. You can get these bonus miles if you spend $7,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. The card offers you access to around 50 lounges worldwide.
Some of the highlights of the card include:
- A complimentary Admirals Club membership
- Get free checked bags for up to 8 companions traveling domestically on AA on the same reservation.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
With no annual entry fee for the first year, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is one of the best credit card options offered by American Airlines. You also have no limit on mileage earned through this card, nor are there any foreign transaction fees. This card also allows you to have boarding privileges. One of the downsides of this card is that it doesn’t offer you any lounge access.
Regular Apr | 21.24% – 29.99% depending upon your creditworthiness |
Foreign Transaction Fees | None |
Miles earned on purchases other than AA purchases | 1 mile for every dollar |
Photo: Citi
If you spend $2,500 in purchases within the first three months of opening your account, this card offers you 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles. You also can save 25% on American Airlines inflight Wi-Fi if you use this card. Some of the other highlights of this card include:
- On domestic itineraries, you get a first checked bag free and for up to four passengers traveling on the same itinerary.
- 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchase, or spending at qualifying gas stations, and restaurants.
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Although the card is free to use in the first year, there is a fee of $99 for the second year.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard
If you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account, the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard® offers you a chance to earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles. However, the card is not suitable for foreign purchases and doesn’t offer free checked bags like the other cards we’ve discussed before.
Regular Apr | 21.24% – 29.99% depending upon your creditworthiness |
Foreign Transaction Fees | 3 % |
Miles earned on purchases other than AA purchases | 1 mile for every dollar |
Photo: American Airlines
This card has no annual fee and offers you a chance to save 25% on eligible purchases (of food and beverage) on AA flights.
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® offers you a chance to earn 2 AAdvantage® miles per $1 spent on the following:
- Eligible American Airlines purchases
- Car rental merchants
- Telecommunications, cable and satellite providers
- Gas stations
Regular Apr | 21.24% – 29.99% depending upon your creditworthiness |
Foreign Transaction Fees | 3 % |
Miles earned on purchases other than AA purchases | 1 mile for every dollar |
Photo: American Airlines
Much like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® also has a no annual fee for the first year, and charges $99 from the second year. Free checked bags, companion benefits, and early boarding are some of the perks of this card. You also have a chance to earn 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of opening your account.
How has your experience of using these cards been? Let us know in the comments below.