Link: Apply now for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (review) is American Airlines’ most premium credit card, and it recently underwent a full refresh. While many of the changes were negative, there were also some positive updates to the card.
If you don’t yet have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, in this post I wanted to take a look at why you might want to apply for this card. Here are nine reasons you should consider picking up this $595 annual fee, in no particular order…
In this post:
Welcome bonus of 70K AAdvantage miles
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 American AAdvantage miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months. While that’s a significant spending requirement, it’s also a very good bonus.
I value American AAdvantage miles at ~1.5 cents each, so to me, those miles are worth about $1,050. That’s a fantastic bonus, especially for a card that also offers a lot of value in the long run. There are lots of great uses of American AAdvantage miles.
An Admirals Club membership
The single biggest perk of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is that the card offers an Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember. This card is arguably the best way to get Admirals Club access, as the card’s annual fee is less than the Admirals Club membership cost, even if you have elite status.
If you fly American with any frequency, having Admirals Club access is worth it for having somewhere comfortable to sit with complimentary drinks and snacks, and for access to the Admirals Club agents during irregular operations.
Admirals Club access for authorized users
Authorized users on the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card can also receive Admirals Club access. You can add up to three authorized users for a total of $175 (so potentially under $60 each), and then you’ll pay $175 for each authorized user beyond that.
The sweet spot is really adding three authorized users, as you’re looking at paying under $60 each for them to get Admirals Club access annually. They can access Admirals Club whenever flying a oneworld airline same day, and can bring two guests or immediate family.
Up to 20K Loyalty Points just for being a cardmember
If you’re going for elite status with American AAdvantage, the reason you may want to get the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is because it offers up to 20,000 Loyalty Points per year, without even spending a dime on the card.
The card offers 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year, and another 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. It doesn’t matter how those Loyalty Points are earned, so it could be from spending on the card, or from flying.
The ability to earn Loyalty Points with spending
As is the case with virtually all of American’s co-branded credit cards, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers one Loyalty Point per dollar spent. Loyalty Points is the system by which you can qualify for elite status nowadays, so spending on the card can help you achieve that.
For example, AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requires 200,000 Loyalty Points per year, so spending $180,000 on this card would earn you that (since you earn 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points). I’m not suggesting you should qualify for status that way, but you could.
4-5x AAdvantage miles on American Airlines spending
If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers (by far) the best return of any American Airlines card when it comes to spending on American.
The card offers 4x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases. On top of that, if you spend $150,000 on the card in a calendar year, you earn 5x AAdvantage miles on all American Airlines purchases for the rest of the calendar year.
Priority services with American Airlines
If you’re a less frequent flyer with American Airlines and don’t have elite status, you’ll appreciate the perks offered by the card, which include the following:
- A first checked bag free on domestic American itineraries for the cardmember and up to eight companions on the same reservation
- Priority airport check-in
- Priority airport security screening
- Preferred boarding
The value of that can add up. However, I do think this card is most valuable for those who have AAdvantage elite status.
Up to $120 annual credit with Avis & Budget
To help offset the annual fee, the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget rentals every calendar year. All you have to do is charge an eligible purchase to your card, and you’ll receive a statement credit up to the $120 limit. You can use this for one rental or multiple rentals, it’s totally up to you.
Up to $120 back annually with Grubhub
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card offers up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases every calendar year. This comes in the form of up to $10 in statement credits with Grubhub each billing cycle. Just charge at least that much to your card from Grubhub each billing cycle, and you’ll receive the credit.
While I wouldn’t say it’s as useful as the Avis or Budget credit (given that it can be used in one go), there’s still potentially quite a bit of value to be had if you use the food delivery service regularly.
Bottom line
The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is American’s most premium credit card. While it has a steep annual fee, many American flyers will find it to be worthwhile. The card offers an Admirals Club membership, the ability get reasonably priced Admirals Club access for authorized users, up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points per year just for being a cardmember, and more.
What’s your take on the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card?
Can the card get me into the Qantas Lounge when flying same-day any QF itinerary (domestic or intl)?
Hey Ben - if I signup for this card today while on a layover in MIA would I get lounge access immediately?
10x on advantage hotels can be useful to hit the minimum spend if you want to.prepaid your travel.
Immediately declined. I have excellent credit and a long history with Citibank and Citi credit cards. I am miffed about their approval process. Does anyone know if there is a way to appeal the decision. I am someone who puts a lot of thought into a credit card before applying for it. The last time I applied for a Citi credit card was 2020.
Seems like you haven’t changed your valuation since their recent massive devaluation.
Can you give some examples that eotmrk out to 1.5?cents in a premium cabin? Like lax-jfk of TATL j?
I already had this card and I am delighted with the changes. I primarily use this card as an aid to help keep my AA ExecPlat status, and for this purpose it is not only greatly improved but now a requirement! I already received my 20K LPs posted on July 31 (I was already at just over 100K). Also it's worth mentioning that they restored some basic premium credit card benefits that were inexplicably stripped...
I already had this card and I am delighted with the changes. I primarily use this card as an aid to help keep my AA ExecPlat status, and for this purpose it is not only greatly improved but now a requirement! I already received my 20K LPs posted on July 31 (I was already at just over 100K). Also it's worth mentioning that they restored some basic premium credit card benefits that were inexplicably stripped away a few years ago, such as travel/rental car insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. As for the raise in annual fee (from $450 to $595), the Avis and Grubhub credits ($240) more than make up for this, as I already spend that amount annually. It's like a $240 cash rebate on the annual fee. Honestly I can't find a downside to this new and improved card vs the old version.
Would it be worth getting the card for the sign up bonus and downgrading or product changing to a different Citi card at after the 1st year? Thinkin about redemption for flight to NY, Hawaii or Europe from the west coast.
this is what I’m thinking of doing. I have been debating between this card and the citi aa plat or plat biz, the value of 100k miles less the $595 fee is better than what you would get from the aa plat (best ive seen is around 75k points).
if you will hit 50k in aa points this year (i think i will) this card can springboard you to platinum status at 75k.
...this is what I’m thinking of doing. I have been debating between this card and the citi aa plat or plat biz, the value of 100k miles less the $595 fee is better than what you would get from the aa plat (best ive seen is around 75k points).
if you will hit 50k in aa points this year (i think i will) this card can springboard you to platinum status at 75k.
i have seen folks get retention offers on this card so after the year is up ill see what citi wants to give me and ill downgrade if its not good enough.
"However, I do think this card is most valuable for those who have AAdvantage elite status."
I find it to be a conundrum about if this card is more valuable for those with elite status or not. If you have elite status, most of the card's benefits at the airport become redundant - the card is really only giving you Admiral's Club access.
But at the same time, if you have the card and hardly...
"However, I do think this card is most valuable for those who have AAdvantage elite status."
I find it to be a conundrum about if this card is more valuable for those with elite status or not. If you have elite status, most of the card's benefits at the airport become redundant - the card is really only giving you Admiral's Club access.
But at the same time, if you have the card and hardly ever fly, you'll obtain elite status anyway via spend. At which point, you might as well get the cheaper AA card and use the same strategy.
One more question, Ben- I have the Platinum card already. Thinking of downgrading it to save the $99/year as I switch spend to the Exec. Any reason not to?
Will the primary admiral membership allow you to bring in a guest to the Alaska lounge?
@ Guest -- Yes, you can bring two guests or immediate family.
Three weeks since this card was approved (a few days less since received, activated, and used). I haven't gotten the bonus Miles/LPs yet—I'm at 150k. Should I call AA or Citi to chase them?
Oh, And a billing cycle has closed in the meantime, too. I got the miles/LP for the spend, but not the bonuses...
@ Scudder -- Officially it can take 8-10 weeks for the bonus Loyalty Points to post, so I'd recommend waiting. I suspect they will post sooner than that, but if you contact them now, they probably won't help anyway until that amount of time passes. I trust it should post automatically.
My bonuses posted promptly and automatically. Based on my experience, you should expect to receive your bonuses no later than the end of your current billing cycle.
I recently applied as the offer is too good to pass up. Have two random questions.
1) What is considered a qualified Avis/Budget rental? I have a rental coming up at the end of the month.
2) How long after you get the card does the 10k bonus LP post? I’m at 85k now so I qualify for the first threshold and after spending 10k on the card, will qualify for the second.
Am currently Plt, LT Gold but Plt Pro is well within reach.
@ 767 -- Regarding the Avis and Budget question, best I can see, the major restriction is just that you have to book direct. So reserving a car through a third party wouldn't qualify. As far as the speed at which Loyalty Points post, it seems there aren't enough data points yet to know for sure. They posted very quickly for most existing cardmembers, but as noted by Scudder, perhaps aren't posting quite as fast for new cardmembers.
Thanks Ben. Will report back when mine post to provide a datapoint.
My 10k LP bonus posted today. I was approved on 8/15 so it took about 8 days. I would guess that it should take another week or so for the second 10k to post as I’m now at 95k LP.
Can you upgrade from a platinum version to executive and still get the perks?
Regualr card benifits, yes. Signup bonus, I don't think so—it would have to be a new application.
@ Jack -- Indeed, as noted by Scudder, if you've had the card for at least a year you might be able to upgrade it, but you wouldn't get the bonus. Alternatively, if you apply outright you would qualify for the bonus.