The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a good option for frequent American Airlines travelers since it offers an Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, priority boarding, and priority check-in on American Airlines..
Citi recently made major changes to this card including adding a fee for authorized users, adding statement credits for Grubhub, Lyft, Avis, and Budget, and increasing the annual fee from $450 to $595.
This article will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
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- Admirals Club Lounge Membership
- Free Checked Bag (for you and 8 travel companions)
- Priority Boarding and Priority Check-In
- Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check Credit
- $595 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The AAdvantage Executive Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Earning Points
The AAdvantage Executive Card earns American AAdvantage miles at the following rate:
- 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars;
- 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels;
- 4 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases; and
- 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
For people who spend $150,000 on the card in a calendar year, cardmembers can earn a total of 5x AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the calendar year.
Earn Loyalty Points By Spending
Spending on this card allows you to earn Loyalty Points toward American Airlines elite status.
For every AAdvantage Mile you earn using this card, you will earn one Loyalty Point, excluding the welcome bonus.
You can also earn Loyalty points by flying on American Airlines and its partners, staying at hotels, dining at restaurants, shopping online, and many other ways.
Here are the Loyalty Points required for each level:
- AAdvantage Gold status requires 40,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Platinum status requires 75,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro status requires 125,000 Loyalty Points.
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requires 200,000 Loyalty Points
Earn Up to 20,000 Bonus Loyalty Points
On top of your rewards from spending on this card, you can also earn additional Loyalty Points by being an AAdvantage Executive cardmember:
- Earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year.
- Earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points when you earn 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year.
Annual Fee and Authorized Users Fee
The AAdvantage Executive card has an annual fee of $595.
You can add up to three authorized users for a total of $175. Additional authorized users cost $175 per user.
The big advantage to adding authorized users is that they each get Admirals Club access when flying American Airlines or a Oneworld partner airline.
Authorized users do not get other benefits like free checked bags or priority boarding, unless they are traveling with the primary cardholder.
Card Benefits and Perks
Below are the benefits and perks of the AAdvantage Executive Card:
Admirals Club Membership
The main reason to hold the AAdvantage Executive card is because it comes with an Admirals Club Membership, which typically costs between $750 and $850, depending on your AAdvantage elite status level.
To access the Admirals Club, you need to have a same-day ticket on American Airlines or a Oneworld partner airline (e.g., Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, JAL, Qatar Airways, and more).
Both the primary cardmember and authorized users can bring in two guests or immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, and/or children under 18).
The primary cardholder also receives access to Alaska Lounges and other partner lounges, including British Airways and Qantas. (Authorized users do not get this same access.)
Free Checked Bag
Primary cardmembers receive a free first checked bag for themselves, plus up to eight travel companions traveling on the same reservation.
You don’t need to pay for the ticket using this card, unlike the United℠ Explorer Card. All you need to do is make sure your AAdvantage account is linked to your reservation.
Checked bags normally cost $60 round-trip, so this benefit can save you a lot of money, especially for families.
Priority Boarding, Check-In, and Security
Primary cardmembers and up to eight companions on the same ticket get access to priority check-in, priority airport screening, and priority boarding (Group 4).
25% In-Flight Savings on Food and Beverages
You can get 25% savings as a statement credit when you use your card to purchase food and beverages on American Airlines-operated flights.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
This card offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit like many other travel cards.
TSA PreCheck is a membership program offering dedicated airport security lines and faster security screening (typically 5 minutes or less) at more than 200 airports across the United States and includes over 81 airlines.
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and expedited immigration upon arrival from an international trip back to the United States.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Up to $120 Avis and Budget Rental Car Credit
The AAdvantage Executive card offers up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget rentals every calendar year when you rent a car and pay for it with this card.
This credit can be used for a single or multiple rentals with Avis or Budget.
Up to $120 Lyft Credit
The AAdvantage Executive card offers up to $120 in Lyft credits each year, but it comes with a catch.
You need to pay for three eligible rides each month with this card to unlock the $10 Lyft credit.
This credit works similar to the $5 Lyft credit for World Elite Mastercards like the Bilt Mastercard® (review).
Up to $120 Grubhub Credit
Cardmembers of the AAdvantage Executive card receive up to $120 back on Grubhub purchases every year.
The credit is in the form of $10 statement credits each month when you charge Grubhub to your card.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance reimburses you for non-refundable expenses if your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason such as illness, severe weather, or an accidental injury when you pay for your travel expenses with this card.
Trip Delay Insurance
This card offers trip delay insurance when you purchase your flight with this card.
This reimburses you for reasonable expenses things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use a card that offers free trip delay insurance.
Lost Baggage Protection
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Cheapest way to access Admirals Club.
- Free checked bag and priority boarding for primary cardmember and up to eight companions.
- Fee credits to try to help offset the annual fee.
Cons:
- Fee to add authorized users (previously free to add up to 10).
- Lyft credit requires you to pay for three rides to unlock.
- $595 annual fee.
Alternatives to the AAdvantage Executive Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Better for Accessing Other Airport Lounges
The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash Credit: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Benefit renews annually.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Better for Everyday Spending
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Lower Annual Fee Without Admirals Club Access
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- 2x Miles for American Airlines, Gas Stations, and Restaurants purchases.
- Free Checked Bag and Preferred Boarding
- 25% In-Flight Savings on Food and Drinks
- $99 Annual Fee, Waived for First 12 Months
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a good option for American Airlines flyers because it offers a free first checked bag on domestic flights for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation, plus preferred boarding on American Airlines flights.
Plus, you earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar at restaurants, gas stations, and on American Airlines.
The AAdvantage Platinum card can also help you earn AAdvantage elite status because every dollar spent on the card equals one Loyalty Point.
Is the AAdvantage Executive Card Worth It?
The AAdvantage Executive Card is worth it if you are American Airlines frequent flyer that wants access to Admirals Clubs, including for guests.
If you fly multiple airlines each year, then you are better off getting a general travel card with airport lounge access like the The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review).
- bonus_miles_full.
- Admirals Club Lounge Membership
- Free Checked Bag (for you and 8 travel companions)
- Priority Boarding and Priority Check-In
- Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check Credit
- $595 Annual Fee
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
