| Last updated on October 26th, 2023
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- 20.99% - 29.99% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
- 20.99% - 29.99% (Variable) Balance Transfer APR
- 29.99% (Variable) Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
Frequent American Airlines flyers will fawn over the perks available to them through the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, including access to high-end airport lounges and sizable discounts on in-flight purchases. The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a top-notch airline rewards credit card that should be in strong consideration for every traveler’s wallet.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Admirals Club® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible mile earned from purchases
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservatio
- Regular Purchase APR: 20.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer APR: 20.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% (Variable)
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee: $450
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You fly often on American Airlines and want to earn miles and discounts when spending on your travels with you
- You commute through an airport that has an Admirals Club® lounge and wish to unwind before or after your trips
- You're likely to spend $5,000 on your card in the next 3 months, earning you a bonus 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® miles
- You want a card with no foreign transaction fees
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Review
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is designed with the discerning world-traveler in mind. For a $450 annual fee cardholders receive complimentary membership in American’s Admirals Club lounge program (a $650 value), priority check-in and boarding, a free first checked bag on domestic American-operated fights, and TSA and Global Entry prescreening.
How to Earn Miles
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® caters to the sophisticated globetrotter. With an annual fee of $450, cardholders enjoy exclusive benefits, such as complimentary membership in American’s Admirals Club lounge program (usually priced at $650), priority check-in and boarding, a complimentary first checked bag on domestic American-operated flights, and prescreening for TSA and Global Entry.
How to Earn Miles
With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, you can earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1X AAdvantage® mile per $1 spent elsewhere.
The rewards offered by the AAdvantage® Executive World Elite are quite underwhelming, merely acting as a complementary bonus to the card’s airline benefits, which are the main attraction. For instance, the 2X points earned on flights are significantly lower than the 5X MR points earned by the Platinum Card from American Express when booking flights directly with airlines. Even the Citi® Double Cash Card earns the same rate on all purchases, not just flights. Moreover, the Citi® Double Cash Card has no annual fee and provides a generous introductory APR offer for balance transfers.
Fortunately, that meager points haul is redeemed by a decent welcome offer. While the exact offer differs depending on the targetted offer, expect at least $500 in added value after meeting the minimum spending requirements. Even better, spend $40,000 in purchases on your card within the calendar year, and you’ll also net 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) in addition to the AAdvantage® miles you’ve already earned that year.
Luxury Travel Comparison
 Advantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® |
 Chase Sapphire Reserve® |
 The Platinum Card® |
|
| Annual fee | $450 | $550 | $695 |
| Rewards | Earn 2X Aadvantage® Miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1X miles on all other purchases | Earn 5X on flights through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 10X on hotels and car rentals through Ultimate Rewards, 10X on Chase Dining, 3X on all other travel purchases, 3X on dining, and 1X on all other purchases | Earn 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines of Amex Travel, 5X on prepaid hotels booked thorugh AmexTravel.com, and 1X on all other purchases |
| TSA Precheck | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Lounge access | Admirals Club® membership | Priority Pass Select, Chase Sapphire Lounges | Priority Pass Select, the Global Lounge Collection |
| Airline perks | First checked bag free, priority check-in and screening, 25% in-flight savings, travel insurance | 50% more value for points when booking travel through UR, NEXUS credits | Airline incidentals credit, CLEAR credits |
| Travel credits | $100 | $300/year | $400/year |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa | American Express |
How to Redeem Miles
Cardholders can redeem AAdvantage miles for a generous selection of awards. Chief among those awards is the ability to redeem miles towards American Airlines or other codeshare partners’ flights. Redeeming miles American Airlines, American Eagle®, Oneworld Airlines, and partner airlines on flights to over 1,000 destinations worldwide is straightforward, with award flights starting at just 7,500 miles for one-way, domestic flights. Miles apply to two different types of reward fare through the American Airlines AAdvantage award chart: MileSAAver awards and AAnytime awards.
- MileSAAver: MileSAAver awards offer the best value for award flights, but are only available on specific routes. Additionally, these awards are much fewer in number, so those looking to redeem their miles for a MileSAAver flight need to be quick on their feet to ensure they don’t miss out.
- AAnytime: AAnytime offers a much smoother redemption process, as they are available on pretty much every flight. AAnytime miles, however, are more expensive than MileSAAver awards, meaning they don’t offer the best value for money.
Miles also applies to other American Airlines incidentals, including seat and AAdvantage status upgrades. Miles also apply to upgrades with British Airways, Iberia flights, or flights with other Oneworld carriers.
Booking award flights is your best value in the program, with as little as 7,500 miles required for a one-way ticket (though the precise amount will vary depending on date, time, airport, and seat preferences). If a better value is found elsewhere, however, don’t fret – AAdvantage miles transfer to the following airlines:
| British Airways | Iberia | Qatar Airways | Royal Air Maroc | Air Tahiti Nui |
| Cathay Pacific | Japan Airlines | Finnair | Royal Jordanian | Cape Air |
| Fiji Airways | Malaysia Airlines | British Airways | Qantas | China Southern Airlines |
| Etihad Airways | GOL | Hawaiian Airlines | JetBlue | Silver Airways |
Other AAdvantage redemption options include:
- Vacations: Use miles to purchase vacations through Oneworld partners.
- Car Rentals: Miles are applicable for vehicle rentals at over 500 locations worldwide.
- Hotels: Use miles towards bookings with over 150,000 properties in over 500 locations worldwide.
- Gift Miles: Gift miles to friends and family members.
- Spending with Oneworld Partners: Members can apply miles towards qualifying retail partners for goods and services including magazine subscriptions, newspapers, gift cards, and theft prevention services.
Related Article: The Ultimate Guide to the AAdvantage Program
Premium Perks
As mentioned, when it comes to the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, it’s not the miles you earn, it’s the miles you relax. Whether traveling often for work or leisure, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® rewards American Airlines loyalists with comforts and conveniences that easily justify the card’s annual fee.
While perks like priority check-in and statement credits for Global Entry or TSA Pre√® are appreciated, it’s the card’s unique ability to grant cardholders (and up to two of their guests) access to the lavish American Airlines Admirals Club® lounges that help it stand out. You’ll also receive a 25% discount on in-flight food and drinks with your card, the cost of which can quickly add up when flying with others. Not only that, but cardholders enjoy a first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling on the same itinerary.
Who is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Designed for?
Given the steep annual fee and basic points, who exactly is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® targeted towards? The target market for the card is the frequent traveler that prioritizes comfort versus rewards potential.
Perhaps the biggest feature of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is complimentary Admirals Club access. Admirals Club access provides access to roughly 50 global lounges for the cardholders and up to two guests or immediate family (spouse, domestic partner, and/or children under 18 years of age).
The cost of an Admirals Club membership for a basic AAdvantage member is $650 for the first year and $600 for each annual renewal. Because of this steep cost, the annual fee with the AAdvantage® Executive Mastercard® is not only reasonable for the dedicated American traveler but pays for itself each year with regular travel.
FAQs About the Citibank / AAdvantage Credit Cards
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the AAdvantage lineup of credit cards from Citi, along with the answers:
- Yes. AAdvantage frequent flyer miles expire after 18 months of inactivity on the cardholder’s account. Fortunately keeping an account active is as easy as making a purchase with an AAdvantage co-brand credit card from Citi.
- You can book award travel on many partner airlines on aa.com and on the American app. Partner airline flights are included in award travel search results, and you can filter results for your preferred partner airlines on the Choose flights page.
- No. American Airlines’ loyalty program – AAdvantage – is free to join. Members may purchase Admirals Club membership – providing lounge access on American flights – from $600 per year.
Citibank Ratings
Here is how Citi rates as a bank and credit card lender:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
|
4/5 |
4/5 |
3/5 |
Should You Apply for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®?
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is an exceptional airline rewards credit card for American Airlines loyalist who want to make the most of their elite status. New users can earn 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles when they spend $5,000 within the first 90 days. With regular use. they earn 2X miles with American and 1X miles for all other purchases. In many ways, the card offers better value than the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® from Barclays.
The card also offers impressive airport benefits – the best of which is complimentary access to American’s Admirals Club lounges. Where lounge access would normally cost around $650 per year, with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, it is included with the $450 annual fee. Beyond lounge access, however, cardholders also receive free first checked baggage on American-operated flights not only for themselves but also for up to 8 other guests when they book their travel using their card. Cardholders also get priority check-in and boarding, and a fee credit for Global Entry and TSA pre-screening.
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