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Use American Airlines miles to book a fancy lie-flat business class seat for nearly free.
American Airlines
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
And the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® is currently offering AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®.
These bonuses are worth an average of Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® in travel, per Insider’s valuations.
Read Insider’s guide to the best airline credit cards.
Two American Airlines credit cards now come with intro offers that are far more generous than usual.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® are both cards worth opening simply for their valuable ongoing benefits — which can be worth thousands each year to AA flyers. And for a limited time, these cards are even more fetching, offering bonuses of 80,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements.
80,000 points is a lot. Here are a few examples of what you could achieve with a stash of miles like that:
1 round-trip coach flight to the Middle East3 round-trip coach flights to the Caribbean1 lie-flat business class seat to Northern South America (think Peru and Colombia)2 round-trip coach flights to Hawaii1 round-trip coach flight to South AfricaA one-way business class flight to Europe and a one-way coach flight home
There are tons of ways to use this bonus for (nearly) free flights. Per Insider’s points valuations, these bonuses are worth Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® in travel, on average.
Here’s a quick reminder as to what you can expect with each of these cards — and how to earn these massive new bonuses.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. Its previous bonus was 50,000 miles after meeting minimum spending requirements.
The card charges a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® annual fee — but you’ll receive above-average card benefits for that price tag. Here’s what you’ll get:
American Airlines Admirals Club lounge membership (with guest privileges)Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on your reservation on American Airlines domestic itinerariesPriority boarding on American Airlines flights10,000 Loyalty Points after spending $40,000 on purchases during the qualifying status year (helpful for reaching elite status)25% savings for inflight purchases
The first bullet is the most enticing. Membership to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges normally costs $650 per year. If you’d normally purchase an Admirals Club membership, this card is a no-brainer. And get this: You can add up to 10 authorized users for free — and each will get their own Admirals Club airport lounge access.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® isn’t great for spending, however. It earns just 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Because of this, it’s best to keep sheathed in your wallet for most purchases.
Read our Citi AAdvantage Executive card review for everything you need to know about this card.
AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®
The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® comes with AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®. Previously, this card offered up to 70,000 miles after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.
As you can see, this new bonus is slightly better than what’s offered by the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® — and the spending requirement is lower, too. The card charges a modest AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® annual fee, so you’re effectively receiving a $0 annual fee for the first year.
The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® comes with
Free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itinerariesPreferred boarding on American Airlines flights25% savings on American Airlines inflight purchasesDomestic companion certificate after spending $30,000 in a cardmember year5% AAdvantage mile bonus on each cardmember anniversary (based on the total number of miles earned using your card)
Fair benefits — and an excellent companion certificate if you can manage to reach the $30,000 annual spending requirement. The card also earns 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants, and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Still not excellent, but a marked improvement over the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
You can read our full Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business card review for more details.
Bottom line
If you’ve been eyeing either of these cards recently — or if you’re just trying to earn American Airlines miles in a hurry — both the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® have better-than-usual deals right now. It’s not often that we see an American Airlines credit card offering a bonus higher than 80,000 miles.
These cards also have great ongoing benefits for American Airlines frequent flyers. If you’re smart with their perks, you could save hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars each year.