CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard Review 2024
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CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard Details
Frequent flyers have several choices if they're looking for an American Airlines co-branded credit card, including options from Citi and Barclays with varying annual fees. However, there's only one American Airlines small-business credit card available to new applicants right now, and it's a great pick if you're looking for a substantial welcome bonus offer and travel benefits.
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® currently offers 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after you or your employees spend $4,000 in purchases within the first four months of account opening. That's enough for at least three domestic round-trip economy tickets or a round-trip award flight to Europe, and you don't have to redeem your miles on American — you can use them for partner award flights, too.
You'll also receive valuable perks when you fly American Airlines, including a free first checked bag on domestic itineraries for yourself and up to four companions, preferred boarding, and a 25% savings on inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi when you use your card.
Cardholders earn 2x miles on American Airlines purchases, eligible purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations. If your small business spends a lot in these categories, this card offers an easy way to rack up a lot of American Airlines miles quickly.
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® also offers a valuable perk for big spenders. Each cardmember year when you spend $30,000 or more and renew the card, you'll receive a companion certificate that allows a companion to join you for $99 plus the cost of taxes and fees.
To be eligible to apply for the card, you'll need to have a small business — but it doesn't have to be a large corporation or even an LLC. Side gigs like freelancing, having a rental property, or even driving for Uber can qualify you for a small-business credit card.
Keep in mind you won't be eligible for this offer if you've received a new account bonus for a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® in the past 48 months. However, if you have a personal American Airlines card, like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, it won't disqualify you from opening this card.
If you don't fly American Airlines often enough to take advantage of the card's benefits, you may want to consider opening a card that earns flexible rewards points instead. Although American Airlines isn't a transfer partner of any of the major transferable points programs, you can redeem points from programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and Capital One for travel on most airlines by booking flights through the issuer's respective travel portal.
How to earn miles with the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® doesn't just offer bonus miles when you use the card for American Airlines purchases. Other common small-business expenses also earn miles at an improved rate, making the card ideal for business owners with high expenses in these categories.
Cardholders earn:
- 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases (made directly with the airline, including through AA.com, American Airlines reservations, American Airlines Admirals Club, American Airlines Vacations, Google Flights, and American Airlines airport and city ticket counters)
- 2 miles per dollar on select telecommunications merchants (merchants that sell telecommunications equipment such as telephones, fax machines, pagers, and cellular phones, along with providers of telecommunications services including local and long-distance telephone calls and fax services)
- 2 miles per dollar on car rentals (short-term or long-term rentals of cars, trucks, or vans)
- 2 miles per dollar on cable and satellite providers (television, internet, telephone, and radio programming via cable or satellite on a subscription or fee basis)
- 2 miles per dollar at gas stations
All other eligible purchases earn 1 mile per dollar.
Benefits and Features
Most of the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®'s benefits apply to travel on American Airlines, and can save you a significant amount of money if you're a frequent flyer.
Free checked bag
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® cardholders and up to four companions on the same reservation receive a free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries (US mainland, Hawaii, Canada, US Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico). Because American Airlines normally charges $30 for the first checked bag, this translates to a savings of up to $60 per person on a round-trip booking.
There's no requirement to use the card to pay for your ticket to get the free checked bag. You'll receive the benefit as long as your card has been open for at least seven days, and the AAdvantage frequent flyer number associated with your card is attached to your reservation at least seven days before departure.
Preferred boarding
When you have the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you and up to four companions on the same reservation receive preferred boarding (Group 5) on American Airlines flights.
Being able to get on the airplane sooner can give you more time to store your carry-on bag and get settled into your seat.
Inflight discounts
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® cardholders can save 25% on inflight food, drinks, and Wi-Fi when they use their card to pay for these purchases on American Airlines flights.
The discount comes in the form of a statement credit that will appear on your account eight to 10 weeks after the transaction posts.
Companion certificate
When you spend at least $30,000 on eligible purchases in a card anniversary year with your CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and renew your card, you'll receive a companion certificate valid for domestic economy travel on American Airlines.
This certificate allows you to bring a companion along for just $99 plus $21.60 to $43.20 in government taxes and fees when you purchase an eligible Main Cabin round-trip fare in the 48 contiguous United States. For residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, the companion certificate is also valid for round-trip travel originating in those states/territories and continuing to the 48 contiguous United States.
Earn Loyalty Points toward elite status
The new American Airlines Loyalty Point scheme makes it possible to earn AAdvantage elite status without ever setting foot on an airplane. In addition to earning Loyalty Points from flying (1 eligible AAdvantage mile earned = 1 Loyalty Point), you can earn Loyalty Points from non-flying activities, including spending on American Airlines credit cards, shopping through the AA Shopping Portal, and spending with partners.
Keep in mind you'll only earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar you spend on the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, even if the purchase is in a 2x bonus category. For example, if you spent $30,000 on your card in a qualifying year, you'd unlock AAdvantage Gold elite status, which requires 30,000 Loyalty Points to achieve.
Fees and costs
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months, so you'll have the opportunity to try it out and see if you like the benefits without incurring a huge out-of-pocket cost.
The card is also good to use when you travel abroad, because it doesn't add pesky foreign transaction fees.
Like most other cards, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® charges fees for cash advances, late payments, and returned payments.