Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card Review

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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Overview

Citi issues several credit cards for American Airlines, but the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a great pick if you fly American Airlines, even occasionally, because the benefits alone can save you a significant amount of money. Cardholders get their first checked bag free (normally $30) on domestic AA itineraries, as do up to four companions traveling on the same reservation. I had this card for years when I flew American Airlines frequently for work, and it saved me hundreds of dollars on checked-bag fees.

Another handy perk, preferred boarding (Group 5), allows you to board just after first-class, business-class, and elite passengers. This gives you earlier access to coveted overhead bin space and more time to get settled into your seat. 

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering a welcome bonus of  50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $2,500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. You'll also earn American Airlines miles for your everyday spending, including 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and at restaurants and gas stations, and 1x miles everywhere else. And when you use your card for eligible American Airlines inflight purchases, you'll get a 25% discount in the form of a statement credit.

Plus, if you spend $20,000 or more on the card in a cardmember year, you'll receive a $125 American Airlines flight discount certificate, valid for travel on American Airlines (including codeshares) and Oneworld partner flights.

Note that you won't be eligible for the bonus on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® if you've received a new cardholder bonus on the same card in the past 48 months.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Rewards

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select welcome bonus offer

The intro bonus offer is currently 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $2,500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. The miles from the bonus are worth around 105000 in flights, based on Business Insider's points and miles valuations.

This is an impressive offer, especially considering the annual fee is just $99, waived for first 12 months. 

How to earn miles with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a good choice for American Airlines purchases, as well as other everyday spending in popular categories. Cardholders earn:

• 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases (including AA.com, American Airlines reservations, American Airlines Admirals Club, American Airlines Vacations, and American Airlines airport and city ticket counters)
• 2 miles per dollar at restaurants (including cafes, bars, lounges, and fast-food restaurants) 
• 2 miles per dollar at gas stations
• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases

How to use miles from the Citi AAdvantage card

American Airlines is one of the few U.S. airlines to still publish a region-based award chart, although it just eliminated its pricing for saver and anytime-level awards. Instead, the new AA award chart is dynamically priced, similar to other U.S. airlines. The number of miles required for an award ticket will depend on various factors, although you could score a deep discount if your route or date is classified as a Web Special, which can sometimes shave thousands of miles off the price of a standard ticket. 

Even if you don't fly American Airlines, there's a ton of value to be had from AA miles. Because American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance, you can redeem AAdvantage miles for award tickets on any of these Oneworld partners:

• Alaska Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

Another option is to use American Airlines miles for flights on the carrier's non-alliance partners, which include Air Tahiti Nui, Cape Air, China Southern Airlines, Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways, GOL Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines (except for flights between the mainland US and Hawaii), JetBlue, and Silver Airways. American Airlines hasn't moved toward dynamic award pricing on partner awards, so it's easier to estimate the number of miles you'll need to book a ticket.

Other options for redeeming American Airlines miles (most of which aren't the best value) include car rentals, hotels, vacation packages, seat upgrades, Admirals Club airport lounge memberships, merchandise, gift cards, and charity donations.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Benefits and Features

Along with the solid welcome bonus offer and earning on everyday spending, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® comes with benefits that can save you money and hassle when you fly American Airlines, and a discount if you spend $20,000 or more on the card each year.

Free first checked bag

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® cardholders get a free first checked bag — for themselves and up to four others traveling on the same reservation — on American Airlines domestic itineraries (US mainland, Hawaii, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico). American Airlines normally charges $30 for the first checked bag on these routes, so on a round-trip itinerary, you could save $60 (or much more if you have companions with you).

Unlike some other airline cards, like the United℠ Explorer Card, you don't have to use the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® to pay for your ticket to receive a complimentary first checked bag. 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, you're good to go.

Even if you only travel American Airlines occasionally, having the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® can translate into big savings on checked bag fees, especially for couples or families.

Preferred boarding

The struggle to find overhead bin space nowadays is real, and getting on the plane sooner can make the difference between finding a spot for your carry-on or having to put it in the baggage hold. With the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you'll get preferred (Group 5 boarding), which means you'll have a better shot at storing your belongings in the cabin.

Group 5 passengers board right after elite flyers, first- and business-class travelers, and those who've paid extra for priority boarding or who have the premium Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. You'll get on the plane at the same time as passengers who've paid more for Main Cabin Extra seats, and before the rest of economy class. 

American Airlines $125 flight discount

Each card anniversary year in which you spend $20,000 or more, you'll earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount certificate. Your discount code will come via email 8-12 weeks after renewing your card, and it's valid for flights on American Airlines (and flights marketed by American Airlines on regional carriers Envoy Air, Republic Airways, SkyWest Airlines, Mesa Airlines, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines), as well as Oneworld partners.

The flight discount certificate is valid for one year from the date it's issued, but keep in mind it can only be applied to itineraries that originate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands.

American Airlines 25% inflight discount

When you use your Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® for eligible inflight purchases like food or alcoholic beverages, you'll get a 25% discount in the form of a statement credit. The discount is valid on American Airlines flights, plus American Airlines-marketed flights on Envoy Air, Republic Airways, SkyWest Airlines, Air Wisconsin Airlines, PSA Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines.

The credit should appear on your statement 8-10 weeks after your purchase. One important thing to note is that inflight Wi-Fi purchases (which aren't processed by American Airlines) aren't eligible for the discount.

Earn Loyalty Points toward elite status

The new American Airlines Loyalty Point structure makes it possible to earn AAdvantage elite status without ever leaving your house. In addition to earning Loyalty Points from flights (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 Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, even if the purchase is in a 2x bonus category. For example, if you spent $40,000 on your card in a qualifying year, you'd unlock AAdvantage Gold elite status, which requires 40,000 Loyalty Points to achieve.

World Elite Mastercard benefits

Because the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a World Elite Mastercard, it comes with additional travel and shopping perks, including free Shoprunner membership, Lyft and DoorDash credits, and access to a global assistance hotline and concierge.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Annual Fee and Other Costs

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® annual fee is $99, waived for first 12 months, so you won't have to worry about an additional cost in the first year of having the card. That said, the ongoing benefits can make the card worth keeping for the long term, as you can get a value that far exceeds the annual fee, especially if you fly American Airlines often.

In addition, the card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee, which makes it a good choice for international travel. However, you should strive to pay off your card in full every month; otherwise, you'll be charged a 21.24% - 29.99% variable APR on your balance.

Other fees apply to certain situations, including balance transfers, cash advances, late payments, and returned payments.

How the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Compares

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select vs other American Airlines cards

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card worth it?

If you fly American Airlines, even occasionally, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is definitely worth considering. The free checked bag benefit alone can more than offset the annual fee in just a couple of trips, and perks like priority boarding and inflight discounts can help you save time and money.

However, if you aren't usually an American Airlines flyer, or prefer earning rewards that don't lock you into a single frequent flyer program, you may be better off opening a card that earns flexible rewards points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. You can still use points from these cards toward paid flights on American (and other airlines) by booking through the bank travel portal, but you won't get AA-specific perks like checked bags or priority boarding.

What credit score do you need for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card?

Usually, folks who are approved for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® have a credit score in the good to excellent range. This means a FICO score of at least 670.

Which American Airlines credit card is best?

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is probably the best all-around American Airlines card considering its moderate annual fee and solid benefits on the airline.

However, there are other American Airlines cards to consider. For example, if you're a very frequent flyer, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® may be a better choice, because it comes with Admirals Club airport lounge membership. And if you're totally opposed to paying an annual fee and don't care about airline-specific benefits, the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® is also worth a look.

Here's our guide to the best American Airlines credit cards for a full rundown of your options.

Methodology: How we reviewed the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select

Business Insider's experts compared the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® to other American Airlines and competitor airline credit cards. We looked at several factors, including: 

• Simplicity — Is the card's earning and redeeming structure straightforward? Are there lots of ways to redeem miles?
• Earning potential — Are there bonus categories on the card that are useful to average travelers? Is there a spending cap on any of the categories or other limitations?
• Annual fee — Is the card's annual fee (if there is one) justified based on the benefits and rewards you receive? 
• Benefits — Are the card's perks, especially airline/day-of-travel benefits, competitive with other cards in the same category?

For an in-depth look at our methodology, read about how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.