American Airlines is the one major U.S. airline that doesn’t have a transferable points partnership with any of the major banks. That means it can be significantly harder to rack up a large balance of AAdvantage miles. Fortunately, you can still sign up for co-branded credit cards from both Barclays and Citi to earn welcome bonuses. However, that’s about to change—Citi is becoming the exclusive issuer of American Airlines cards.
Until recently, both Citi and Barclays offered AAdvantage business cards. Barclays is no longer accepting new applications, so if you want an AAdvantage business card, your only option is:
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
Annual Fee
$99 per year, waived for the first 12 months.
Sign-Up Bonus
Citi has strict rules for earning sign-up bonuses on their credit cards. For co-branded AAdvantage cards, there’s a 48-month restriction:
American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months.
This restriction only applies to the *same* card. You can get a bonus for both a personal and a business AAdvantage card if they’re different products.
The current offer provides a 65,000-mile bonus after spending $4,000 in the first four months. Apply here.
Bonus Categories
Earn 2x AAdvantage miles in the following categories:
- Eligible American Airlines purchases
- Cable and satellite providers
- Gas stations
- Select telecommunications merchants
- Car rentals
All other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar. All miles are credited to the primary cardholder’s AAdvantage account.
Loyalty Points for You and Your Employees
Each cardholder—primary or employee—earns 1 Loyalty Point per $1 spent. Interestingly, authorized users must have their own AAdvantage accounts, and the Loyalty Points from their spending are credited to them, not the primary cardholder.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, making it suitable for international use.
Free First Checked Bag
The primary cardholder and up to four companions on the same domestic reservation get one free checked bag each when flying on American Airlines-operated flights. This does not apply to codeshares operated by other airlines.
- Your card account must be open at least 7 days before travel and linked to your AAdvantage account.
- This benefit doesn’t stack with other AAdvantage or cabin-based baggage benefits.
- Oversized or overweight bags are not included.
You can use a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve to pay for the flight and get better travel protections, while keeping the checked bag benefit.
With first-checked bags now costing $40 ($35 online), this benefit could save over $ 160 on a single round-trip for two.
Preferred Boarding
You and up to four companions board in Group 5, after priority boarding but before general economy. Here’s how airline boarding groups work.
The same requirements apply: the card must be open, and the AAdvantage number linked 7 days in advance.
25% Off In-Flight Food & Beverages
Save 25% when you pay for eligible onboard food and beverages with your card.
25% Off In-Flight Wi-Fi
Get 25% off in-flight Wi-Fi purchased via Gogo, Viasat, Panasonic, or American’s subscription plan.
Anniversary Companion Certificate
Spend $30,000 in a cardmember year to earn a companion certificate for a domestic round-trip ticket. The guest fare is $99 plus taxes and fees, and the certificate is valid for one year.
Use Miles on Partner Airlines
You can redeem AAdvantage miles not just for American flights, but also on oneworld and other airline partners.
Final Thoughts
This is a business card, so yes, you’ll need a business to apply. We had no trouble getting approved, but we’ve been longtime Citi customers with solid credit and business income. Your experience may vary. For us, it was easier than applying for a Chase business card, which required more documentation.
The 65,000-mile sign-up bonus can take you far, especially if you find saver award space or book flights with partners like Cathay Pacific, JAL, Qatar, or Etihad. Having the annual fee waived for the first year makes the deal even sweeter.
In the long run, perks like free checked bags, preferred boarding, 25% off in-flight purchases, and discounted Wi-Fi may easily offset the $99 fee, especially if you fly American often. However, if you already have another AA card, it’s worth considering whether this one still makes sense for you.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
