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Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® review
Last updated:
Earn double miles at restaurants and gas stations.
- Get this card if you often fly American Airlines.
- Pick something else if you prefer other airlines or if you want a general travel credit card.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
50,000
Miles as welcome offer
Up to 2x
Miles
$0
Annual fee
for the first year ($99 thereafter)
17.74% to 25.74%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Product Name | Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® |
|---|---|
| Card type | Mastercard |
| Annual fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter) |
| Purchase APR | 17.74% to 25.74% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 17.74% to 25.74% variable |
| Balance transfer fee | $5 or 3% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| Cash advance rate | 26.99% variable |
| Cash advance fee | $10 or 5% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Penalty APR | 29.99% variable |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Interest free period | Up to 23 days |
| Late payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Returned payment fee | Up to $39 |
| Additional cardholder fee | $0 |
The basics
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® could be a solid choice if you often fly American Airlines. You get to earn double miles on your airline purchases and at restaurants and gas stations.
A generous signup bonus, savings on your first checked bag, in-flight purchase discounts, preferred boarding and more make this a well-rounded mid-tier travel card.
The perks
-
AAdvantage miles.
Earn 2x miles at restaurants, gas stations and on American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x miles on everything else you buy. -
Signup bonus.
Earn 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after you spend $2,500 on purchases in your first 3 months of card membership.
Is the annual fee worth it?
The card comes with a $99 annual fee, which is waived for the first year. But if you often fly with American Airlines, you’ll offset the fee not by using the card’s other perks and redeeming miles. For example:
- If you make two round trips, you’ll save $120 with the first checked bag free perk.
- If you spend more than $20,000 each cardmembership year, you’ll get a $125 flight discount.
- If you spend $3,300 outside of the US, you’ll save $99, as the card has no foreign transaction fees. Other cards have up to a 3% fee.
- If you redeem your miles for a value of 1.5 cents each, you need to spend $3,300 on the 2x miles categories to offset the annual fee.
You’ll also like …
-
First checked bag free.
A family of four can save $240 on a round-trip flight with this perk alone. -
Preferred boarding.
Get preferred boarding, displayed as a Group 5 on your American Airlines boarding pass. This comes after priority boarding is complete but before economy boarding starts. -
In-flight savings.
Save 25% on food and beverages purchased on American Airlines flights. -
Flight discount.
Earn a $100 flight discount after spending $20,000 with your card in a calendar year. -
No foreign transaction fees.
Whenever you use your card outside of the US, you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees.
What to watch out for
-
Annual fee.
For the first year, you’ll pay a $0 annual fee. But starting from the second, the card will cost you $99 every year. -
Taxes and fees on award flights.
You’re responsible for paying taxes and fees from $30 per person per award flight. -
Penalty APR.
Late or returned payments may cause an increase to your rates of a penalty APR up to 29.99% variable. Once incurred, it may last indefinitely. -
No intro APR period.
Airline co-branded credit cards rarely come with an intro APR period. If you’re looking to make balance transfers or carry your balance without paying interest, look for 0% intro APR credit cards.
Compare travel credit cards
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the card, you must be at least 18 years old and you must have a valid Social Security number.
In your application, provide your:
- Name, address and contact information
- Date of birth and Social Security number
- Annual income and mortgage or rent payment
What credit score do I need?
Your chances of approval increase if you have a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
You can combine cards to earn more miles
- The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® earns 2x miles at gas stations and restaurants.
- The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card earns 2x miles at grocery stores.
Use the first card when making purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and the second card when purchasing at grocery stores to maximize your mile earning.
How to earn American Airlines miles
What do customers say about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®?
Customers mostly complain about poor customer service, cards getting frozen when abroad — even when Citi was notified — and the low credit line that some of them have received.
Citibank is rated F by the Better Business Bureau because the bank failed to respond to customer complaints on the BBB website. Also, despite being in business for more than 200 years, Citibank isn’t accredited by BBB.
When you’re traveling abroad, you may want to have a backup payment option on hand — just in case your card gets frozen.
Case study: Jon’s experience
Jon Brodsky
Finder CEO, USA
I signed up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® with the idea that I’d earn enough miles to send my family on a trip to Sydney — but so far it hasn’t gone as planned.
While I’d long considered myself a ninja at booking mileage tickets on Delta, mileage tickets on American are priced one-way and super-confusing to me. It’s also been really hard to find a decent price at times or dates that work for us, so we’ve only used our miles a handful of times.
Checking my card balance on the Citi app is often way more painful than the similar experience on Chase or Amex, as the app is often down on my phone. In addition, American just doesn’t have the same number of flights from New York as Delta, so I rarely get to use the free checked bag or preferred boarding perks.
I do love the lack of foreign transaction fees and that this card is accepted literally everywhere in the world that I’ve ever been. And I’ve noticed the mileage piles up a bit faster than it does on my Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. But overall, I think this card would have been a better pick for me if I lived in a major American hub like Dallas.
How to apply for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
- Go to the Citi website and click Apply now.
- Fill out the application with the requested information.
- Review your application and submit.
How long will it take to get my Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®?
You can get instant approval on your application. In the event Citi needs additional information, it may take up to 10 days to get a decision.
Once approved, your card should arrive in seven to 10 business days.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download the Citi Mobile app. With the app, you can make transfers and pay your bills, lock and unlock your card, reset your PIN, find an ATM and more.
- Download the American Airlines mobile app. Get flight updates, a mobile boarding pass or simply choose or upgrade your seat — all from your mobile device.
- Avoid interest and fees. Your due date is 23 days after the close of each billing cycle. Pay your balance on time to avoid paying high interest and late fees.
- Customer support. If you have any questions, call 800-347-4934 and a customer service representative will assist you.
How do I redeem miles from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®?
Log in to your American Airlines AAdvantage online account to redeem your miles. Redemption options include:
- Award flights
- Seat upgrades
- Car rentals
- Hotels stays
- Vacations
- Admirals Club membership
- Gift cards
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Charitable donations
How to redeem American Airlines miles
Bottom line
This can be a solid card if you often fly with American Airlines. You earn double miles on your airline purchases and on some of your everyday purchases, plus you get to earn a generous signup bonus among other perks.
However, if you think there could be a better credit card for you, compare travel credit cards until you find the perfect fit for your financial needs.
Frequently asked questions
Images: Citi.com