A decent business credit card for the frequent American Airlines flyer.
30-second take
- Get this card if you often fly American Airlines.
- Pick something else if you want a general travel rewards card.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
| Product Name | CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® |
|---|---|
| Card Type | Mastercard |
| Annual Fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year ($99 thereafter) |
| Purchase APR | 17.99% to 25.99% variable |
| Intro Purchase APR | N/A |
| Intro Balance Transfer APR | N/A |
| Cash Advance Rate | 22.49% variable |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
| Cash Advance Fee | $5 or 3% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Interest Free Period | Up to 23 days |
| Late Payment Fee | Up to $37 |
| Returned Payment Fee | Up to $37 |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $0 |
| Minimum Age | 18 years of age |
|---|
| Welcome Offer | 70,000 miles after spending $4,000 in first 4 months |
|---|---|
| Rewards | 2x miles on gas and select categories, 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Base Rewards | 1x miles |
| Rewards Points Expiry | Never |
The basics
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® is designed to give advantages and perks to frequent American Airlines flyers.
You’ll find the card’s introductory bonus relatively easy to obtain, and the miles you earn from it are enough for up to three flights in the continental US. Furthermore, you earn miles not just on specific purchases and American Airlines flights — but you earn miles on partner airlines, car rentals and hotel stays as well. And the great thing is, you can redeem your miles for all of the American Airlines partners’ services.
Another airline business card
The perks
- Signup bonus.
Get 70,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 4 months of card membership. This is relatively easy to obtain — just $1,000 spent per month. - Earn miles.
For every dollar spent on American Airlines purchases — and on telecommunications, cable and satellite providers, car rentals and at gas stations — you earn 2x miles. For all other purchases, you earn 1x miles.Redeem miles for flights, hotels stays, car rentals, gift cards and more.
- Reduced Mileage Awards℠.
Get up to a 7,500-mile discount when you redeem miles on round-trip flights.
How do I earn additional miles?
You can earn AAdvantage® miles by flying with partner airlines, including:
- British Airways
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
- Etihad Airways
- Fiji Airways
- Hawaiian Airlines
You can also earn AAdvantage® miles by staying at partner hotels, including:
- Starwood Hotels and Resorts
- Marriott
- Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
- American Airlines Hotels
- Best Western Hotels and Resorts
- Radisson Hotel Group
- Wyndham Hotels
Car rentals from some companies also let you earn mile such as:
- Avis
- Budget
- Payless
- Alamo
- National
- Hertz
- Europcar
- Sixt
- SuperShuttle
If you want more miles, you can buy them or get miles from occasional offers such as business investments. Check the American Airlines website and its AAdvantage program page to stay up to date.
You’ll also like …
- No foreign transaction fee.
Use your card freely when you travel abroad and you won’t pay any fees. Other cards have up to a 3% fee for each foreign transaction you make. - First checked bag free.
Save $25 on the first checked bag on domestic flights for up to four passengers traveling on your reservation. That’s a savings of up to $600 annually if you make a round trip once a month. - Savings on in-flight Wi-Fi.
You get 25% savings on in-flight Wi-Fi on American Airlines flights when you use your card to pay. - Companion certificate.
After you spend $30,000 or more in a calendar year, get a companion certificate for domestic main-cabin travel. Fees of $99 for ticketing plus government taxes and fees of up to $43.20 aren’t covered with the certificate. - Travel protection.
Get accident coverage of up to $1 million when you travel, and car rental insurance of up to $50,000 against theft and damage. And if you need emergency assistance for arrangements, travel issues, medical, legal or any other service, contact the emergency hotline 24/7 and they will assist you.
What can I get with AAdvantage® miles?
Use your miles to:
- Redeem award ticket for American Airlines or partner airline flights.
- Upgrade your seat on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia flights.
- Redeem for hotel stays.
- Redeem for car rentals.
- Book activities and tours.
- Buy or renew Admirals Club® membership.
- Redeem for gift cards.
- Redeem for newspapers and magazines.
- Donate miles.
- Get Lifelock® identity theft protection.
How to redeem American Airlines miles
What to watch out for
- Annual fee.
To own the card, you’ll pay $99 annually, starting from the second year. For the first year, the annual fee is waived. - No balance transfer option.
If you’re looking to make balance transfers, look elsewhere, as this card doesn’t allow balance transfers. - Penalty APR.
If you make a late or returned payment, Citi may impose a penalty APR of up to 29.99%, and it may last indefinitely.
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What size business is the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® good for?
Small business owners who often travel with American Airlines, and who spend around $30,000 per year with this card, could find the perks and features of the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® useful. Once you reach the $30,000 mark in a calendar year, you’ll a get companion ticket.
Suppose you spend $30,000 annually, where $15,000 are spent on 2x miles purchases — that’s 45,000 miles. You can redeem your miles for two main-cabin flights in the continental US or for one business class flight.
Furthermore, if you make four flights per year, you’ll offset the card’s annual fee with the first checked bag free perk.
What should I know before I apply?
You need to be at least 18 years old and an authorized officer of the business entity that you apply for.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- Your business name, address and contact information.
- Your business details and financial information.
- Your name, date of birth and Social Security number.
- Your personal contact information and financial information.
Citi won’t approve your application if you already have a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® account. Also, you won’t get bonus miles or other special offers if you have opened any CitiBusiness© / AAdvantage© account in the past 24 months.
What credit score do I need?
Apply with good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher. With a better score, you’ll increase your chances of approval, get a lower APR and a higher credit line.
What do customers say about the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®?
The Better Business Bureau rates Citi with an F, and they haven’t accredited the bank yet. However, know that the letter grade represents BBB’s opinion of how the bank is likely to interact with its customers for example address issues and complaints. This rank is not a guarantee of a business’ reliability or performance.
How to apply for the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®
- Go to Citi website and find the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard® from the list of business credit cards. Click Apply now.
- Complete the application form.
- Review your application and submit it.
How long will it take to get my CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Mastercard®?
In general, you should get a decision within a minute of applying. In some cases when more information is needed, it may take up to 10 business days.
Once you’re approved, you’ll get your card in the mail within seven to 10 business days.
I got the card. Now what?
- Download the Citi Mobile® app. And use it to monitor your account, make payments and transfers, activate new credit cards, lock and unlock your card in case of theft or loss and more.
- Download the American Airlines mobile app. With it, you get a mobile boarding pass, flight updates, AAdvantage® account details, seat selection, the ability to upgrade your seat and more.
- Avoid interest. Your due date is 23 days after the close of each billing cycle. Try to pay on time. Otherwise, you’ll pay interest and Citi may impose a penalty APR.
- Customer service. For any information, call Citi business customer support service at 866-422-3091.
Bottom line
This can be a great business card for the frequent American Airlines flyer. Aside from earning miles, you get a generous signup bonus, free checked bags, priority boarding and other cool features. And you can redeem your miles for flights on partner airlines, hotel stays, car rentals and more.
You can also check out other credit cards to find the best one for your business.
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Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
