I’d Use the Citi American Airlines Increased Bonus to Help a Friend Achieve an Important Bucket List Item

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When you sign-up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, you’ll earn 60,000 American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.

The best way to use the 60,000-mile Citi American Airlines Platinum Select sign-up bonus really depends on your travel goals.  Some folks might prefer to make the most of their miles by using them for more short-haul coach award flights.  And others may want to burn them on a super comfy airplane seat!

I’ll share how I’d use the bonus from the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select card.  And hopefully, inspire you to plan your own trip with the bonus!

There’s Nothing Quite Like Business (or First!) Class

I don’t make a habit of flying Business Class, because I prefer to stretch my miles & points by using them for coach flights.  But there’s definitely a time to splurge!  It’s something everyone should experience at least once.

That said, flying in a fancy airplane seat is a double-edged sword.

After traveling in coach your whole life, sitting in a Business Class seat is otherworldly.  It’s a culture shock in itself.  Depending on your route and airline, you’ll get free alcohol, food on-demand, and a lie-flat bed the likes of which would appall the unwashed masses in coach.

And it is VERY difficult to go back.

I recently experienced American Airlines Business Class for the first time, flying between Lima and Miami.  And I liked it a lot!

The food was good, the lie-flat seats were comfortable, and the crew supplied us with large tablets for the in-flight entertainment.  And it only cost 30,000 American Airlines miles one-way!  That means the current Citi American Airlines Platinum Select sign-up bonus is enough for a round-trip Business Class ticket between the US and Peru.

I’d Spend 60,000 American Airlines Miles for an International Business Class Flight for a Friend or Loved One

When I share pictures of my travels, many of my friends are often less interested in the amazing destinations and cultural interactions than they are in my luxurious airplane seat.  It’s a little frustrating…I get it, though.

One of my friends has made Business Class her top travel bucket list item for years.  But she’s very timid to sign-up for credit cards.  She doesn’t yet realize how preposterously easy it is to achieve that dream!

If I were eligible for the current Citi American Airlines Platinum Select sign-up bonus, I would likely use it to book her an international Business Class flight to one of her favorite destinations, Paris.  I think a taste of the good life would be enough motivation to dive into this hobby.

A Business Class flight from the US to Paris costs 57,500 American Airlines miles and ~$200 in taxes & fees.  That same flight can easily cost $2,800+.  Which means I’d be getting a value of ~4.5 cents per mile ($2,800 flight – $200 in taxes = $2,600 / 57,500 miles).  That’s an incredible deal!

This Card Can Save You Some Serious Money

Apply Here:   Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®

Review:   Our Review of the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select

With this limited-time offer, you can earn 60,000 American Airlines miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select card. So if you’ve been considering it, now’s the best time to apply.

It comes with a lot more than just a giant sign-up bonus, too.  You’ll get perks like:

• 2X American Airlines miles per $1 spent on American Airlines flights
• 2X American Airlines miles per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
• 1X American Airlines mile per $1 spent on other purchases
• Free first checked bag for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation (domestic flights only)
• Preferred boarding for you and up to 4 travel companions on the same reservation
• 25% off eligible in-flight purchases
• Receive 10% of your redeemed miles back, up to 10,000 miles per calendar year
  
• Reduced Mileage Awards – get discounts up to 7,500 miles round-trip on award flights to certain airports

The card has a $99 annual fee that’s waived the first year.

I’m not eligible for the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select card at the moment.  The card terms state that the sign-up bonus is “not available if you have had any Citi® / AAdvantage® card (other than a CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® card) opened or closed in the past 24 months.”  So I can’t earn the bonus for another few months.  But I sure hope this offer is around when I can!

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you bring checked bags on your flight, the free first checked bag perk could more than make up for the annual fee after just 2 round-trip flights ($25 per bag X 4 one-ways = $100).

Another way this card can save you money is by allowing you to book American Airlines’ cheapest Basic Economy fare without suffering all its restrictions!  Basic Economy tickets charge extra for carry-on bags, and place you in the very last boarding group, after all the overhead bin space is full!

But if you have the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select, you can buy an extra cheap Basic Economy fare and still get priority boarding, as well as a free carry-on bag!  That’s another big reason I keep the card open year after year.

Bottom Line

I’d use the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select limited-time 60,000 mile sign-up bonus to fly a friend to Europe in Business Class.  Using it this way would easily save me THOUSANDS of dollars, while allowing me to help someone fulfill a travel dream!

There are certainly plenty of other ways to use this bonus.  How would you spend 60,000 American Airlines miles?