International Business Class or LOTS of Short-Haul Flights Within the US:  Here’s How I’d Use This 50,000 American Airlines Miles Bonus

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Even though I never fly American Airlines, the offer on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® certainly has me interested in applying!

The card currently comes with a welcome bonus of 50,000 American Airlines miles after meeting minimum spending requirements.  That could be worth $1,000+ in airfare! The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select 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 I decide to apply, here’s how I would use those bonus miles!

What I’d Do With 50,000 American Airlines Miles 

American Airlines has a region-based award chart.  I love these types of charts because it’s very easy to figure out how many miles you’ll need for a flight.  That’s because the number of miles required is based mainly on which 2 regions you’re flying between.

American Airlines also offers reduced mileage awards, where you can book flights for less than the normal going rate.  With these award tickets, you can save up to 7,500 American Airlines miles round-trip depending on which American Airlines credit card you have and where you’re flying.

The list of eligible destinations for reduced mileage awards is updated monthly and includes a very large number of locations.  So be sure to check back frequently to see if you can find something that fits your travel plans!

1.   Multiple Short-Haul Flights 

I love that short-haul coach flights on American Airlines can be booked for as few as 7,500 miles one-way. 

I’ve taken on quite a few extra tasks in recent years, like volunteering for my alma mater’s alumni association, starting a new business, and additional responsibilities for my regular 9 to 5 day job.  So it’s unlikely I’ll be able to take more than a few days off for vacation any time soon.  That means I’ll have to stick to traveling close to home!

With the 50,000 American Airlines miles I’d earn after meeting the minimum spending requirements on the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select card, I’d have more than enough miles for 6 one-way short-haul flights within the US! 

From where I live in California, I could fly for nearly free to spots like San Francisco, Arizona, and Las Vegas.  And I’d be able to have a quick weekend getaway once every 4 months over the next year, without having to worry about airfare!

2.   International Business Class Flight

I usually fly coach because it’s the cheapest option, regardless of whether you’re using cash or miles.  I’d love to try Business Class on a long flight to Japan as a way to treat myself.  And the sign-up bonus on the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select card is nearly enough to do just that!

You can book a saver Business Class seat to Japan for 60,000 American Airlines miles one-way.  I did a quick search and found a number of available seats from Los Angeles (my home airport) to Tokyo this summer.  Booking the same flight with cash would cost over $2,600!

There’s no way I’d ever spend that much on a flight.  But by using miles for a ticket like this, I’d get an incredible value from the Citi American Airlines Platinum card’s sign-up bonus!  I’d just need to earn a few thousand more miles to make this trip.

Citi American Airlines Platinum Card 50,000-Mile Offer

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

Review:   Our Review of the Citi American Airlines Platinum Select Card

When you sign-up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, you’ll earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after you spend $2,500 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the account.  You’ll also receive the following perks:

• 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

While the card does have an annual fee of $99, it is waived for the first 12 months!  So you can try the card for ~11 months at no cost to see if paying the annual fee is worth it.

There’s also a benefit for big spenders.  You’ll earn a $100 American Airlines flight discount after spending $20,000 or more in purchases during your card year and renew your card.

If you fly American Airlines a lot, the free checked baggage perk alone could be enough to make the card worth keeping.

Bottom Line

Even if you don’t fly American Airlines very often, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® is definitely worth considering!

With this offer, you’ll earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening the account.  It’s an incredible welcome bonus that could get you $1,000+ worth of airfare!

If I get the card, I’ll use the 50,000 American Airlines miles for multiple one-way short-haul flights within the US.  Or put the bonus towards a free one-way Business Class ticket to Japan!

How do you plan on spending the welcome bonus you’ll earn with this card?  Let us know in the comments!