Is the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card Worth the Annual Fee for YOU?

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The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® is currently offering 50,000 American Airlines miles after you complete the card’s minimum spending requirements.  You can turn those miles into over $1,000 worth of American Airlines flights!

This card comes with a $450 annual fee that is NOT waived the first year.  But you’ll get terrific perks, like free Admirals Club access and your first checked bag free on domestic flights, which can more than offset the annual fee.

You can apply for the Citi American Airlines Executive card here.

I’ll walk you through the benefits of the Citi American Airlines Executive card and point out where you’ll get the most value.  Let’s see if this is the best card out there for you!

Citi American Airlines Executive 50,000-Mile Offer

Apply here: Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®

Our Review of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card

When you sign-up for the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, you’ll earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.

You’ll also get perks like:

• American Airlines Admirals Club membership (worth up to $550) – access Admirals Club lounges, and bring your immediate family (spouse / domestic partner and children under 18) or up to 2 guests traveling with you.  You do NOT have to be flying American Airlines to enter the lounge!
• Add up to TEN authorized users for free – authorized users can also access Admirals Club lounges without the primary cardholder
• Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (every 5 years)
• First checked bag free (for you and up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation) on American Airlines domestic itineraries
• 25% discount on in-flight purchases (like food, drink, and headsets) on American Airlines flights
• Priority check-in, security (where available), and boarding
• 10,000 elite-qualifying miles if you spend $40,000 or more on the card in a calendar year
• 2 American Airlines miles per $1 you spend on American Airlines
• 1 American Airlines mile per $1 you spend on everything else
• No foreign transaction fees

Who Can Benefit the Most From This Card?

There are 3 groups of people who would benefit the most from the Citi American Airlines Executive card.  I’ll explain my reasoning and how if you fall into one of these categories this can be a great card to add to your wallet!

Do you live near an American Airlines hub?

American Airlines has several major hubs, including Dallas / Fort Worth, Charlotte, Miami, Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington, DC (Reagan), and the 2 New York City airports.  Living near one of these central hubs ensures plenty of flights where you can use those 50,000 American Airlines miles!

In addition, all of these airports (and 50+ worldwide!) have an Admirals Club lounge.  Membership to the American Airlines Admirals Club normally costs $550 per year for a new individual membership or $925 for a household membership!  With the Citi American Airlines Executive card, you, your immediate family (or 2 guests), and all of your authorized users (up to 10) get access to Admirals Club lounges for free!

Admirals Club members (but not their authorized users) also get access to access to over 60 partner lounges around the world.  So chances are when traveling you’ll be able to do so in style.

By being able to utilize an Admirals Club location, you can really save a lot of money by having access to free food, drinks, and complimentary Wi-Fi instead of having to spend money in the expensive terminal.

You’ll also get access to American Airlines Reduced Mileage Awards so you get more travel for fewer miles!

Do you travel domestically with your family?

Do you travel domestically with your family on trips to places like Disney World or on a summer vacation?  If so, with this card you get free checked bags on domestic flights for up to 8 people per reservation.  If you plan on traveling domestically with your family of 4, you would typically pay $25 per first checked bag on American Airlines.  If you check 4 bags, you’d save $200 per round-trip itinerary!

You can turn the bonus 50,000 American Airlines miles into 2 round-trip saver award coach tickets within the mainland US.  That can easily be over $1,000 worth of value!

Also, take your family into the Admirals Club lounge to have a nice quiet place to relax before the flight, and let your kids cozy up in a big comfortable armchair while you enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks!

Also, for folks who fly American Airlines a lot for business, this is a great card!  The savings from free Admirals Club access as well as free first checked bag can add up quickly.  Those frequently taking American Airlines to fly for work can sit back and relax in an Admirals Club and take a break before heading home. Not to mention saving $50 for checked bags for every round-trip itinerary!

Do you plan on traveling internationally?

One great perk of the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is that you get up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every 5 years.  When you use your card to pay for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application, Citi will credit the charge back to your card.  This benefit will ensure you get TSA PreCheck when flying which saves a ton of time when going through security – time better spent in the Admirals Club if you ask me!  And Global Entry will help speed your way through customs on your way back home from overseas.

You can use your 50,000 bonus American Airlines miles to fly to Europe for free!  Round trip off-peak coach tickets to Europe cost 45,000 American Airlines miles, so you’ll even have some to spare!  You can also fly round-trip in Business Class to the Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America for 50,000 American Airlines miles.

The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card also has no foreign transaction fees.  These fees can really add up when using your card abroad.  Carry less cash and earn American Airlines miles while traveling overseas with no extra fees!

Bottom Line

The Citi AAdvantage Executive Card is currently offering 50,000 American Airlines miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.

Even though the card does come with a $450 annual fee, many readers can find great value in this card.  If you live near an American Airlines hub, travel domestically with your family, or are planning on traveling internationally, you can get a ton of value from the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card!

Remember, with the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card you get:

• American Airlines Admirals Club membership
• Up to TEN authorized users for free
• Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit (every 5 years)
• First checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation on American Airlines domestic itineraries
• 25% discount on in-flight purchases (like food, drink, and headsets) on American Airlines flights
• Priority check-in, security (where available), and boarding
• 10,000 elite-qualifying miles if you spend $40,000 or more on the card in a calendar year
• No foreign transaction fees

If you have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card, let us know what perks you enjoy the most!