Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
My Citi co-branded American Airlines was one of my first credit cards. Currently, my home is in Dallas, and I’ve been flying American Airlines several times yearly. However, this is also why I don’t need this card anymore.
I’ve flown on American Airlines enough to achieve Gold status, and the benefits overlap with the AAdvantage credit card.
How did I use the Citi AAdvantage benefits, and how much value did I get?
First checked bag for free
As helpful as this benefit can be, since American Airlines charges $30 to check a bag, I haven’t used it in the last year. Nowadays, I fly with a carry-on for my domestic trips, and my international travels have included checked bags. On top of that, I also get a free checked bag with Gold status.
I see value here if you have a family of 3 or more and travel two or three times per year on American Airlines; not my case at the moment.
Value of free checked bag: $0
Preferred Boarding
Boarding in group five can be very helpful. It guarantees overhead bin space, and one can board before half the other passengers on the plane. I would value this benefit around $5 to $10 per trip. Nevertheless, any American Airlines status provides better boarding groups. Since Gold status provides group four boarding, this benefit currently has no value for me.
Value of preferred boarding perk: $0
$125 Flight Discount
After spending $20,000, you will receive a $125 flight discount. I find the return on investment too low to consider since you are only getting 0.6% more in return on top of the miles.
Value of flight discount: $0
25% Savings on Inflight Food and Beverage
I’ve probably used this benefit once or twice in the last couple of years. Most of my domestic flights are no longer than three hours, and international flights include food service. So when I’ve been desperate enough to buy airplane food, I might have occasionally saved $3 with this perk.
Value of inflight savings: $6
Total value of benefits: $6
Annual fee: $99
Keep or Close: Close (Downgrade)
A couple of years ago, the Citi AAdvantage would reimburse you 10% of your redeemed miles per year, up to 10,000. This perk alone was enough for me to keep the credit card. But unfortunately, that perk is gone, and this credit card has slowly lost most of its value for me, especially by having airline status. Also, other competing products currently offer better benefits.
I called to cancel this credit card, and the customer service agent offered to downgrade my card to a free version. So I downgraded the card to keep my credit line open with Citi and avoid closing one of my oldest lines of credit.
If I lose my status with American Airlines or the card benefits are enhanced, I would consider getting this card again.