What American Airlines credit cards offer right now
American Airlines offers three main credit cards through Citi: the AAdvantage Platinum Select, the AAdvantage Gold, and the AAdvantage Business Platinum Select. Each one earns miles on purchases and comes with different annual fees, sign-up bonuses, and perks tied to flying or airport access. The cards are designed for people who fly American regularly or want to accumulate miles toward free flights and upgrades.
The specific sign-up bonuses, annual fees, and earning rates change throughout the year. Before you open an account, you should check the official American Airlines website or Citi's card pages directly, because the offer you see today may not be the same next month. This guide explains what each card typically includes and how to think about whether one fits your travel pattern.
Key Takeaways
- American Airlines offers three consumer cards through Citi, each with different annual fees ranging from $0 to $550, and each earning miles at different rates on American flights and everyday purchases.
- Sign-up bonuses change regularly and usually require you to spend a set amount within a few months, so compare the current offer to the annual fee before opening an account.
- All three cards come with checked baggage waivers for the cardholder and one companion on American flights, which can save money if you check bags regularly.
- The higher-tier cards include perks like priority boarding, seat upgrades, and lounge access, which matter most if you fly American multiple times per year.
- You can hold multiple American Airlines cards at once, though most people benefit from just one unless they have both personal and business spending to track.
The AAdvantage Platinum Select card
The AAdvantage Platinum Select is the entry-level consumer card and typically has no annual fee. It earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases and 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and at gas stations and restaurants. The sign-up bonus usually requires you to spend a certain amount in the first few months and awards a number of bonus miles.
This card includes a checked baggage waiver for you and one companion on American flights, which means you avoid the first checked bag fee. You also get priority boarding on American flights. Because there is no annual fee, this card makes sense if you fly American occasionally and want to start earning miles without paying to hold the card.
The AAdvantage Gold card
The AAdvantage Gold card carries an annual fee and sits between the Platinum Select and the Business Platinum Select in terms of benefits and earning rates. It typically earns 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases. The sign-up bonus is usually higher than the Platinum Select's, which can offset the annual fee in your first year.
Beyond earning rates, the Gold card includes the same checked baggage waiver and priority boarding as the Platinum Select, plus additional perks that may include seat upgrades and other American-specific benefits. The annual fee means you should fly American at least a few times per year or spend enough on the card to earn back the fee's value in miles.
The AAdvantage Business Platinum Select card
The Business Platinum Select is designed for business owners and people with business spending. It carries a higher annual fee than the consumer cards and typically earns 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases. The sign-up bonus is usually the largest of the three cards.
This card includes the checked baggage waiver and priority boarding, plus premium perks like lounge access and seat upgrades. If you have a business and fly American regularly for work, or if you want to earn miles on business expenses, this card's higher annual fee may be worth the additional benefits. You can hold this card alongside a personal American Airlines card if you want to track personal and business miles separately.
How sign-up bonuses work and what they cost
Each card comes with a sign-up bonus that rewards you for spending a certain amount within a set timeframe, usually three to six months. The bonus is stated in miles, and the spending requirement varies by card and by offer. For example, an offer might say "earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 in the first three months."
To decide whether a sign-up bonus is worth opening the card, compare the bonus miles to the annual fee. If a card has a $95 annual fee and offers 50,000 bonus miles, and you value miles at roughly 1 cent each (a common rough estimate), the bonus is worth about $500 — far more than the fee. However, you only get that value if you actually use the miles. If you never book a flight or redeem the miles, the bonus has no real value to you.
Also check whether you can meet the spending requirement without changing your normal habits. If the requirement is $5,000 in three months and you typically spend $1,000 per month, you would need to accelerate your spending or put planned purchases on the card early. Some people do this intentionally; others find it forces spending they would not otherwise make.
Annual fees and what you get in return
The Platinum Select has no annual fee. The Gold card and Business Platinum Select both charge annual fees that vary depending on the current offer. These fees are charged once per year, usually on your card anniversary.
To determine whether an annual fee is worth paying, add up the concrete benefits: the checked baggage waiver saves you $30 to $35 per round trip if you check a bag, and priority boarding can save time at the airport. If you fly American twice per year and check a bag both times, the baggage waiver alone covers much of the annual fee. Seat upgrades and lounge access have value too, but that value depends on how often you use them and how much you would pay for them otherwise.
If you do not fly American at least a few times per year, the annual fee is harder to justify. In that case, the no-fee Platinum Select is the better choice.
How miles work and what they are worth
Miles earned on American Airlines credit cards can be redeemed for flights on American or its partners, seat upgrades, and other travel-related purchases. One mile does not equal one dollar — the value depends on how you use them. A mile might be worth less than a penny if you redeem it for a short domestic flight, or more than a penny if you use it for a premium cabin seat on an international flight.
Most people estimate miles at roughly 1 cent per mile as a starting point, but your actual value may be higher or lower depending on the routes you fly and the cabin you book. If you only fly short regional routes and book economy, your miles may be worth less. If you fly long international routes and use miles for business or first class, they may be worth more.
Miles do not expire as long as you have account activity with American Airlines — which includes earning or redeeming miles, or flying on American. If your account goes inactive for 24 months, your miles may be forfeited, so keep that in mind if you are not a frequent flyer.
Comparing the three cards side by side
The table below shows how the three cards differ on the features that matter most. Use it to see which card aligns with your flying habits and spending patterns.
| Feature | Platinum Select | Gold | Business Platinum Select |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 | Varies | Varies (higher) |
| Miles on American purchases | 2x | 2x | 2x |
| Miles on other purchases | 1x | 1x | 1x |
| Checked baggage waiver | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Priority boarding | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upgrades | No | Yes | Yes |
| Lounge access | No | No | Yes |
The Platinum Select makes sense if you fly American a few times per year and want to earn miles without paying an annual fee. The Gold card is worth considering if you fly American at least three or four times per year and value seat upgrades. The Business Platinum Select is the right choice if you have business spending to track or fly American frequently for work and want premium perks like lounge access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hold more than one American Airlines card at the same time?
Yes. Many people hold both a personal card and the business card, or they upgrade from the Platinum Select to the Gold card while keeping the original card open. Holding multiple cards lets you earn miles on different spending categories or separate personal and business expenses. However, you will pay annual fees on each card, so make sure the combined benefits justify the total cost.
What happens to my miles if I close the card?
Your miles stay in your American Airlines account and do not disappear when you close the credit card. The card and the frequent flyer account are separate. However, if your frequent flyer account goes inactive for 24 months with no earning or flying activity, American may forfeit your miles, so keep that in mind if you close the card and do not fly for a while.
Do I have to fly American to make the card worth it?
You do not have to fly American to earn miles, since the cards earn miles on everyday purchases like groceries and gas. However, the perks like checked baggage waivers and priority boarding only explore to American flights. If you never fly American, you are paying an annual fee for benefits you cannot use, so a no-fee card or a different airline card would make more sense.
How long does it take to earn enough miles for a free flight?
The number of miles required for a free flight varies widely depending on the route, the cabin, and how far in advance you book. Domestic economy flights typically require 25,000 to 50,000 miles, while longer international flights may require 60,000 miles or more. If you spend $2,000 per month on the card and earn 1 to 2 miles per dollar, you would earn 24,000 to 48,000 miles per year, which could cover one domestic flight annually.
What is the difference between the sign-up bonus and ongoing earning?
The sign-up bonus is a one-time award for meeting a spending requirement in your first few months. Ongoing earning is the miles you accumulate every time you use the card after that. The sign-up bonus is usually much larger than what you would earn in the same spending period at the card's normal earning rate, which is why it is valuable to compare against the annual fee.