What the American Advantage Card Offers
The American Advantage Card is a co-branded credit card issued by Citi in partnership with American Airlines. It's designed for people who fly American Airlines regularly or want to earn rewards on everyday purchases. The card earns miles on all spending, offers checked baggage benefits, and provides priority boarding on American flights.
This card comes in two main versions: the personal card and the business card. Both earn American Airlines miles, but they differ in annual fees, sign-up bonuses, and some benefits. There's also a no-annual-fee version with fewer perks, which may suit occasional flyers.
Unlike some airline cards that limit rewards to airline purchases, the American Advantage Card earns miles on groceries, gas, dining, and everything else. That's the core trade-off: you pay an annual fee to get miles faster across all your spending, not just flights.
Key Takeaways
- The American Advantage Card earns miles on all purchases, not just American Airlines flights, with different earning rates depending on the card version you choose.
- Annual fees range from $0 to $99 depending on which version you select, and most paid versions offer a sign-up bonus of miles after you spend a certain amount in the first few months.
- Cardholders get benefits like checked baggage, priority boarding, and mile bonuses on American Airlines purchases, but these vary by card tier.
- You can redeem miles for flights, seat upgrades, or transfers to partner airlines, though award availability and pricing change based on demand and route.
- The card is issued by Citi, so approval depends on your credit score, income, and credit history — not on how often you fly American.
Annual Fees and Sign-Up Bonuses
The personal American Advantage Card carries a $99 annual fee. In exchange, Citi typically offers a sign-up bonus of 50,000 to 75,000 miles when you spend a set amount (usually $2,500 to $5,000) within the first three months. The exact bonus changes throughout the year, so check Citi's website or American Airlines' site for the current offer before you start your process.
A no-annual-fee version exists but earns fewer miles per dollar and doesn't include some perks like checked baggage. If you fly American only once or twice a year, the no-fee card may make more sense. If you fly multiple times annually or spend heavily on the card, the $99 fee often pays for itself through the sign-up bonus and ongoing mile earnings.
The business version has a $99 annual fee as well, with a separate sign-up bonus structure. Business cardholders can also earn additional miles through business spending categories like advertising, shipping, and internet services.
How Miles Earning Works
The personal card earns 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other spending. This means a $500 flight booked directly with American Airlines earns 1,000 miles, while a $500 grocery bill earns 500 miles. The business card has different earning rates: typically 3 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar elsewhere, making it better for frequent business travelers.
Miles don't expire as long as you have the card open and active. However, if you close the card, American Airlines may eventually expire unused miles, so keeping the account open is important if you're holding a large balance. You can also keep miles active by flying American Airlines or redeeming them at least once every 18 months.
Some categories earn bonus miles during promotional periods. American Airlines and Citi occasionally run campaigns offering extra miles for dining, shopping through a partner portal, or transferring balances. These are temporary, so check your card statements and emails for current offers.
Cardholder Benefits Beyond Miles
The paid versions of the American Advantage Card include a free checked bag on American Airlines flights for you and one companion on the same reservation. This alone can save $60 to $70 per round trip, which offsets much of the annual fee for people who check luggage regularly.
You also get priority boarding (Group 4 on most American flights), which means you board before general boarding and can find overhead bin space. The card includes a $100 statement credit toward American Airlines purchases once per year, though this typically applies only to the higher-tier versions or requires you to meet spending thresholds.
Additional perks may include travel protections like trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay coverage, and emergency medical and dental coverage when you're traveling. These protections vary by card version, so review the benefits guide on Citi's website to see exactly what's included with the version you're considering.
How to Redeem Your Miles
Miles can be redeemed for American Airlines flights, seat upgrades, or transferred to American Airlines partner airlines like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and others. Award flight pricing varies based on demand — a flight might cost 25,000 miles on a Tuesday in February but 50,000 miles on a Friday in July. You can check award availability and pricing on American Airlines' website without logging in.
You can also use miles to upgrade a paid ticket to business or first class, though upgrade availability is limited and depends on how many miles are left in the pool for that flight. Some cardholders find this a good use of miles on long international flights where premium cabin upgrades are expensive to buy outright.
Miles transferred to partner airlines are usually non-refundable and can't be transferred back to American Airlines, so research partner award pricing before you move miles. American Airlines also allows you to buy additional miles or gift miles to someone else, though both options carry fees.
Credit Requirements and the process Process
Citi typically approves the American Advantage Card for people with good to excellent credit — usually a credit score of 670 or higher, though approval is possible with lower scores depending on your overall credit profile. The bank will review your income, existing debts, and credit history to decide whether to approve you.
You can start the process on Citi's website or through American Airlines' website. The online process takes about 10 minutes and asks for your name, address, income, employment status, and Social Security number. Citi will pull a hard inquiry on your credit report, which temporarily lowers your score by a few points.
You'll usually get a decision within minutes to a few days. If approved, your card arrives within 7 to 10 business days. If denied, Citi will send you a letter explaining why. You can call Citi's reconsideration line to discuss your process, though this doesn't always result in approval.
Comparing the American Advantage Card to Alternatives
Other airline cards worth considering include the Chase Sapphire Preferred (which earns flexible points redeemable with any airline), the United Club Infinite Card (if you fly United), and the Delta SkyMiles Card (if you fly Delta). Each has different annual fees, earning rates, and perks. The American Advantage Card is strongest if you fly American Airlines frequently or live near a major American hub.
General travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum offer broader benefits and don't lock you into one airline, but they typically have higher annual fees ($300 to $550) and earn points rather than airline-specific miles. If you're unsure whether you'll stick with American Airlines, a general travel card may be more flexible.
If you rarely fly or only take one or two trips per year, the no-annual-fee American Advantage Card or a cash-back card might serve you better than paying $99 annually for miles you won't use quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the personal and business American Advantage Card?
Both cards earn miles and charge a $99 annual fee, but the business version earns 3 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases (versus 2 on the personal card) and includes bonus categories for business expenses like advertising and shipping. The business card is designed for people who have a business and can meet higher spending requirements.
Do I lose my miles if I close the card?
Miles don't disappear when ready when you close the card, but American Airlines may eventually expire them if you don't use them within 18 months. Keeping the card open preserves your miles indefinitely, even if you don't use the card for spending.
Can I use my miles on flights booked by someone else?
Yes, you can book award flights for family members or friends using your miles. You can also gift miles to another person's American Airlines account, though there's a fee for transfers. The person flying doesn't need to be the cardholder.
What happens if I don't meet the sign-up bonus spending requirement?
If you don't spend the required amount within the timeframe (usually three months), you straightforward don't receive the bonus miles. The miles aren't clawed back from your account — you just won't earn the extra miles that were promised. You'll still earn regular miles on your everyday spending.
Is the $100 annual statement credit automatic?
The $100 credit toward American Airlines purchases is not automatic on all versions of the card. On some versions, you must meet a minimum annual spending threshold to unlock it, or it may be limited to the premium tier of the card. Check your specific card's benefits guide or call Citi to confirm whether your version includes this credit and what conditions explore.