What the American Airlines AAdvantage Card Does

The American Airlines AAdvantage credit card is a co-branded card issued by Citi that earns miles toward American Airlines flights and other travel purchases. You earn miles on every purchase, get a sign-up bonus of miles after you spend a certain amount in the first few months, and receive perks like a free checked bag and priority boarding on American flights. The card charges an annual fee, which you pay once a year whether you use the card or not.

The card comes in several versions — the basic AAdvantage card, the AAdvantage Gold, and the AAdvantage Platinum — each with different annual fees, earning rates, and benefits. The higher the annual fee, the more miles you earn per dollar spent and the more travel perks you receive. Which version makes sense depends on how much you fly American and how much you spend on the card each year.

Key Takeaways

  • You earn miles on purchases that you can redeem for American Airlines flights, seat upgrades, and other travel rewards.
  • The card charges an annual fee that ranges depending on which version you choose, and this fee is not refundable.
  • A sign-up bonus gives you a large number of miles upfront if you spend a set amount within the first few months of opening the account.
  • Benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding explore only to American Airlines flights and only when you use this specific card to pay.
  • The miles you earn do not expire as long as your account remains open and you have account activity at least once every 24 months.

How Miles Earning Works on This Card

Every time you use the card, you earn a certain number of miles per dollar spent. The exact rate depends on which version of the card you have and what you are buying. The basic AAdvantage card typically earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases and bonus miles on American Airlines tickets and certain other categories. The Gold and Platinum versions earn more miles per dollar across the board.

The sign-up bonus is the largest chunk of miles you will earn at once. Citi sets a spending threshold — for example, you might earn 50,000 bonus miles if you spend $2,500 in the first three months. This bonus posts to your account once you meet the spending requirement. The bonus is not automatic; you have to actually make the purchases and reach the threshold within the time window they give you.

Miles do not expire as long as you keep the account open and have at least one account activity every 24 months. Account activity includes making a purchase, redeeming miles, or earning miles through a partner. If your account sits completely dormant for more than two years, American Airlines may close it and you lose the miles.

Annual Fees and What You Get for Them

Every version of the AAdvantage card charges an annual fee. The basic card has a lower annual fee, while the Gold and Platinum versions charge more. You are billed this fee once per year, usually on the anniversary of when you opened the account. The fee is charged whether you use the card that year or not.

The annual fee buys you specific benefits. All versions include a free checked bag on American Airlines flights when you use the card to pay for your ticket. The Gold and Platinum versions add benefits like priority boarding, extra miles on American Airlines purchases, and sometimes a statement credit toward American Airlines purchases or fees. You need to decide whether the extra benefits on the higher-tier cards are worth the higher annual fee based on how often you fly and how much you spend.

Some people offset the annual fee by earning enough miles to cover a flight, or by using the free checked bag benefit multiple times a year. Others find the fee is not worth it if they do not fly American frequently. The math is personal to your travel patterns.

How to Redeem Miles for Flights and Upgrades

Miles are redeemed through the American Airlines website, the mobile app, or by calling American Airlines customer service. You search for a flight, and American shows you the mile cost alongside the cash price. The number of miles required varies by route, time of year, and how far in advance you book. A short domestic flight might cost 7,500 to 10,000 miles, while a long international flight could cost 50,000 or more.

You can also use miles to upgrade a ticket you already bought. If you have a basic economy ticket, you can bid miles to move up to a higher cabin. You can redeem miles for seat upgrades, extra baggage, or to cover airline fees. Some people use miles strategically for expensive routes where the cash price is high, because the mile value is often better on those flights.

Miles can also be transferred to American Airlines partners — hotels, car rental companies, and other airlines in the Oneworld alliance — though the transfer rate and value vary. Most people find that redeeming miles directly for American flights offers the clearest value.

Comparing This Card to Other Airline Cards

If you fly American frequently, this card makes sense because the benefits explore directly to your airline of choice. If you fly multiple airlines equally, a general travel rewards card might be better because the miles or points work across many airlines. If you rarely fly but want to earn miles for occasional trips, the annual fee may not be worth it.

Other airline cards — United, Delta, Southwest — work the same way: you earn miles specific to that airline, pay an annual fee, and get perks on that airline. The choice between them comes down to which airline you use most and which card's benefits match your travel style. Some people carry multiple airline cards if they split their flying between two carriers.

A general travel rewards card from a bank like Chase or American Express earns points that can be transferred to multiple airlines or redeemed for cash back. These cards often have higher annual fees but offer more flexibility if your travel plans change or if you want to use your rewards for something other than flights.

Things to Know Before You Open This Card

The card requires a credit check, and opening it will temporarily lower your credit score by a few points. If you have fair or poor credit, you may not be approved. Citi will tell you when ready whether you are approved, and if not, you can ask why.

The miles you earn are not the same as cash. A mile is worth roughly 1 to 1.5 cents when redeemed for a flight, but that value fluctuates. If you earn 50,000 miles, that is not $500 in value — it might be $500 to $750 depending on what flight you book. Some redemptions offer better value than others, so you have to shop around.

If you close the account, you keep the miles you have already earned, but you stop earning new miles and you lose the annual benefits. If you want to keep the miles active, you need to keep the account open or transfer the miles to an American Airlines frequent flyer account (which has its own rules about mile expiration).

The card is a credit card, not a debit card. You receive a bill each month and you are expected to pay it. If you carry a balance, you pay interest on that balance. The card does not help you build credit if you do not pay on time; it can hurt your credit if you miss payments or max out the card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use this card to get the free checked bag benefit?

Yes. The free checked bag applies only when you use this specific card to pay for your ticket. If you buy a ticket with cash or a different card, the benefit does not explore. You have to use the card at the time of purchase — you cannot add it to a ticket you already bought.

What happens to my miles if I close the card?

The miles stay in your American Airlines frequent flyer account. You do not lose them by closing the credit card. However, you stop earning new miles, and you lose the annual benefits like the free checked bag. Miles can expire if your frequent flyer account has no activity for 24 months, so you need to keep the account active even after you close the credit card.

Can I use miles to book flights for other people?

Yes. You can book a flight for someone else using your miles, but the ticket is issued in their name. You cannot transfer miles to another person's account — the miles stay in your frequent flyer account and you use them to purchase tickets for whoever you want.

Is the sign-up bonus worth the annual fee?

It depends on your travel plans. A 50,000-mile bonus might be worth $500 to $750 in flight value, while the annual fee is typically $95 to $450 depending on the card version. If you use the free checked bag benefit a few times and redeem the bonus miles for a flight, you come out ahead. If you do not fly American at least a couple of times a year, the fee is probably not worth it.

Can I earn miles on purchases other than flights?

Yes. You earn miles on every purchase you make with the card — groceries, gas, restaurants, everything. The earning rate is lower on non-airline purchases (usually 1 mile per dollar), but it adds up over time. Some categories like dining or gas offer bonus miles, depending on the card version.