Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® Review

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No matter where you plan to travel — or when — having the right airline credit card can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. You can cash in your airline miles to pay for the cost of airfare altogether (outside of government-mandated taxes and fees), and you might even be able to use your miles for upgrades or on-board perks like meals or internet access. Some airline credit cards even offer valuable perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, and these benefits can save you money and make the travel experience more enjoyable.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a popular option among airline credit cards for a few reasons. Not only can you earn a big signup bonus with this card, but you can redeem your miles for flights around the globe. You also get a free checked bag for you and up to four traveling companions and a discount on in-flight food and beverage purchases.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Why You Should Get It

Unless you’re a frequent flyer who tries to earn status with a specific airline, one of the best strategies you can use to rack up miles involves signing up for new credit cards in order to score a signup bonus. Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a good choice among airline credit cards since it gives you 50,000 American AAdvantage miles after you spend $2,500 within three months of account opening. This card does have a $99 annual fee, but it’s waived the first 12 months.

Once you sign up, you’ll have the opportunity to earn the signup bonus as well as rewards on your regular spending. You’ll earn 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and restaurant spending as well as 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

If you’re wondering how you can use these miles, keep in mind that you can cash them in for flights with American or partners like British Airways and Iberia. Domestic flights start at just 12,500 miles one-way in most cases, and American AAdvantage offers valuable off-peak awards to Europe starting at just 22,500 miles one-way. You can even fly from the continental U.S. to the South Pacific for just 40,000 miles one-way, or to Asia for just 35,000 miles.

Where It Falls Flat

While the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a card that could work for nearly anyone, you may want to play around at AA.com to check flight options and whether they will work for you. American Airlines flies all over the world, but some of their redemptions aren’t the greatest — and many routes come with pricey airline taxes and fees.

And that underscores the main downside of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. This card does offer a lot of value if you fly American Airlines or its partners, but it won’t be of much help if you don’t find the award availability you are looking for or you wish to fly with an airline in another alliance.

Other Airline Credit Cards to Consider

You may want to consider a flexible card that lets you earn points with more than one program, too. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. You also enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers great ways to earn cash back or earn bonus points however, this card does come with a $95 annual fee.

Another card option that works well for domestic travel and trips to the Caribbean is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Earn a $400 statement and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening, and you also earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases and 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. This card’s perks can be especially beneficial since Southwest uses a fare-based rewards program that lets you book flights cheaply with points when prices go down.

Finally, don’t forget about cards that offer flexible travel credit instead of points or miles. For example, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard lets you earn 2x miles on all purchases and 70,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on your card within three months of account opening. When it comes time to redeem, you can cash in your miles for any type of travel, including airfare with any airline, at a rate of one cent per point.

The Bottom Line

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is definitely an airline credit card you should consider, particularly if you already know you can fly American Airlines or its partner airlines this year. Many of their redemption options are a good deal, and some routes feature plenty of award availability — particularly for those who fly economy class.

With that being said, we think the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® is best for:

• Frequent American Airlines flyers who can benefit from free checked baggage and priority boarding
• Anyone who has some flexibility in their travel plans and wants to earn 50,000 miles within three months
• Consumers who aren’t loyal to a specific airline or want to begin building loyalty with the American AAdvantage program

If you’re unsure whether the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is the right card for your needs and travel goals, make sure you take the time to compare all rewards credit cards you might qualify for. The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® does make it earn American AAdvantage miles, but it’s worthless for other types of travel. Decide what your needs are then compare different rewards credit cards in terms of their benefits and perks before you decide.

*This content is not provided by the issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of the CreditSoup alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer