The Offer
- Citi is offering 125,000 miles after spending $15,000 within five months on the AAdvantage Executive card.
Card Details
Card was recently refreshed, here are the updated details:
- $695 annual fee
- $500 credit for American Airlines vacation packages – that’s one $250 credit January through June and another $250 July through December
- $100 inflight and Admiral Club credit
- Card earning rates:
- 12x on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through American Airlines
- 4x on American Airlines purchases (it goes up to 5x after you spend $150k on the card in a calendar year)
- 1x on all other purchases
- Up to $120 back on eligible Avis or Budget car rentals every calendar year.
- Admiral club access (includes authorized users)
- Omni Hotels:
- Omni Hotels Champion status
- Omni Hotels Free Night Credit (must complete an eligible stay of two nights first)
- Avis President’s Club Status
- Loyalty bonus points after loyalty point thresholds.
- 10,000 after 50,000 earned
- 10,000 after 90,000 earned
- 10,000 after 165,000 earned
- 10,000 after 240,000 earned
- $15 Lyft credit after you complete three Lyft rides that month
- Mastercard Legend
- No foreign purchase fees
- Enhanced Airport Experience
- First Checked Bag Free
- $100 Credit For Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
- 48 month rule does apply
Our Verdict
This is the highest bonus ever at 125k whereas previously we were seeing a high of 100k. They did increase the spend from $10k to $15k and some people will prefer the old offer. Still, if someone can do the spend, the extra 25k miles for $5,000 spend isn’t a bad deal.
As part of the revamp, the annual fee is now $695 instead of $595 which makes it harder to justify long term. The new $500 vacation booking credits will help for some people, though many will find this primarily attractive for the first year with the 125k signup bonus. We will add it to the best credit card bonuses.
Looks like it is per the citigold website
A shame about the revamp because I was considering this card for later this year. The new credits are useless for my case. At this point, the Globe is far easier to justify for the companion pass after 1st renewal.
On the surface the 125K looked decent. But those coupons are awful. There’s not a single one I could use.
For me at least, the most annoying thing about the AA credit is the lack of flexibility. Best use is probably a hotel / car combo, but if I’m getting a car I’m not sure I’m staying more than one night somewhere. Would be nice to do a 5day trip but 1day for hotel.
You can do this but just know that if you do, Citi will hold a grudge for a while and make future application acceptance more difficult.
This card is outright putrid. None of the coupons have any ease of use. And they want you to spend an extra 5k for just a paltry 25k bonus.
Helps to use banker special landing page
I’ll try and find out at work for you tomorrow
No chance they could claw back the points? I wish I could spend that much in a month.
Gotta subtract the value of the direct miles that you earn by spending $15,000 on the card (e.g. 1cpp => $150 gained => $850 net cost) to compare. Or instead, add them to the other column. 140k miles for the $1000 cost.
It applies to product changes. It could take more than 1 billing cycle to post If it doesn’t email the relationship banker, they will address it.
Time for a Flagship Suite Preferred card…
Looking at the (opportunity) cost of just the SUB of 125000 AA miles. $695 AF + $300 ($15000 spend x 2% on other cc)
Not sure, sorry.
AA Vacation $250×2 credit requires at least two books out of hotel, car rental or flight. Can’t just book hotel or flight alone which is a bummer as I am sure their rates are higher than the hotel.
Any useful tricks to maximize the AA Vacations credit?
Any idea if the AF credit applies to product changes too?
If you can make the spend quickly within the first month, you can call up Citi and cancel the card and you’ll get to keep the miles AND don’t have to pay the annual fee. DP – myself.
Is the annual fee still fully waived for the first year if you have Citi private client status ?
*you need to be a Citigold member on the day you apply to the Executive card
This is not even worth it for the bonus. LOL
i want the points but the coupons on this one are so bad for the annual fee.
The 2 x $250 credits are for packages and not just a hotel stay. Why don’t they also throw in that it has to be a two-night stay? Restricted to mid-week. In months that do not have the letter R.
Checked bag only on domestic flights is rather dumb. This is a flagship card
Thank you.
They do, though it’s applied as a credit/rebate, not as a discount at application. The credit should post automatically, but you need to be a Citigold member on the day you apply to Citigold, and it can take 3 cycles for the credit to post. No special application link needed.
Coupons are not couponing enough!
Citigold customers get an annual fee discount, right? Do they apply through this link, or a different one, to get that discount?