American Airlines has partnered with CitiBank to bring travel benefits and discounts to AAdvantage frequent flier cardholders. The AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard allows members to earn 5,000 bonus miles after the first qualifying purchase.
For every dollar spent on purchases, one AAdvantage mile is earned towards travel. The primary benefits include no blackout dates on travel, and the list of several cities that qualify for the Reduced Mileage Awards. This allows members to save 7,500 AAdvantage miles on a round trip ticket to any of these cities. Other perks include 24/7 concierge service for hotel, dinner reservations and gift ideas.
Read through this review of the AAdvantage Citi Platinum Select MasterCard credit card offer and then be sure and use our free credit card finder to compare many different credit cards!
AAdvantage Platinum MasterCard Select Points Details
Up to 25,000 American Airlines bonus miles can be earned if purchases totaling at least $750 are made within the first four months that the account is active. This is enough points to receive a free round trip travel award. These travel awards can be used to travel to specific regions within the United States or Canada. Destinations will vary based on the time of year. The available destinations and point totals are published for each calendar quarter. These cities also vary by card. This means that if the cardholder has a Platinum Select Card and a Gold AAdvantage card, there will be two selections available per quarter.
There is a limit of 100,000 AAdvantage earned miles per year on the Platinum Select MasterCard. Redeeming the points earned is easy and can be used for American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights. Depending on the program guidelines at the time of the booking, the miles may never expire. The only requirement is that there are some redeemed at least once every 18 months on a qualifying carrier. However, they can only be used if the card remains active and in good standing. Although there are no blackout dates for travel, there are a limited number of seats set aside for the travel award tickets and are not always available.
AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard Benefits
Points earned are automatically calculated and loaded onto the frequent flier card. The updated status can be viewed either from the AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard card page or the Citi MasterCard site. In addition to reduced mileage rewards, there are also benefits that include:
- No pre-set limits if the balance of the card is paid each month, regardless of the revolving line of credit guidelines
- Personal concierge services that are available 24/7.
- Travel and Emergency assistance that is available worldwide. These services include medical and legal referral services.
- Coverage for trip cancellation or interruption due to emergencies or unforeseen circumstances
- Hertz rental car discounts
- Rental car insurance
- Price and Retail Purchase protection
- Free International cell phone rental
These days, choosing a credit card can be an overwhelming process, especially for those that have not had much experience with the intricacies of the lending market. It’s important to remember that choosing the right credit card for you depends as much on available rewards and rebates as it does on interest rates and annual fees.
Think about the majority of the purchases that you’re likely to make with the card, and then, look for a card that will reward you with cash or discounts on merchandise, simply for making those purchases. If you are an active traveler, the Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World Credit Card might be just what you’re looking for.
Benefits for Frequent Fliers
Establishing rewards programs for people who fly with a certain airline is still one of the most popular and successful customer incentive programs of all time. Now credit card companies have gotten involved as well, partnering with airlines to offer ticket discounts for those who use their cards. As a result of Citi’s partnership with American Airlines, those who use the Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World Credit Card can receive:
- One AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent
- No blackout dates on travel
- Reduced Mileage Awards for some qualifying cities
- Complimentary concierge service for hotel, restaurant reservations and gifts
Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World Credit Card Points Details and Limitations
Although it might seem simple enough to earn travel points for each dollar that you spend on everyday purchases, it’s important to be aware of any special criteria or limitations that could help you manage spending more efficiently. Details you should be aware of:
- 25,000 bonus miles (equivalent to a round trip ticket) can be earned if $750 is spent within the first four months the account is open
- AAdvantage earned miles limited to 100,000 per year
- Earned miles can only be used for American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights
- Seats set aside for travel award ticket holders are limited number and not guaranteed to be available
Important Fees and Rates for Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World Credit Card
For those that are frequent fliers on American Airlines routes, the Citi card offers the opportunity to save a lot of money by earning free flights or flight discounts. But it’s important to remember that balances must be paid in full before reward miles are available. If you maintain a balance or transfer a balance from another card, the following fees and rates will apply:
- Variable base interest rate of 15.24%
- 20 day grace period (shorter than most credit cards)
- $85 annual membership fee
- Balance transfers will incur a fee of 3% of the total amount
AAdvantage Platinum Select Disadvantages
It takes 8-10 weeks for the points of qualifying flight or purchase to be approved and viewed on the card. For AAdvantage Platinum Select accountholders that want to take advantage of the points sooner, they should consider one of the American Express or Chase travel cards. However, the average time for purchase requirements to be met and points transferred is 6-8 weeks. The base interest rate is 15.24%, but it is variable. As a result the annual percentage rate (APR) may vary with each billing cycle. Those on a tight budget may prefer to select a card with a fixed interest rate if a balance will be carried from one month to the next.
The grace period on the AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard is only 20 days, which is somewhat shorter than other cards. The average is 25 days. The annual membership fee is $85. It may not be worth it if the cardholder does not travel frequently. This MasterCard program does not offer introductory rates for purchases or balance transfers. The fee for a transfer is 3% of the total amount moved from one card to the other. American Express, Chase and Bank of America all offer cards that may not offer as many travel points, but do offer many benefits for a lower annual fee and a range of cards offer introductory rates.
Use our free credit card finder to compare many different credit cards!
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