Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® Review
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® is a popular travel rewards credit card with a $95 annual fee (waived the first year), a straightforward rewards program that favors regular American Airlines flyers, and a nice lineup of value-added benefits that appeal to convenience-seeking travelers. Despite the annual fee, it is definitely worth a closer look for anyone who flies often and lives near an American Airlines hub.
This card is comparable to some other airline-branded rewards credit cards, including British Airways Visa Signature, United MileagePlus Explorer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier, Gold Delta SkyMiles, among many others. It’s also comparable to general travel rewards cards that offer benefits for airline travelers, such as Chase Sapphire Preferred and American Express Premier Rewards Gold.
If you own a business, consider applying for the very similar CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select World MasterCard. With many of the same benefits, it’s an ideal alternative for business owners and employees who take frequent work trips.
It’s never a good idea to apply for a credit card on a whim. Even so, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® isn’t the sort of card you’d want to obtain in haste. Despite its myriad benefits, this card simply isn’t a good fit for people who don’t fly frequently.
It also isn’t particularly useful for travelers who don’t live or work close to American Airlines hubs, such as Dallas and Miami. While the oneworld partnership greatly expands the award travel horizon for Citi / AAdvantage cardholders, there are simply too many other airline credit cards out there that offer more flexibility for those who need it.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® appeals to frequent, loyal American Airlines flyers who travel (and spend) enough to offset the annual fee and don’t mind redeeming points exclusively for airfare. This isn’t the best card for people who don’t have easy access to American Airlines hubs, who want more versatile travel rewards programs (for instance, the option to redeem for things other than airfare), or for people who just don’t travel that often.
This card’s nice sign-up bonus, nice redemption rebate, solid air travel benefits, partner airline redemptions, and lack of foreign transaction fees are all great benefits. Its annual fee, moderate miles-earning rate, variable mile redemption values, lack of airport lounge benefits, and the fact that miles expire after periods of inactivity hurt it. Overall, it is a very good card for frequent American Airlines travelers.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Categories: Citi, Credit and Debt, Credit Cards, Lifestyle, Reviews, Travel
Brian Martucci writes about frugal living, entrepreneurship, and innovative ideas. When he’s not interviewing small business owners or investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, he’s probably out exploring a new trail or sampling a novel cuisine. Find him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci.
Comments Disclosure: The below responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® Review
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