For business owners who frequently fly with American Airlines, understanding how to maximize travel rewards is crucial. American Airlines Travel Credit, often earned through co-branded credit cards, can significantly reduce travel expenses and enhance the overall flying experience. The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is one such card designed to accrue American Airlines AAdvantage® miles and offer valuable travel perks. Let’s delve into the details of this card and explore how it can translate into tangible American Airlines travel credit for your business.
Decoding the Pricing and Key Financial Terms
Understanding the financial aspects of any credit card is paramount. The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card comes with a variable Annual Percentage Rate (APR) for purchases ranging from 20.24% to 29.24%, depending on your creditworthiness. Cash advances carry a higher variable APR of 29.49%. A penalty APR, which can go up to 29.99%, may be applied for late or returned payments. The annual fee is $99, but it’s waived for the first year, providing a great opportunity to test the card’s benefits without initial cost. Other fees include a minimum interest charge of $0.50 and a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the advance amount, whichever is greater. Notably, there are no foreign transaction fees, which is beneficial for international business travel.
Offer Eligibility: Are You Qualified?
Before applying, it’s important to check your eligibility for the bonus miles offer. You are not eligible for American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles if you have received a new account bonus for this specific CitiBusiness® card in the past 48 months. Furthermore, this offer is exclusively for individuals residing in the United States and its territories, excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Earning Bonus Miles: Your Gateway to American Airlines Travel Credit
The primary way this card helps you accumulate American Airlines travel credit is through its AAdvantage® bonus miles program. It’s crucial to understand what qualifies as a purchase for earning these miles. Balance transfers, cash advances, returned items, unauthorized charges, interest, fees, traveler’s checks, foreign currency purchases, money orders, wire transfers, lottery tickets, and gaming chips do not qualify as purchases. Bonus miles typically appear in your AAdvantage® account within 8-10 weeks after meeting the purchase requirements. Miles are earned on purchases made by both primary cardholders and employee card members, as long as these purchases post to the account during the promotional period. Be aware that some merchants may delay posting purchases until items are shipped.
Unlock Travel Perks: More Than Just Miles
Beyond miles, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card offers several travel benefits that enhance your American Airlines experience.
Free First Checked Bag
Cardholders and up to four companions on the same reservation are entitled to a free first checked bag when traveling on domestic itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle. To utilize this benefit, the card account must be open at least 7 days before air travel, and your American Airlines AAdvantage® number must be included in the reservation at least 7 days prior to travel. This benefit remains active as long as your credit card account stays open and doesn’t apply to codeshare flights operated by other airlines.
Double Miles on American Airlines and Select Business Purchases
Accelerate your American Airlines travel credit earnings with double miles on eligible American Airlines purchases. This includes items booked directly through American Airlines channels like aa.com, reservations, Admirals Club®, American Airlines Vacations℠, Google Flights, and airport/city ticket counters. However, car rentals, hotel reservations, elite status boosts, and AA Cargo℠ services are excluded.
Additionally, earn double miles on purchases in select business categories:
- Telecommunications merchants: Providers of telecommunications equipment and services.
- Car rental merchants: Companies offering short-term or long-term vehicle rentals (excluding motor homes, recreational vehicles, and third-party travel site bookings).
- Cable and satellite providers: Merchants delivering television, internet, and communication services via cable or satellite.
- Gas stations: Primarily fuel retailers (excluding warehouse clubs, discount stores, department stores, and convenience stores unless coded as gas stations).
It’s important to note that merchant category codes (MCCs) determine eligibility for bonus categories, and Citi does not control these codes assigned by Visa/Mastercard/American Express. Purchases made via mobile/wireless technology may also not qualify for bonus miles depending on processing setup.
Standard Mile Earnings and Preferred Boarding
For all other purchases, you earn 1 AAdvantage® mile per $1 spent, further contributing to your American Airlines travel credit. Cardholders also enjoy preferred boarding, allowing you and up to four companions on the same reservation to board after priority boarding but before general economy boarding (Group 5 on your boarding pass). Similar to the free checked bag benefit, this requires the card to be open and AAdvantage® number linked to the reservation 7 days prior to travel and excludes codeshare flights.
Inflight Savings: Food, Beverage, and Wi-Fi
Enjoy a 25% savings on eligible inflight food and beverage purchases and inflight Wi-Fi when you use your CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card on American Airlines operated flights. For Wi-Fi, this applies to services from Gogo, Viasat, or Panasonic, and American Airlines’ Wi-Fi Subscription Plan. Savings appear as statement credits 8-10 weeks post-transaction.
Companion Certificate: Travel Together for Less
After spending $30,000 or more in purchases within your card membership year, you’ll earn a $99 domestic economy fare American Airlines Companion Certificate. This certificate allows you to book a round-trip domestic economy ticket for a companion for just $99 (plus taxes and fees) when you purchase a qualifying round-trip domestic Main Cabin fare ticket through American Airlines Meeting Services. Travel must be within the 48 contiguous United States (or Alaska/Hawaii/Puerto Rico/US Virgin Islands to/from the contiguous 48 for residents of those areas) and booked in select Main Cabin inventory. The certificate is valid for one year and has specific terms and restrictions detailed on the certificate itself.
Authorized Users and Fraud Protection
Employees can be added as authorized users to the account, allowing them to make purchases and contribute to mile accumulation, although miles are credited to the primary cardholder’s AAdvantage® account. Citi also has fraud detection measures in place and reserves the right to take action against accounts suspected of fraud, misuse, or abuse, including account closure and forfeiture of miles.
Important Card Account Disclosures
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® card requires an open AAdvantage® program membership. Citi reserves the right to close your card account if your AAdvantage® membership is terminated. American Airlines also reserves the right to modify or terminate the AAdvantage® program with six months’ notice, which could impact the value of accumulated miles.
Is This Card Right for Your Business?
The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® offers a compelling package of benefits for business owners who are loyal American Airlines flyers. The ability to earn American Airlines travel credit through miles, coupled with perks like free checked bags, priority boarding, and inflight discounts, can lead to significant savings and a more comfortable travel experience. While the annual fee is waived for the first year, the ongoing $99 fee is justified for those who can maximize the card’s benefits, especially the companion certificate and double mile categories. If your business travel frequently involves American Airlines, this card is definitely worth considering to enhance your travel rewards strategy and unlock valuable American Airlines travel credit.
