Is an American Airlines Credit Card Worth It?
Frequent American Airlines flyers can find value in an AAdvantage card.
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Airline credit cards provide easy opportunities to earn miles and benefits on your favorite carrier. American Airlines loyalists have many credit card options, ranging from basic cards with a $0 annual fee to more costly premium cards with high-end perks. Any of these cards could prove useful to frequent flyers. This article can help you decide which one might suit you best.
Comparing American Airlines cards
American Airlines’ branded credit cards are issued by Citi and operate on the Mastercard network. Barclays used to issue AAdvantage cards, but no longer accepts new applications. Starting in 2026, existing Barclays cardholders will be moved to Citi.
All AAdvantage cards earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for spending, and offer ways to save on in-flight purchases. Beyond that, you’ll find diverse benefits such as free checked bags, lounge access, companion certificates and more. Annual fees for American Airlines credit cards range from $0 to $595, with higher fees corresponding to more extensive benefits.
Personal American cards
Annual fee
$0.
$99, waived for the first 12 months.
$350.
$595.
Welcome offer
Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
For a limited time, earn 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
Earn rate
• 2 miles per $1 at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• 1 mile per $1 spent on other purchases.
• 1 Loyalty Point per 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• 1 mile per $1 spent on other purchases.
• 1 Loyalty Point per 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
• 6 miles per $1 on eligible AAdvantage Hotels bookings.
• 3 miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and on eligible Rides and Rails purchases, including taxis, rideshares and public transit.
• 1 mile per $1 on everything else.
• 1 Loyalty Point per 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
• 10 miles per $1 on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through AA.
• 4 miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases (5 miles per $1 after spending $150,000 total on the card in a calendar year).
• 1 mile per $1 on everything else.
• 1 Loyalty Point per 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.
Learn more
» Learn more: Which American Airlines credit card should you get?
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The best cases for getting an American Airlines credit card
You want to earn rewards without flying
All American Airlines credit cards earn AAdvantage miles for spending on eligible purchases. While earning rates vary depending on what you buy and which card you use, each card earns a minimum of 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent, plus between 2 and 4 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases. Some cards also offer bonuses for spending in select categories.
For example, the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®card earns 2 miles per dollar on gas and groceries, while the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® earns 10 miles per dollar on eligible AAdvantage car rental and hotel bookings.
In addition to earning redeemable AAdvantage miles, these cards also reward spending by helping you qualify for AAdvantage elite status. You’ll accrue one Loyalty Point for each AAdvantage mile earned from purchases, with no cap on how many Loyalty Points you can earn in a year. For example, you could qualify for AAdvantage Gold status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases even if you didn’t log any flights for the year.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® further helps you earn status by offering a bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Points when you reach 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year, plus a second 10,000-point bonus when you reach 90,000 Loyalty Points in that same year.
All American Airlines credit cards allow you to add authorized users to your account, so you can earn miles and loyalty points on both your own purchases and those made by additional cardholders.
Adding an authorized user is free in most cases. The exception is theCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which charges $175 for up to three additional cardholders, and then $175 for each additional cardholder beyond that.
Note that while you’ll earn miles for all purchases, non-purchase transactions like balance transfers and cash advances are excluded.
» Learn more: Your guide to the American Airlines award chart
You routinely check bags on American Airlines flights
American Airlines charges $40 (or $35 if you pay online) for the first standard-sized checked bag on domestic flights. That rate is per passenger, so a family of four each checking one bag on a round-trip flight would normally be on the hook for $320 in checked bag fees.
Nearly all American cardholders get a free checked bag on domestic flights (American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® is the lone exception). Depending which card you have, that benefit extends to either four or eight additional travelers on the same reservation. In the right circumstances, getting bag fees waived could save you $360 on a single one-way flight. As a less extreme example, an American Airlines card with a $99 annual fee can more than pay for itself if you save on checked bag fees at least three times each year.
One feature I like about this benefit is that you don’t have to use your American Airlines card to book your flight in order for the free checked bag benefit to apply. That gives you the flexibility to purchase airfare with another card that earns more rewards or offers superior travel protections. So long as the primary cardholder’s AAdvantage number is on the reservation at least seven days prior to travel, you’ll be eligible to check bags at no cost.
Note this benefit is only available when flying American Airlines and its regional affiliates (like American Eagle), so it won’t grant you free checked bags on code-share flights. Additionally, normal size and weight restrictions still apply, so don’t expect fees to be waived for bags that exceed the published limits.
You want Admirals Club access
TheCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® provides complimentary access to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges, making it a good fit for anyone who would normally pay for airport lounge access and routinely travels through airports with Admirals Club locations. As a primary cardholder, you’ll receive full membership access privileges to Admirals Club lounges, as well as to Oneworld and other partner lounges when traveling on an eligible same-day flight. However, this benefit doesn’t grant access to Flagship Lounges, international first class lounges, or the Arrivals Lounge.
Authorized users on a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® account get the same access to Admirals Club lounges, though partner lounge access is excluded. Between its $595 annual fee and $175 to add three authorized users, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® effectively grants Admirals Club access to as many as four cardholders for a total of $770. That’s $80 less than the $850 American Airlines normally charges for a single Admirals Club membership.
Meanwhile, for shorter-term access, Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® holders can receive four 24-hour Admirals Club Globe Passes each calendar year.
You make a lot of in-flight purchases
Another benefit widely available on American Airlines credit cards is a discount on in-flight purchases. Most cards offer a 25% rebate on food and beverage purchases aboard domestic American Airlines flights, which is credited 8 to 10 weeks after the transaction posts to your account. Menu items are priced between $6 and $13, so the 25% rebate saves you between $1.50 and $3.25 for each item purchased.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®offers up to $100 back on domestic in-flight purchases (including in-flight Wi-Fi) every calendar year. This benefit also appears as a statement credit 8 to 10 weeks after posted transactions, and is only available when flying American Airlines and its regional affiliates.
You tend to fly with others
Many American cards offer benefits that extend beyond the primary cardholder. Much like the free checked bag benefit, all but the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® card offer boarding privileges that extend to travel companions.
TheCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® also offers priority check-in and airport screening to the primary cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
AnotherCiti® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® benefit that extends to additional travelers is Admirals Club access. Both the primary cardholder and authorized users can bring their immediate family members (spouse or domestic partner and children under 18) or up to two other guests with a same-day boarding pass for an eligible flight.
Finally, if you have a Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®, you can earn an annual $99 companion certificate starting in your second cardmember year. These companion certificates are only valid for domestic economy fares on American Airlines and its regional affiliates, but they add value for cardholders who would meet the spending threshold anyway.
» Learn more: The best airline credit cards this year
American Airlines credit cards aren’t a good fit for everyone
You’re most likely to get good value from an American Airlines credit card if you fly with American Airlines and its partners regularly. Otherwise, opportunities to use your card benefits may be limited. Consider alternatives if:
- Your home airport isn’t well served by American Airlines or its partners.
- You’re interested in earning AAdvantage miles but don’t value the other benefits on American Airlines credit cards.
- You want lounge access beyond the limited network of Admirals Club locations.
If you’re considering an American credit card
American credit cards can be valuable for frequent American Airlines flyers who often check bags, travel with others, make in-flight purchases or want Admirals Club access. The cards also let you earn rewards without flying.
However, you might also decide you want to earn AAdvantage miles without signing up for a card. Or, if you don’t fly American regularly, you might be better off earning points and miles with a more general travel credit card.
Photo courtesy of American Airlines.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2025:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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