Is an American Airlines Credit Card Worth It?

If you regularly fly with American Airlines and you’re in the market for a new credit card, you may be wondering if an American credit card is worth it. Many American loyalists find the airline’s credit cards to be valuable. There are several credit card options, which means you can choose the right card for your travel needs and rewards goals.

In this guide, we’ll help you decide if an American credit card is right for you.

Available American credit cards

If you’re an American fan, you'll have several credit card options to consider, including personal and business cards.

Here’s a brief overview of each American card:

Personal American credit cards

Knowing which card is right for you takes a little digging. Consider which card has benefits that meet your needs, if that card fits your budget and if you can responsibly earn the welcome bonus.

» Learn more: Which American Airlines credit card should you get?

How American credit cards work

When you apply for an American credit card, your card will be attached to your American AAdvantage loyalty number. If you don't already have one, a new member number will be created for you.

You'll earn a welcome bonus if you meet the minimum spending requirements as a new cardholder. All of your purchases will earn additional points as well. Depending on which card you applied for, you'll receive more points for spending in certain categories, like dining or purchases with the airline.

Each American AAdvantage point is worth about 1.3 cents on average, according to NerdWallet’s most recent valuations.

All of the points you earn with your American credit card are redeemable for flights on the airline. Award flights are priced dynamically, and the cheapest ones you'll find are Web Special awards.

American still uses award charts for its partner redemption options. Note that all award flights still incur taxes and fees.

» Learn more: Your guide to the American Airlines award chart

Miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity in your account unless you're under the age of 21 or are the primary cardholder of an American-branded card. You can keep your miles from expiring by earning or redeeming miles with the airline or an AAdvantage partner once every 18 months.

How to decide if an American card is worth it

Before choosing a card, you’ll need to decide if getting an American credit card makes sense for your financial situation, spending habits and goals. The following guidance can help you better decide if an American credit card is worth it:

Consider the annual fee

Before getting any credit card, you should consider the annual fee and the value proposition of the miles. While American does offer a $0-annual-fee card option (the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®), it may not be worth it for the 2x miles on American purchases and the 2x miles at grocery stores. For instance, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card card also has a $0 annual fee but earns 3% cash back on dining and 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

The annual fees vary significantly from there, all the way to the ultra-premium cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which charges a $595 annual fee.

Ensure that you can comfortably afford to pay the yearly fee and that the card benefits offered are worthwhile for your goals. If you want to keep the card for a long time, you’ll need to pay this fee every year.

» Learn more: Next consider: Is the American Airlines AirPass worth it?

Consider your spending and flying habits

An American credit card will reward you for everyday spending, but you’ll earn rewards at a higher rate when making American Airlines purchases (2x versus 1x). The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® also earns bonus miles on gas stations and restaurants.

Do you often pay out-of-pocket to check luggage on your flights? Holders of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® get a first checked bag free perk — eligible for the traveler and up to 4-8 travel companions, depending on the card. This is an ongoing expense that goes away when you add one of these cards to your wallet.

If you would like a more convenient and comfortable airport experience, you might be happy with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and its built-in access to Admirals Club lounges.

For occasional lounge access, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® comes with four passes a year to Admirals Clubs. That card also comes with valuable perks like a companion certificate after your first card renewal, allowing you to bring a guest on a domestic round-trip itinerary in economy for $99 plus taxes and fees.

If you’re already flying with American and have a few trips in the pipeline that you haven’t booked yet, getting an American credit card may make sense.

Consider your elite status goals

If you're chasing American Airlines elite status, it can be worth it to get an American credit card for the ability to earn Loyalty Points. Each card offers 1 Loyalty Point per $1 spent on the card, so credit card spending can go a long way toward earning elite status on American.

Higher-tier cards even offer Loyalty Point bonuses, which can help get you to status quicker. For example, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® offers a Flight Streak bonus, in which you can earn 5,000 Loyalty Points for every four eligible paid flights you take on American (up to 15,000 Loyalty Points total). The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® also offers a 10,000 Loyalty Point boost when you reach the 50,000 and 90,000 Loyalty Point thresholds.

Determine if you can meet the welcome bonus spend requirements

Before getting a new credit card with a bonus offer, it’s a smart idea to determine if you can meet the minimum spend requirements to earn the bonus miles. A new cardmember bonus offer can make a credit card more valuable.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards this year

Consider the net value of the card’s welcome bonus

When you first get an American credit card, the new cardmember bonus can make the card even more valuable than usual.

But if you want to carry the card in your wallet for the long term, you should think about the value of the welcome bonus when compared to the annual fee — and how you will justify paying the fee in the years following when there is no welcome bonus in sight.

Who should skip an American credit card?

While an American credit card can make sense for the airline's most frequent fliers, not everyone is a wise candidate for these cards. Keep shopping around if:

• You don't live near or fly often to an American hub. Having access to frequent (and affordable) American flights will make or break your satisfaction with an airline-specific credit card.

• You prefer to optimize flight selection for cost, not benefits. If you tend to select the most affordable flight to your destination regardless of carrier, then a more general travel credit card will likely better serve your needs.

If you’re considering an American credit card

So, is an American credit card worth it? For the right travelers, American credit cards can be valuable. However, the benefits that come with these cards aren't that helpful if you can't use them, and 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.