Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Review

CardName

Miles-earning ease and a long list of quality travel incentives make the CardName a great option for frequent American Airlines travelers (Citi is a CardRatings advertiser).

With much to be said about this premium card, let’s jump right in and talk about all the great perks the CardName has to offer.

CardName's most notable features:

• Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening your account.
• Free first checked bags for you and up to eight companions traveling on the same domestic itinerary.
• Admirals Club® membership for you and access for guests traveling with you.
• No foreign transaction fees on purchases.
• Up to a $100 statement credit every five years to cover your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee.
• Access to the Citi Price Rewind program.

FEATURED CARD

 

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel
• With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 50% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more

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Credit Needed:

Excellent

What Our Editors Like Most about the CardName

There’s a lot on the CardName most notable features list, and for good reason. There’s much to love about this card and the incentives it has to offer, especially for those who often find themselves flying with American Airlines or traveling with one of its numerous partners.

Let’s start with the bonus miles opportunity.

With the CardName, discontinued if you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening the card, you’ll land yourself 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles right from the start. To put things into perspective, 50,000 miles are plenty for some roundtrip domestic AAnytime® tickets, depending on the distance of your flight, or for a roundtrip AAnytime® flight to the Caribbean, Central America or Mexico. On an ongoing basis, you’ll earn two AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and one AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on everything else. Remember, each mile earned from purchases also earns one loyalty point.

Or, if your plans are flexible, stretch your miles even more by taking advantage of MileSAAver flights – discounted routes that are occasionally available for as low as 7,500 miles each way.

With ongoing miles-earning of two miles per $1 spent with American Airlines on eligible purchases and one mile per $1 for all your other purchases, you can see miles accumulate quickly with regular card use.

Next, let’s talk about some of the perks you can enjoy once getting to the airport.

In addition to dedicated check-in areas, expedited airport screening lanes and early boarding privileges, as a CardName cardholder, you can enjoy the fact that your first checked bag is free for you and one for up to eight other people in your group if booked on the same domestic itinerary, saving you big money per flight.

Plus, when you become a card member, you receive a complimentary Admirals Club® membership which gains you, and up to two guests or your immediate family members, access to dozens of airport lounges worldwide. With household membership prices averaging anywhere from $625 to $925 a year, this membership is a great incentive for those looking for a more comfortable way to travel and easily offsets the AnnualFees annual fee you'll pay to carry the CardName.

International travelers will appreciate the savings that results from no foreign transaction fees when you pay with your card while traveling abroad.

Lastly, though not necessarily a travel perk, the Citi Price Rewind program is definitely worth a mention. With the Citi Price Rewind program, there is no need to worry if you’ve found the best deal on your purchase. If a purchase made with your CardName is found online for less than you paid within 60 days of your original purchase date, you can receive a refund of the difference, up to $200 per item and $1,000 per year.

Potential Downsides of the CardName

While there is a lot to love about the CardName, there is one big downside: the AnnualFees annual fee.

Although there are a number of ways to compensate for this fee, it is still among the higher annual fees charged by a credit card. Because of this, if you aren’t sure that you’ll fly enough to take full advantage of the perks of this card, you might want to consider another travel rewards card that comes with a smaller fee. (We discuss a few comparison cards below).

Furthermore, $5,000 might be a hard number for some users to reach within just three months, making this card a more appropriate choice for moderate to big spenders

How the CardName Compares to Other Travel Rewards Cards

CardName vs. CardName

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If you still want to gain a lot of rewards without that hefty AnnualFees fee, but also want more flexibility in your airline choices, the CardName is a worthy and comparable card to consider.

With a 60,000-point welcome bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months (worth up to $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®), a low annual fee of AnnualFees, bonus rewards in popular categories, and many travel protection benefits, the CardName is a practical credit card option, especially for those who don’t want to be limited to traveling with American Airlines or its partners.

The CardName gains you the freedom to fly with one of Chase’s many airline partners (United Airlines, British Airways and Southwest Airlines, to name a few) and cardholders earn 5X total points on all travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal; 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on travel purchases; and 1X point on all other purchases.

Is a comparison between the CardName and the CardName apples-to-apples? Each card will show a number of obvious benefits, it’s up to you to decide which perks make the most sense for your unique lifestyle, and whether you’ll spend enough or use enough of the perks with the American Airlines-specific card to offset that sizable annual fee.

CardName vs. CardName

The CardName welcome bonus is 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after you spend $2,500 on your card in the first three months – that's compared to the 50,000 you can earn with the CardName after spending $5,000 in three months. With an annual fee of AnnualFees and similar travel perks, it’s a viable option for those looking to gain some extra AAdvantage® miles without the AnnualFees annual fee price tag or such a high spending threshold for the bonus.

With the CardName earn two AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations, restaurants and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Plus, you'll enjoy your first checked bag free on domestic itineraries for you and up to four people traveling with you, and you can earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card. What you won't get is access to the Admirals Club®.

CardName vs. CardName discontinued

The CardName is another travel rewards card that offers plenty of flexibility without the hefty annual fee to worry about offsetting each year – it's just AnnualFees.

With the CardName, you'll earn two miles per $1 spent on every purchase, every day, so there aren't any categories to keep up with; it also means your everyday errands and purchases can do some heavy lifting when it comes to earning you miles toward your next travel purchase.

The one-time welcome bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel, can help you quickly realize the benefits of this card. And there are no blackout dates or travel restrictions when it comes time to redeem your rewards.

You won't enjoy some of the travel perks – free checked bags or lounge access, for instance – that the CardName offers, but you also won't have to worry about offsetting a AnnualFees annual fee.

Who Should Get the CardName

Because of the high level of spending required to receive bonuses, and because of the steep AnnualFees annual fee, CardName makes the most sense for big spenders who value convenience and comfort while traveling, and who are loyal to American Airlines and its partners.