Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard review: Best for casual American Airlines flyers
Editor's Note
Quick summary
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard overview
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is a solid mid-level credit card for anyone who wants to earn American Airlines miles and enjoy elitelike benefits. Although this card won't net you Admirals Club access, fans of American Airlines can still get value out of it. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Not all airline credit cards are created equal. Several have annual fees of roughly $100 a year, so you should make sure a card fits your travel goals and delivers maximum miles for your spending.
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select makes the life of an American Airlines flyer easier and gives non-AA flyers an avenue to diversify the miles in their award portfolio — all for an annual fee of only $99 ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year). We recommend applicants have a credit score of 670 or higher.
Let's look at the benefits of this American Airlines credit card and see who it's best suited to.
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select pros and cons
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Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select welcome offer
New Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,500 in purchases within the first four months of account opening. According to TPG's July 2025 valuations, this card's offer is worth $1,240.
This is the best-ever welcome offer we've seen on the card, making now an excellent time to apply.
You won't be eligible for this bonus if you've earned a welcome bonus from the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select or a card you product-changed to a Platinum Select in the past 48 months.
Related: Best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select benefits
The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select isn't a luxury travel card, but it does offer a few perks for those who fly on American Airlines.
You'll have access to a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, a 25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases and a $125 flight discount after spending $20,000 or more on your card during your membership year and renewing your card.
Since some of these perks are also offered to AAdvantage elite members, you might not get a lot of value from them if you have elite status. However, those who haven't earned status yet can enjoy some elitelike benefits with this card.
As far as status qualification goes, you'll earn 1 Loyalty Point per every eligible AAdvantage mile earned, though the welcome bonus is excluded from earning Loyalty Points.
Unfortunately, Citi stripped many valuable travel and purchase protection benefits from the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select a few years ago. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but it's something to keep in mind before applying for this card.
Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status
Earning miles with the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select
With the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select, you'll earn:
- 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- 2 miles per dollar spent at restaurants and gas stations.
- 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
There's no cap on how many miles you can earn in a year.
Earning 2 miles per dollar puts you at a 3.1% return on bonus category spending, based on TPG's July 2025 valuations.
That's not significant, and you can certainly do better with cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) when you book flights.
Related: American Airlines backtracks on onerous standby policy
Redeeming miles with the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select
The most valuable redemptions of AAdvantage miles on the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select are for premium-cabin partner bookings.
You can also fly in American Airlines economy class within the contiguous 48 U.S. states and to Canada, starting at 7,500 miles one-way; business and first class flights start at double that. Many times, AA runs award sales with domestic flights starting at 5,000 miles one-way.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed uses his AA miles for business or first class on Qatar, Etihad, Finnair, Iberia and partner carriers, which offer highly regarded international long-haul service.
Related: How to book American Airlines flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points
Which cards compete with the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select?
American Airlines flyers have plenty of cobranded credit cards to choose from:
- If you want more perks: Try the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees). With perks like Admirals Club membership and various statement credits, frequent AA travelers will likely a lot out of this premium card. However, it comes with a hefty $595 annual fee. For more information, read our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
- If you want an easy welcome bonus: Barclays' AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® offers similar travel benefits to the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select. It has annual statement credit for inflight Wi-Fi purchases and the possibility of earning a companion certificate through spending. Note that Barclays plans to sunset the Aviator Red in the near future, but applications are open for now. For more information, read our full review of the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard.
- If you have a business: The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is a great way to earn miles for your business. This card comes with an annual fee of $99, but you'll enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year. For more information, read our full review of the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards.
The information for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select vs. AAdvantage Aviator Red
Is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select worth it?
The travel benefits on this card are nice, but certainly not at the same tier as the more premium Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard. That's to be expected since the annual fee on the Executive card is much higher, but this card might still be the best choice for you if you want AA benefits on a budget.
Bottom line
If you need Admirals Club lounge access, this card won't help you. But if you're a casual American Airlines traveler who wants a few elitelike benefits when you fly with the airline, the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard is one you should consider adding to your wallet.
The best time to apply for this card is when it offers an elevated welcome bonus to ensure you can get the most from your AAdvantage miles.
Apply here: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select