Of the three major U.S. airlines in American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, American has done the least to destroy the value of its loyalty program. This means cards like the Citi AAdvantage Business Card continue to hold value. Said another way, the miles earned by spending on this card can be redeemed to book high-value first and business-class award flights. It’s hard to make the case that Delta and United business credit cards offer the same value proposition.
Not only do cards like the Citi AAdvantage Business Card hold value but the card also can make sense to put spending on year after year. This is driven by the Companion Certificate discussed in more detail below. If you value this certificate, you can likely make the case the certificate outweighs the card’s annual fee every year.
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Citi AAdvantage Business Card Details
New card members earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening. Bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus on this card in the past 48 months.
The card has a $0 annual fee for the first year, then $99. Separately, the card has no foreign transaction fees.
Citi AAdvantage Business Card Benefits
A first checked bag free, preferred boarding, savings on eligible inflight purchases of food and beverage, savings on inflight Wi-Fi purchases, and an American Airlines Companion Certificate are the benefits of the Citi AAdvantage Business Card.
The primary cardmember and up to four (4) companions traveling on the same reservation are eligible to receive one free checked bag when traveling on domestic itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines or on itineraries marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
When your Citi AAdvantage Business Card is used to purchase inflight food and beverages you receive a 25% savings. This benefit applies to flights operated by American Airlines or on domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
The primary credit card member earns a $99 domestic economy fare American Airlines Companion Certificate after spending $30,000 on the card during your cardmember year. To use the Companion Certificate, the primary card member pays a $99 companion ticket fee plus $21.60 to $43.20 in taxes and fees for a Main Cabin fare ticket purchased and redeemed through American Airlines Meeting Services. The Companion Certificate is valid for travel on flights within the 48 contiguous United States on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
Card members also receive a 25% savings when their card is used to purchase inflight Wi-Fi from American Airlines’ Wi-Fi merchants Gogo, Viasat, or Panasonic, and on American Airlines’ Wi-Fi Subscription Plan. This benefit applies to flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Mesa Airlines, Inc., PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.
How to Earn Points with Citi AAdvantage Business Card
The Citi AAdvantage Business Card earns points (miles), and Loyalty Points, at the following rates:
- 2X miles at certain telecommunications merchants, car rental merchants, cable and satellite providers, gas stations, and American Airlines purchases
For comparison, you can earn points at the following rates with these cards:
- 5% cash back at office supply stores, cell phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services Chase Ink Business Cash
- 5X points on airfare with Amex Business Platinum
How to Redeem Points with Citi AAdvantage Business Card
Examples of ways to receive value from redeeming your American Airlines miles include:
- 25,000 miles to book a one-way American business class flight between the U.S. and northern South America
- 57,500 miles to book a one-way American or Iberia business class flight between the US and Europe
- 60,000 miles to book a one-way American Airlines or Japan Airlines business class flight between the US and Japan or Korea
- 70,000 miles to book a one-way Etihad or Qatar business class flight between the US and the Middle East
- 75,000 miles to book a one-way Qatar business class flight between the US and Africa
Common Citi AAdvantage Business Card Questions
Is it hard to get a Citi AAdvantage card?
Yes, an AAdvantage card is hard to get if you do not have good or excellent credit per this article.
What can I use my Citi AAdvantage card for?
Use your AAdvantage miles to travel to over 1,000 destinations worldwide, for Business and First Class upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, or vacation packages per this article.
How much is 50,000 AAdvantage miles worth?
50,000 American miles are worth about $750 per this article.
How many Citi AA cards can you have?
All four Citi American Airlines credit cards, however, Citi restricts how often you can earn a sign-up bonus in a set period per this article.
Conclusion on Citi AAdvantage Business Card
Citi AAdvantage Business Card comes with a first checked bag free, preferred boarding, savings on eligible inflight purchases of food and beverage, savings on inflight Wi-Fi purchases, and an American Airlines Companion Certificate. Separately, the card earns 2X miles at certain telecommunications merchants, car rental merchants, cable and satellite providers, gas stations, and American Airlines purchases.
What do you make of Citi AAdvantage Business Card? Please let me know in the comments or by sending me an email on my contact page.
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