Is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard worth it?
Editor's Note
If you fly American Airlines frequently, you may want to consider getting one of its cobranded Citi cards.
At the top of the hierarchy is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), which offers the most AA-specific perks of any credit card. But it comes with a hefty annual fee.
So, is it worth the $595 annual fee — both in year one and beyond? Let's do the math.
Welcome bonus
For a limited time, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is currently offering 100,000 miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
This bonus is worth $1,550, based on TPG's January 2026 valuations, and matches the highest-ever offer we've seen in the card's history.
This bonus accounts for a significant portion of the card's overall value, so earning it and redeeming the miles wisely are crucial to offsetting the card's high annual fee.
Related: The highest-ever offer is back: Earn 100,000 AAdvantage miles with the Citi / AA Executive Card
Lounge access
Arguably, the most valuable ongoing benefit of this card is the complimentary Admirals Club membership you'll receive every year that you hold it. When you have the Citi / AAdvantage Executive, all you have to do is walk to the lounge and present a same-day boarding pass for an eligible flight.
A membership costs $700 to $850, depending on your status level and whether it's a new membership or a renewal. Given that this card carries a $595 annual fee, it doesn't make sense to buy an Admirals Club membership on its own, unless you aren't eligible for the card.
You'll be able to access approximately 50 Admirals Clubs and more than 60 partner lounges worldwide when flying American or one of its Oneworld partners. Notably, this includes Alaska Lounges in hubs like Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
You can bring in either your immediate family members (spouse or domestic partner and children under 18 years of age) or up to two guests. And they don't need to be on the same flight as you — just any American or Oneworld flight with a same-day boarding pass.
Related: The best lounge access credit cards to add to your wallet
Travel benefits
The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard offers valuable perks when flying American, including priority check-in at business-class counters (where available) and priority boarding privileges (where available) for you and up to eight travelers on the same reservation.
You also get your first checked bag free on domestic itineraries with American Airlines. (Note that this is only for domestic flights; I had to pay $35 in 2024 when I traveled to Mexico, forgetting the restrictions of this perk.)
Additionally, you can enjoy a 25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases (excluding Wi-Fi) and receive a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck. (I suggest maximizing your credit by applying for Global Entry, as it includes PreCheck anyway.)
Furthermore, the card includes travel protections, such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, lost baggage protection and car rental insurance coverage.
And there are no foreign transaction fees, making this card a great option for international travel.
Related: Which airline is now best if you don't want to pay bag fees?
Elite status
If chasing AAdvantage elite status is important to you, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard will help you achieve it. You'll earn 1 Loyalty Point for every mile you earn from purchases.
On top of that, you'll receive a 10,000 Loyalty Points bonus upon reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year. An additional 10,000 Loyalty Points bonus will be granted once you hit 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same year.
Related: 8 methods that earned American AAdvantage Executive Platinum
Statement credits
The statement credits on the Citi / AAdvantage Executive card include:
- Up to $120 back on eligible prepaid rentals booked directly on Avis.com or Budget.com every calendar year
- Up to $120 back on eligible Grubhub purchases (up to a $10 statement credit on each month's billing statement)
- Up to $120 in Lyft credits ($10 Lyft credit each month), but you have to take three eligible rides each month first to receive this credit
The Grubhub credit is the only one I find easy to maximize. I use the $10 monthly credit to order pick-up food when I'm on the road.
I've had issues with the car rental credit, so I wouldn't rely on getting value from it. Previously, a Budget rental in Cabo was not coded correctly, and Citi wouldn't apply the credit manually. Later, I completed another Budget rental in Ireland and waited the obligatory 10 weeks. Again, it didn't post, and again, Citi refused to apply a manual credit.
I don't value the Lyft perk because you don't get the $10 credit until after you've taken three (non-discounted) rides in a month. Instead, I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) to earn 5 points per dollar spent, plus a $10 monthly in-app credit on Lyft purchases (through Sept. 30, 2027).
Related: Frequent Uber or Lyft user? These are the best credit cards for you
Earning and redeeming miles
If you're looking to supercharge your points earning across several programs, I'd suggest putting your spending on a card that earns transferable points. However, if you want to maximize your AAdvantage mile balance specifically, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive card will earn you:
- 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American's car rental and hotel booking sites, respectively
- 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases (jumps to 5 miles per dollar spent for the remainder of the calendar year once you've spent $150,000 on purchases in a calendar year)
- 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
AAdvantage miles are the most valuable of any U.S. airline program at 1.55 cents each, according to our valuations. They are significantly more valuable than United MileagePlus miles (1.3 cents each) and Delta SkyMiles (1.25 cents each).
I redeemed part of the welcome bonus I received on this card for a luxurious flight redemption. I used 70,000 miles plus $174 for a one-way business-class flight in Qatar Airways' fantastic Qsuite from Doha to Houston.
Given this flight retails for $3,910 one-way, I got a very high 5.6 cents-per-mile value from this redemption, more than triple TPG's valuation of AAdvantage miles.
Related: The best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Authorized users
Finally, the Citi / AAdvantage Executive card is a great option if you want your friends and family to get Admirals Club access for less.
You can add up to three authorized users for $175 total (which works out to be around $58 each) and additional authorized users for $175 each after that.
Each authorized user receives Admirals Club access (with a same-day boarding pass for an eligible flight) for themselves and up to two traveling companions. However, authorized users only get Admirals Club access, not a full Admirals Club membership.
Related: Everything you need to know about authorized credit card users
Bottom line
Ultimately, if you value Admirals Club access, priority perks on American flights and a large welcome bonus, this card can easily justify its fee. You'll get even more value if you take advantage of its statement credits and authorized user perks.
But if lounge access isn't important to you, consider one of Citi's lower-fee AAdvantage cards instead.
To learn more, read our full review of the Citi / AA Executive World Elite Mastercard.
Apply here: Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees