Why small businesses that use American AAdvantage need a cobranded business card
Editor's Note
Quick summary
Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
If your small business relies on American Airlines for work travel, the AAdvantage Business program can be a great way to earn miles and Loyalty Points on employee flights.
However, to fully participate in the program, businesses typically must meet a $5,000 minimum eligible travel spend requirement and have at least five registered, active business travelers — requirements that can be tougher for smaller teams to meet.
Fortunately, there's a work-around. If an authorized representative of your business holds an eligible AAdvantage Business cobranded credit card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), your company can still enjoy the full benefits of the program without meeting those thresholds.
Citi is offering new Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard holders a welcome bonus of 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first four months of account opening. TPG's May 2025 valuations peg AAdvantage miles at 1.65 cents each, making this welcome bonus worth $1,073.
Whether you already have an AAdvantage Business credit card in your wallet or are considering applying, here's why it could be a smart move for your small business.
How does the AAdvantage Business program work?
Through the AAdvantage Business program, your business earns 1 mile per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines flights, while travelers earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar. Qualifying flights must be booked through American Airlines-owned channels, such as aa.com, the American Airlines app or reservations.
As a reminder, miles can be redeemed for flights, while Loyalty Points count toward earning elite status with American Airlines. These rewards are earned in addition to what the traveler would normally receive through their personal AAdvantage account, so in most cases, there's no downside to being registered as a company traveler.
However, travelers can only be registered under one AAdvantage Business account at a time, per program terms, so those working with multiple businesses will need to choose which account to associate with.
While businesses can earn and hold AAdvantage miles, they can't redeem them directly. Instead, they can transfer miles to employee or travel manager accounts for redemption.
Related: Best uses of American Airlines AAdvantage miles
How small businesses benefit from an AAdvantage Business card
Businesses must typically meet both of the following requirements to fully participate in the AAdvantage Business program:
- $5,000 in eligible program-flown revenue over the last 12 months
- Five business travelers who have taken at least one flight over the last 12 months
If a business doesn't meet these requirements, travelers won't earn extra Loyalty Points through the AAdvantage Business program, and the business can't transfer miles to individuals. However, small businesses can bypass these requirements if an authorized representative has an eligible AAdvantage Business cobranded card like the Citi/ AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard.
So, even if you are a sole proprietor and you spend well under $5,000 on business-related flights each year, you could get the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard and earn extra miles and Loyalty Points through the AAdvantage Business program when you travel for business reasons.
Likewise, a partnership with two employees who travel frequently to job sites might meet the requirement of $5,000 in eligible program-flown revenue but not the requirement of five travelers. However, an authorized representative from the partnership could get the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard — perhaps even adding other employees as authorized users — and then the business and travelers could benefit from the AAdvantage Business program when traveling for work.
In short, an eligible AAdvantage Business cobranded card like the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard has become critical for small businesses that would otherwise not meet one or both standard requirements for the AAdvantage Business program.
For more information, check out our review of the Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard.
Related: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Bottom line
Many small businesses likely struggle to meet the spending or traveler requirements for the AAdvantage Business program. Luckily, businesses don't need to meet the standard requirements if an authorized representative is a Citi / AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard cardholder.
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