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American Airlines Miles

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CitiBank

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Breaking Points

November 17, 2020
American Airlines Miles
American Airline Eliminates Award "Restocking" Fee

You can now book more freely with American Airlines points. Beginning Nov. 11, 2020, there will be no fee to cancel a flight and return your points to your account. Normal cancellation rules apply, which have become increasingly generous through the Covid pandemic.

Bonus Points Minimum Spend Point Value Annual Value Annual Fee 1st Year Value
75,000 $5,000 1.3 ¢ $50 $0 $1090
Best Value Differentiating Perks Rules
AA International Flights First checked bag free, Preferred boarding, Double miles at gas stations & restaurants No CR , AA Personal 48 , No 2nd Biz , No 5/24 , Citi 1/95 , Citi 2/65 , Citi 1/8 , Citi 6/6
Offer Prior To Current Special: 65,000 Bonus points for a $4,000 spend ended Oct 2024
Card Type: Business, Airline

Spend Categories

Airfare - »

2X points
2.6¢ Per Dollar Spent

All Other - »

1X points
1.3¢ Per Dollar Spent

Gas Stations = »

2X points
2.6¢ Per Dollar Spent

Cell Phone Carriers = »

2X points
2.6¢ Per Dollar Spent

Travel - »

2X points
2.6¢ Per Dollar Spent

Internet and Cable = »

2X points
2.6¢ Per Dollar Spent

Card Benefits

Preferred Boarding »
Get priority boarding on American Airlines flights for you and up to 4 travelers listed on the same reservation
No Foreign Transaction Fees »
You will pay no foreign transaction fees when you use your card for purchases made outside the United States.
Free Checked Bag »
Your first checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 travel companions.
Extended Warranty »
Get up to 1 extra year added to a warranty of 5 years of less.

Point Transfer Options

Transfer To Spouse/Partner Yes - $$

Transfer To Friends Yes - $$

Travel Partner Transfers

Outside Point System American Airlines Miles

Transfers In From
Point Transfer Options
IHG Rewards

5:1 43% value retained

Point Transfer Options
Marriott Bonvoy

3:1 72% value retained

Point Transfer Options
World of Hyatt

5:2.5 41% value retained

Why You Might Want This Card

Go To Biz Card For AA Traveler

The big draws to this card:

1. The hefty 70,000 sign-up bonus you get after a modest minimum spend

2. A reasonable annual fee of just $99 (waived the first year).

The great thing about American Airline miles is they can be used on any partner airline, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific and many others. That makes traveling the world fairly accessible. Also worth mentioning is the handy companion certificate after spending $30,000 on your card in one year. That said -- our guess is that you'd be much better off using the $30,000 extra spend collecting sign-up bonuses on other cards. You'll also get one bag checked free and priority zone 5 early boarding when you book with this card. The spending multipliers are reasonable but nothing to get excited about. The highest multiplier is 2x on airfare, cell phones, internet/cable and gas stations.

Bottom Line

If you're looking to rack up AA miles, this is a good card. The sign-up bonus is beefy (we've seen it as high as 70,000 points), though the amount of points you get on regular spending is subpar. Checked bags are free, saving you at least $50 per round-trip flight. Priority boarding and no foreign transaction fee makes travel less stressful. And the potential to double your miles is simple if you use this card for all business expenses like car rentals, gas and paying your phone bill (though multipliers on other cards can offer you much better value).

Another drawback is that this card doesn't offer any lounge access. But if you're already getting that with another card -- or only plan to take straight flights with no layovers -- then this really isn't a big deal.

At bottom, this might be a good card to get for the sign-up bonus. And then keep it in your wallet to get free checked bags and priority boarding in later years.

Application Rules

This business card will not show on your personal credit report, so it won't count against your 5/24 status

You'll be declined if you've received a BONUS from this card in past 48 months

You might not be allowed to get a second card for a separate business (EIN)

Card approval not subject to 5-personal-cards-in-24-months rule

You'll be declined if you apply for a second Citi business card within 95 days

You'll be declined if you apply for a third Citi card within 65 days

You'll be declined if you apply for a second Citi card (business and/or personal) within 8 days

You'll be declined if there are 6 or more hard inquiries on your credit report the past 6 months

Best for Series

Below is a snapshot of where this card performs best compared to the other cards in our database:

Breaking Points

November 17, 2020
American Airlines Miles
American Airline Eliminates Award "Restocking" Fee

You can now book more freely with American Airlines points. Beginning Nov. 11, 2020, there will be no fee to cancel a flight and return your points to your account. Normal cancellation rules apply, which have become increasingly generous through the Covid pandemic.

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