Best American Airlines Credit Card

Yes. There are six American Airlines credit cards that offer free checked bags on flights: Citi's AAdvantage Executive, AAdvantage Platinum Select and CitiBusiness Platinum Select, plus AAdvantage Aviator Red, Aviator Silver and Aviator Business from Barclays. All of those American Airlines cards offer at least one free checked bag when traveling on a domestic itinerary operated by American Airlines.

For all but two of the cards, the benefit covers the primary cardholder and up to 4 other guests on the same reservation. AAdvantage Executive and AAdvantage Aviator Silver give one free checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to 8 guests on the same reservation.

You don't have to pay for your flight with an American Airlines credit card to get the free checked bag, but your account must be open at least seven days prior to the date of your flight in order to be eligible. All American Airlines credit cards that offer a free checked bag also give at least 2 miles for every $1 you spend on American Airlines purchases, including airfare.

The value of American Airlines miles is 1.29 cents per mile, on average. That means 10,000 American Airlines miles have a value of roughly $129. American Airlines miles have about the same value as the average airline miles, which are worth almost 1.3 cents each, as a result.

It`s important to remember that the value of American Airlines miles depends on how they are redeemed. They have the most value when used for AAdvantage flights. In addition, one of the best ways to increase the number of American Airlines miles that you earn is to apply for an American Airlines credit card.

American Airlines Miles vs. The Competition

Yes, American Airlines credit card miles expire, after 18 months of inactivity. AAdvantage loyalty program rules state that miles expire when a member does not “earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months.” All American Airlines credit cards, whether issued by Citi or Barclays, reward the cardholder with AAdvantage Miles.

So, to stop your American Airlines credit card miles from expiring, all you have to do is use your credit card to earn miles or redeem any miles you've already accrued. Or, you can book a flight with American Airlines (or another OneWorld Alliance airline) – with or without your credit card, as long as you fill in your AAdvantage membership number. As long as your loyalty account stays active in at least one of these ways every 18 months, your miles will last forever.

If your American Airlines credit card miles expire, all is not lost. You can reactivate up to 500,000 miles through your online AA account or by calling American Airlines, for a fee. AA does not disclose the prices on their website and they differ depending on the number of miles.

Note: Mileage expiration is temporarily suspended through June 30, 2021 due to COVID-19.

The best American Airlines credit card benefits are bonus miles on American Airlines flights, savings on in-flight purchases, free checked bags, preferred boarding, and even airport lounge access on some cards. The long list of AAdvantage credit card benefits also includes more traditional perks like rental car insurance, travel accident insurance and purchase protection.

All American Airlines credit cards except for the AAdvantage Aviator card charge annual fees, ranging from $49 to $450. So it's a good idea to milk your card for all the benefits you can get.

Best American Airlines Credit Card Benefits

Bonus miles on American Airlines flights

Most AAdvantage credit cards give 2 miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases. The AAdvantage Aviator card gives 1 per $1.

Initial bonus

You may be able to get a lump sum of miles for spending a certain amount of money in the first few months your card is open. The best bonus right now is 60,000 miles, which you can get from the AAdvantage Aviator Red card after making your first purchase and paying the annual fee.

Free checked bags

All but two American Airlines credit cards give you a free checked bag on American Airlines flights. Some even give a free checked bag to 4-8 of your travel companions. The two cards without free checked bags are the AAdvantage Aviator card and the AAdvantage Aviator Blue card.

Preferred boarding

All American Airlines credit cards provide preferred boarding on American Airlines flights, except the AAdvantage Aviator card and the AAdvantage Aviator Blue card.

In-flight purchase savings

You can get 25% off American Airlines in-flight food and beverage purchases with any American Airlines credit card.

Lounge access

The Citi/AAdvantage Executive Card offers a complimentary Admirals Club membership for you and your authorized users. You can also bring your spouse, children or up to two other guests.

Rental car insurance

All American Airlines cards cover you against collision damage and theft, up to the cash value of most rental cars.

Travel accident insurance

Reimburses you when you or your family die or are seriously injured by a travel provider. The Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and AAdvantage Gold Card (discontinued) have this benefit.

Trip interruption/cancellation insurance

Pays out when a situation out of your control (e.g. severe weather, sickness) causes the cancellation or early end of your trip. The Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and AAdvantage Gold Card (discontinued) have this benefit.

Baggage loss insurance

Reimburses you when your bags and their contents are lost or damaged by a travel provider. The Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and AAdvantage Gold Card (discontinued) have this benefit.

Purchase protection

Insures items you buy with your card against damage or theft for 90 days after purchase. The Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and AAdvantage Gold Card (discontinued) have this benefit.

Price protection

Reimburses you for the difference between the price you paid for an item and a lower sale price you find within 120 days. The Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, CitiBusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, AAdvantage Aviator Red Card and AAdvantage Gold Card (discontinued) have this benefit.

There are tons of American Airlines credit card benefits. But some cards provide a lot more than others. If you're looking for the most benefits at the lowest price, consider the AAdvantage Aviator Red Card. It offers every major benefit (except for lounge access) and charges a $95 annual fee.

It's also good to note that you can also get some of these benefits without a credit card – just by joining the AAdvantage loyalty program. Basic members only get priority status on waitlists. But Gold members, who have either flown 30 qualifying segments or earned 25,000 qualifying miles in a calendar year, are able to get the priority boarding and free checked bag benefits. You also can get complimentary flight upgrades and discounted Admirals club memberships, among other things.

You need at least 7,500 miles for a free flight on American Airlines. You can redeem 7,500 AAdvantage miles for a free one-way domestic MileSAAver award flight of up to 500 miles in distance. For a domestic flight longer than 500 miles, you'll need 20,000-30,000 award miles.

American Airlines' flight awards chart is divided into four different award levels: MileSAAver, MileSAAver Off Peak, AAnytime Level 1, and AAnytime Level 2. The award levels differ based on availability, date, and region. MileSAAver and MileSAAver Off Peak are the cheapest options with the least availability. AAnytime Level 1 and Level 2 have much better availability, but require more miles (up to twice as many).

How Many Miles You Need for a Free Flight on American Airlines:

• One-way flight in the contiguous U.S. and Canada: 7,500-30,000 miles
• One-way flight to Alaska: 15,000-40,000 miles
• One-way flight to Hawaii: 20,000-50,000 miles
• One-way flight to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean: 12,500-37,500 miles
• One-way flight to Europe: 22,500-65,000 miles
• One-way flight to Asia: 32,500-80,000 miles

Those mile requirements are all for Main Cabin seats. Business and First Class flights will cost more miles, anywhere from 25,000 to 170,000 more per one-way flight. Regardless of which flight you choose, you'll still have to pay the fees and taxes for the flight.

To log in to your American Airlines credit card account, visit the Citi or Barclays website (both issue American Airlines credit cards), then enter your username and password. From there, you'll have access to your American Airlines credit card account and will be able to view details like your balance and rewards. You'll also be able to make payments, report your card as lost, or request a credit limit increase, among other things.

Both the Citi and Barclays American Airlines credit card login boxes also have tools to help you if you forgot your user ID or password. And they have a button for you to set up your online account if you don't have one yet.

You can pre-qualify for an American Airlines credit card through a targeted offer. If you receive a pre-qualified offer either by e-mail or in the regular mail, it's because Citibank, one of two banks that issue American Airlines credit cards, thinks you'd be a good candidate for their cards based on a preliminary check of your credit report. Citi does not allow you to check for pre-approval online as of August 2020. Barclays, which also issues American Airlines credit cards, does not currently offer pre-approval in the U.S.

To respond to a pre-qualified mail or e-mail offer, visit the Citi pre-approval website and click the “Respond to a Mail Offer” tab. Enter the invitation number included in your pre-qualification offer and click “See Your Card Offer.” Pre-approval does not guarantee you'll be approved for an American Airlines credit card. It does indicate that you'll have a good chance of being approved if you apply.

To make an American Airlines credit card payment, log in to your account with the bank that issues your card, Citi or Barclays, then navigate to the payments section of your account. After that, put in your bank account information, along with the amount of the payment (minimum due, full balance or another specific dollar amount). Finally, submit your payment.

Both Citi and Barclays also allow payments by phone or mail, as well as through their respective mobile apps (using the same login info). With both banks, you can set up recurring monthly payments if you wish, too.

How to Make an American Airlines Credit Card Payment:

Online: To make a Citi American Airlines credit card payment online, log in to your account, then click on “Make a Payment.” To make a Barclays AAdvantage credit card payment online, log in and click “Pay your bill.”

By phone: Call Citi at 1-800-950-5114 or call Barclays at 877-523-0478.

By mail: Send a check or money order (not cash) to your card's issuer. The address for Citi is P.O. Box 9001037 / Louisville KY, 40290-1037. The address for Barclays is Card Services / P.O. Box 60517 / City of Industry, CA 91716-0517.

To get the American Airlines credit card 75,000 miles bonus, apply for the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard and spend $7,500 within 3 months of being approved. You'll get the 75,000 miles within 8-10 weeks of qualifying for the bonus. The AAdvantage Executive Card requires excellent credit for approval and has a $450 annual fee. But 75,000 AAdvantage miles are worth about $1,050 in American Airlines airfare.

American Airlines Credit Card 75,000 Miles Offer:

• You can earn 75,000 miles by spending $7,500 in the first 3 months with the Citi/AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard.

• You need excellent credit (750+ credit score) to get approved for the Citi/AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard.

• Earning the bonus requires spending at least $2,500 per month. You'll also earn 2 miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases and 1 on everything else.

• Your 75,000 bonus miles will show up in your account 8-10 weeks after you reach the spending threshold.
• 75,000 miles (worth about $1,050) cover the cost of the Citi/AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard's $450 annual fee for more than 2 years.

You are not eligible to earn the initial bonus if you have opened or closed any other Citi/AAdvantage card in the past 24 months (with the exceptions of AAdvantage MileUp and Citibusiness/AAdvantage). The executive card has a few other bonuses, like a free Admirals Club lounge membership and a free first checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on the same reservation. And if you spend $40,000 in a year, you get 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs). They can't be used for free flights. But the more you have, the better perks you get on AA flights. The American Airlines credit card 75,000 miles bonus is valuable. It's worth over $1,000 in airfare. But you do have to spend a lot of money to get it. So frequent travelers can benefit greatly from this card, while occasional travelers will likely end up losing money due to the $450 annual fee.

You can log in to your Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select account by going to the Citibank login page and entering your account credentials. You can also log in with the same credentials using the Citi mobile app. Either way, your online AAdvantage Platinum Select account will allow you access to your balance, transaction history, and account statements; and you can also pay your credit card bill.

If you haven't set up online access for your Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card yet, click “Register for Online Access” below the User ID and password boxes on the Citibank login page. You'll be asked to enter your credit card number and email address, and you will need to choose a User ID and password. If you've forgotten your login credentials, click the “Forgot User ID?” or “Forgot Password?” link on the main login page, and follow the prompts to recover your credentials.