Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: A high price for American Airlines benefits
Great for elite travel perks
Annual Fee: $595
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Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® or similar cards.
% of members by credit limit range
The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $22,507, with $15,000 being the most common.
Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® or similar cards.
% of members by credit score range
The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 724, with 810 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.
Member stats
Updated daily
26.2%
Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.
44 years
Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.
$121,734
Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.
Pros and cons
Image: yesGreat sign-up bonus
Image: yesAdmirals Club lounge membership could make airport trips more comfortable
Image: yesComplimentary status perks like priority boarding and free checked bags
Image: ConHigh spending requirement to earn the sign-up bonus
Image: ConHigh annual fee
Image: ConSome perks are already provided through elite status membership with the airline
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® review
Updated October 29, 2024
This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.
Written by: Andrew Kunesh
What to know about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
High annual fee
This premium airline credit card boasts plenty of perks, but they come at a cost — a $595 annual fee. With an annual fee that high, you’ll want to make sure you’ll actually use this card’s higher-value benefits before applying.
Complimentary Admirals Club membership
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® includes a full Admirals Club airport lounge membership for the primary cardholder, and authorized users can also access the lounges.
American Airlines values this benefit at $850, so it’s a valuable one if you were planning to purchase or renew an Admirals Club membership elsewhere. On the other hand, this perk might not mean much if you don’t regularly visit airport lounges or regularly fly American Airlines or its partners.
Great sign-up bonus, but at a cost
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers new cardholders 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after opening the card.
This is a phenomenal sign-up bonus — even for a premium travel card.
Limited opportunities to earn points elsewhere
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®’s sign-up bonus can help you build up your miles balance quickly, but your non-American Airlines purchases won’t earn as many miles. The card offers 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels booked through AAdvantagehotels.com and on eligible car rentals booked through American Airlines as well as four miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, but just one mile per $1 spent on other purchases.
If you’re not wedded to American Airlines for your travel, a flexible travel card may offer more bang for your mile.
Plenty of travel perks
Even if you don’t have airline status, you’ll still get plenty of perks from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with early boarding and access to priority check-in and security lanes. It also includes one free checked bag for you and up to eight travel companions.
But keep in mind that these perks are already included with American Airlines elite status. If you already have elite status or plan to earn it with this card, these benefits may not be as valuable to you. But you’ll still get a statement credit of up to $120 for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years. And the card has no foreign transaction fees, which could come in handy when you’re traveling abroad.
Understanding your points and redemption options
AAdvantage miles can be redeemed for travel on American Airlines, American Eagle®, oneworld® and partner airlines. American Airlines uses a region-based award chart, so the amount of miles required to redeem for a flight depends on factors including where you fly, seat type and date.
You can also redeem your miles for hotel stays, car rentals, seat upgrades or to plan a vacation through American Airlines’ partners.
Is this card worth it?
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® might only make sense for frequent American Airlines fliers. The card’s various perks will likely appeal to frequent travelers who want extra comfort at the airport. But with an annual fee of $595, this card is probably best for those who travel at least once or twice a month.
But if you prefer to get value from travel cards by redeeming miles for award flights, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. This card simply doesn’t offer much mile-earning potential thanks to its limited bonus categories and decent, but not unique, sign-up bonus.
Not sure this is the card for you? Consider these alternatives.
If you’re not sure you’d take full advantage of the perks that come with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, you might want to consider one of these cards instead.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Less-frequent American Airlines flyers might get more value from this card.
- Platinum Card® from American Express: This card could be a better option for those who want broader lounge access and travel flexibility.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: If you’re looking for a nice mix of travel flexibility and perks, this card could be worth a look.
Member reviews
Most helpful positive review
April 12, 2023
Love this card
— Credit Karma Member
So what makes this card better than other AA-branded credit cards is that whatever you buy on this card goes toward your Admiral's Club points. I did not know this until I was travelling with a friend and she had another AA-branded card BUT she told me the only way she accrues AA Admiral's Club points is by buying AA plane tix. If she goes to a restaurant and uses her card, she doesn't get points. I got this card with an 818 TU credit score and $45,100 credit limit (my highest CL).
Most helpful negative review
October 5, 2023
Horrible Dispute Process
— Credit Karma Member
I have the American Airlines Executive Mastercard with Citi. I would like to start off saying that I have an 850 credit score and have many other high fee cards because I travel very often with work. I have never missed a payment an consider myself to be an excellent customer. Because I fly American, I thought it would make sense for me to get this card. I enjoy the Admiral’s Club benefits, but that’s about it. I had a dispute with a merchant charge in late August. I immediately reached out to Citi. I got zero response from them, and in about a week the dispute was closed with no reason. I called in and I was told that the dispute was not able to be reopened and I that I needed to email a certain department. This call took about 15 minutes and I was forced to talk to several different departments, one that I strongly feel was not even in the US. I sent an email to the department that I was told to do so. I submitted supporting documents. Again, after about 10 days I called in to see what was happening. I got no response that the email had been received. When I called in I was told that I would get a response in just a few more days, which I did not. This call also took about 15 minutes and I had to talk to two departments. At this point I was getting annoyed. This kind of card with a $595 fee should have better customer service. I called for the third time and I was told that the second dispute was also closed with no correspondence from Citi. I asked why and was told that there were no notes, and they could do nothing to help me. They then offered (bargained) with me to take a $250 payment when the disputed charge was for $396. I was furious. I felt like they were implying I was trying to get something for free, when the charge was 100% not authorized by me. I told them I wanted to cancel all my Citi accounts and they did not even try to save my business. This call took 51 minutes, four departments and again I was sent out of the US. To make this situation even more comical, they applied a $250 credit to a charge that wasn’t even disputed. I have had disputes with Chase and American Express with zero issue. The responses I got from them were more of “we are sorry this happened, we will credit your account right away.” With Citi they basically implied that I was the one that was wrong and that I should be grateful for the $250 “Gift.” I have already paid my yearly fee, but rest assured I will not keep my accounts open for the next year.