Is 100,000 bonus miles really possible? This American Airlines credit card review exposes how their promotional offers work and the pros and cons behind them.

American Airlines logo
Being that American Airlines is among the largest carriers (actually they are the largest based on annual distance flown) it comes as no surprise they have one of the most popular airline credit card programs on the market. However there are some important things you need to know.

*Warning about the mega-promotions*
Is a card offer for 75,000 or 100,000 miles too good to be true? Sort of. In the past (when the economy was healthier) Citi ran very brief offers for 75k or 100k miles but it came with major strings – offered for a very limited time and minimum spend requirements of up to $10,000 to get the points.

My guess is Citi/AA probably did this as a marketing campaign to drum up some quick hype for the card on forums/blogs (and it worked). But the truth of the matter is when you apply for an American Airlines card these days, you will probably get a bonus ranging from 2,500 to 30,000 miles (depending on the card level).

With that said, let’s review some of the Citi American Airline credit credit card promotions that are currently available for 2012. I advertise Citi cards (including the AAdvantage) so I know quite a bit about the benefits and drawbacks for each offer.

American Airlines Platinum
#1: Platinum AAdvantage World MasterCard (Best Offer)
This credit card packs a lot of punch for a reasonable fee.
  • Credit Card Rewards: Every purchase earns you AAdvantage miles – you get one for every dollar spent, up to 100,000 per year (fortunately your bonus miles do NOT count towards that ceiling).
  • Partner Rewards: One of the biggest advantages with the American Airlines reward program is you have over 1,000 different ways you can earn miles. For example, there are several dozen hotel chains and eight of the most popular car rental companies participating.
  • No Blackout Dates: In the frequent flyer world, AAdvantage miles are highly coveted because unlike most other airlines, there are no restricted dates for award tickets. Of course they can’t guarantee reward seats will always be available but at least you have the freedom to fly on American Airlines, American Eagle, and American Connection without any blackout dates.
  • MileSAAver Discount: : This benefit is very unique – it allows you a “discount” in the number of AAdvantage miles needed for various destinations. For example a reduced mileage award for a roundtrip domestic ticket may only cost 17.5k miles instead of 25k. This can save you up to 7,500 miles per roundtrip award ticket.
  • Annual Fee: $85
  • Bonus Promotion: This beats all the other American Airlines credit card promotions hands down:
(1) Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles
(2) Get a $100 statement credit for making an eligible American Airlines purchase
(3) Earn double AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases during first 12 months
(4) Your fee is waived for the first year - an $85 value
Verdict? Normally the bonus isn't nearly this generous but right now Citi is really pushing this version heavily. Even though the Gold is $35 less, the signup offer that comes with it doesn't even compare. So right now your best bet is to apply for the Platinum so you can score this deal. Remember after your first year (which is free) you can always downgrade to the Gold if you want... but by starting with the Platinum you will be getting a much better promotion.

Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles + $100 statement credit + 2x miles on American + 1st year free

American Airlines Gold
#2: Gold / AAdvantage World MasterCard
This is the second best American Airlines credit card offer but unfortunately, it pails in comparison to what Citibank is offering for the Platinum right now.
  • Credit Card Rewards: 1 miles per dollar but the number of miles you can earn per year is 40% less than the Platinum (with the Gold it's only 60,000 when excluding bonus miles).
  • Partner Rewards: Same as Platinum.
  • No Blackout Dates: Same as Platinum.
  • MileSAAver Discount: The "Reduced Mileage Awards" will cost you 2,500 miles more than what you get with the Platinum.
  • Annual Fee: $50
  • Bonus Promotion: A maximum of 30k miles.
Verdict? The Gold American Airlines card is good, but it's not a good deal for 2012 since Citi isn't pushing any aggressive promotions for it. When you consider the fact that the Platinum only costs $35 more and it offers you up to 10,000 more bonus miles, a $100 statement credit towards an AA purchase, plus your first year for free, I can't think of any logical reason to apply for the Gold and miss out on all that.

American Airlines credit card
#3: American Airlines Credit Card
This is their lowest tier and it basically operates like a store credit card (but for an airline, of course). Here’s why I say that…
  • Not a major card: This is NOT a Visa/MasterCard/AmEx/Discover. It can only be used for purchases from American Airlines.
  • Deferred Interest: Just like store cards, this AAdvantage card offers 0% on purchases of $150+ if paid in full within 6 month. If every penny of the purchase isn’t paid off before then, interest is charged retroactively going back to the date of purchase for the full amount. At the time of this review it has a very high 25.99% variable APR.
  • No Rewards Program: You don’t earn miles and there is no bonus offer with it.
Verdict? Only for those who have absolutely terrible credit and are trying to rebuild their history. Everyone else should try for a better tier.