Citi AAdvantage Globe Card Review: Premium Perks Priced Right for American Airlines Loyalists

If you’re a regular American Airlines flyer, you’ll want to check out the recently launched Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® from our partner Citi. With a $350 annual fee, this mid-tier card fills the gap between the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, an advertising partner ($99, waived for first 12 months), and premium Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® ($595 annual fee).

The annual fee on the newest co-branded American Airlines credit card is easily justified by benefits that provide over $750 in annual value, including four Admirals Club airport lounge passes per year and, after your first anniversary, an annual domestic companion certificate that costs just $99 plus taxes and fees. Other benefits like a free first checked bag on domestic AA itineraries, a “splurge” credit and more sweeten the card’s appeal.

Let’s have a closer look at what the card has to offer in our Citi American Airlines Globe Card review.

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Purchase and Balance Transfer APR

19.99% – 29.99% (Variable)

Intro Bonus

For a limited time, earn 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.

Rewards

3x Miles Earn 3 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent/Good
670 – 850*

Annual Fee

$350

CardCritics™ Opinion

The Citi American Airlines Globe strikes the sweet spot for American Airlines loyalists who fly often and want upscale benefits without a premium credit card price tag. Between a substantial welcome bonus, day-of-travel perks, statement credits, an annual companion certificate, and unique features like a Flight Streak™ bonus of Loyalty Points toward elite status, this card can provide immense value for the right AA flyers. That said, if you only fly American now and then, you’ll probably do better with a different card.

Our Critical Analysis:

Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®

    PROS

  • Four annual Admirals Club lounge passes
  • Free first checked bag on domestic AA itineraries for cardholder and up to eight travel companions
  • Annual Splurge Credit and statement credits for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, Turo and in-flight purchases
  • Annual companion certificate starting the second cardmembership year for a main cabin domestic ticket ($99 plus taxes and fees)

    CONS

  • $350 annual fee
  • Companion certificate restricted to main cabin domestic itineraries
  • Annual Splurge Credit and other perks can be tricky to maximize

Citi AAdvantage Globe Card Benefits

Welcome Bonus

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card is offering a welcome bonus of 90,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first four months of account opening. That’s a competitive offer compared to other mid-tier airline credit cards, such as The New United Quest℠ Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, an advertising partner.

The 90,000 AA miles bonus is enough to book several domestic flights, or even two round-trip off-peak partner economy flights to Europe. Read our American Airlines AAdvantage program guide to learn about the best ways to use your miles.

Annual Admirals Club Passes

Every calendar year, cardholders receive four passes to American Airlines’ exclusive Admirals Club airport lounges. There are only two other cards that offer access to the Admirals Club: the Citi AA Executive card, which comes with unlimited access, and the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, an advertising partner, which also offers four annual Admirals Club passes. However, those cards both have annual fees of $595, compared to the American Airlines Globe Card’s $350.

This perk is ideal for travelers who only need airport lounge access a few times a year. Each Admirals Club pass is good for 24 hours, so if you’re on a connecting itinerary, you can access Admirals Club locations at multiple airports within that timeframe.

If you’re traveling with adult companions, you can use a pass for them as well as long as they’re with you. In addition, up to three children under 18 years of age can accompany an adult who redeems a pass. This perk doesn’t roll over; you’ll forfeit any unused passes at the end of the calendar year.

Free Checked Bags and Preferred Boarding

Citi American Airlines Globe cardholders and up to eight companions on the same domestic American Airlines reservation receive a free first checked bag. Since AA charges up to $40 for the first checked bag, this perk could be worth up to $80 per person on a round-trip itinerary.

You’ll also get preferred boarding (Group 5) for yourself and the same number of companions on AA flights. Group 5 boards after the priority boarding group, but before other economy passengers; this perk is handy because it gives you extra time to get settled onboard and find space in the overhead bins for your carry-on luggage.

Companion Certificate

Each year when you renew your American Airlines Globe Card, you’ll receive a companion certificate that allows you to bring a friend or family member along on a main cabin round-trip AA itinerary within the 48 contiguous United States for $99 plus taxes and fees. If you reside in Alaska, Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico, the certificate is also valid for travel from these regions to the lower 48 states.

This benefit could save you enough money to justify the annual fee, particularly if used for expensive transcontinental tickets or at peak flying times.

Extra Loyalty Point Potential

Earning status with American Airlines is based on a metric the airline refers to as Loyalty Points, and you’ll typically earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible mile earned. Eligible miles include those earned from spending on AA flights, with eligible AA partners and from eligible credit card spending.

With the Citi American Airlines Globe Card, you’ll also get a boost (which the card calls a Flight Streak Bonus) of 5,000 Loyalty Points for every four qualifying AA flights taken by the primary cardholder, with a maximum of 15,000 Loyalty Points possible per qualification year (March through February) earned this way.

Elite benefits with AAdvantage start at 15,000 Loyalty Points, so even two round-trip flights with the airline can jump-start some perks.

Statement Credits

The card offers numerous statement credits that, if maximized, can effectively wipe out the annual fee. These include:

  • Splurge Credit: After enrollment, receive up to $100 in statement credits each year toward purchases with an oddly specific set of merchants: eligible AAdvantage hotel bookings, 1st Dibs, Future Personal Training and Live Nation. You can activate up to two merchants at one time. If you don’t mind booking your hotel through the AAdvantage site, combining this credit with the card’s earning rate of 6 miles per dollar on bookings made via AA can soften the blow of your lodging bill.
  • Turo credits: Receive up to $240 in statement credits each tear toward Turo bookings (up to eight trips at up to $30 per trip). Turo is a car sharing platform that competes with traditional rental car companies.
  • In-flight purchase savings: Earn up to $100 in statement credits annually toward eligible American Airlines in-flight purchases made with the card, such as snacks and alcohol. This benefit only applies on domestic flights operated by AA or American Eagle.
  • TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit: Once every four years, receive up to $120 in statement credits toward the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.

Travel and Purchase Protections

Any good travel credit card should provide trip coverage in the event things go wrong on your journey. The American Airlines Globe Card includes the following protections when you use it to purchase travel:

  • Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
  • Lost or damaged luggage insurance
  • Car rental insurance
  • Trip delay insurance

Cardholders also receive purchase protection and extended warranty coverage when they use the card to pay for eligible items.

Citi AAdvantage Globe Card Drawbacks

Rewards Are Tailored for Travelers

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card comes with high earning rates in certain categories, but most revolve around travel. You can earn:

  • 6x miles on eligible AAdvantage Hotels bookings
  • 3x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
  • 2x miles at restaurants, including takeout and delivery
  • 2x miles on eligible Rides and Rails™ purchases, including taxis, rideshares and public transit
  • 1x miles on all other purchases

Although these are nice rates on spending when you’re on the go, the lackluster earnings on household expenses in areas like gas and groceries mean this card won’t be an everyday wallet hero.

Annual Fee May Be Hard To Justify for Some

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card does come with four Admirals Club passes each year and an application fee credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck. But the application fee credit is once every four years, and a day pass to an Admirals Club lounge is $79. You could buy four lounge passes for less than the annual fee on this card.

And depending on where and how you fly, buying one domestic ticket in main cabin to get another one for $99 plus taxes and fees may not be that meaningful to you.

Similarly, the Splurge Credit and Turo credits may be hard to maximize if you don’t typically spend with these merchants. The in-flight purchase credit could provide significant savings for frequent flyers, but if you only travel a handful of times a year, it would be hard to max out.

Lacks Broader Lounge Access

Although the AAdvantage Globe is an American Airlines co-branded card, there isn’t going to be an Admirals Lounge everywhere you might fly with the airline. If your travels mean you’ll be spending time at an airport with lounge options besides an Admirals Club, such as Priority Pass lounges, you won’t be able to access them with this card.

If you prefer unlimited access to Admirals Clubs, consider the top-tier Citi AA Executive card instead.

Who Is the Citi AAdvantage Globe Card Best For?

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card is ideal for someone who flies domestically round-trip a few times a year and can make the most of the four Admirals Club lounge passes and the annual companion pass perk to make the $350 annual fee worth it. Although the card comes packed with other benefits, including Group 5 preferred boarding, bonus Loyalty Point potential and various statement credits, the lounge access and companion pass are the main reasons to choose this card over other AAdvantage co-branded cards.

If you think you’ll fully use either of those benefits or can make the most of the other perks to break even or come out ahead of the annual fee, the card is a match for your needs and travel habits.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The Citi AAdvantage Globe Card may be right for you if:

  • You can use the four annual Admirals Club Passes
  • You can get close to the card’s annual fee in value from the companion pass perk
  • You can maximize the statement credits and Flight Streak benefits

Alternatives to the Citi AAdvantage Globe Credit Card

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card isn’t the only option if you want to accelerate your ability to earn AA miles and score some lounge access, too. Here are alternatives worthy of consideration:

  • Citi AA Executive card: Although it has a steeper annual fee than the American Airlines Globe, it comes with unlimited Admirals Club access plus access to select partner lounges. The card also offers priority check-in, screening and boarding when flying American, and earns 4 miles per dollar on AA spending.
  • Citi Strata Elite Card: The Strata Elite offers far more versatility than the American Airlines Globe Card. In addition to offering the same four annual Admirals Club lounge passes, it also comes with a Priority Pass Select membership and an annual $200 Splurge Credit, which can be used for AA flights and AA Vacations. The card also earns flexible Citi ThankYou® points that can be transferred to American Airlines or other Citi transfer partners. However, there’s no companion pass perk.

Card Details From Citi®

  • For a limited time, earn 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
  • American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received AAdvantage® bonus miles for a new AAdvantage® Globe™ account in the past 48 months or if you converted another Citi credit card account on which you earned a new account bonus in the last 48 months into a AAdvantage® Globe™ account.
  • Every calendar year, receive four Admirals Club® Globe™ Passes.
  • Global Entry® or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit of up to $120 every 4 years.
  • Earn 3 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.

The Citi American Airlines Globe Card has plenty of merits for American Airlines flyers, but it’s worth comparing to similar cards to help you choose the right airline credit card for your needs.

Citi American Airlines Globe Card Citi AA Executive card Citi Strata Elite Card
Welcome Bonus For a limited time, earn 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. For a limited time, earn 100,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
Annual Fee $350 $595 $595
APR 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) 20.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
Rewards Rate Earn 3 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 10 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible AAdvantage Hotels™ bookings and eligible AAdvantage Cars™ bookings. Earn 4 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. After you spend $150,000 in purchases in a calendar year, earn a total of 5 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases for the remainder of the year. Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
Lounge Access Four Admirals Club passes per year Unlimited Admirals Club access Four Admirals Club passes per year

Priority Pass Select membership

How does the companion pass benefit work with the Citi AAdvantage Globe Card?

Each year after you renew your Citi AAdvantage Globe Card, you’ll receive a companion certificate good for one main cabin round-trip domestic companion ticket for $99 plus taxes and fees.

What is the Citi AAdvantage Globe Card Splurge Credit?

The Citi AAdvantage Globe Card’s annual $100 Splurge Credit works toward purchases made with eligible AAdvantage hotel bookings, 1st Dibs, Future Personal Training and Live Nation once you activate (maximum of two merchants). It’s a use-it-or-lose-it credit each year, so your best bet is to try and use it up every year to get your money’s worth.

Can I use the Admirals Club passes from the Citi Globe Card at other lounges?

No, the four annual passes with the American Airlines Globe Card are one-day passes, good at nearly 50 Admirals Club lounges worldwide for up to 24 hours. Partner lounge access is not available; however, since the passes are good for 24 hours, you can enjoy an Admirals Club lounge before check-in on your first flight and during any layovers before your next flight.

How many Loyalty Points do I need to get American Airlines status?

AAdvantage Gold Status is the first level of the American Airlines status, and it requires 40,000 Loyalty Points. Perks include 40% more miles, complimentary preferred seats when booking and upgrades when available. There are perks at 15,000 Loyalty Points, but the main one is Group 5 boarding, which comes with ownership of the American Airlines Globe Card.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
*CardCritics™ references a FICO® 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when evaluating your application.