Earn 50k AAdvantage Miles With These Citi Sign-Up Bonuses

If you’re looking to earn some extra AAdvantage miles to jump-start your award travel for the upcoming year, these two offers for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard and the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard could be worth a look. For a limited time, each card is offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months.

We last saw this offer in February 2016, so if you missed out then, now could be a great time to sign up. The standard offer for both cards is 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months, so you have the opportunity to earn an extra 20,000 miles (though you will have to spend $2,000 more to do so). According to TPG’s latest valuations, the 50,000-mile bonus is worth $750 (with the 20,000 extra points getting you an additional $300 in value), but depending on how you redeem them they could be worth more.

Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard

Here’s a look at the main features and perks of the personal Citi AAdvantage Platinum card:

• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
• Enjoy Group 1 Boarding on American Airlines flights
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
• Receive 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights
• Double AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 10% of your redeemed AAdvantage miles back — up to 10,000 AAdvantage miles each calendar year

CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard

And the details for the business version:

• Designed for businesses
• Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after making $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
• Enjoy Group 1 Boarding on American Airlines domestic flights
• Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on purchases at telecommunications, car rental merchants and at gas stations
• Earn 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent on other purchases

Both cards have a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first 12 months, and they offer largely the same benefits — though the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card does offer additional 2x bonus categories (telecommunications, car rental merchants and gas station purchases in addition to American Airlines purchases) and the ability to earn a companion certificate when you spend $30,000 on the card in a cardmembership year. Also, with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card, you can earn 10% back on mileage redemptions (up to 10,000 miles a year), which isn’t available through the business card.

Is It Worth It?

If you need to earn some extra AAdvantage miles toward an award flight you hope to book in the coming months, it could be worth signing up for one (or both) of these cards. With 50,000 AAdvantage miles, you could book two round-trip economy awards within the US, a round-trip domestic business-class flight or a round-trip business-class flight from the US to Mexico, among other options. And if you already have some miles stashed away, the sign-up bonus could be the boost you need to book a more expensive award to a far-flung destination.

These cards aren’t the most rewarding options for airfare purchases, especially now that you can earn 5x Membership Rewards points with the Platinum Card from American Express. However, the Platinum Card comes with a $450 annual fee compared to $95 (after the first year) on both the Citi AAdvantage Platinum and CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum.

You’ll also want to consider these co-branded cards’ selection of perks for air travel on American. You’ll enjoy Group 1 boarding on domestic AA flights, plus a free checked bag on domestic flights for you and up to four companions on the same reservation.

Bottom Line

If the benefits offered by the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard and the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard appeal to you, now’s a solid time to sign up. You’ll earn 20,000 more miles than you would with the standard offer, which could come in handy if you have a specific award in mind. We don’t know when these limited-time offers will expire, so don’t wait too long if you’re interested in applying.

Source: thepointsguy.com