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3. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® review: A high price for American Airlines benefits

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reviews

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Rating: 3 out of 5.

Great for elite travel perks

Annual Fee: $595

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

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 $23,234, 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 725, with 813 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

Member stats

Updated daily

25.5%

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.

45 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$123,512

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

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Great sign-up bonus

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Admirals Club lounge membership could make airport trips more comfortable

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Complimentary status perks like priority boarding and free checked bags

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High spending requirement to earn the sign-up bonus

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High annual fee

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Some perks are already provided through elite status membership with the airline

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.