Citi and American Airlines Give the AAdvantage Executive Card New Perks and a Higher Annual Fee

Citi and American Airlines have taken the wraps off a significant refresh for the top-tier American Airlines co-branded credit card.

The Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^® is becoming the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Legend Mastercard^®. However, a name change is far from the only thing changing with this card, which has made a name for itself for providing top-shelf perks for frequent American Airlines flyers.

Starting August 23, 2026, the AAdvantage Executive card is getting an updated earning structure, new statement credits, additional travel perks and benefits, and more, offered in exchange for an increased annual fee.

Here’s what you need to know about this major change to the top option in Citi’s lineup of American Airlines co-branded cards.

Citi’s Top AA Co-Branded Card Gets an Overhaul and a Higher Annual Fee

On August 23, 2026, the AAdvantage Executive card is getting several updates, including changes to the way it earns points, its suite of perks and benefits, the statement credits it offers, and its annual fee.

Updated Earning Structure

From August 23 onward, the AAdvantage Executive card will earn 12x miles on eligible AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars bookings, up from the current 10x miles.

The card also adds new Loyalty Point milestones that help you earn AAdvantage elite status more quickly. Now, you can earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after achieving 50,000, 90,000, 165,000, and 240,000 Loyalty Points within the same status qualification year.

After the addition of the 165,000- and 240,000-level milestones, you can now earn up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points every year, up from the current maximum of 20,000.

Aside from these changes, the earning structure remains largely the same:

• 4x miles on American Airlines purchases; after spending $150,000 each calendar year, cardholders will earn 5x miles on American Airlines purchases for the rest of the year.
• 1x miles on all other purchases

New Travel Perks and Benefits

The headline perk of the AAdvantage Executive card is the included Admirals Club membership, which grants unlimited lounge visits to the primary cardholder and up to 2 guests or immediate family members at over 100 locations worldwide (includes partner lounges).

Note that American will raise the cost of an annual Admirals Club membership and add a new single-member tier, both on August 23. More details will be shared soon.

The card is also adding a couple of perks associated with Omni Hotels & Resorts. First, cardholders can take advantage of automatic Champion status, which is the second-highest tier in the Select Guest program. Perks include room upgrades, early check-in, and late checkout (depending on availability).

Cardholders can earn a free night after completing a stay of at least 2 consecutive nights booked at omnihotels.com. Note that you must already be enrolled in the Champion status perk to be eligible for this one.

Primary AAdvantage Executive cardholders will receive complimentary Avis President’s Club status, so long as they enroll through August 31, 2028. President’s Club confers benefits such as category upgrades, the ability to skip the counter, and complimentary additional drivers.

The aforementioned perks and benefits join several others that will remain part of the card’s offering:

• First checked bag free on domestic flights for the primary cardholder and up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation
• Priority check-in and security screening (at applicable airports) for the primary cardholder and up to 8 companions traveling on the same reservation
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip delay, cancellation, and interruption protection, lost baggage protection, and global car rental insurance
• Access to World Legend, The Mastercard Collection, and Mastercard Priceless experiences

New Statement Credits

The AA Executive card picks up a few new statement credits to bolster the value proposition for cardholders. First, there’s a new up to $500 in statement credits each calendar year for eligible American Airlines Vacations packages or experiences purchases.

Next, earn up to $100 back in statement credits each calendar year for inflight and eligible Admirals Club purchases. Finally, earn up to $180 in Lyft statement credits annually. After taking 3 rides in a month, earn a $15 credit toward Lyft purchases. This is up from a maximum of $120 in Lyft credits annually with the current version of the card.

Key existing statement credits remain, including up to $120 in statement credits annually for eligible prepaid Avis or Budget car rentals booked through avis.com or budget.com, respectively, and an up to $120 statement credit every 4 years that covers the enrollment fee for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Some Existing Benefits Are Going Away

While the AAdvantage Executive card is getting several new benefits, some are going away with the August 23 refresh.

For those approved for the card on or after August 23, the current allotment of up to $120 in statement credits annually for Grubhub purchases and the existing 25% discount on inflight food and beverages will no longer be offered.

Existing cardholders who opened an account before August 23 will receive the 25% discount on inflight food and beverages through September 30, 2026, and Grubhub statement credits through August 31, 2027.

Annual Fee Increase

Along with the new benefits and increase in the cost of an Admirals Club membership, the AAdvantage Executive card is getting an annual fee hike, going from the current $595 to $695.

Cardholders who have held the AAdvantage Executive card for more than 12 months will receive communications from Citi this month or next, and the increased annual fee will be billed on the next cardholder anniversary.

Those who have had the card for fewer than 12 months will be notified of the change in August 2027 and will then pay the new annual fee on their next cardholder anniversary date.

Final Thoughts

Citi and American Airlines have given the AAdvantage Executive card a thorough overhaul. There’s a slightly different earning structure, new perks and benefits, new statement credits, and the removal of some existing benefits.

All of this comes with an increase in the annual fee, but remember that the main perk of holding this card is unlimited access to Admirals Club lounges across the network, which is a very valuable benefit on its own. If you travel with American frequently, having lounge access as an included perk of the card could very well be worth the annual fee on its own.