Citi and American Airlines Launch New Mid-Tier Credit Card: Meet the AAdvantage Globe Card

Citi and American Airlines are filling the space between their premium co-branded credit card and introductory-level cards with the launch of the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Globe™ Mastercard^®.

The new AAdvantage Globe card has a $350 annual fee and offers several interesting perks, such as lounge passes, a companion certificate, flight credit rebates, and other valuable statement credits. Cardholders will also enjoy a fast-track opportunity to help them earn elite status, will earn miles in interesting categories, and will enjoy perks AA cardholders have come to expect, such as early boarding and complimentary checked bags.

Let’s take a closer look at the details of the new AAdvantage Globe card, which is now available for applicants.

Welcome Offer on the New AAdvantage Globe Card

New applicants of the AAdvantage Globe card will receive a welcome bonus of: Earn 60,000 miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

We value American Airlines miles at 1.4 cents each, which means the welcome bonus offer is worth $840.

Citi AAdvantage Globe Card’s Benefits

Citi’s new AAdvantage Globe card offers several interesting benefits, including general travel and benefits with American Airlines, and some of these are perks we’ve never seen before.

Cardholders can enjoy the following perks in exchange for a $350 annual fee:

• 4 Admirals Club Globe lounge passes annually, valid for 24 hours each. The “Globe” in the name of these passes makes them unique, allowing you to still use them “even on days when operational limitations restrict access.” Each pass admits 1 adult, and the primary cardholder must be present to redeem the passes.
• American Airlines Companion Certificate, redeemable for $99 plus taxes and fees, and valid for a round-trip domestic flight in Main Cabin; this is received each year after card renewal.
• Up to $100 in American Airlines inflight purchase credits annually, providing statement credits against purchases made with your card during a flight. Eligible purchases include food, beverages, and inflight Wi-Fi on American Airlines and domestic flights marketed by AA but operated by its regional subsidiaries.
• Complimentary first checked bag for you and up to 8 companions on your same itinerary, valid on domestic American Airlines itineraries.
• Group 5 preferred boarding with American Airlines, applicable to the primary cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same reservation.
• Up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit after using your card to pay the application fee, available once every 4 years.
• Up to $240 in Turo credits annually, available as up to $30 per eligible Turo trip for a maximum of $240 in credits per calendar year — with a maximum of $30 credit per billing period.
• Up to $100 Splurge Credit each year, valid toward up to 2 of the following: AAdvantage Hotels bookings, 1stDibs, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation.
• Access to Citi Entertainment, Mastercard World Legend benefits, and Mastercard Collection benefits.
• Protections like trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption coverage, lost or damaged luggage protection, MasterRental insurance, trip delay insurance, extended warranty coverage, and purchase assurance plus.
• No foreign transaction fees.

We saw the launch of the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earlier this year, and some of these benefits feel familiar: the 4 Admirals Club passes, credits for airport security program application fees, and the Splurge Credit. Other benefits are standard for American Airlines credit cards. However, the Turo benefit is a truly unique feature.

The new AAdvantage Globe card fills the previously existing gap in the middle of the AAdvantage credit card lineup. Its benefits and $350 annual fee put it between the top-tier Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Legend Mastercard^® ($695 annual fee) and the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^® that has a $0 intro annual fee, then $99 after the first year.

From that perspective, the launch of a new AAdvantage credit card with a mid-tier price point isn’t entirely surprising. It makes even more sense when we consider the fact Citi and American Airlines recently extended their partnership, indicating that Barclays’ AAdvantage co-branded credit cards would eventually go away — and those have stopped accepting new applications recently.

AAdvantage Globe Card Earning Rates

Cardholders will earn AAdvantage miles at the following rates:

• 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 “Rides and Rails,” including taxis, ride shares, and public transit
• 1x miles on other purchases

Cardholders will also earn 1 Loyalty Point toward AAdvantage elite status for every eligible AAdvantage mile earned from purchases.

Accelerated Path to Elite Status With Flight Streak

The AAdvantage Globe card won’t just help you earn AA elite status through credit card spending alone, thanks to the Loyalty Points conferred from purchases. It also provides a unique Flight Streak benefit for up to 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points each year.

Cardholders earn 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points after 4 qualifying American Airlines flights during the status qualification year, which runs from March through February each year. You can earn 15,000 extra Loyalty Points through Flight Streak each qualification year, requiring 12 flights.

You need 40,000 Loyalty Points to reach AAdvantage Gold status, the lowest elite tier, but you’ll qualify for Loyalty Point Reward at 15,000 Loyalty Points. With this, you can choose preferred boarding, a personalized luggage tag, 1,000 bonus Loyalty Points, extra benefits for a single trip, or 5 Preferred Seat coupons.

Final Thoughts

Citi and American Airlines have introduced a new mid-tier credit card, the AAdvantage Globe card. It comes with a $350 annual fee and a host of benefits.

The card offers much of what we expect in an airline credit card: early boarding, complimentary checked bags, and even some onboard spending credits. However, the AAdvantage Globe card goes beyond those introductory-level benefits with a security program credit, a companion certificate, lounge passes, and hundreds of dollars in annual statement credits available for cardholders.

Those who want some valuable perks from their credit card but don’t need an unlimited lounge membership — or the hefty annual fee associated with cards offering one — should consider whether this card would be a good addition to their wallets.