The Citi Executive Aadvantage Card

Advertising disclosure- I do not get an affiliate/application bonus from Citi to discuss this card. The only advertising on this site is Google Adwords links. 

November 2015 UPDATE: the bonus has been reduced to 50,000 AA miles, but the purchase requirement dropped too- now only $5,000 in 3 months. 

Via Mommypoints and The Points Guy, Citi recently announced a 75,000 American Airlines bonus for opening and meeting a (hefty) minimum spending requirement of $7,500 in the first 3 months. A few other important facts to know:

The Good

  • Membership to American Airlines' Admirals Club is included- so if you live in a hub city, you can snack on hors d'oeuvres and enjoy inexpensive beer and wine if you decide to show up to the airport a few hours early
  • $100 towards Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check applications
  • 2 miles for every $1 spent on the card. Pretty standard.
  • 10,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (miles that progress you towards elite status, but aren't spendable on award tickets) after you spend $40,000 on the card
  • Free checked bags on domestic itineraries. Also pretty standard for airline cards, especially one this expensive
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Concierge service
  • Especially for international first/business-class travel, American Airlines Aadvantage miles are some of the most valuable out there. 

The Bad

  • The (also hefty) $450 annual fee is not waived in the first year
  • $40,000 spend for 10,000 EQMs? Concierge service? This is a high-spenders card; those who won't take advantage of most card features should take pause
  • If you're already an elite traveller, the free checked bag service is useless