A 50K CitiBusiness AAdvantage bonus offer is back, which I've added to the Best Travel Credit Cards page. A little over a week ago, I wrote the post Last Chance: 50K CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select and a number of readers read it too late, after the offer had already expired, asking when the offer would return. As a reminder, here are the details of the card:
- Earn 50K AAdvantage miles after spending $3000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible AA purchases
- Earn 2X AAdvantage miles per dollar spent at select office supply stores, telecommunication service providers, and car rental agencies, as well as gas stations after 11/15/15
- Earn 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar on all other purchases
- First checked bag fee on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four travel companions
- Board with Group 1 on American Airlines domestic flights
- Annual fee waived the first year; after that a $95 annual fee applies
My favorite uses of AAdvantage miles are for Qantas First Class on the A380, JAL First Class on the 777-300ER, JAL Sky Suite Business Class, Etihad First Class (note that these days it is difficult to book Etihad First Class Apartment space in advance, except for the London-Abu Dhabi and Mumbai-Abu Dhabi routes) and Air Berlin Business Class.
The terms and conditions state that the 50K CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select is not available to you if you already have a Citi AAdvantage account, and that “this offer is valid only for first time CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage®Platinum Select® cardmembers.”
In my view, this means that those who had an older version of the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card that was NOT a Platinum Select could be eligible. So far as I know, despite the language that the offer is not available if you already have a Citi AAdvantage account, this has not prevented those who currently have the personal version of the card, the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, from getting the bonus. That said, I'm not Citi, so I can't say for sure if you'll earn the bonus miles or not.
If I'm Approved for the Card, Does That Automatically Mean I'll Get the Bonus?
No–while in the past, Citi only approved you if you were also eligible for the signup bonus, this is no longer true. It's possible for those who have had the same card recently and who aren't eligible for the bonus to be approved, but find out that they won't be earning the signup bonus. So always check with a representative when you activate your card that you'll be able to earn the signup bonus.
Does the CitiBusiness Card Also Get 10% Back When Redeeming for AAdvantage Awards?
No; the 10% AAdvantage miles rebate (up to a maximum of 10,000 AAdvantage miles each calendar year) is a benefit of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, but not a benefit of the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card.
How Does the Free Checked Bag Benefit Work? Do I Need to Pay for the Ticket with the Card?
No; it's a benefit of having the card, but you do not need to pay for the American Airlines ticket with the card. You do need to have your CitiBusiness AAdvantage account open at least 7 days prior to air travel, and you also need to have attached your AAdvantage number to the reservation at least 7 days prior to travel. If you want the benefit to apply to companions, they all must be with you together on the same reservation (same record locator) to enjoy the benefit.
Also note that this benefit only applies to domestic AA flights, not international American Airlines flights.
Do you have or plan to apply for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card?
Related Posts
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American AAdvantage Award Ticket Change Fees Explained
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