Citi / AAdvantage Card Refresh: New benefits, higher Fees

Key Points:

• Citi and American Airlines are updating their Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® and Business World Elite Mastercard® credit cards with new earning categories, travel protections, and statement credits, while increasing the annual fees from $99 to $150 after the first 12 months.
• Starting January 24, 2027, cardmembers will gain benefits such as up to $100 in annual inflight statement credits, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credits, and lifestyle perks like a Walmart+ membership and FOX One discount for the Platinum Select card.
• The Business card introduces a flexible 2X miles bonus category for business expenses (shipping, office supplies, or advertising) and a 25% discount on a Melio subscription, with no cap on miles earned in the selected category.
• Existing benefits like preferred boarding, free checked bags, no foreign transaction fees, and various earning categories remain unchanged, but the previous 25% inflight purchase discount is replaced by the more valuable $100 statement credit.
• The fee increase may be justified for cardmembers who utilize the new credits and bonus categories, while those who don’t may find the higher annual fee harder to justify; the changes aim to enhance everyday spending value and engagement with the AAdvantage loyalty program.