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The Citi® AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® military benefits include a waived annual fee for active duty servicemembers and spouses if you meet certain requirements.
Citi® AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site
- Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $7,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening
- Admirals Club® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
- Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation
The Citi MLA annual fee waiver is a little bit trickier than the The Platinum Card® from American Express or Chase military fee waiver so I explain it in detail in my Citi MLA policy article. You must have a statement balance annually in the month you are charged the annual fee or the annual fee waiver will not apply.
The Citi AAdvantage Executive card is a great travel reward credit card if you fly American Airlines often. Due to the “Fly America” act, US federal employees such as military servicemembers on official travel are required to utilize American flag carriers such as American Airlines, Delta (Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card), United (United Club℠ Infinite Card), and Hawaiian Airlines.
Citi credit cards are annual fee waived for anyone covered by the Military Lending Act or MLA. This includes active duty military, guard and reserves on extended active duty orders, and military spouses. You can confirm if you are covered by the MLA by checking the military MLA database.
In this post:
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard Review
Earn AAdvantage Miles Bonus
Earn bonus American Airlines AAdvantage Miles after meeting the minimum spend requirement.
AA miles can be tough to earn because American Airlines is NOT a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, or Capital One Miles.
American Airlines Admirals Club Access
American Airlines Admirals Club offers access to “U.S. military personnel traveling in uniform traveling on a same-day flight operated by American” according to AA.com. This is a great benefit when you are flying on official orders, but when you are on leave you are usually not in uniform.
With the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card, you can access Admirals Club airport lounges whether or not you are in uniform. Depending on how often you fly, you could value this benefit at $250-500 per year.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
The Citi® AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of $100 every 4 years. Since active duty military personnel get TSA PreCheck for free with their DOD IDs, you should apply for Global Entry.
If you have a civilian spouse, you should apply for Global Entry for them since Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. This saves you time at the airport, makes travel much easier, and more enjoyable.
If you do sign up for Global Entry, check out this app I found to book Global Entry interview appointments easier.
Earn 1 AAdvantage Miles for Every $1 Spent on AA Purchases
You can earn 1 AAdvantages mile for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.
Annual Fee
The Citi AAdvantage Executive card annual fee is $595. This annual fee is waived for US military servicemembers and spouses who are correctly listed as covered borrowers in the Military Lending Act Database.
Always make sure you verify your eligibility for MLA benefits in the database before applying. This is especially relevant for military spouses, Guard, and Reservists as their active duty status can change frequently. Sometimes the database isn't updated properly.
Citi AAdvantages Executive Benefits FAQ
Usually a credit score of at least 700 will make you eligible for the Citi AAdvantage Executive card. A higher credit score is always better when applying for elite travel rewards cards.
If you fly American Airlines often, then the Citi AAdvantage Executive card can be worth it for the Admirals Club lounge access alone. The welcome bonus is also valuable since American Airlines miles can be difficult to earn.
Yes, the Citi® AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® waives the annual fee for active duty military, military spouses, and Guard and Reserve on 30+ day active duty orders.
Has anyone successfully applied for this card? I was denied twice already, 7 months apart even with a 800+ credit score. I don’t have any prior Citi products (besides the GTCC!) but I do have 13 other cards with Amex, Chase, BoA, and US Bank. Do you know if Citi has a 5/24 rule or something similar?
Do they give you feedback when they deny the application? I just submitted mine so I will let you know.