American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® review

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The Citi American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp^® is ideal for cardholders new to the travel rewards universe. With no annual fee, a solid welcome offer and an easy rewards earning structure, it lets you accumulate miles for everyday purchases with ease. But frequent flyers may put off by its lack of travel perks.

Quick highlights

• Rewards rate: 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on grocery stores and eligible American Airlines purchases; 1 mile per dollar on other purchases
• Welcome offer: 10,000 bonus miles and $50 statement credit after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
• Annual fee: $0
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer Intro APR: N/A
• Regular APR: 20.49 percent to 29.49 percent variable

Current welcome bonus

The AAdvantage MileUp card offers 10,000 bonus miles in addition to a $50 statement credit when you spend at least $500 within the first three months.

Although this isn’t the most lucrative offer around, the spending requirement is easy-to-reach, and you won’t have to pay an annual fee.

Rewards rate

A great feature of this Citibank American Airlines co-branded card is its simple rewards structure. It’s fantastic for beginners wanting to avoid complicated travel rewards.

Earning rewards

You’ll earn two miles for every dollar spent at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Other purchases will earn you one mile per dollar. There is no mileage cap.

Redeeming rewards

The AAdvantage miles you accumulate on your Citi American Airlines credit card won’t expire as long as you earn or redeem them once every 18 months.

You have 1,000 worldwide destinations to choose from for flight redemptions, as you can use them for American Airlines, American Eagle and any Oneworld or partner airlines. Besides flights, miles can be redeemed for seat upgrades, car rentals and hotel stays.

According to Bankrate's latest point valuations, each American AAdvantage mile is worth around 1 cent. However, exactly how much you can squeeze out of each mile depends on your destination, the date you travel and what type of ticket you pick. Non-flight redemptions tend to yield a low value per mile.

While you won’t get perks like a free first checked bag or lounge access, the AAdvantage MileUp is still a solid option for occasional travelers who prefer a low maintenance travel rewards credit card.

Bonus miles for everyday purchases

• Wide definition of grocery stores. Apart from supermarkets, this AA card counts freezer/meat locker providers, dairy product stores, convenience stores, markets, specialty vendors and even bakeries as grocery stores. This wide definition will allow you to accumulate miles quickly from everyday purchases.
• Grocery purchases include delivery services. It’s not just your grocery shopping that qualifies for bonus miles—grocery delivery services count too.

No annual fee

• Less pressure to earn and redeem miles. With no annual fee, you won’t have to worry about using your card frequently enough to outweigh costs.

In-flight savings

• Receive 25 percent discount on eligible purchases. Savings apply to spending on food and beverages when traveling on flights operated by American Airlines.

While the American Airlines Citi card is free of an annual fee, there is a 3 percent foreign transaction fee, making this card less suitable for overseas trips.

This card currently has a ongoing variable APR of 20.49 percent to 29.49 percent.

Apart from the AAdvantage MileUp card, there are other competitors that offer travel rewards cards with no annual fee. The best card for you will depend on your preferred airline and how much flexibility you want with your rewards.

Best cards to pair Citi American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp with

To maximize your travel rewards for your spending, it’s worth pairing the Citi AAdvantage MileUp with another travel credit card. If you don’t travel frequently enough to justify paying an annual fee, then the Discover it® Miles could be ideal. You’ll get 1.5 miles per dollar spent—a bit less than the AAdvantage MileUp—but this rate applies to all purchases. What’s more, Discover it® Miles allows redemption for travel or cash, giving you extra flexibility with your rewards.

For those willing to pay an annual fee, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® costs $99 a year (waived for the first 12 months). You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and at restaurants and gas stations. You’ll also get travel perks like a free first checked bag, preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees and 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months of account opening.

This card is great for occasional travelers and American Airlines flyers who are new to travel rewards. It allows you to collect more miles on some of your everyday purchases without having to consider the impact of annual fees.

But frequent travelers will probably want something with more perks than the AAdvantage MileUp, such as the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard.

The information about the American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^® and Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.