CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® review

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Editor’s note: Some of the offers on this page may be expired. Check out our Best Credit Cards page for the most up-to-date offers for our favorite credit cards. The information about the Citibusiness/AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard and Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Details and benefits

For the devoted American Airlines flier, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® is worth considering — especially since you can test drive it for a year without paying the $99 annual fee.

It’s obvious that this card’s most attractive benefits are primarily designed for business travelers who are frequent flyers. Cardholders kick things off by earning 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening.

In addition, cardholders get one free checked bag on domestic American Airlines flights, which goes a long way toward reducing travel costs and boosting your bottom line. You also earn 2 miles per dollar on certain business-related categories, including telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and gas stations, as well as eligible purchases made through American Airlines. All other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar.

Combine all that with preferred boarding and 25 percent off in-flight Wi-Fi, food and beverages and you might stand to earn a decent bundle in the first year.

Is the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard worth it for you?

Business owners who use American Airlines regularly will certainly get the most value out of this card, especially if you tend to check bags and make purchases on the plane. Since the annual fee is waived for the first year ($99 thereafter), there’s no reason for frequent flyers to not give it a try. You have to have excellent credit to qualify for this card, so be sure to check your credit score before you apply.

If you were hoping for a more pampered airport experience, you might want to check out the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which comes with luxury perks like the Admirals Club Membership or VIP airport experience. Of course, you will also have to pay the luxury annual fee on that one which is $450.

Get the most value from the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard

The first checked bag is free on domestic flights for you and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation. With this card, you also get preferred boarding on domestic flights and a 25 percent discount on eligible in-flight food and beverage purchases, and inflight Wi-Fi when you use your card to purchase it.

You’ll also have access to standard Citi perks like the price protection feature and presale access to live events like concerts or sporting events.

How much are the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard rewards worth?

If you spend $700 a month within the 2X category and $300 a month on everything else, you’ll earn 20,400 miles. When you include the welcome bonus you’ll obtain from spending $4,000 within your first 4 months of card ownership, you could have enough miles to get you seven one-way flights across the U.S. and Canada.

How to redeem rewards

To redeem miles, go to the American Airlines website, log into your AAdvantage account and book your travel. Citi AAdvantage cardholders also are eligible to redeem their accrued miles for reduced mileage awards when available.