Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard — Full Review [2023]

Great Card If

• American Airlines is your preferred airline
• You will take advantage of the Admirals Club membership
• You want a card that will help you earn elite status

Don’t Get If

• You aren’t a frequent flyer
• You don’t travel with American Airlines much

AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card — Top Benefits

Earning Categories, and Miles

You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 1 mile per dollar for all other purchases. You can redeem those miles for free flights, upgrades, hotels, car rentals, and more!

Welcome to the (Admirals) Club

By far, the biggest benefit of the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is a membership to the Admirals Club. It gives you access to 50+ Admirals Club lounges and almost 40 partner lounges at airports around the world.

This would be a good place to mention that the annual fee for this credit card is $595, which is certainly an investment. But the Admirals Club benefit alone makes this card worth it since an individual membership starts at $550 per person!

So what kind of perks can you enjoy in Admirals Club lounges? For starters, you get light snacks and house drinks. You’ll also get free Wi-Fi and access to power ports so you can catch up on work or binge-watch your favorite shows.

Some lounges even have shower suites, computers, copiers, and printers!

You can bring 2 guests or immediate family with you, including your spouse, domestic partner, or children under 18.

Plus, if you are already an Admirals Club member, you may be eligible for a prorated refund of your membership fee.

Bottom Line: The Admirals Club benefit more than makes up for the $450 annual fee of the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card.

International Travel Benefits on the AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card

The AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is designed for domestic and international travelers.

It offers you VIP airport experiences where available, including priority check-in, priority airport screening, and priority boarding.

This benefit applies to you and up to 8 companions listed on your reservation.

EMV smart chip integration makes international purchases hassle-free in places like Europe and Asia where the technology is standard. Plus, you won’t pay any foreign transaction fees, which is another big savings.

In addition, you’ll receive Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.

More AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card Benefits

Because it’s a Citi AAdvantage card, you get a variety of extra travel benefits. For instance, you (and up to 8 travel companions) get your first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines flights.

Want a beverage, snack, or headphones while in the sky? Save 25% on many inflight purchases.

Plus, with reduced mileage awards you can fly to select destinations for 7,500 fewer miles. That way you can get even more value out of the miles you earn

Finally, the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card includes a dedicated concierge for help 24/7 with your shopping, entertainment, and dining needs during foreign or domestic travel.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your AAdvantage Miles

The quickest way to stockpile miles with the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is to use it for all of your American Airlines flights and purchases to get 2x miles. There are also other ways to earn tons of AAdvantage miles with the card, as you will see in our detailed guide.

You spend a lot of time earning miles on your card, so when it’s time to redeem them you want to get as much value as you can. Check out our tips for redeeming your AAdvantage miles.

Hot Tip: For even more ideas on redeeming your AAdvantage miles, check out our post on the best ways to redeem 100k AAdvantage miles.

Alternative Card to the AAdvantage Executive World Elite Card

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®

If you don’t think you’ll use the Admirals Club but still want to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles, you can try the AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card.

With this card, you earn 2 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar for all other purchases. There is usually a relatively valuable sign-up bonus after meeting certain spending requirements when you’re approved for the card.

The information regarding the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.