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Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard overview
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs) is finest for American Airways flyers who worth lounge entry. It supplies a full Admirals Membership membership, in addition to a number of different advantages that make flying American Airways extra pleasing. These embrace a free checked bag, precedence check-in, airport screening and boarding privileges and a lift towards elite standing. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card ranking relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Whereas many bank cards supply airport lounge entry, the forms of lounges every card will get you into can differ tremendously. There’s just one cobranded bank card that features complimentary entry to the American Airways Admirals Membership lounges: the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard.
The cardboard’s annual charge is $595, which could appear steep however continues to be a lot inexpensive than an Admirals Membership membership (at the moment $850 for brand spanking new members).
To be accepted for the cardboard, a credit score rating of 670 or greater is advisable.
This card underwent main (principally unfavorable) adjustments in mid-2023, and TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen wasn’t thrilled with them.
Let’s evaluation all the advantages of this American Airways cobranded card that will help you determine whether or not to hold — or hold — it in your pockets.
Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite execs and cons
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Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite welcome supply
New Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard cardholders can earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 inside the first three months of account opening. This bonus is price $1,155, based mostly on TPG’s January 2025 valuations.
The highest supply we have seen on this card prior to now is 100,000 bonus miles. It is unattainable to say if we’ll see a suggestion this excessive once more, but it surely’s seemingly that we’ll see an elevated welcome bonus in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later.
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Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite advantages
What units this card aside from the competitors is that it supplies complimentary Admirals Membership entry. The first cardholder receives a full Admirals Membership membership, which permits them and their instant household or two touring companions entry to the membership once they have a same-day boarding move for American or considered one of its companions.
This bank card can be tied to a cardholder’s AAdvantage account quantity, so there isn’t any want to hold it to get membership entry.
Admirals Membership membership ordinarily prices between $700 and $850, relying in your standing degree with American. Meaning the annual charge covers the lounge entry — with out all the opposite advantages factored in.
You possibly can add as much as 10 licensed customers. They price a further $175 annual charge for the primary three licensed customers and $175 for every licensed consumer thereafter. Every licensed consumer receives Admirals Membership entry for themselves and as much as two touring companions. Simply remember that licensed customers solely get Admirals Membership entry, versus a full Admirals Membership membership.
There are three assertion credit obtainable:
- As much as $120 again on eligible Avis or Funds automotive leases each calendar yr (this credit score was restricted in July 2024)
- As much as $120 again on eligible Grubhub purchases each 12 billing statements (as much as a $10 assertion credit score on every month-to-month billing assertion)
- As much as $120 in Lyft credit yearly ($10 Lyft credit score every month), however it’s a must to take three eligible rides every month first to obtain this credit score
Listed below are another beneficial perks the cardboard affords:
- Enhanced airport expertise: You and as much as eight vacationers on the identical reservation will get precedence check-in (the place obtainable), airport screening (the place obtainable) and boarding privileges. You possibly can even test in at any business-class check-in place (or first-class check-in when enterprise class is just not obtainable), whatever the class of service through which you are touring.
- First checked bag free on home itineraries: On home itineraries flown by American Airways or any regional subsidiary, the primary checked bag for you and as much as eight touring companions on the identical reservation is free. The flight have to be marketed, offered and operated by American to qualify for the free checked bag.
- 25% off eligible inflight purchases: This basically means 25% off inflight meals and drinks once you pay for them along with your card (not together with inflight Wi-Fi).
- International Entry/TSA PreCheck charge assertion credit score: Get an up-to-$120 assertion credit score when paying your International Entry or TSA PreCheck software charge with this card. You will obtain the credit score as soon as each 4 years. Since you additionally obtain TSA PreCheck when enrolling for International Entry, there isn’t any actual motive it’s best to ever simply enroll in PreCheck.
This card eliminated journey protections a number of years again however has reintroduced journey cancellation and interruption, journey delay and misplaced baggage protections and automotive rental insurance coverage protection.
Lastly, there aren’t any international transaction charges, making this card a sensible choice when touring overseas.
Incomes miles on the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite
With the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard, you may earn 4 miles per greenback on eligible American Airways purchases. Then, for those who spend $150,000 on purchases in a calendar yr, you may earn a boosted fee of 5 miles per greenback spent on American purchases for the rest of the calendar yr.
You will additionally earn 10 miles per greenback spent on eligible automotive leases and accommodations booked by means of American’s automotive rental and resort reserving websites, respectively.
Lastly, you may earn 1 mile per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases.
Cardholders earn a bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Factors after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Factors in a standing qualification yr. They obtain one other bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Factors after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Factors in the identical standing qualification yr.
You’ll obtain the bonuses no matter the way you earn the Loyalty Factors. For instance, you might earn 50,000 Loyalty Factors by shopping for American Airways tickets and buying by means of the AAdvantage portal and get the ten,000 bonus factors simply by holding the cardboard.
Redeeming miles on the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite
The bottom round-trip tickets within the U.S. have a tendency to start out at 7,500 miles one-way for flights lower than 500 miles lengthy.
Internet specials beforehand supplied embrace home cross-country flights for five,000 miles every manner in financial system or 15,000 miles every manner in top notch, flights to Europe from 9,000 miles every manner and flights to Brazil from 15,000 miles every manner.
Alternatively, you might get a ton of worth by redeeming your AAdvantage miles for premium-cabin awards on companion airways, together with Cathay Pacific, Etihad and Qatar Airways.
TPG contributing editor Matt Moffitt and TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed‘s favourite manner of redeeming AAdvantage miles is to ebook business-class flights on Etihad or Qatar Airways to the Center East, India and Africa.
One TPG reader put all of their spending on the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite to build up sufficient miles for a number of tickets to Hawaii:
“I charged every part to my CitiAAdvantage Mastercard. Once I bought sufficient miles I booked tkts to Hawaii from the east coast 5 occasions, a complete of 9 spherical journeys.” — Arlene Finn through Fb
Be aware: Reader-submitted responses haven’t been edited, reviewed or accepted by the issuers nor mirror TPG’s opinions of those playing cards.
The miles you possibly can earn with this card might assist you to make the holiday of your desires come true if you know the way to redeem them for top worth.
Which playing cards compete with the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite?
American is just not a switch companion of any of the foremost factors applications, apart from Marriott Bonvoy, so the largest rivals of this card are principally different cobranded American Airways playing cards. That mentioned, you can too get tons of worth from a extra normal premium card.
For extra choices, take a look at our full checklist of the perfect journey playing cards.
Associated: Selecting the perfect bank card for American Airways flyers
The data for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Choose card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Backside line
Since an Admirals Membership membership begins at $700 every year, the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard ought to catch the attention of any frequent American Airways flyer’s consideration.
If you would like Admirals Membership entry and to spice up your AA mileage steadiness with a welcome bonus (whereas additionally easing elite standing necessities), this card supplies ongoing worth. Nevertheless, you would possibly need to look elsewhere for those who’re searching for a card that provides you with a higher return in your spending.
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard
