American Airways and Citi have introduced the extension of their longstanding cobranded partnership for the following decade. The partnership, which has lasted over 37 years, will see Citi develop into the unique issuer of the AAdvantage cobranded card portfolio beginning in 2026.
In asserting the 10-year extension, American Airways CEO Robert Isom stated, “American is proud to have launched the primary airline loyalty program, and with Citi, the journey trade’s first co-branded bank card.”
The American Airways-Citi relationship has spanned nearly 40 years, however there was a bizarre quirk within the airline’s cobranded card portfolio for the previous decade.
Whereas American’s opponents have unique relationships with card issuers — Delta Air Strains with American Categorical, and United Airways and Southwest Airways with Chase — American has partnered with two issuers. That is as a result of American took on Barclays as its second card issuer because of the airline’s merger with US Airways in 2013.
Since then, the association has been that Citi can market its American Airways cobranded playing cards on-line, at airport lounges and thru junk mail, whereas Barclays can market its American Airways cobranded playing cards in flight and in airport terminals. From 2026, nevertheless, Citi will take over the Barclays AAdvantage card portfolio, transitioning present cardholders into its ecosystem.
Barclays used to difficulty one enterprise card and 4 private playing cards underneath its AAdvantage Aviator portfolio. Nevertheless, just one is at the moment obtainable to new candidates: the AAdvantage Aviator Pink World Elite Mastercard.
The data for the Pink World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Savvy collectors of factors and miles would possibly contemplate making use of for this card sooner reasonably than later, given that it’s going to near new candidates, probably earlier than the top of 2025. They will earn 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after making only a single buy inside 90 days and paying the $99 annual payment.
Nevertheless, when you have an upcoming flight on American Airways, you would possibly need to seize an utility from a cabin crew member. TPG Credit score Playing cards Editor Emily Thompson obtained an additional 10,000 miles by making use of by the QR code on an inflight utility. I’ve a flight with American subsequent week, so I may even be looking for an utility.
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I’ve had the Aviator Pink card earlier than, however Barclays has fairly lenient utility restrictions. Whereas not concrete or confirmed, the advice is that you just shut a card after which wait at the least six months earlier than making use of for it once more to be eligible for the welcome bonus.
With Citi holding unique rights over the AAdvantage cobranded portfolio, we might even see AAdvantage added as a switch companion of the Citi ThankYou Rewards program. This could be welcome information as we worth Citi factors decrease than these of most of its main opponents, together with American Categorical, Chase and Capital One.
Citi provided a limited-time switch alternative to transform Citi factors to AAdvantage miles within the second half of 2021. It is going to be fascinating to see if that’s introduced again on an ongoing foundation. The addition of American as a switch companion can be a welcome enhancement to this system and probably enhance the worth of Citi factors.
We reached out to Citi, and a spokesperson stated:
The enlargement and extension of our relationship with American Airways will positively impression our present and new buyer base as we introduce new merchandise and advantages sooner or later and produce expanded loyalty and rewards choices for AAdvantage® members and Citi-branded cardmembers. We’re not sharing specifics at the moment. Keep tuned.
That signifies that the switch alternative is unsure, regardless that we hope it eventuates. We’ll maintain you posted on any future bulletins from Citi and AA.
