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Is the American Airlines MileUp Credit Card Worth It? In a Few Scenarios, Definitely!

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Citi is an MMS advertising partner.

    If you’ve been sleeping on the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card, it’s time to give it another look, because it has key benefits that might fill a niche for you, like:

    Plus, Citi’s stricter application rules don’t apply to this card.  So you can open it even if you have other Citi American Airlines cards, including:

    The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

    On the other hand, you won’t get the perks – or fees – those cards have.

     

    If You Spend a Lot on Groceries, Want a Card With No Annual Fee, or Just Want More American Airlines Miles, the Citi AAdvantage MileUp Card Could Be Worth It for You

    Let’s take a look!

    The Citi American Airlines MileUp Credit Card Is Worth It for Many Folks

    Apply Here:   American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card

    Our review of the American Airlines AAdvantage Mileup Card

    The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card is Citi’s only American Airlines card with NO annual fee.  If you’re looking for a card that’s free to keep long-term, this is a great option that also earns valuable American Airlines miles.

    Having a card without an annual fee is an easy way to increase the average age of all your credit accounts, which could boost your credit score.  I recommend having at least one card with a $0 annual fee for this very reason.

    You’ll also earn 2 American Airlines miles per $1 spent at grocery stores, including eligible grocery delivery services.  If you spend a lot on groceries, this perk alone could make the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card worthwhile.

    If You Don’t Care for Annual Fees, Spend a Lot on Groceries, or Have Other Citi American Airlines Cards, the MileUp Card Is Good to Get

    Finally, Citi’s tougher application rules do NOT apply to this card.  You can get it to add extra American Airlines miles to your collection even if you have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® or Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.

    That’s important to know, because you’ll earn 10,000 American Airlines miles and a $50 statement credit after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening, which is a decent offer for a no annual fee card.  It’s enough for a short-haul domestic award flight in coach.  Or you can save up your miles for a bigger award.

    Here’s our full review of the Citi American Airlines MileUp card.

    You Should Skip the Citi American Airlines MileUp Credit Card If…

    Folks who fly American Airlines often enough to benefit from perks, but not enough to earn elite status (I’m in this boat!), should consider these cards instead:

    That’s because, with these cards, you’ll get a free checked bag on domestic itineraries, preferred or priority boarding, and no foreign transaction fees.

    If You Check Bags on American Airlines and Don’t Have Elite Status, You’re Better Off With a Different Card

    They also come with access to Reduced Mileage Awards, which can save you 1,000s of miles on domestic award trips.

    If you can use these benefits, they can more than outweigh the annual fees.  Plus, the sign-up bonuses on both cards are much bigger.  Check out the reviews linked above to get the details. ✈️

    One Final Consideration About the Citi American Airlines MileUp Card

    This card, and all of Citi’s personal American Airlines cards will count against your Chase 5/24 status.

    That means Chase will NOT approve you for most of their cards if you’ve opened 5+ cards from any bank (NOT counting Chase business cards and other business cards) in the past 24 months.

    If you’re new to miles & points, it can seem alluring to open the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card for all the reasons mentioned above.

    However, you’d be wise to start with Chase cards, because they have some of the best credit card offers in the industry.  After you get the Chase cards you want, you can move on to other banks, like Citi.

    Bottom Line

    The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card is a smart choice if you want:

    But it’s not worth it if you:

    You can apply for the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card here.

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)