Do I Redeem AAdvantage Miles with American Airlines or Citi?

The Citi AAdvantage Executive card transforms the traveling experience, offering access to exclusive airport benefits which are usually only available for elite flyers. 

What separates this card from other travel cards is its robust rewards program. The card encourages spending by offering rewards in the form of miles, which can be used to purchase American Airlines merchandise, flight upgrades, and even American Airlines plane tickets. The AAdvantage Executive card provides 2x AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, 1x AAdvantages miles on all other purchases, and an additional 10,000 AAdvantage miles worth $40,000 worth of purchases within the year.

Cardholders are also offered a lucrative sign-up bonus. After the initial sign-up, if a new cardholder spends $5000 within the first three months of opening an account, they will receive 50,000 miles to spend on American Airlines products or flights. These miles cover almost any domestic round-trip flight.

The benefits do not stop there. All cardholders become Admirals Club Members, gaining access to nearly 50 lounge locations worldwide for you and up to 2 traveling guests. Furthermore, the AAdvantage Executive card provides priority check-in, airport screening and early boarding for American Airlines flights, as well as, no foreign transaction fees.

Though this card comes with a $450 annual fee, these perks alone more than make up for it. So how do you redeem these AAdvantage Miles and make the most of your AAdvantage Executive card?

Redeeming AAdvantage Miles

The easiest way to redeem your AAdvantage miles is on flights operated by American Airlines itself. The airline offers three types of mileage awards:

1. MileSAAver awards can be purchased for as few as 7,500 miles, but are only available only on select routes, which change periodically. They can be available in all classes, but these seats can be difficult to find as they are not offered on many flights
2. AAnytime awards are available on nearly all flights but come at a higher cost compared to a MileSAAver seat
3. Web Special awards are offered on select routes and dates for as low as 5,000 miles

You can also redeem your Aadvantage miles with all OneWorld partner airlines, except for Interjet. While redeeming your miles for a flight on a partner airline will cost you the same amount of miles as redeeming them for a flight on American, you must pay close attention to additional fees that each individual carrier imposes.

Other options for redeeming your AAdvantage miles include upgrading your seats on flights operated by American Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways or Iberia. In addition, cardholders can redeem AAdvantage miles to book select hotels, rent cars or even donate to charity.

To redeem these AAdvantage miles, go to AA.com, and make sure to click the “Redeem Miles” option when making your next booking.

Conclusion

The Citi AAdvantage Executive card aims to offer flyers the most comfortable and luxurious flying experience possible. With many ways to earn AAdvantage miles, this card is perfect for the frequent flyer, hoping to make the most out of their travels. These AAdvantage miles are flexible and help you get amazing tickets on American and its partner airlines. The key is to book far enough in advance to be able to find the seat that will allow you to make the most out of your miles.