Can I upgrade my AAdvantage MilesUp card?

The AAdvantage MileUp Credit Card is an entry-level frequent flyer card with no annual fee. It is the first card in Citi’s co-branded AAdvantage lineup, which consists of the AAdvantage Platinum Select, the AAdvantage Executive, and the AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard. All these cards offer rewards points in terms of American Airlines Miles and you can upgrade and downgrade within this range. The AAdvantage MileUp card comes with very modest benefits including a 10,000 bonus point and $50 in statement credit for $500 spent in the first three months, no mileage cap, a 25% discount on inflight food and beverages and a 2 miles per dollar rewards rate for groceries and 1 mile per dollar for everything else. However, if you’re looking for something more and want to upgrade your card, here’s how to go about it. 

How do I begin upgrading my card?

There are two ways this happens. The first is that Citi sends you a promotional email with a targeted upgrade offer, usually to a higher card in the AAdvantage range. Then, you can carry on with the upgrade through the link provided in the email. The second way, which is far more common, is that you call the customer service number at the back of your card. Make sure that you call this number, as AAdvantage cards can differ from regular Citi cards.

What are the eligibility requirements for an upgrade?

Eligibility is determined by Citi on a case-by-case basis, but you should generally be eligible for an upgrade if you’ve held the card for a year and are in good credit standing. Citi is extremely flexible and allows you to change between card families and reward currencies (cashback, Citi ThankYou points, etc). Therefore, if you have an AAdvantage card and want to upgrade to a regular Citi card because you don’t feel like you use your American Airlines miles enough, that’s something you can do. However, the upgrades and downgrades may not apply in the same way if you are changing your card type. 

What should I check before upgrading? 

You should check whether your card number, APR and credit limit will remain the same on your new card with customer service. You should also check whether your rewards will change (this will generally not be a concern if you are upgrading to another AAdvantage card but maybe if you are upgrading to another Citi card). Lastly, keep in mind that upgrading your credit card will generally lead to an annual fee (as this is a zero-fee card). Therefore, have a mechanism in place to pay it. 

What are the best tips for upgrading my AAdvantage MileUp card? 

1. Make sure that you carefully read the Terms and Conditions of both the MileUp card and the card you’re planning on upgrading to 
2. Ask your customer service agent lots of questions, as they can sometimes help you get a better deal than what you’ve researched as well as a better understanding of the process
3. If your rewards will not transfer, make sure to cash in your current rewards before their redemption date or before they disappear when changing