Citi/AAdvantage Platinum and Business Cards Are Changing. Annual Fees Up $51.

American Airlines and Citi just announced a refresh of two AAdvantage co-branded credit cards — the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard and the Citi/AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard. The big changes: more earning categories, new travel credits, Walmart+ membership, and enhanced perks for cardholders.

The catch: annual fees are increasing by $51 across the board.

Here’s what’s changing and whether it’s worth it.

The Fee Increase

Starting with the headline: annual fees are increasing by $51 on both cards. It’s explained that this is offset by a few new value adds - more on that later.

For the Citi/AAdvantage Platinum Select card, that moves the annual fee from the existing $99 structure to $150. For the Citi/AAdvantage Business card, the increase is the same - from $99 to $150.

The changes, including the new $150 fee, kick in on January 24, 2027 for existing cardmembers.

The question becomes whether the new benefits justify the higher cost.

What’s New

Here’s what you get for the extra $51:

$100 In-Flight Credit

Both cards now earn $100 in in-flight purchase credits per calendar year. This can be used toward Buy on Board food and drink items on AA-operated flights as well as for inflight WiFi. The WiFi point is a little less valuable considering the rollout of free service to AAdvantage members.

Walmart+ Membership

The Platinum Select card also includes complimentary Walmart+ membership — a $98 annual value. The Business card doesn't get this one. Walmart+ includes:

• Free delivery (scheduled orders over $35)
• Gas savings
• Your choice of Paramount+ or Peacock streaming

$150 Flight Discount

The Platinum Select's flight discount goes up from $125 to $150. You still have to spend $20,000 in a cardmember year and renew the card to get it, so it's only really useful if this card gets a lot of your spending.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit

Both cards now come with up to $120 toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. Pretty standard on cards at this price point, but nice to see.

Other Smaller Perks

• Platinum Select: 50% off an annual FOX One subscription
• Business: 25% off a Melio subscription plan for managing business payments
• Both: new travel protections like trip delay, trip cancellation and interruption, car rental coverage and lost baggage 

Enhanced Earning Categories

The earning structure has also been simplified with some earning improvements:

Platinum Select:

• 3x AAdvantage miles on AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars bookings
• 2x AAdvantage miles on AA purchases
• 2x AAdvantage miles on gas and EV charging
• 2x AAdvantage miles at restaurants
• 2x AAdvantage miles on select streaming services
• 2x AAdvantage miles on Rides and Rails purchases
• 1x AAdvantage miles on everything else

Business:

• 3x AAdvantage miles on AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars bookings
• 2x AAdvantage miles on AA purchases
• 2x AAdvantage miles at gas stations, car rental merchants, and telecom/cable providers
• 2x AAdvantage miles on one category you pick: U.S. shipping, office supply stores, or U.S. advertising
• 1x AAdvantage miles on everything else

The $100 Inflight Credit: A Mixed Benefit

The inflight credit sounds nice but has limitations worth understanding:

Buy on Board isn’t available on all AA flights. AA restricts Buy on Board to flights over 1,100 miles. So on shorter domestic hops you can’t actually use this credit.

If you have status, you may already get free drinks and snacks.

• Executive Platinum members get complimentary drinks and a snack in Main Cabin
• Main Cabin Extra passengers (both status upgraded and paid) get complimentary alcoholic drinks on eligible flights
• First Class passengers get complimentary food and drinks already as part of their ticket price

For passengers who qualify for these existing complimentary benefits, the credit becomes meaningfully less valuable.

Walmart+ Membership: Potentially Great Value

Here’s where the real value might sit for a lot of cardholders. Walmart+ membership has a $98 published annual value (Platinum Select only). If you actually use it:

• Groceries delivered free (over $35) — material savings if you grocery shop regularly
• Gas discounts at participating stations
• Paramount+ or Peacock included

Enhanced Hotel Earning

The 3x earning on AAdvantage hotel bookings is a welcome addition but not groundbreaking. 3x points isn’t the most generous hotel category earning rate in the industry - the Chase Sapphire Reserve for example offers 10x on hotels booked through Chase Travel. Various hotel co-branded cards earn 4-6x at their respective hotels.

That said, as part of a broader AA ecosystem, 3x earning on hotels gives you a reasonable boost, especially if you rely on AAdvantage Hotels as a way to earn points towards status.

The Bigger Picture

This fits a broader pattern of credit card issuers refreshing products to charge more while offering more benefits. Chase refreshed Sapphire products this year. Amex has been refreshing cards. Capital One has been changing their lineup. The downside is that many of these changes turn these cards into ‘coupon books’ where maximizing their value - and the annual fee - isn’t always easy.

It's worth considering if these new features will warrant the additional annual fee for your specific spending and flying habits.

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Source: American Airlines Newsroom

Related: AA Expands Flagship Dining Access · AA Will Give You 5,000 AAdvantage Miles Free