If you fly American Airlines several times a year, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® offers travel benefits that go beyond an entry-level airline card that offers free checked bags and the ability to earn American miles. This card has an annual fee of $350, more than three times as much as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. However, you get access to additional perks like a companion certificate, elite status boosts, lounge passes, a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and more.
Plus, new applicants can receive the following welcome offer: For a limited time, earn 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Here are five reasons why you should get the .
The offers benefits that can improve the travel experience when you fly with the airline, from free checked bags and lounge access to preferred boarding and statement credits for in-flight purchases.
As a cardholder, you get one free checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries, as well as Group 5 preferred boarding on American flights. These benefits also extend to up to eight companions on your reservation.
You’ll also receive four Admirals Club Globe passes each year, which grants access to American’s Admiral Clubs. While these usually aren’t the fanciest airport lounges, they can be a nice spot to relax before your flight or wait out a delay. Plus, airline-operated lounges are a great place to get assistance during travel disruptions.
Each pass is valid for 24 hours, meaning you can use them at several Admirals Clubs, whether you’re lounge hopping at an American hub airport or have connecting flights. With your pass, you can bring up to three children under 18 for free.
You also have up to $100 in statement credits on in-flight purchases each year when you pay with your card on a domestic flight with American Airlines. Those can be used for buying Wi-Fi (although Wi-Fi will be free on most aircraft starting in January 2026), as well as buy onboard food and beverage items.
2. Earn more American miles on your purchases
With your , you’ll earn American AAdvantage miles on your purchases. You’ll earn at least 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 spent on purchases, while other purchases will earn more:
6 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible AAdvantage Hotels bookings.
3 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases.
2 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
2 AAdvantage miles per $1 spent on eligible “Rides and Rails” purchases, such as taxis, rideshares and public transit.
3. Bring a friend with you for $99 + taxes and fees
Starting after your first card renewal, you will receive an American Airlines companion certificate each year. That means you’ll need to have the card for at least a year to enjoy this benefit.
However, your potential savings can be worth the wait. With the companion certificate, you can bring someone with you on a round-trip domestic flight in main cabin for just $99 plus taxes and fees.
Depending on when and where you’re traveling, this companion certificate could help recoup the cost of the entire annual fee.
For example, if you’re traveling to Hawaii in the summer, round-trip tickets for two people can cost more than $2,000. With the companion certificate, you could pay $1,000 for your own flight and then an additional $99 and taxes and fees for the second person, saving you about $900.
4. Get statement credits for travel and lifestyle purchases
The offers hundreds of dollars worth of statement credits for travel and lifestyle purchases — similar to the coupon book model we’ve seen on other popular travel credit cards.
However, their actual value depends on whether you actually use the credits. For some people, these credits are discounts they set out to maximize, while others may never use them at all.
Here’s a look at what the card offers:
A splurge credit worth up to $100 each year, to be used on your choice of two of the following: eligible AAdvantage Hotels bookings, 1stDibs, Future Personal Training and Live Nation.
Up to $240 in statement credits for purchases with car-sharing service Turo each year, with up to $30 credited for each eligible completed trip.
The Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit is nice, but it’s also a perk that comes with many travel credit cards. However, if you have multiple cards with this credit, don’t forget that you can use it for other people, such as your spouse or children.
The list of merchants for the splurge credit is a bit lackluster, but there are ways to extract extra value. For example, those chasing AAdvantage elite status might want to use their credit for eligible AAdvantage Hotels bookings. When you book through AAdvantage Hotels, you can often earn thousands of additional AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points, in addition to what you earn through your credit card.
The $240 Turo credit might fall a bit flat for travelers who aren’t booking rental cars through Turo frequently, especially since it is limited to a $30 statement credit per trip.
5. Boost your way to American elite status
This benefit rewards cardholders with 5,000 Loyalty Points after every four flight segments flown on American. You can earn up to 15,000 Loyalty Points via the Flight Streak bonus each status qualification year.
To qualify, flights must be marketed or operated by American Airlines and eligible to earn AAdvantage miles, and they must be flown while you hold the card. That means award flights won’t count toward your streak.
If you max out the Flight Streak bonus with 12 flights on American, those 15,000 Loyalty Points are enough to get you 37.5% of the way to Gold and 20% of the way to Platinum.
The pros of the
There are plenty of reasons to love the , especially if you fly with American several times a year. Those include airport and in-flight perks when traveling on the airline, as well as faster ways to earn AAdvantage miles and elite status.
The companion certificate is also a compelling perk and offers potential savings worth much more than the $350 annual fee. Combine that with the statement credits, and you’ll likely come out ahead.
That’s not to mention other perks that come with the card, such as travel protection benefits for trip cancellation or interruption, trip delays of six hours or more, and lost or damaged luggage. Keep in mind you’ll need to pay with your card for coverage to apply.
Top photo courtesy of American Airlines.
