The Citi AAdvantage Business Credit Card Review for 2020

The Citi AAdvantage business credit card offers American Airlines business travel rewards and perks. As you spend with this card, you’ll earn 2x rewards for American Airlines purchases, gas, telecommunication services, and car rentals. Plus, you’ll have a chance to earn 60,000 AAdvantage miles with the card’s welcome offer.

When you sign up for the card, you’ll be awarded a signup bonus of 60,000 AAdvantage miles when you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

One nice thing about this signup bonus, along with all of the mileage that you accrue on the Citi AAdvantage business credit card, is that you’re able to use these miles within the entire OneWorld partner network. So, if you’ve been tempted to take a trip on British Airways, Cathay Pacific, or Qantas, this could be appealing.

In addition to the signup bonus, you’ll earn double miles per $1 spent on American Airlines purchases, and double miles per $1 on select business categories including gas stations, certain telecommunication providers, and car rental companies. Anything else will earn you one mile per $1 spent. As you can see, this card is definitely focused on business spending based on where it allocates its double-mile bonuses.

The card has a $95 annual fee, but it’s waived your first year with the card.

There are also no foreign transaction fees, an important boon for international travelers. You also won’t have to pay to add employee cards to the account.

• Check a bag on at least two round-trip American Airlines flights each year (savings on bag fees will outweigh the annual fee)
• Loyally fly American Airlines for business, and do a lot of traveling on the ground once you land
• Are certain you’ll spend at least $30,000 annually so you can access the companion pass

• You don’t often check bags
• You want the biggest signup bonus out there
• You fly or incur fees on a variety of airlines, and would prefer general travel reimbursement instead

Now that you’re familiar with all of the logistics on what the Citi AAdvantage business credit card has to offer your business, let’s dedicate some extra attention to the most noteworthy of these logistics.

First, let’s focus on the upsides of doing your business spending with the Citi AAdvantage business credit card:

You’ll get discounts on the plane itself, with 25% off inflight purchases. (Go on, treat yourself to that extra cocktail.) And Citi AAdvantage business credit cardholders also get a free checked bag and preferred boarding on flights.

Every year you spend more than $30,000, you’ll also get an American Airlines companion pass. It’s important to know that you can’t just cruise right into first class with a one-way ticket to Paris using this companion pass, though. In the fine print, the companion certificate is good for a $99 economy fare, and doesn’t include taxes.

Most co-branded airline business credit cards will only reward you extra for spending you do directly with them. The Citi AAdvantage business credit card, however, will also reward you doubly for common business expenses.

Along with 2x rewards for all of your American Airlines purchases, you’ll get 2x rewards for every dollar you spend on:

• Gas station purchases
• Telecommunication services
• Car rentals

If you’re looking for a co-branded travel card that will also reward you extra for business as usual, then the Citi AAdvantage is one of very few out there.

All that said, the Citi AAdvantage business credit card will also come with its own fair share of downsides and imperfections.

What features should make you hesitate on leaping to take advantage of the Citi AAdvantage?

Here are the two downsides most worth noting:

Though Citi will waive the annual fee for your first year with the Citi AAdvantage business credit card, a $95 annual fee will set in for your second year onward with the card. Though this might seem like small change compared to the rewards you access with this card, it’s still a pretty significant sum—especially if you’re on the fence about the Citi AAdvantage card.

If you’re not willing to pay an annual fee for travel rewards, then consider looking into no-fee business travel rewards cards like the Blue Business Plus or the Spark Miles Select.

Simply, if you’re not a creature of habit with business travel and don’t get value out of airline-specific perks but still want to benefit from your trips, there’s likely a better option. You can earn rewards that fit more with your habits from a general travel rewards business credit card. Unless you’re already an American Airline devotee, consider Citi AAdvantage alternatives that offer travel rewards that can apply to any airline.