Is the Citi / AA Government World Elite Mastercard value it?

In case you fly American Airways incessantly, chances are you’ll wish to take into account getting one in all its cobranded Citi playing cards.

On the prime of the hierarchy is the Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges), which gives probably the most AA-specific perks of any bank card. But it surely comes with a hefty annual charge.

So, is it well worth the $595 annual charge — each in yr one and past? Let’s do the mathematics.

Welcome bonus

For a restricted time, the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard is at the moment providing 100,000 miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

This bonus is value $1,550, based mostly on TPG’s January 2026 valuations, and matches the highest-ever provide we have seen within the card’s historical past.

This bonus accounts for a good portion of the cardboard’s total worth, so incomes it and redeeming the miles properly are essential to offsetting the cardboard’s excessive annual charge.

Associated: The best-ever provide is again: Earn 100,000 AAdvantage miles with the Citi / AA Government Card

Lounge entry

Arguably, probably the most useful ongoing good thing about this card is the complimentary Admirals Membership membership you will obtain yearly that you just maintain it. When you’ve gotten the Citi / AAdvantage Government, all you need to do is stroll to the lounge and current a same-day boarding go for an eligible flight.

A membership prices $700 to $850, relying in your standing degree and whether or not it is a new membership or a renewal. On condition that this card carries a $595 annual charge, it does not make sense to purchase an Admirals Membership membership by itself, except you are not eligible for the cardboard.

You’ll entry roughly 50 Admirals Golf equipment and greater than 60 accomplice lounges worldwide when flying American or one in all its Oneworld companions. Notably, this contains Alaska Lounges in hubs like Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX), San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA).

You’ll be able to herald both your rapid relations (partner or home accomplice and kids below 18 years of age) or as much as two company. They usually do not should be on the identical flight as you — simply any American or Oneworld flight with a same-day boarding go.

Associated: The perfect lounge entry bank cards so as to add to your pockets

Journey advantages

The Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard gives useful perks when flying American, together with precedence check-in at business-class counters (the place obtainable) and precedence boarding privileges (the place obtainable) for you and as much as eight vacationers on the identical reservation.

You additionally get your first checked bag free on home itineraries with American Airways. (Observe that that is just for home flights; I needed to pay $35 in 2024 once I traveled to Mexico, forgetting the restrictions of this perk.)

Moreover, you’ll be able to get pleasure from a 25% low cost on inflight meals and beverage purchases (excluding Wi-Fi) and obtain an announcement credit score of as much as $120 for International Entry/TSA PreCheck. (I recommend maximizing your credit score by making use of for International Entry, because it contains PreCheck anyway.)

Moreover, the cardboard contains journey protections, comparable to journey cancellation, journey interruption, journey delay, misplaced baggage safety and automotive rental insurance coverage protection.

And there aren’t any overseas transaction charges, making this card an important possibility for worldwide journey.

Associated: Which airline is now greatest should you do not wish to pay bag charges?

Elite standing

If chasing AAdvantage elite standing is essential to you, the Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard will assist you to obtain it. You will earn 1 Loyalty Level for each mile you earn from purchases.

On prime of that, you will obtain a ten,000 Loyalty Factors bonus upon reaching 50,000 Loyalty Factors in a standing qualification yr. A further 10,000 Loyalty Factors bonus might be granted when you hit 90,000 Loyalty Factors in the identical yr.

Associated: 8 strategies that earned American AAdvantage Government Platinum

Assertion credit

The assertion credit on the Citi / AAdvantage Government card embrace:

• As much as $120 again on eligible pay as you go leases booked instantly on Avis.com or Funds.com each calendar yr
• As much as $120 again on eligible Grubhub purchases (as much as a $10 assertion credit score on every month’s billing assertion)
• As much as $120 in Lyft credit ($10 Lyft credit score every month), however you need to take three eligible rides every month first to obtain this credit score

The Grubhub credit score is the one one I discover straightforward to maximise. I exploit the $10 month-to-month credit score to order pick-up meals once I’m on the street.

I’ve had points with the automotive rental credit score, so I would not depend on getting worth from it. Beforehand, a Funds rental in Cabo was not coded accurately, and Citi would not apply the credit score manually. Later, I accomplished one other Funds rental in Eire and waited the compulsory 10 weeks. Once more, it did not put up, and once more, Citi refused to use a handbook credit score.

I do not worth the Lyft perk as a result of you aren’t getting the $10 credit score till after you’ve got taken three (non-discounted) rides in a month. As an alternative, I exploit my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and charges) to earn 5 factors per greenback spent, plus a $10 month-to-month in-app credit score on Lyft purchases (by Sept. 30, 2027).

Associated: Frequent Uber or Lyft person? These are the perfect bank cards for you

Incomes and redeeming miles

In case you’re trying to supercharge your factors incomes throughout a number of applications, I would recommend placing your spending on a card that earns transferable factors. Nevertheless, if you wish to maximize your AAdvantage mile stability particularly, the Citi / AAdvantage Government card will earn you:

• 10 miles per greenback spent on eligible automotive leases and motels booked by American’s automotive rental and resort reserving websites, respectively
• 4 miles per greenback spent on eligible American Airways purchases (jumps to five miles per greenback spent for the rest of the calendar yr as soon as you’ve got spent $150,000 on purchases in a calendar yr)
• 1 mile per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases

AAdvantage miles are probably the most useful of any U.S. airline program at 1.55 cents every, based on our valuations. They’re considerably extra useful than United MileagePlus miles (1.3 cents every) and Delta SkyMiles (1.25 cents every).

I redeemed a part of the welcome bonus I obtained on this card for an expensive flight redemption. I used 70,000 miles plus $174 for a one-way business-class flight in Qatar Airways’ implausible Qsuite from Doha to Houston.

Given this flight retails for $3,910 one-way, I received a really excessive 5.6 cents-per-mile worth from this redemption, greater than triple TPG’s valuation of AAdvantage miles.

Associated: The perfect makes use of of American Airways AAdvantage miles

Approved customers

Lastly, the Citi / AAdvantage Government card is a superb possibility in order for you your family and friends to get Admirals Membership entry for much less.

You’ll be able to add as much as three licensed customers for $175 complete (which works out to be round $58 every) and extra licensed customers for $175 every after that.

Every licensed person receives Admirals Membership entry (with a same-day boarding go for an eligible flight) for themselves and as much as two touring companions. Nevertheless, licensed customers solely get Admirals Membership entry, not a full Admirals Membership membership.

Associated: Every little thing that you must find out about licensed bank card customers

Backside line

Finally, should you worth Admirals Membership entry, precedence perks on American flights and a big welcome bonus, this card can simply justify its charge. You will get much more worth should you benefit from its assertion credit and licensed person perks.

But when lounge entry is not essential to you, take into account one in all Citi’s lower-fee AAdvantage playing cards as an alternative.

To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Citi / AA Government World Elite Mastercard.

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Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Government World Elite Mastercard

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