Joseph Hostetler, CEPF

Dec 2, 2022, 10:47 PM

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Use American Airlines miles to book a fancy lie-flat business class seat for nearly free. American Airlines

• The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,500 within the first 3 months of account opening, but this offer won't be around much longer.
• And the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® is currently offering 80,000 bonus miles and a $95 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening.
• These bonuses are worth an average of $1,120 in travel, per Insider's valuations.
• Read Insider's guide to the best airline credit cards.

Two American Airlines credit cards now come with intro offers that are far more generous than usual.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® are both cards worth opening simply for their valuable ongoing benefits — which can be worth thousands each year to AA flyers. And for a limited time, these cards are even more fetching, offering bonuses of 80,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements.

80,000 points is a lot. Here are a few examples of what you could achieve with a stash of miles like that:

• 1 round-trip coach flight to the Middle East
• 3 round-trip coach flights to the Caribbean
• 1 lie-flat business class seat to Northern South America (think Peru and Colombia)
• 2 round-trip coach flights to Hawaii
• 1 round-trip coach flight to South Africa
• A one-way business class flight to Europe and a one-way coach flight home

There are tons of ways to use this bonus for (nearly) free flights. Per Insider's valuation of American Airlines miles, these bonuses are worth $1,120 in travel, on average.

Here's a quick reminder as to what you can expect with each of these cards — and how to earn these massive new bonuses.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is currently offering 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,500 within the first 3 months of account opening, but it's about to come to and end. Its previous bonus was 50,000 miles after meeting minimum spending requirements.

The card charges a $450 annual fee — but you'll receive above-average card benefits for that price tag. Here's what you'll get:

• American Airlines Admirals Club lounge membership (with guest privileges)
• Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on your reservation on American Airlines domestic itineraries
• Priority boarding on American Airlines flights
• 10,000 Loyalty Points after spending $40,000 on purchases during the qualifying status year (helpful for reaching elite status)
• 25% savings for inflight purchases

The first bullet is the most enticing. Membership to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges normally costs $650 per year. If you'd normally purchase an Admirals Club membership, this card is a no-brainer. And get this: You can add up to 10 authorized users for free — and each will get their own Admirals Club airport lounge access.

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® isn't great for spending, however. It earns just 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Because of this, it's best to keep sheathed in your wallet for most purchases.

Read our Citi AAdvantage Executive card review for everything you need to know about this card.

AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® comes with 80,000 bonus miles and a $95 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Previously, this card offered up to 70,000 miles after meeting tiered minimum spending requirements.

As you can see, this new bonus is slightly better than what's offered by the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® — and the spending requirement is lower, too. The card charges a modest $95 annual fee, so you're effectively receiving a $0 annual fee for the first year.

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® comes with 

• Free first checked bag on American Airlines domestic itineraries
• Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
• 25% savings on American Airlines inflight purchases
• Domestic companion certificate after spending $30,000 in a cardmember year
• 5% AAdvantage mile bonus on each cardmember anniversary (based on the total number of miles earned using your card)

Fair benefits — and an excellent companion certificate if you can manage to reach the $30,000 annual spending requirement. The card also earns 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles per dollar on eligible office supply, telecom, and car rental merchants, and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Still not excellent, but a marked improvement over the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.

You can read our full Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Business card review for more details.

Bottom line

If you've been eyeing either of these cards recently — or if you're just trying to earn American Airlines miles in a hurry — both the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® have better-than-usual deals right now. It's not often that we see an American Airlines credit card offering a bonus higher than 80,000 miles.

These cards also have great ongoing benefits for American Airlines' frequent flyers. If you're smart with their perks, you could save hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars each year.