You can now use the link below to sign up for an AA Business Account and get a 10,000-mile bonus, but it has to be a new account. To get the 10,000 bonus, the account needs to have five active flyers, but that requirement can be waived if you are an AA business cardholder. So if you sign up for an AA Business Account first and then apply for the card, you can get the 10,000 account bonus + the 65,000 limited-time welcome bonus + no annual fee, which makes this an excellent deal.

If you want to apply for multiple business cards and earn more bonuses, you can follow the double-dip steps below.

The Citi Business AAdvantage Platinum offer with 65,000 bonus miles and no first-year annual fee is back, and it’s a great value. There’s no annual fee in the first year, and if it really doesn’t work out, you can just cancel in the second year. In addition, this card pairs nicely with AA Business’s dedicated mileage program, which has some interesting features explained below. You can also time it right to get two cards and two bonuses.

This welcome bonus is very good, so we’ve added it to our business credit card rankings.

Citi Business AAdvantage Platinum American Airlines Business Credit Card

"Note" If this is your first business credit card application, please read “Introduction to Business Credit Cards” carefully first.

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Full review

Citi AA Platinum Business American Airlines Business Credit Card

AA airline card with first-year annual fee waived

  • Welcome bonus: 65,000 AA miles (spend $4,000 in 4 months)
  • Rewards: 2x on AA website ticket purchases; 2x on telecommunications, car rentals, and gas; 1x on everything else
  • Redemption: Best value for redeeming flights between China and the U.S. or between the U.S. and Europe; business-class redemptions can also offer solid value.
  • Annual fee: $99（First-year annual fee waived）
  • Apply now>>

Highlights

  • Big-spend bonus: Spend $30,000 and get an AA Travel Companion Ticket. For a domestic AA flight, the companion only needs to pay $99 + taxes, which is close to a buy-one-get-one deal. The companion ticket can only be used for round-trip economy tickets between the 48 contiguous U.S. states, and it expires one year after issuance
  • Airline card perks: Priority boarding (Group 2); free first checked bag within the U.S., and it’s also free for up to four companions
  • Citi card benefits
    • Price Rewind: if something drops in price, you can ask Citi to refund the difference
    • Free FICO credit score: from Equifax, with historical data displayed on a chart
    • Private Pass: they once offered free movie tickets; I just never caught it
    • Retention offers can be generous: when the annual fee is due, threaten to cancel and you may receive a promotion

Introduction to AA Miles

AA miles can be redeemed directly for AA flights, and they can also be used for flights on oneworld members. For U.S.-China routes, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines are commonly used; for domestic flights, Dragonair. Compared with UA and Delta, AA miles usually require fewer miles for first- and business-class redemptions.

Introduction to the AAdvantage Business Program

Just like the personal AA frequent flyer program, AA Business has its own dedicated mileage program. If you hold this AA Business card, you’re automatically enrolled in the business account. Without the card, you need at least 5 registered employees and $5,000 in spending to open it.

Once you have this account, when you book flights on AA’s website and choose business trip, you can earn an additional 1x miles into the business account on top of the miles you normally earn in your personal account, based on the amount you spend on the ticket. There is also an extra 1x LP to help you reach higher status. In addition, the miles you earn can be transferred to your personal account or to other people’s accounts under the business account.

The miles from the welcome bonus are also in the business account, and you need to transfer them from the AA business account to your personal account to use them. Transfers are usually instant; if they don’t update, just log out and back in.

My Take

The 75,000 welcome bonus on this card is still very good, and with the first-year annual fee waived, the cost is basically minimal. It’s also a solid card for booking business class between the U.S. and China. Combined with AA Business’s dedicated mileage program, this card has some nice standout features.

Also, Citi Business card applications are limited to once every 95 days, while this opening bonus requires 5 months to complete. That means you can play the timing gap and get two AA business card bonuses. The method is:

  • Apply for the first AA Biz card first, and mark the time as T0
  • Do not complete the welcome-bonus spending on the first AA Biz card yet (you can stop after spending a little over $4,800 so it’s easier to finish later)
  • At T0 + 96 days, apply for the second AA Biz card
  • Then complete the spending requirement for the first card’s welcome bonus, as long as it’s within T0 + 5 months
  • Then complete the spending requirement for the second card’s welcome bonus
  • That way, you get two AA Biz cards and both welcome bonuses!
  • The idea: when AA approves the card, it only checks whether you’ve received a welcome bonus within the 48-month restriction period, not whether you already have the card. If you delay taking the first AA Biz bonus, it won’t affect approval for the second AA Biz card.

Application

  • If you have received an AA Business credit card welcome bonus within the past 48 months, you are not eligible to receive it again
  • The welcome bonus will be credited to your AA Business frequent flyer number (different from your personal one). If you already have an AA Business frequent flyer number before applying, please enter it when you apply. If you don’t, a number will be assigned to you automatically, but you’ll need to call Citi to ask for the exact number.
  • If this is your first time applying for a business credit card, please read “Introduction to Business Credit Cards” carefully first
  • Citi application status link or call: 877-343-4118
  • 8/65/95 rule: You can apply for only one personal card every 8 days, only two personal cards every 65 days, and only one business card every 95 days. This refers to application submission limits, regardless of whether you were approved or not.
  • 24/48-month welcome bonus rule: If you have received a welcome bonus on a ThankYou Points card within the past 24 months, you will not be eligible to receive the bonus again. For AA products, the restriction is 48 months, but both rules apply only to the same card; there is no restriction across different card families.
  • You can call the reconsideration line (800-763-9795) to speed up the credit card approval process or ask a representative to review a denied credit card application again.
  • Having a Citi Checking/Gold relationship may help with your application.
  • More about applying for Citi credit cards

Application Link