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Credit card welcome bonuses are one of many quickest methods to earn priceless journey rewards. You can typically choose up 100,000 factors or more in a single bonus, which might be value 1000’s of {dollars} in journey.
Right now, American Airlines’ top-tier card is providing its best-ever welcome bonus, value $1,650 (in keeping with our May 2025 valuations). For a restricted time, those that apply for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges) can earn 100,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $10,000 in three months of account opening.
But what if you have already got the cardboard or have held it previously? Can you earn the welcome bonus on it once more?
To reply this query, it is necessary to grasp Citi’s utility guidelines and establish the precise date when you final earned the welcome bonus on this card. Let me stroll you by means of it.
Related: Is the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard value it?
Understanding Citi’s utility guidelines
On most of its cobranded playing cards, Citi restricts incomes the welcome bonus to as soon as each 48 months. This rule applies to the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
So, for instance, if you wished to use for this card in May 2025 and earn the welcome bonus, you would solely be eligible if you acquired your final welcome bonus on the cardboard earlier than May 2021.
The greatest option to discover out this date is to name Citi at 888-766-2484. Alternatively, you might additionally name AAdvantage at 800-882-8880. (You can solely see your account exercise by means of your AAdvantage on-line account for the previous two years.)
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Related: Who’s eligible for the 100K-mile Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard bonus?
Timing is necessary
The 48-month interval begins from the date the earlier bonus was acquired, not when the account was opened or closed.
That’s necessary as a result of a few months will in all probability have handed between when you had been authorized for the cardboard and when you met the minimal spending requirement and, thus, acquired the welcome bonus.
Product adjustments
You can earn the welcome bonus on every of Citi’s AAdvantage playing cards as soon as each 48 months — every product is handled individually.
In the previous two years, I’ve utilized for the next three Citi / AAdvantage playing cards and earned the welcome bonus on every:
However, suppose I had earned the bonus on my Platinum Select after which the product modified (or upgraded) it to the Executive. In that case, I would wish to attend 48 months from after I acquired the Platinum Select welcome bonus to earn the welcome bonus on the Executive.
Strategies to maximise bonus alternatives
Here are a few of my high tricks to shortly earn a lot of AAdvantage miles by making use of for cobranded American Airlines bank cards.
Work out your utility technique
If you are assured that you acquired the welcome bonus in your Executive card more than 4 years in the past and do not presently maintain the cardboard, you’re good to use for it once more.
If you do presently have the cardboard, first, you’ll wish to downgrade or cancel your card.
My advice can be to downgrade it to the no-annual-fee American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® card by calling Citi on the quantity on the again of your card. However, be aware that by downgrading, you won’t be eligible for the welcome bonus on this card. The upside is that you will defend your credit score rating as there will likely be no change to your credit score report.
The info for the AAdvantage MileUp card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Alternatively, you can cancel your Executive card. While this will briefly damage your credit score rating as a result of a rise in your credit score utilization ratio, you could also be eligible to earn the welcome bonus on the MileUp ought to you select to use for it sooner or later.
After downgrading or canceling your card, wait a week or so after which apply for the Executive card once more.
Track bonus timelines
You might have acquired your welcome bonus in your Executive card more just lately. In that case, discover out the precise date you acquired your bonus. Then, use a bonus monitoring spreadsheet or set a reminder to notice when you will likely be eligible once more.
I utilized for this card in July 2023, within the first week after the cardboard was refreshed. According to my account exercise in my on-line AAdvantage account, I acquired the welcome bonus in November 2023. So, I’ve put a be aware in my Google Calendar that I’m eligible to use for this card once more from December 2027.
Explore different AAdvantage playing cards
If you wish to choose up more bonus AAdvantage miles, think about making use of for one of many service’s different playing cards.
My high suggestion can be to select up the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard. It’s the one AAdvantage card that Barclays remains to be issuing, forward of Citi changing into the service’s sole bank card accomplice subsequent 12 months. Applications for this card might shut any day now (and virtually undoubtedly earlier than the top of the 12 months).
You are eligible to use for it if you have not had it previously six months. Here is a hyperlink to earn 10,000 further miles on high of the cardboard’s commonplace supply.
The info for the Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
If you have not earned the bonus on certainly one of Citi’s different two private playing cards or the enterprise model previously 48 months, then they’re good choices too.
Bottom line
Citi’s 48-month rule makes timing crucial when making use of for its AAdvantage bank cards. By monitoring when you final earned a welcome bonus and understanding how product adjustments have an effect on eligibility, you can guarantee you maximize your approval possibilities.
With the 100,000-bonus-mile supply presently out there on the Executive card, now could be the time to judge your timeline and take full AAdvantage if you’re eligible.
To study more concerning the card, learn our full overview of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
