I fly American Airlines regularly, so I’ve had the Citi / AAdvantage Executive Mastercard for as long as I can remember. The main reason? It gets me and my family into the Admirals Club, and the money I spend on the card earns Loyalty Points that help me retain my elite status.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t qualify since I’ve really cut back on business travel after my kids were born. I really don’t like leaving them, which is why they’ve already been to more than 30 countries—and they’re only six and nine years old.
So when the email announcing that American Airlines, Citi, and Mastercard were refreshing the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card landed in my inbox, I was all ears.
The Bad News
The first thing that jumped out at me was the annual fee. It will increase by $100, from $595 to $695. New cardholders will pay the higher fee starting August 23, 2026, and existing cardholders will see the increase when their membership renews after Citi sends out notification.
At first, I wasn’t thrilled. But after looking through the new benefits, I’m not sure it’s a bad deal.
The Good News
Here are the updates that caught my attention.
Up to $100 Back on Inflight and Admirals Club Purchases
Cardmembers can now receive up to $100 in annual statement credits on eligible inflight purchases and eligible Admirals Club purchases. I usually skip buying sandwiches and snacks onboard because they’re overpriced, but now I’ll probably indulge once in a while. If I use the full credit, it essentially offsets the $100 annual fee increase.
Lyft Credits Increase to $180
The annual Lyft credit increases from $120 to $180. The catch is you have to take three eligible Lyft rides in the same calendar month and pay with your Executive card before earning a $15 monthly credit. If you use Lyft regularly, this is an easy benefit to maximize. Personally, I rarely take three Lyft rides in a month, so I’ll probably only save around $30 a year.
Omni Hotels & Resorts Benefits
Primary cardholders can enroll in Omni Select Guest Champion Status, which includes perks like:
- Room upgrades (when available)
- Early check-in
- Late check-out
You’ll also have the opportunity to earn a free night each year after completing a qualifying stay of two or more nights booked directly with Omni.
Avis President’s Club Status
You’ll receive complimentary Avis President’s Club status along with up to $120 annually in statement credits on eligible prepaid Avis and Budget rentals.
More Loyalty Points
This is one of my favorite changes. Cardholders can now earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after reaching 50,000, 90,000, 165,000, and 240,000 Loyalty Points during the qualification year. Previously, you could earn up to 20,000 bonus Loyalty Points. Now you can earn up to 40,000.
If you’re chasing elite status, that’s a meaningful improvement.
Up to $500 in AA Vacations Credits
Perhaps the most interesting new benefit is up to $500 annually in AA Vacations statement credits—up to $250 from January through June and another $250 from July through December.
I wasn’t very excited about this benefit at first. Then my buddy Gary Leff shared a clever strategy that changed how I looked at it. Instead of saving the credit for a traditional vacation package, Gary suggests booking a simple flight + car or hotel + car package through AA Vacations. In many cases, adding the minimum rental car can trigger the statement credit while helping offset the cost of a trip you were already planning.
You’ll also earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on eligible packages. As always, compare the package price with booking directly through American Airlines to make sure you’re actually saving money, and familiarize yourself with AA Vacations’ change and cancellation policies before booking.
I’ve actually booked vacation packages before just because they were cheaper than buying the flight alone, even though I had no intention of using the hotel. But I never thought about leveraging the package specifically to maximize a statement credit.
One Benefit Is Going Away
One thing that didn’t get as much attention is the $10 monthly Grubhub statement credit. Existing cardholders will keep it through August 31, 2027, but new cardholders opening an account on or after August 23 won’t receive it.
My Take
Overall, I’m keeping the card for the same reasons I always have: Admirals Club access for my family and the ability to earn Loyalty Points through everyday spending. The new benefits make the higher annual fee easier to swallow, especially the inflight credit and the additional Loyalty Point milestones. But the feature I’m most interested in is the new AA Vacations credit. If Gary Leff’s strategy works as well as it appears, it could end up being one of the most valuable additions to the card.
