is the high-end credit card linked to American's AAdvantage program. High end as in a $450 annual fee.
That's a high price to pay for a credit card, to be sure. But this one, like similar offerings from Delta and United, comes bundled with a host of travel perks:
Admirals Club membership
First checked bag free for the primary cardholder and up to 8 travel companions
Priority check-in, screening, and boarding
No foreign transaction fees
$100 statement credit to offset the fee for Global Entry or PreCheck
25% discount on inflight purchases
10,000 bonus elite-qualifying miles after spending $40,000
The normal sign-up bonus for the card is 50,000 miles after spending $5,000 in three months. But "for a limited time" (no published end date), the bonus has been increased to 60,000 miles.
Deal or No Deal
The cost of an Admirals Club membership alone is as much as $500. And assuming an AAdvantage mile is worth around 1.2 cents when redeemed for free flights, the bonus is worth an extra $720. So on paper, it's easy to justify the $450 annual fee.
Of course, the value proposition is only a positive one if the card's perks will be used by the cardholder. Infrequent flyers are unlikely to get their money's worth from such a pricey card.
Bottom line: If you travel frequently on American, this would be a good card to have in your wallet. And with the increased bonus, this would be a good time to get it.
After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter@twinship.
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