American’s Platinum Select Card Has a Welcome Bonus Worth Considering
Since Southwest now looks like pretty much every other airline out there, it’s time to weigh alternatives.
Actually, I’ve been weighing other alternatives all summer. The AAdvantage Platinum Select from Citi seemed promising, which had a welcome bonus of 85,000 points for $3,500 of spend over a three-month period. I didn’t pull the trigger. The Amex consumer and business Platinum and Sapphire Reserve was enough to keep me sufficiently entertained. (That’s a post for another day.)
But then I get a tip that American is touting a new offer on the same card: 80,000 miles for $1,000 of spend over a three-month period.
That’s not the prevailing public offer. If you go to Citi’s landing page, you’ll see 50K miles for $2,500 of spend over three months.
There is, however, currently an inflight offer that will show you the 80K miles for $1,000 of spend. In the promotional code, enter: 000000 to generate the special welcome bonus if it does not display it automatically.
I jumped on the offer and got approved instantly. No, the link above is not a referral code. Although my company card is issued via Citi, commercial cards are handled through a different system, so right now I don’t even have a Citi personal online account fully registered.
I am new to the Citi ecosystem. I’m well aware of its Thank You points, but I know very little about how to best leverage them.
Here’s one thing I do know: Thank You points transfer to American, and I can get better earning rates on standard Citi cards than I can on this Platinum Select. Why would I settle for 2 miles per dollar, on American purchases, when I could get more through their basic Strata card? And the Strata will give me 15 months of 0% intro APR on purchases? Don’t be silly!
So, this is playing the long game. Citi is waiving the annual fee for the first year. $99 is better than what I’m currently paying for the Southwest Priority, so unless Southwest gives me a compelling reason to remain loyal, I’m going to be weighing the pros and cons of making American my new default.
I’m really trying to find a consistent cadence with the blog. I don’t want to bother your inbox over the weekend, but I have no idea how long the offer will last. No matter what I decide to do with the blog, its primary purpose should always be to help you!
So, if you were going to spend $1,000 over the next three months anyway; if you travel enough to take advantage of the welcome bonus; and if American Airlines makes sense for your flying habits, consider applying for this AAdvantage card!
If you have any questions, let me know in the Comments.
