Ariana has been writing about points and miles for almost a decade. She previously served as editor at FlyerTalk, Frugal Travel Guy and NerdWallet while running her own travel blog, PointChaser.
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Lots of cardholders have a large stash of miles saved up, along with companion passes, airline vouchers and more. One of those vouchers that we get a lot of questions about is the $125 American Airlines flight discount from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees).
This is a pretty valuable perk that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should, as cardholders can earn this voucher after spending $20,000 or more on the card during their membership year and renewing the card.
This perk is great for people who may not earn enough miles for an award ticket every year, but still need to justify paying the card's $99 annual fee. The flight discount can only be applied to revenue fares, so you can save money and even earn miles on your ticket.
In addition, spending on any American cobranded card in 2022 will now count toward elite status qualification.
Here's everything you need to know about the flight discount offered by the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card.
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If you carry the Citi/ AAdvantage Platinum Select Card, you get the $125 American Airlines flight discount every membership year in which you spend at least $20,000 on the card and then renew your card. If you're able to meet this spending requirement, it will more than offset the card's $99 annual fee, which is even waived the first year.
Plus, you'll end up with at least 20,000 AAdvantage miles from spending to reach that threshold, a haul of rewards that TPG values at $326. You'll receive a discount code in the mail 8 to 12 weeks after meeting this spending requirement.
Daily Newsletter Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s expertsFinally, now that we're into 2022, remember that any base points you earn on any American Airlines credit card will count as Loyalty Points, putting you closer to earning AAdvantage elite status. In fact, if you spend exactly $20,000 on the card, you'll earn 20,000 Loyalty Points — putting you two-thirds of the way to AAdvantage Gold.
Redeeming the $125 American Airlines flight discount is very straightforward: Simply search for and select airfare on AA.com as you usually would.
On the payment page, you'll need to select "Other forms of payment" and choose the "Gift card/Travel Voucher/flight discounts" option.
You'll need to enter your discount code. If your flight costs more than the discount code, you'll need to provide an additional form of payment.
The $125 American Airlines flight discount expires one year after it's issued. If you have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, chances are you fly American at least once a year. As such, redeeming the $125 flight discount before it expires shouldn't be an issue.
The great thing about the American Airlines flight discount is that you can use it to book flights for other people. A couple of years ago, my brother decided at the very last minute to attend his friend's graduation ceremony in Los Angeles. It was just an hour-long flight that usually costs around $100. He called me asking which credit card to use for a last-minute $200 fare. In addition to card advice, I gave him my AA flight discount code and he applied it at check-out, dropping his out-of-pocket cost down to about $75.
While you can redeem the $125 American Airlines flight discount for other people, there are restrictions about which airlines you can apply it to. The discount is valid on Oneworld and American Airlines flights as well as those operated by Envoy Air, Republic Airways, SkyWest, Mesa, PSA and Piedmont Airlines. Flights must originate in the U.S., Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and you must book the ticket on American's website or by calling AA reservations (the latter of which may incur a service fee).
If you cancel or change a ticket booked with an American Airlines flight discount, your discount will not be reissued. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to ask an airline representative if they'll issue you a travel voucher or airline miles as a replacement. They're not obligated to and there's no guarantee you'll be accommodated, but it's worth a try.
Since you're using the discount on a standard, revenue ticket, you will earn miles in the AAdvantage program based on the original price of the flight. This too will earn Loyalty Points to put you closer to reaching elite status.
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Card's flight discount is a useful recurring card perk if you're able to meet the $20,000 spending requirement every year. It has saved me money on last-minute bookings before and can really come in handy during these uncertain times. And since that spending can now help you reach AAdvantage elite status, that's even more of a reason to push for this benefit in 2022.
For those looking for a business card alternative, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® offers similar benefits along with an annual American Airlines companion certificate when you spend $30,000 per account year and renew the card (account must remain open at least 45 days after account anniversary). It's not as attainable or flexible as the $125 flight discount, but it has the potential to save you even more money.
The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Additional reporting by Stella Shon.
Featured image by DAVID SLOTNICK/THE POINTS GUYEditorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.