Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® Review — A $350 Card That Pays Off for Companion Travel

Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®

• Best for: American Airlines flyers who travel with a companion at least once a year and would value a handful of lounge visits
• What makes it different: A companion certificate after each renewal for a domestic economy round trip priced at $99 plus taxes, plus four Admirals Club passes annually
• Cost: $350 annual fee; 19.74% to 29.74% variable APR; no foreign transaction fees
• Features: 60,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases within 3 months; 6 miles per $1 on AAdvantage Hotels bookings, 3 on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 on restaurants and rides and transit, and 1 on other spending; free first checked bag and Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight companions on one domestic reservation; up to $100 a year back on inflight purchases; up to $100 a year back at up to two of four merchants you select, including Live Nation; up to $240 a year in Turo credits; Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit of up to $120 once every four years
• Pros: Companion fare for $99 plus taxes each year beginning with the second year; lounge passes valued at $316 at American’s $79 day-pass rate; free first bags for up to nine travelers on one domestic reservation
• Cons: No certificate until after the first renewal; certificate restricted to select economy seats within the lower 48 states, or from your home market if you live in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands; only 1 mile per $1 on most everyday purchases

Choose the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® if you fly American with a companion at least once a year and would make use of the card’s four annual lounge passes. Starting in the second year, the companion certificate can cover that person on a domestic economy round trip for $99 plus taxes. If your main goal is simply free checked bags, a lower-cost American Airlines card may be the better fit.

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The Globe is American Airlines’ $350 mid-tier Citi card for travelers who fly American a few times each year.

Key Features

• $350 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and a 19.74% to 29.74% variable interest rate on carried balances
• 60,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases during the first 3 months, roughly equal to about $600 in lounge day passes, which American sells for $79 or 7,900 miles each
• 6 miles per $1 on hotels booked through American’s AAdvantage Hotels, 3 on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 at restaurants and on rides and transit, and 1 on everything else
• A companion certificate after each renewal, good for a domestic economy round trip at $99 plus taxes
• Four 24-hour Admirals Club lounge passes each calendar year

Pros

• Free first checked bag for you and up to eight companions on one domestic American reservation, worth $90 round trip per traveler at American’s $45 online bag fee
• Group 5 boarding for you and those companions, ahead of the rest of economy
• Lounge passes worth $316 a year at the $79 day-pass price
• Up to $100 a year back on inflight purchases on domestic American flights
• Up to 15,000 bonus Loyalty Points a year, earned at 5,000 points for every four paid American flights, toward the 40,000 points needed for American’s Gold status

Cons

• No companion certificate until after the first renewal
• The certificate is limited to select economy seats with restrictions on travel dates, and it applies only within the lower 48 states or from home if you live in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Only four lounge passes are provided each year, and any unused passes expire at year-end
• Just 1 mile per $1 on groceries, gas, and most other everyday spending

This card can make sense for American flyers who bring a companion every year, use all four lounge passes, and can get enough value from the certificate to justify the fee. Travelers who mainly want free checked bags can get them for themselves and four companions with the Platinum Select at $99 a year after a free first year, while frequent lounge users may prefer an Admirals Club membership through the $695 Executive card.

Learn more about the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® or compare it with other leading airline credit cards.

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