American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp credit card review 2024

Our quick take: The entry-level American Airlines AAdvantage? MileUp? Mastercard? * The information for the American Airlines AAdvantage? MileUp? Mastercard? has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. lets you earn Loyalty Points toward elite status and AAdvantage miles for award flights, all with no annual fee.

Pros:

• Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 2 miles per dollar on grocery spending
• 25% rebate on American Airlines in-flight purchases when paying with the card
• Sign-up bonus with low spend requirement
• Card holders can earn elite status by spending on the card
• No fee to add authorized users
• No annual fee

Cons:

• Small sign-up bonus
• No priority boarding or free checked bag benefits
• 3% foreign transaction fee

Current welcome bonus: Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage? bonus miles after making $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

Best for: American Airlines flyers interested in earning and redeeming AAdvantage miles for award flights without having to pay an annual fee.

Digging into the AAdvantage MileUp card

Anyone wanting to earn miles with American Airlines without having to pay an annual fee may want to consider Citi’s AAdvantage MileUp card.

The card not only earns miles on every transaction but is also the only American Airlines credit card that delivers bonus miles on grocery purchases.

Here’s how many miles you’ll earn on purchases:

• 2 miles per dollar: Grocery stores
• 2 miles per dollar: Eligible American Airlines purchases
• 1 mile per dollar: All other purchases

Another major benefit of the AAdvantage MileUp card is the ability to earn Loyalty Points toward elite status with American Airlines. Every dollar you spend on the card is equal to one Loyalty Point earned, though bonus points on groceries and American Airlines purchases and the sign-up bonus don’t count as Loyalty Points.

For example, AAdvantage MileUp card holders can earn Gold elite status with American Airlines by making purchases on the card and strategically spending via the airline’s shopping portal and dining rewards program. Accruing 40,000 Loyalty Points and earning Gold status with American through eating, shopping and spending on your credit card is a significant benefit for a no-annual-fee credit card if you’re looking to earn airline elite status.

New card holders are also eligible for a modest sign-up bonus. Once approved, card holders can earn 15,000 AAdvantage? bonus miles after spending $500 in the first three months of account opening.

Finally, card holders also save 25% on American Airlines in-flight food and beverage purchases when paying with the AAdvantage MileUp card.

Advantages of the AAdvantage MileUp card

Although the AAdvantage MileUp card doesn’t offer as many advantages as other American cards, it does have a few appealing benefits worth mentioning. The first major benefit is that the card does not charge an annual fee, so it’s free to use, as long as you pay your balance in full and on time.

In addition, purchases made with American Airlines and at grocery stores earn two miles per dollar, making it a simple way to double the number of miles earned while shopping at the supermarket. Of course, there are other credit cards that offer more rewards at grocery stores, but most have an annual fee.

Further, American Airlines isn’t a transfer partner of any major transferable points programs like Chase Travel? or American Express Membership Rewards. As such, this card is one of the few ways to earn AAdvantage miles without incurring an annual fee.

As far as travel benefits are concerned, the card confers a 25% discount on American Airlines’ in-flight food and beverage purchases when you use the card. This is the only flight-related perk that the card offers.

Finally, one of the best things about the card is that you can earn elite status with American Airlines by simply using the card for purchases. As discussed, card holders earn one Loyalty Point per dollar spent on the card.

Disadvantages of the AAdvantage MileUp card

The AAdvantage MileUp card boasts a slew of useful features, particularly for a no-annual-fee card that makes it possible for card holders to earn redeemable miles and Loyalty Points toward elite status. However, the card has several obvious drawbacks.

From the outset, the card offers a relatively small amount of miles to new card holders. The minimal sign-up bonus on this card won’t help you much if you want to significantly boost your AAdvantage miles balance.

The card’s biggest downside is the absence of valuable airline benefits, especially in comparison to other American cobranded credit cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® * The information for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . That card provides perks like free checked baggage and priority boarding to card holders. If these benefits are important to you, you may want to consider a higher-tier American Airlines credit card.

If you plan to go overseas with your card, leave the AAdvantage MileUp card at home. It adds a 3% foreign transaction fee to all purchases made in a foreign currency. During a vacation or business trip abroad, this could add up to hundreds of dollars in additional expenses.

Other travel credit cards to consider

If you’re searching for a robust travel rewards credit card not associated with a certain airline, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card. Though you are on the hook for the $95 annual fee on this card, new card holders can earn .

In addition, the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card earns more on everyday purchases.

• 5 points per dollar: Lyft rides and travel booked through Chase Travel?
• 3 points per dollar: Dining, select streaming services and select online grocery purchases
• 2 points per dollar: All other travel purchases
• 1 point per dollar: All other purchases

Chase Travel? points can be redeemed for travel through the Chase Travel? portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, so the 60,000-point bonus is worth $750 when redeemed through the portal. Alternatively, you can transfer points to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. This makes the card a great option for those who don’t want to be stuck to a single airline.

If earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles is your top priority, the AAdvantage Platinum Select card is a fantastic option for those who want more features than the AAdvantage MileUp card.

Right now, new AAdvantage Platinum Select card holders can earn 50,000 AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. The card earns 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas stations and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

In addition, you’ll receive flight benefits like one free checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four traveling companions, preferred boarding on American Airlines flights, no foreign transaction fees and a $125 American Airlines flight discount after spending $20,000 or more and renewing your card membership.

However, unlike the AAdvantage MileUp card, the AAdvantage Platinum Select card has an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.

Should you get the AAdvantage MileUp card?

The AAdvantage MileUp card is an excellent choice for people looking for an American Airlines credit card with no annual fee. The card comes with a few useful features for card holders, such as double points on groceries and Loyalty Points toward elite status with regular spending.

If you don’t mind a small sign-up bonus and limited airline benefits, the AAdvantage MileUp card is a solid option. It might even be a good choice for those looking for their first airline credit card.

However, frequent American Airlines flyers and those looking for a more perks-rich experience when flying with the airline may want to consider the AAdvantage Platinum Select card, which comes with extra benefits like free checked baggage, priority boarding and bonus miles on gas and dining out.

And for those who aren’t loyal to a specific airline and simply want to earn valuable travel rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card is one of the best starter travel cards, with broader bonus categories and flexible points that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs.