Two of the most popular American Airlines credit cards are about to cost more. On Oct. 27, American and Citi announced new perks for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card and the Citi / AAdvantage Business card. The fine print holds the real news: the annual fee on both cards goes from $99 to $150 on Jan. 24, 2027.
That is a $51 jump, or about 52%. In return, American and Citi are adding credits, bonus categories and travel insurance.
The fee change
Here is what the release's footnotes say:
- The annual fee is $99 as of Oct. 27, 2026.
- The annual fee will be $150 as of Jan. 24, 2027.
- On both cards, the fee is waived for the first 12 months after you open the account.
Existing cardmembers get the new benefits starting Jan. 24, 2027. That is the same day the new fee takes effect.
What's new on the Platinum Select card
American and Citi list these new or better benefits:
- 3X miles on eligible AAdvantage Hotels and AAdvantage Cars bookings
- 2X miles at gas stations, now including EV charging stations
- 2X miles on select streaming services
- 2X miles on eligible Rides and Rails purchases
- $150 American Airlines Flight Discount, up from $125, after you spend $20,000 in a cardmember year and renew the card
- Up to $120 back for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, every four years
- Up to $100 a year in statement credits on inflight purchases
- A free Walmart+ membership for primary cardmembers, which the release values at $98 a year
- 50% off an annual FOX One subscription
- Travel protections, including trip delay, trip cancellation and interruption, car rental and lost baggage coverage
The card keeps its existing perks. Those include 2X miles on American purchases and at restaurants, up to $180 a year in Turo credits (up to $30 per trip), and no foreign transaction fees. You still get preferred boarding and a free first checked bag on domestic American trips. That covers you and up to four companions on the same reservation.
What's new on the Business card
The Citi / AAdvantage Business card gets:
- 3X miles on eligible AAdvantage Hotels and Cars bookings
- 2X miles in a category you choose: U.S. shipping, office supply stores or U.S. advertising
- Up to $120 back for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years
- Up to $100 a year in inflight statement credits
- 25% off a Melio subscription
- The same new travel protections
It keeps the $99 Companion Certificate. You earn it after spending $30,000 in a cardmember year and renewing. The primary cardmember also earns an extra Loyalty Point for every $1 that authorized users spend, through Dec. 31, 2028.
Is the higher fee worth it?
Here's the case for each side. These numbers are our math, not American's or Citi's.
The case for paying $150. On the Platinum Select card, Walmart+ alone is valued at $98. Add the $100 inflight credit and the $120 trusted traveler credit, which works out to about $30 a year. On paper, that's more than $200 a year in value. Frequent flyers who check bags on domestic American trips also save on bag fees, for themselves and up to four companions.
The case against. Credits only count if you use them. If you don't shop at Walmart, don't buy food or Wi-Fi on board, and already have Global Entry, most of the new value disappears. In that case, you are paying $51 more for mostly the same card. The bigger flight discount also needs $20,000 in yearly spending, which many people won't reach.
The 3X and 2X categories are a real upgrade. Still, hotels and cars only earn 3X when booked through American's own AAdvantage Hotels and Cars sites.
What about lounge access?
Neither card lists Admirals Club access in the release. If lounge access is your goal, American's lounge card is the Citi AAdvantage Executive. You can also see where American's clubs are on our Admirals Club guide.
What to do now
If you already have one of these cards, nothing changes until Jan. 24, 2027. After that, look at your next renewal and decide if the new credits beat the higher fee for you.
If you're thinking about applying, the first-year fee waiver still applies. That gives you a year to test the new perks before you pay $150.
"These new benefits are designed to deliver greater value in ways that matter most to our members," said Scott Long, American's senior vice president of AAdvantage, in the release.
