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The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® is a solid option for American Airlines travelers looking for their first checked bag free on domestic flights.
You can spend toward Million Miler status and build up your AAdvantage mileage balance for your next trip. If you’re considering applying for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select, you may be uncertain whether you have a high enough credit score to be approved. Here’s what you should know.
The information for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
What credit score qualifies for approval?
Citi doesn’t publish specific credit scores needed to be accepted for its cards. After all, your credit score is just one of many considerations issuers take into account when deciding whether to approve a consumer for a card.
But you’ll generally need a good credit score of at least 670 or higher to be approved for a rewards credit card like the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard. That said, it’s possible to get denied if your score is high, even if other aspects of your credit portfolio may be appealing to the issuer.
Related reading: Why good credit is key to building your point wealth
What is the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select?
The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select is a cobranded American Airlines credit card issued by Citi. This credit card can easily be worth the $99 annual fee (waived for the first year) even if you only fly American Airlines domestically a few times per year.
This is because by simply having this card you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation get your first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries.
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You’ll also earn 2 miles per dollar spent at gas stations, restaurants and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
Related reading: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card review
How many card accounts can I have open?
Citi seemingly doesn’t limit the overall number of credit cards you can have open. However, Citi does seem to have a maximum credit line that it is willing to extend across all of your Citi cards.
So, if you have at least one other Citi credit card and aren’t approved for a new card, you may want to call Citi’s reconsideration line to see if shifting some credit from one of your current cards will allow you to open the new card.
Related reading: How many credit cards do you have?
Who is eligible for a sign-up bonus?
You won’t be eligible to earn a sign-up bonus on the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard if you’ve received a sign-up bonus for the card within the last 48 months. Specifically, the pricing and information section on the application page for this card notes:
American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months.
Related reading: Earning another AAdvantage card sign-up bonus: What you need to know
How to check your credit score
There are many ways to check your credit score for free. For example, many credit cards let you check your FICO score at no cost to you. It’s a good idea to track the progression of your score over time, especially if you’re working to improve your credit score.
But it’s important to realize that you don’t have just one credit score. Instead, there are different calculation methods, such as FICO Score and VantageScore, and different credit reporting agencies, such as TransUnion and Experian.
Your credit score will vary based on the calculation method and credit reporting agency that is used.
Related reading: 6 things to do to improve your credit
Factors that affect your credit score
Once you know your credit score range, you may wonder what factors affect your credit score. There are a few formulas for calculating your credit score, but none of the exact calculations are public.
This being said, FICO is relatively transparent about the different factors they assess and how much weight each is given:
- Payment history (35%): Whether you’ve paid past credit accounts on time.
- Amounts owed (30%): The relative size of your current debt and the ratio of your current debt to your available credit.
- Length of credit history (15%): How long your credit accounts have been established (including the age of your oldest account, the age of your newest account and the average age of all your accounts), how long certain credit accounts have been established and how long it has been since you used certain accounts.
- New credit (10%): The number of accounts you’ve opened recently.
- Credit mix (10%): The number of different types of credit accounts you have. This includes credit cards, retail accounts, installment loans, finance company accounts and mortgage loans.
What to do if you get rejected
If your application is rejected, you’ll get a letter in the mail that states why Citi turned down your application. Depending on the reasons given for the rejection, you may want to use this information to improve your credit score before applying again.
Or, if you believe you can provide additional information that might lead to approval of your application, you can call Citi’s reconsideration line at 1-800-695-5171 and make your case.
You’ll want to explain that you recently applied for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard, were surprised to see that your application was rejected and ask to speak to someone about getting that decision reconsidered.
Once the agent pulls up your application, be prepared to present a compelling argument for why Citi should approve your application.
Related reading: How bad is it to get denied for a credit card?
How long to wait before applying again
It’s best to avoid applying again for a Citi card until you’ve addressed the reasons Citi gave for rejecting you. But, if you want to apply again or apply for a different Citi card, the consensus is that you can only apply for one Citi card (personal or business) every eight days and no more than two cards in a 65-day window.
Related reading: The ultimate guide to credit card application restrictions
Do you get lounge access?
No, you do not get lounge access as a cardholder of the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select Mastercard.
If you’re looking for Admirals Club access when flying American Airlines, you should consider the $595 annual fee Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees).
This card provides full membership access privileges to Admirals Club lounges for the primary cardholder.
Related reading: Best credit cards for airport lounge access
Do you get a free checked bag?
As a cardholder of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation will each get a first checked bag free on domestic itineraries that are marketed by American Airlines and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle.
To take advantage of this benefit, your credit card account must be open at least seven days before travel and the reservation must include the primary credit card member’s American Airlines AAdvantage number at least seven days before travel. Overweight and oversize fees still apply.
Related reading: How to avoid checked baggage fees on major domestic airlines
Bottom line
There’s no single best credit card for American Airlines flyers. Instead, the best card for you depends on what you’re looking for in a card. The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select and AAdvantage Aviator Red are both good options for American Airlines travelers who fly with the airline frequently enough to get at least $99 of value from the card’s checked bag allowance on domestic American Airlines itineraries.
These cards have different earning rates and benefits, so you just have to decide which card’s benefits you prefer.
*The Points Guy credit ranges are derived from FICO® Score 8, which is one of many different types of credit scores. If you apply for a credit card, the lender may use a different credit score when considering your application for credit.