Every bank card issuer has its personal set of restrictions it makes use of to information approvals and decide welcome supply eligibility. Standards embody the variety of playing cards you may apply for, the timing of your functions and the way usually you may earn a welcome bonus on the identical card.
With American Airways providing substantial welcome gives on its lineup of playing cards, these of you who’ve had one among its playing cards previously could also be questioning whether or not you are eligible for a second bonus.
In the meanwhile, each Citi and Barclays situation AAdvantage bank cards, so there are a number of units of utility restrictions to concentrate on if you happen to’re contemplating including one other American Airways card to your arsenal. This is what you want to remember.
AAdvantage bank cards
Let’s begin with the lineup of card choices.
| Bank card | Welcome bonus | Annual charge | Welcome bonus worth (primarily based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations) |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Airways AAdvantage® MileUp®*
|
Earn 15,000 miles after spending $500 in purchases inside the first three months of account opening. | $0 | $248 |
| AAdvantage® Aviator® Purple World Elite Mastercard®* | Earn 60,000 miles after making a purchase order and paying the annual charge inside the first 90 days of account opening. | $99 | $990 |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®*
|
Earn 50,000 miles after spending $2,500 within the first three months of account opening. | $99 ($0 introductory annual charge for the primary 12 months) | $825 |
| Citi® / AAdvantage Enterprise™ World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs) | Earn 75,000 miles after spending $5,000 in purchases inside the first 5 months of account opening. | $99 ($0 introductory annual charge for the primary 12 months) | $1,238
|
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs) | Earn 70,000 miles after spending $7,000 inside the first three months of account opening. | $595 | $1,155 |
*The data for these playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Citi / AAdvantage card utility restrictions
For those who’ve earned an AAdvantage welcome bonus on a particular Citi / AAdvantage card, you will not be eligible to earn the bonus once more for one more 48 months.
Right here is the nice print beneath the cardboard utility hyperlink for the Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard:
American Airways AAdvantage® bonus miles will not be accessible you probably have obtained a brand new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt account previously 48 months or if you happen to transformed one other Citi bank card account on which you earned a brand new account bonus within the final 48 months right into a Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt account.
The phrases apply for every particular person card, versus the whole Citi / AAdvantage card household. For instance, if you happen to not too long ago utilized for the Citi Platinum Choose, you don’t want to attend 48 months to use for a Citi Govt Mastercard to obtain that card’s welcome bonus.
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The one exception is if you happen to product-change your card to a different AAdvantage card after incomes the welcome bonus. For instance, if you happen to modified your Platinum Choose to a Citi Govt Mastercard, you’d nonetheless want to attend 48 months from while you earned your welcome bonus on the Platinum Choose to earn one on the Govt.
An essential distinction that you must know is that the 48-month ready interval begins while you “obtain a brand new account bonus” for a particular Citi / AAdvantage card. That isn’t the identical as while you had been “accepted for the cardboard,” “obtained the cardboard,” “activated a card” and different widespread phrases you would possibly see from an issuer.
On this case, semantics matter as a result of the bonus posted to your AAdvantage account could have been posted a number of months after you had been accepted for the cardboard itself.
Associated: Selecting the perfect card for American Airways flyers
Barclays AAdvantage Aviator card utility restrictions
Barclays is a little more imprecise than Citi on the subject of welcome bonus restrictions. Take into account that Barclays at present accepts functions for only one of their AAdvantage playing cards, the Aviator Purple.
Primarily based on our knowledge factors, if you happen to’ve closed a card, you usually want to attend six months to be eligible for the welcome supply once more. Nonetheless, some utility pages, just like the one on the AAdvantage Aviator Purple, state the next:
You might not be eligible for this supply if you happen to at present have or beforehand had an account with us on this program.
On this case, the “could not” on this sentence implies that you possibly can be accepted for a brand new card as a earlier cardholder, meet the minimal spending requirement and nonetheless miss out on the welcome bonus. Once more, your mileage could differ, notably with Barclays.
Citi and Barclays are separate issuers, so that you’re allowed to open an AAdvantage bank card with each issuers whereas additionally receiving the welcome bonus. TPG bank cards author Danyal Ahmed earned the welcome bonus on each the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Choose and Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Purple.
Take into account that Citi is ready to develop into the only real issuer of AAdvantage bank cards in 2026. For those who’ve exhausted your Citi card choices, contemplate a Barclay-issued AAdvantage card when you nonetheless can.
Associated: The numerous flavors of Barclays’ AAdvantage Aviator bank cards
Backside line
Citi and Barclays each have distinct guidelines concerning utility approvals and welcome bonus eligibility for his or her AAdvantage bank cards.
Whereas Citi is much less imprecise with restrictions, it additionally imposes a prolonged ready interval of at the very least 48 months earlier than you may obtain one other welcome bonus. The principles with Barclays are much more subjective, giving the corporate extra energy to disclaim approval or a bonus ought to it contemplate your utility unworthy.
In any case, if you happen to’re accepted and eligible for a welcome bonus, be sure to can full the minimal spending necessities inside the interval allotted. Welcome bonuses could make the distinction between taking your dream journey or being caught at dwelling, so it is essential to earn them when you may.
Associated: How one can redeem miles with the American Airways AAdvantage program
