Once again, Citigroup, Inc. (C) and American Airlines (also known as AA), a subsidiary of AMR Corporation (AAMRQ) tied up to launch a new travel benefit card - theCitiBusiness/ AAdvantage World MasterCard. The card would help small business owners save money and get maximum benefits from travel spending.
Card Benefits
The new travel card provides a lot of benefits to the cardholders. Firstly, the holders will get credited with two miles on every $1 purchase in American Airlines under the AAdvantage program. This is also valid for certain specific business transactions related to office supply, telecommunications and car rental services.
The AAdvantage program is a popular loyalty program that enables fliers to redeem the earned miles for flights all across the globe as well as take advantage of perks like flight upgrades, vacation packages and hotel accommodations.
Cardholders are entitled to a 5% AAdvantage mileage bonus on purchases made in the initial year, provided the membership is renewed. Moreover, allowing priority boarding to the cardholder along with four other companions on the same reservation saves a lot of time while traveling.
Cardholders can save a lot of money as the first checked baggage is free for primary members along with four other companions, on the same reservation. Cardholders are entitled to a 25% discount on all the in-flight purchases made with the CitiBusiness AAdvantage World MasterCard.
The cardholders will also receive 30,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles on making purchases worth $1,000 or more within the first three months. An annual fee is waived for the first year for new members. Other advantages include complimentary concierge service, dedicated business card customer service and no limit or expiration on miles earned.
Similar Offerings
Earlier this year, Citi and American Airlines introduced an improved version of Citi Platinum Select/AAdvantage card, having similar benefits as the latest Citi business card.
A few days back, Bank of America Corporation (BAC) issued travel cards catering to the needs of frequent travelers. The advantages of these cards included absence of foreign transaction fees, no expiry date on points earned, no blackout dates, complimentary concierge service and a bonus each year on the total purchases exclusively enjoyed by the members having multiple accounts with BofA or its affiliates.
Conclusion
From Citi’s point of view, the new card will enable it to further strengthen its grip over the credit card market. Likewise, for American Airlines, this card is a mode to serve relentlessly to its loyal customer base and a way to enhance its position as a rewarding and consumer-friendly airline.