Citi Strata Elite^SM Card (See rates and fees.)

Citi’s new premium card is pretty incredible in the first year, not just because of the strong initial bonus but also because of credits that are timed to calendar year rather than cardmember year. Apply for this card, reap the maximum benefits in year one, and then consider whether it’s right for you in the long-term. (Calendar year credits can be claimed twice in cardmember year one.)

• Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. Current Strata Premier and Prestige customers are not excluded. Points transfer to a variety of airline and hotel programs, now even including American AAdvantage. And this card earns AAdvantage miles faster than the American Airlines cards to (even unbonused spend with this card earns 1.5x, versus just 1 mile per dollar with American Airlines cobrands).

  Points can be transferred to:

  • oneworld: American Airlines AAdvantage, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Malaysia Airlines Enrich, Qantas Frequent Flyer, Qatar Airways Privilege Club
  • Star Alliance: Avianca LifeMiles, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus, Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
  • SkyTeam: Aeromexico Club Premier, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  • Non-alliance: Emirates Skywards, Etihad Guest, JetBlue TrueBlue
    
  • Hotels: Leading Hotels of the World Leaders Club, Accor ALL – Accor Live Limitless, Choice Hotels Choice Privileges, Preferred Hotels I Prefer, Wyndham Hotels Wyndham Rewards

• Credits include a $300 hotel benefit for 2+ night stays booked through Citi Travel; the $200 Splurge credit (take it for American Airlines travel!), and $100 in Blacklane credits twice each year.

American Airlines Boeing 787-9

American Airlines Boeing 787-9P Flagship Preferred Suite

If the 80,000 points are worth roughly $1,200 and the credits another easy $1,200 that’s $2,400 during the first year – not even including benefits like Priority Pass (which includes two guests) plus Priority Pass for authorized cardmembers as well; protections like Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage, Trip Delay coverage, and Lost or Damaged Luggage; and four American Airlines Admirals Club passes each year.

Here I want to talk about those American Airlines club passes.

• 4 Admirals Club passes per calendar year (so twice in cardmember year one, for eight passes total). Each set of four has to be used during the calendar year in which they’re issued, and expire if unused.

• They are available to the primary cardmember and include one guest 18 years or older plus up to 3 children under 18. They can be redeemed for additional adult companions as well.

• Requires same day boarding pass (departing or arriving) for an American or oneworld partner airline flight.

• Valid for 24 hours, and can be used at multiple lounges on the same day.

• The passes are deposited to your AAdvanage wallet and can be scanned by the Admirals Club front desk for entry.

• Upon card account closure, unused psases are forfeit.

The nicest Admirals Clubs, in my opinion, are:

• Philadelphia A West

  
  
  
  

• Denver

  
  

• Newark

  
  Credit: American Airlines

• Washington National E

  
  

The best service is in the Austin club, where agents recognize regular guests by name as they walk in and where they perform miracles during irregular operations. They’ve even continued working to improve my itineraries during flight disruptions, getting me better connections while I’m in the air and texting and leaving a voicemail about what they’ve been able to accomplish – wonderful surprise on landing!

Citi Strata Elite^SM Card seems like an easy win for the up front bonus offer, even with the annual fee, especially given the card benefits you’ll reap. The card has a $595 annual fee, though Citigold customers get $145 of that rebated (Citigold Private Client customers receive the full $595 back the first year, then $145 in subsequent years).

Citi Strata Elite^SM Card