You May Be Able to Earn the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Sign-Up Bonus Again!

Now that American Airlines is changing its award chart, folks are looking for ways to earn more American Airlines miles. Many are hoping to book award seats before the changes take effect March 22, 2016.

Via Loophole Travel, FlyerTalk, and Reddit, some folks have had success earning the 50,000 mile sign-up bonus on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard again.

Even if they still have an account open!

Are You Eligible to Earn the Bonus on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card Again?

I’ll explain what’s going on and if you should consider applying for a 2nd card!

What’s the Deal?

Link: Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard

Link: My Review of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard

Citi’s rules say you can’t receive the sign-up bonus again on a card if it’s been less than 18 months since you last opened or closed the card. They may approve you for a 2nd card, but you WILL NOT get the bonus.

I found this out the hard way! All in the interest of blog research, of course!

Citi May Approve You for a 2nd Card, but You Won’t Receive the Bonus If Your 1st Card Is Open or It’s Been Less Than 18 Months Since You Cancelled

But Citi’s been doing something strange. Some folks who’ve applied for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard say Citi automatically upgraded their cards from World to World Elite MasterCards within a couple of months of opening their account.

World Elite cards include better perks, like car rental elite status, travel discounts, and personalized service.

But the key difference here is that Citi appears to consider the World and World Elite versions of the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card as different card products.

If Citi Switches Your Card From World to World Elite, It’s Like You Never Had the Original Card in the 1st Place!

And when the account is switched over, Citi treats you like you never had the original World version of the card in the 1st place.

This mean you can apply for the card again after your original account is converted. And receive the bonus a 2nd time!

Is It Worth It?

I haven’t done this myself, so I don’t have personal experience.

However, plenty of folks have reported via Reddit and FlyerTalk they’ve received the bonus multiple times. So I think it’s worth trying – IF you received the upgrade to World Elite!

This card is an easy way to earn lots of miles quickly for Big Travel! You’ll earn 50,000 American Airlines miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the 1st 3 months of opening your account.

50,000 American Airlines Miles Is More Than Enough for an Off-Peak, Round-Trip Coach Ticket to Europe!

And the $95 annual fee is waived for the 1st year.

You’ll also get:

2X American Airlines miles per $1 spent on American Airlines flights
1X American Airlines mile per $1 spent everywhere else
10% of the miles you redeem back in your account, up to 10,000 miles per calendar year
Group 1 boarding
Priority check-in
1 free checked bag for yourself and up to 4 companions traveling on the same domestic itinerary
No foreign transaction fees

Note: If you sign-up again, keep in mind the usual Citi card application rules apply. Only 1 card application per day, at least ~8 days between applications, and no more than 2 applications within ~65 days!

What If My Card Wasn’t Converted?

If you applied for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card and your account was NOT changed to a World Elite card, DO NOT apply for another card.

You will NOT receive a 2nd bonus.

Avoid Disappointment. DO NOT Apply for Another Card If Your Original Card Wasn’t Converted to World Elite!

Not everyone gets the upgrade to World Elite. It may have to do with the amount of credit Citi is willing to extend you. And Citi initiates the upgrade, NOT the cardholder.

If your card was converted to World Elite, you would have received new cards in the mail a couple of months after opening your account. And you can check the back of your card by looking for the words “World Elite” above the MasterCard logo.

Bottom Line

Folks report (here, here, and here) it’s possible to earn the sign-up bonus again on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select MasterCard. Even if it’s been less than 18 months since you opened or closed your account!

Citi’s been switching some (not all!) cardholder accounts from World to World Elite MasterCards within a couple of months of signing-up for the card.

And Citi appears to consider World and World Elite cards different card products. Once they convert your account, it’s like you never held the original card! So you can earn the bonus again.

If your card was NOT switched, do NOT re-apply. You will NOT earn the bonus again.

I haven’t tried this myself, but lots of folks report earning the bonus multiple times.

Did Citi convert your Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select account to a World Elite MasterCard? If so, did you apply again and receive the bonus?

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