kebosabi

+1. Clarification on this part would be appreciated.

If one is already an AC member, upon application and approval of the Citi Exec card, will it note in AA's AC system that he's renewed and the card itself to become the AC card?

For example, L Walker is an AC member since 2001 and he's up for renewal in August. Meaning, he has an AC membership card that reads "member since 2001" and "expires 08/31/2011."

If he's approved for the Citi Exec card, will the Citi Exec card take over his AC membership and automatically issue him a renewed AC card? Or does L Walker let the AC membership he's had since 2001 lapse on 8/31/2011 and he would now just enter the AC with the Citi Exec card starting 9/1/2011?

hotelierLA

Ross0, hopefully an official representative will chime in, but I interpret the terms to say that you'll get access, but will not get an AC membership card. If you go to the card application page on Citi's website and read footnote 2 Award Program Information/, you'll see the following:

To access the Admirals Club® lounge, the primary cardmember must present (i) his or her AAdvantage® number, (ii) his or her current government-issued I.D., (iii) his or her open and valid Citi ExecutiveSM / AAdvantage® World EliteTM MasterCard® , and (iv) any additional required documentation. (Emphasis mine.)

If they were planning on issuing AC membership cards, I would expect the terms to reflect this.

kebosabi

Or, the Citi Exec Card itself would act as the renewed AC membership card as well. In a way, it makes sense for AA to add this benefit to save on costs of issuing and sending out renewed AC membership cards year after year to those that already have access through the Citi Exec Card, no?

horseguy

And yet, somehow, as a Citigold customer, I was always charged the annual fee for my Aadvantage cards. Whenever I noticed and called, it was immediately taken off, but I got tired of having to act as a policeman for nonsense like this and moved most of my business elsewhere.

horseguy

I could not agree more. I just dropped an application for the card for this very reason. My existing Aadvantage card has a limit of 40K. Unless they can match that with the new card (they were only willing to go to 18K), then it is no go for me. The reason is that I am going to be buying two AONE4s later this year (for about 35K) and Citibank won't approve that (even if I prepay the funds!) unless the credit limit is at least that high.

The insane thing is that I offered to let them lower the credit limit on the existing card to pretty much anything they wanted (I need a tiny bit there because of some autopay stuff), but no go. I also would be happy to simply convert the existing card. As you say, they can't do it.

hotelierLA

Good point. The terms do mention that those with existing AC memberships expiring in 60+ days are eligible for partial refunds, suggesting an overlap between the Citi card and a traditional AC membership. On the other hand, there is no mention of access to Qantas lounges on the Citi card's page.

Microwave

I agree with the latter sentiment: EQMs without flying can't help but swell the ranks (although perhaps it would be offset by fewer FTers buying O and Q fare transcons for 3 cents a mile in October, taking up the inventory I need to get to New York? ).

The T-Mobile US/AT&T merger is announced, but hasn't received regulatory approval and thus hasn't closed. To avoid antitrust action, AT&T and T-Mobile US must continue to act as competitors until the merger closes, and thus there are no announced plans to merge T-Mobile HotSpots with AT&T's WiFi offerings.

If AA EXPs could qualify while only flying ten or twenty thousand miles a year, I'd find a new airline. That would be way too many benefits for way too little flying, and would drive up competition for the limited number of upgrade and award seats available for all of us. In fact, if AAirpass weren't so expensive (and thus very high yield), I'd consider it silly that AAirpass customers can hit EXP with only 33,334 BIS miles as it is now. However, given the cost of AAirpass, I can understand it in those cases--just not for someone who picks up a few credit cards and flies every now and then.

ExpatExp

Agreed. This is why I moved some of my accounts away from US institutions. My new financial providers in the UK provide cards with chips and magnetic stripes -- so no problems on either side of the Atlantic.

Oh ok -- I must have been confused. I didn't think the change from T-Mobile wifi to AT&T wifi was related to the merger at all. I thought it was an independent switch that became possible when the contract between T-Mobile and the ACs expired.

Seconded / thirded / etc.

kebosabi

+1. This is also why I keep my AAdvantage Classic VISA card issued by Resona Japan open and avoid using my CitiAAdvantage card in Japan.

Granted it only earns 1 mi per 200 yen spend because it's a classic card, it's still a good back up card because it has both the chip and the mag-stripe. Saved me when I had to pay for the cab in Fukuoka when the cab driver only had a chip reader instead of a mag-stripe reader. ^

If Citi and AA is reading this, I think they really should push the benefit of having the EMV chip more in comparison to other cards out there. Good way to market back against UA & Chase's compare and contrast consumer chart which shows a CitiAAdvantage VISA

DataPlumber

Just get the AX PLT. Annual fees being equal, it still offers more perks (Global Entry, PP, etc) unless your end game is get more AA miles.

DataPlumber

I would add to all these *purported* reports of AC members getting better treatment than AX holders in the clubs, but I am going to call bravo-sierra.

I have noticed no difference in how I am handled at ACs between now that I use AX versus the 10 years I was a paid member. There was a *single* occasion I was proactively called by someone in SJU AC. If you take that against what I paid for AC versus those years against the cost of walk up tickets, I would have been ahead just to buy my way out of IRROPs.

seawolf

Since upgrading is not allowed, I guess current card members can earn the 25,000 bonus?

Ross0

Thanks. I'm aware of the T&Cs. Part of my confusion (and request for clarity) stems from the AA rep's post earlier upthread that states: "This card does provide the primary cardholder full Admirals Club benefits, including access to the T-Mobile HotSpot Internet. You will need your AAdvantage number and password to access."

Given that a Citi-Executive card member's AAdvantage number will allow access to the AC's wifi service this suggests an AC membership as opposed to just access.

Ross0

Strange. Just contact your rep. The fees on my 4 Citi cards are waived automatically every year.

FlyerChrisK

You're also ignoring any forgone benefits by spending $40k with another card. My legacy Schwab Visa with its 2% cash back would have kicked $800 my way, in addition to the premium the annual fee has over an AC membership's value (not price), to spend on those end of year flights to get 10k EQM. Unless you're spending >8cpm on your mileage runs, this isn't an especially strong value. For those without the Schwab Visa, substitute "Fidelity Amex" and the argument still holds.

Besides EQM (which is obtained by hitting a threshold for general spending, not necessarily AA spending), isn't the optimal strategy to buy AA gift cards at Costco right now? (Unless you're regularly spending >$2400 in a single AA transaction.)

If they're having cardholders present their MC rather than an AC membership card, does this mean an AC membership card is not being issued at all? Consequently, what access is available for reciprocal lounges that AC members would have access to?