American Airlines and Citi have reworked their main consumer co-brand card, and the price is going up sharply: the annual fee on the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select rises from $99 to $150 - a 52% increase - with renewals from January 24, 2027. New accounts still get the first year fee-free, and existing cardmembers pick up the new benefits on that same date.
The headline addition is a complimentary Walmart+ membership (worth $98 a year, including delivery, fuel savings and a choice of Paramount+ Essential or Peacock Premium), plus up to $100 a year in statement credits for inflight food, drinks and Wi-Fi. There's also a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application credit every four years, 50% off a FOX One subscription, and a set of new travel protections: trip delay, trip cancellation and interruption, lost baggage and rental car coverage.
The trip delay coverage is the sleeper benefit. A delay of six hours or more can be reimbursed up to $500 per traveller - and American has confirmed award tickets qualify, even though you might have paid only $5.60 in taxes. For a family of four that's up to $2,000 of hotel, meals and ground transport costs covered. Lost baggage coverage runs to $3,000 per person, and rental car coverage is $75,000 (primary outside the US).
Miles earning gets a light touch-up: 3 miles per dollar on AAdvantage Hotels and Cars bookings, plus new 2x categories for EV charging, select streaming, rides and rail. American purchases, restaurants and gas stay at 2x, everything else 1x. The annual flight discount after $20,000 of spending rises from $125 to $150. Meanwhile the old 25% inflight rebate disappears - useful if you spend under $400 a year onboard, but heavier spenders actually lose out. And with free Wi-Fi now on most American domestic flights, that $100 credit is harder to burn than it looks.
What doesn't change: first checked bag free for the cardmember and up to four companions on the same domestic reservation, preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees, 10% off American Airlines Vacations packages and up to $180 a year in Turo credits. Still no lounge access and no discount on award redemptions - the gaps that make rivals look sharper. At the same $150 fee, United Explorer throws in two club passes and 10% off award flights, while Delta Gold offers 15% off Delta awards and a $200 flight credit. Budget-minded travellers might also note the $95 Citi Strata Premier earns 3x in big categories and transfers to American.
Bottom line: if you already pay for Walmart+ or fly American with checked bags a couple of times a year, the maths still works. As a reason to redirect your everyday spending, it's underwhelming.
