How Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard Benefits Can Save You Thousands of Dollars
Newly launched Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (See Rates & Fees) A great product for the occasional American Airlines flyer. The annual fee is $350, and new applicants can earn 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first four months of account opening.
While you may be wondering whether this card is really worth your money, especially if you don’t fly regularly, I’ve crunched the numbers to show how much you can save on a single trip with this card.
So, in addition to a generous welcome bonus, here’s how Universal Mastercard’s benefits can benefit you on your next vacation.
Related: 5 Reasons I Believe American Airlines Miles Are More Valuable than United and Delta Miles
American Airlines round trip flights
Let’s say you want to travel from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas to attend the New Kids on the Block concert in February.
Once you meet the spending requirements and earn your welcome bonus of 90,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles, you can redeem your miles for flights. Book two round-trip economy AA flights from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) for just 39,000 AAdvantage miles, plus $22.40 in taxes and fees.
By redeeming AAdvantage miles, you can save nearly $1,000 on the same economy flight.
TPG values AA miles at 1.55 cents each (based on our December 2025 valuation). Using your rewards will give you a value of 2.5 cents per mile, which is a great redemption to help you maximize your miles.
RELATED: I used ChatGPT to plan a last-minute trip to Las Vegas: Here’s what worked and didn’t
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TSA Pre-Check
You can save time going through PIT and LAS by signing up for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck, and the Globe card offers up to $120 in credit every four years.
I recently signed up for this and it is a huge time saver when going through airport security.
Checked baggage, lounge access, preferred boarding and in-flight shopping
this earth card Flying with American Airlines offers numerous benefits that can save you money and make your trip more comfortable, even if you’re not a frequent flyer.
On this trip to Las Vegas, you can enjoy:
- Priority boarding (cardholder and up to eight companions on the same booking).
- One piece of checked baggage is free per person for domestic itineraries (cardholder and up to eight companions in the same booking).
- Four Admirals Club Lounge passes per year. Each adult (18 years or older) needs to have one pass, and the same pass can accompany one adult and up to 3 children under 18 years old. The pass is valid for 24 hours in multiple lounges when flying with American Airlines or any Oneworld partner.
- Earn up to $100 in statement points per calendar year when you use your card to make in-flight purchases on American Airlines flights (this offer applies to domestic flights and does not apply to codeshare flights operated by other airlines).
Checked bags typically cost $35 per person each way, which means two people flying to and from a Vegas concert could save $140 on baggage fees with this card.
Since the above example itinerary involves a connecting flight through Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), these 24-hour Admirals Club passes will be particularly useful as they can be used to enjoy Admirals Club services on PIT and CLT on the outbound flight and CLT on the return flight (sadly, there is no Admirals Club at LAS). Admirals Lounge passes are normally $79 each, so if you use the included pass to gain access to three lounges for two people, you’ll save $474.
Whether you want to stay connected via inflight Wi-Fi, buy extra snacks, or start your weekend celebrations with some beer, wine or spirits before landing, Inflight Shopping Points can save you money on flights to and from Las Vegas.
RELATED: Airline Baggage Fees: How Much It Costs to Check a Bag on Major U.S. Airlines
Redeem AAdvantage miles for accommodation
Did you know you can redeem your AAdvantage miles for hotel stays, saving even more money on your next vacation? While this isn’t usually a good deal, if you’re an AAdvantage cardholder, the redemption rate is significantly higher.
Keep in mind that if you spend just 39,000 of your 90,000-mile welcome bonus on round-trip flights to Las Vegas, you’ll still have 51,000 miles left to save on lodging.
The Flamingo Las Vegas is located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, just steps from Dolby Live. The cash price for three nights in a Deluxe City View Room is $488.06, plus a resort fee of $149.85.
*Prices are accurate at time of publication.
Anyone who redeems AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same date and does not have a co-branded credit card or elite status can redeem 64,600 AAdvantage miles and save $488.06 (still subject to resort fee).
However, Global cardholders Redeem only 48,400 AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same date, saving $448.06 for a three-night stay, with a redemption rate of approximately 1 cent per AAdvantage mile. So, in this case, redeeming miles can save you hundreds of dollars.
Splurge points on concert tickets
The card also offers up to $100 in annual “Splurge Credit” from your choice of two merchants: 1stDibs, AAdvantage Hotels, Future Personal Training or Live Nation (exclusions apply).
You can use the card to save up to $100 on New Kids on the Block concert tickets through Live Nation. Please make sure you select Live Nation as your preferred merchant and purchase directly through Live Nation and not through a reseller.
If you want to go to Las Vegas but not attend a Live Nation event, you might consider redeeming your Splurge Credits through AAdvantage Hotels to extend your stay (or stay in a more expensive room type or hotel).
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Concerts and Music Festivals
bottom line
You may not realize how rewarding it can be Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard Yes, especially if you don’t fly American Airlines regularly.
For this concert trip to Vegas, after receiving your welcome bonus, you can save on:
- Redeem 39,000 AAdvantage miles and get $979 off flights
- Checked baggage fee $140
- $474 Admirals Club Lounge Access
- Purchase over USD 100 on board
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee is $120
- Redeem 48,400 AAdvantage miles through AAdvantage Hotels for a hotel stay of $488
- Concert tickets for just $100 with Live Nation
This card saves you a total of $2,401 on one trip – an exceptional deal considering the card’s annual fee is only $350.
To learn more, read our full review of the Globe card.
Apply here: Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard
