- Editor Rating
- Rated 4 stars
- Excellent
- American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard®
- Reviewed by:
- Published on:
- Last modified:
- Bonus Value
- Card Benefits
Contents
The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® is currently offering 10,000 bonus miles and $50 statement credit. To qualify for this welcome offer, you’ll have to make at least $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of opening your account. We value 10k AAdvantage Miles at around $140. So this welcome offer is worth around $190 total. Compare with other card bonuses here.
Launched in 2018, the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® is the replacement for the AAdvantage Bronze credit card.
The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® continues to carry no annual fees. But it comes with a better rewards structure that enhances your earning power. It’s a solid option for casual American Airlines flyers looking for a no-annual-fee rewards card. But, if you travel round-trip more than once or twice a year and check bags, another travel rewards card will be a better fit.
Other Citi cards that earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles to consider:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
*Citibank also offers great Checking/Savings account bonuses.
| Bonus available | Earn 10,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after you make at least $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. |
| Bonus value* | $190 |
| Travel credit | No travel credit. |
| Ongoing rewards/benefits | 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, 2 miles for every $1 spent at grocery stores, and 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases. 25% savings on inflight food and beverages purchases. |
| Foreign transaction fees? | 3% |
| Airport lounge access | N/A |
| Free checked bags? | No |
| Priority boarding? | No |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.
View our latest valuations here.
Recommended Credit Score (Get Your Free Score)
PROS
- No annual fee
- Bonus miles & statement credit
- Inflight food & beverage discount
- Option to redeem with partner airlines
CONS
- Excellent credit needed to qualify
- Lack of travel perks
- Foreign transaction fees
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card® currently has an offer for 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Redeeming the 80,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $1,000 in value towards travel. The 80K bonus points are worth $1,000 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (80k points = ~$1,600). Read more on this here.
Pool the Ultimate Rewards points earned from this card with Chase’s other Ultimate Rewards cards for a great strategy. Other Ultimate Rewards cards include the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business cards.
Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. It’s 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Activate with your Chase Sapphire card by December 31, 2021 and receive a complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. You’ll now earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022 (3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel).
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95 for this card.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been collected by MoneysMyLife and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.
10,000 Bonus Miles & $50 Statement Credit
Take advantage of the sign-up bonus combo. The 10,000 AAdvantage miles and $50 statement credit are easy to earn. All you have to do is charge at least $500 to your American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® within the first 3 months of opening your account.
The value of 10,000 AAdvantage miles is around $140 (more on this below). So the welcome offer is worth a total average of $190.
Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement for such card bonuses:
What Are AAdvantage Miles Worth?
Like many other airline-branded credit cards, the value of your miles depends on how you use them. On average, I value each AAdvantage mile at around $0.014. Using this figure, 10k miles would be worth around $140.
You can redeem your miles towards American Airlines, American Eagle and Oneworld flights. Or with one of their many partners (see below for the list). When you fly, airline choice and destination all play a part in your miles’ worth.
AAdvantage miles can also be used towards seat upgrades, car rentals and hotel stays. But the best value for your miles is to use them for flights.
If you love finding the best value, this process can be worthwhile. But if fiddling with numbers sounds like a chore, you’re better off with a general travel rewards credit card (suggestions below).
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian Airlines
- S7 Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Fiji Airways
- GOL Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Interjet
- Seaborne Virgin Islands
Bottom Line
The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® is a great starter card for someone who wants to collect miles without having to pay an annual fee. It’s a good fit if you don’t travel often. And if you want an easy, low-cost way to earn AAdvantage miles towards a free flight every year.
That said, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind:
- Lack of airline perks. Co-branded airline cards usually offer travel-related extras. Like free checked bag or priority boarding. Unfortunately, this card only comes with a 25% inflight discount on food and beverage.
- Foreign transaction fees. With a 3% fee, you’ll want to carry another credit card with you when you travel abroad.
Travel round-trip more than once a year with American Airlines? Do you usually check a bag? If so, you’ll find better value from a higher-tier rewards card with more travel perks.
What’s The Competition?
Below are some of the top competitors to the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠ Mastercard® you should consider.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GOLD CARD
The American Express Gold Card has a sign-up bonus for 35,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 within 3 months.
Membership Rewards Points have great flexibility. We value each point to be worth up to an average 2 cents per point. At this value, 35k Membership Rewards Points can be worth up to $700.
The Amex Gold Card has plentiful perks. You’ll get:
- 4X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeouts and deliveries
- 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year in purchases
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- Up to $120 in annual dining credits
- $100 airline fee credit for incidentals yearly
- No foreign transaction fees
The annual fee is $250.
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card® currently has an offer for 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Redeeming the 80,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $1,000 in value towards travel. The 80K bonus points are worth $1,000 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (80k points = ~$1,600). Read more on this here.
Pool the Ultimate Rewards points earned from this card with Chase’s other Ultimate Rewards cards for a great strategy. Other Ultimate Rewards cards include the Chase Freedom Unlimited®, Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business cards.
Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. It’s 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Activate with your Chase Sapphire card by December 31, 2021 and receive a complimentary DashPass subscription from DoorDash. You’ll now earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022 (3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel).
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95 for this card.
The information related to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been collected by MoneysMyLife and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.
CAPITAL ONE® VENTURE® REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card currently earns a 50,000 miles bonus when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. These bonus miles are equal to $500 in travel and are easy to redeem as a statement credit towards the cost of your travel purchases. Take advantage of Capital One’s travel partners and these 50k miles can be worth around $700 in value.
This card will earn an ongoing 2 miles for every dollar you spend on all purchases. 100 miles is equal to $1 in travel rewards. If you don’t redeem towards travel purchases, your miles will have less value.
The annual fee is $95, which is waived for the first year.
CAPITAL ONE® QUICKSILVER® CASH REWARDS CREDIT CARD
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card will earn a $150 bonus when you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months. The bonus offer is comparable to its top competitors, but this card earns a respectable 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limit on how much you can earn. There are no spending categories to keep up with.
People like this card because of the cash back rate, the flexibility to redeem your cash back for any amount, and there’s no annual fee.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CASH MAGNET CARD
The American Express Cash Magnet Card is offering a $150 statement credit when you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This is a good bonus offer and is what you’d expect from a competitive no-annual-fee credit card.
This card earns unlimited 1.5% Cash Back on all your purchases. There are no categories to keep up with.
| OFFER LINK | OFFER | OUR REVIEW |
| Bank of America Checking | $100 Offer | Review |
| Chase Private Client | $2,000 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Business Checking® | $300 Cash | Review |
| Chase Premier Plus Checking℠ | $300 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Checking® | $200 Cash | Review |
| Chase Savings℠ | $150 Cash | Review |
| TD Bank Beyond Checking | $300 Cash | Review |
| HSBC Premier Checking | $450 Cash | Review |
| HSBC Premier Checking | Up To $600 | Review |
| HSBC Advance Checking | $200 Cash | Review |
| HSBC Advance Checking | Up To $240 | Review |
| Ally Invest | Up To $3,500 | Review |
| Betterment | 1 Year Free | Review |
![Capital One Promotions: $100, $450, $500 Bonuses & $1,000 In Referrals [Nationwide]](https://i0.wp.com/www.moneysmylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Capital-One-360.jpg?fit=750%2C420&ssl=1&resize=40%2C40){kind=small}
*These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. It is not the bank advertiser's or any other entity's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.