The newly released Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see rates and fees) is a great product for casual American Airlines travelers to have in their wallet. With an annual fee of $350, new applicants can earn 90,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first four months of account opening.
While you may be wondering if this card is really worth its fee, especially if you don’t fly regularly, I’ve crunched the numbers to show how much money you could save with this card on a single trip.
So, in addition to the generous welcome bonus, here’s how Globe Mastercard benefits can benefit you on your next getaway.
Roundtrip flights with American Airlines
Let’s say you want to travel from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas to see New Kids on the Block in concert in February.
Once you have met the spending requirement and earned your 90,000 welcome bonus American Airlines Advantage miles, you can redeem your miles for flights. You can book two cheap round-trip AA flights from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas for as little as 39,000 AAdvantage miles plus just $22.40 in taxes and fees.
By redeeming your AAdvantage miles, you’ll save nearly $1,000 on the same main cabin flights.
TPG values AA miles at 1.55 cents each (as of our December 2025 update). ratings). Using your rewards would net you 2.5 cents per mile, which is a great trade-off to help you maximize your miles.
Related: I used ChatGPT to plan a last-minute trip to Las Vegas – here’s what worked and what didn’t
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TSA Precheck
You can save time going through security at both PIT and LAS by registering at Global Entry/TSA Precheckfor which the Globe card offers a credit of up to $120 every four years.
I recently signed up for this and it has saved me a lot of time going through airport security.
Checked baggage, access to VIP lounges, preferential boarding and on-board purchases
He balloon card comes with numerous benefits to flying with American Airlines, which can save you money and make traveling more convenient, even if you’re not a frequent flyer.
On this trip to Las Vegas you will be able to enjoy:
- Preferential boarding (card holder and up to eight companions in the same reservation).
- One free checked bag per person on domestic itineraries (cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation).
- four Admirals Club hall passes every year. One pass is required per adult (18 years or older), and up to three children under 18 years old can accompany an adult on the same pass. Passes can be used in multiple lounges within 24 hours when flying with American Airlines or any one world couple.
- Up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year on inflight purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights (this benefit applies to domestic flights and is not available on codeshare flights operated by another airline).
Checked luggage typically costs $35 per person each way, meaning two people traveling round-trip to the Las Vegas concert could save $140 on baggage fees with this card.
Since the sample itinerary above includes connecting flights 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 on both PIT and CLT on outbound flights, as well as CLT again on return flights (unfortunately there is no Admirals Club on LAS). Admirals Lounge passes typically cost $79 each, so if you used the included passes to access three lounges for two, you could save $474.
Inflight credit can save you money on your flights to and from Las Vegas, whether you want to stay connected with onboard Wi-Fi, purchase extra snacks, or perhaps start celebrating the weekend before you even land with some beers, wine, or spirits.
Related: Airline baggage fees: How much does it cost to check a bag on major US airlines?
Redeem AAdvantage miles for accommodations
Did you know you can redeem your AAdvantage miles for a hotel stay, which can save you even more money on your next vacation? While this isn’t typically a great value offer, if you’re an AAdvantage cardholder, the redemption rate improves dramatically.
Remember, if you only spent 39,000 miles of your 90,000-mile welcome bonus on round-trip flights to Las Vegas, you would have 51,000 miles left that you could use to save money on accommodations.
He Flamenco Las Vegas It is in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and just steps from the Dolby Live venue. The cash rate for a Deluxe City View room for three nights would be $488.06, plus resort fees of $149.85.
*Prices exact at the time of publication.
Anyone redeeming AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same dates without a co-branded credit card or elite status You could redeem 64,600 AAdvantage miles to save $488.06 (resort fees would still need to be paid).
However, Globe Card Holders you can redeem just 48,400 AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same dates, saving $448.06 per three-night stay and a redemption rate of about one cent per AAdvantage mile. So, in this case, redeeming your miles can save you hundreds of dollars.
Credit to splurge on concert tickets
The card also offers an “annual”Credit to squander” of up to $100, with the option to choose between two merchants: 1stDibs, AAdvantage Hotels, Future Personal Training or Live Nation (exclusions apply).
You can use the card to purchase your New Kids on the Block concert tickets through Live Nation, saving up to $100. Be sure to select Live Nation as your preferred merchant and purchase directly through Live Nation, rather than a reseller.
If you want to visit Las Vegas but not attend a Live Nation event, you might consider extending your stay (or staying in a more expensive room or hotel category) by redeeming your Splurge Credit through AAdvantage Hotels.
Related: The best credit cards for concerts and music festivals
In a nutshell
You may not realize how rewarding it is. Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard It is, especially if you don’t fly regularly with American Airlines.
For this Las Vegas concert getaway, after earning the welcome bonus, you could save:
- $979 in flights redeeming 39,000 AAdvantage miles
- $140 in checked baggage fees
- $474 Admirals Club Lounge Access
- $100 in onboard purchases
- $120 in Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees
- $488 on your hotel stay when you redeem 48,400 AAdvantage miles through AAdvantage Hotels
- $100 in concert tickets through Live Nation
That’s a total savings of $2,401 with this card in a single trip; an exceptional deal considering the card’s annual fee is just $350.
For more information, read our full review of the balloon card.
Apply here: Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard
