A few years ago, American Airlines completely changed the way its members earn elite status. Instead of miles and elite rating dollars, loyalty points are now the metric for which he wins American Airlines elite status.
Interestingly, you can obtain elite status in the American Aadvantage Program without taking any turn. And perhaps more interesting, you can earn all the loyalty points that you would need for any elite status level, including the executive state of top -level executive level, only through the expenditure on a AADVANTAGE credit card.
But in practice, most Aadvantage elite members (including myself) combine spending on a Aadvantage card with Other ways to gain loyalty points. Then, in this article, I will discuss the status of American Airlines Elite only through credit card expenses, before explaining how my Aadvantage credit card is played My largest elite status strategy.
How to win loyalty points with an American Airlines credit card
You can earn loyalty points when you spend on Citi / Aadvantage and AADVANTAGE AVIATOR CREDIT CARDS issued in the USA. (and in other AADVANTAGE credit cards issued outside the United States). Citi will become the exclusive American Airlines card issuer In 2026, but also discussed Barclays Aviator cards in this publication, since they are currently useful to obtain the elite status of American Airlines.
He only wins loyalty points when he wins base miles, and most Aadvantage cards earn 1 base mile per dollar spent on purchases. Here is a look at how you can earn loyalty points on American Airlines credit cards issued within the USA.
| Card | Fidelity points gain rate in purchases | Other ways to win loyalty points with this card | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CITI® / AADVANTAGE® Executive Executive Mastercard® Executive (see rates and rates) | 1 dollar loyalty point | You can earn 10,000 bonus loyalty points after reaching 50,000 loyalty points in a year of status rating.
In addition, you can win another 10,000 bonus loyalty points after reaching 90,000 loyalty points in the same year of state rating. |
$ 595 |
| CITI® / Aadvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite MasterCard® (see rates and rates) | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 99, resigned during the first 12 months |
| CITI® / Aadvantage® Gold World Elite Mastercard® (not open to new applicants) | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 50 |
| American Airlines Aadvantage® Mileup® | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 0 |
| CITI® / Aadvantage Business ™ World Elite MasterCard® (see rates and rates) | 1 Point of loyalty per dollar, although only purchases on the primary edges card obtain loyalty points for the member of the primary edges (purchases from an authorized user card earn loyalty points for the authorized user) | None | $ 99, resigned during the first 12 months |
| AADVANTAGE® AVIATOR® Red World Elite MasterCard® | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 99 |
| AADVANTAGE® AVIATOR® SILVER WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD® (You are not open to new applicants, but you may be able to update from the Aviator Red) | 1 dollar loyalty point | GAN 5,000 additional loyalty points after spending $ 20,000 on net purchases with the card during the status qualification period.
You can earn 5,000 additional loyalty points after spending $ 40,000 on net purchases with the card during the same status qualification period. In addition, you can earn 5,000 additional loyalty points after spending $ 50,000 on net purchases with the card during the same status qualification period. |
$ 199 |
| AADVANTAGE® AVIATOR® Blue World Elite Mastercard® (not open to new applicants) | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 49 |
| AADVANTAGE® AVIATOR® World Elite Mastercard® (not open to new applicants) | 1 loyalty point for 2 dollars | None | $ 0 |
| AADVANTAGE® AVIATOR® World Elite Business MasterCard® (not open to new applicants) | 1 dollar loyalty point | None | $ 95 |
The information for Citi / Aadvantage Gold Mastercard, Aadvantage Mileup Card, Aadvantage Aviator Red Mastercard, Aadvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard, Aadvantage Aviator Blue Mastercard, AADVANTAGE AVIATOR MASTERCARD AND AADVANTAGE AVIATOR BUSINESS MASTERCARD has been collected independently by the type of points. The details of the card on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
As you can see, most Aadvantage credit cards allow you to earn 1 loyalty point per dollar spent on purchases. However, two letters: the CITI / AADVANTAGE EXECUTIVE MASTERCARD And the Aadvantage Silver Mastercard aviator also allows you to gain bonus loyalty points in specific thresholds.
Related: Loyalty American Aadvantage vs. Loyalty: What is the difference?
AADVANTAGE elite state requirements
Here is a look at the state levels of American Airlines Elite and the number of loyalty points that must accumulate every year of rating (from March 1 to February 28 or 29) for each level:
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- Gold: 40,000 loyalty points
- Platinum: 75,000 loyalty points
- Platinum pro: 125,000 loyalty points
- Executive Platinum: 200,000 loyalty points
Once an elite status of Aadvantage wins, he will keep the state for the year of rating in which he won it, more than 13 months. In addition to elite status, other advantages can gain as it accumulates loyalty points through Loyalty rewards program Point.
Related: Be careful: 9 times you will not get loyalty points from American Airlines, even if you wins miles
Win the elite status of Aadvantage only through credit card spending
Winning any state level of American Airlines Elite published is possible through spending on one or more AADVANTAGE credit cards. Here is a look at the expenditure levels that would need to win each state level of American Airlines Elite with only one or more AADVANTAGE credit cards.
| Card (S) | Aadvantage Gold (40,000 loyalty points) | Aadvantage Platinum (75,000 loyalty points) | Aadvantage Platinum Pro (125,000 loyalty points) | AADVANTAGE Executive Platinum (200,000 loyalty points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITI / AADVANTAGE World Executive Elite Mastercard | $ 40,000 | $ 65,000 | $ 105,000 | $ 180,000 |
| AADVANTAGE AVIATOR SILVER WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD | $ 35,000 | $ 60,000 | $ 110,000 | $ 185,000 |
| CITI / AADVANTAGE Executive Mundo Mastercard and Aadvantage Aviator Silver World Elite Mastercard | $ 35,000, at least $ 20,000 at the Silver Aviator | $ 50,000 at the Silver Aviator | $ 90,000 with at least $ 50,000 at the Silver aviator | $ 165,000 with at least $ 50,000 at the Silver Aviator |
| AADVANTAGE AVIATOR WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD | $ 80,000 | $ 150,000 | $ 250,000 | $ 400,000 |
| Other Aadvantage cards issued by the United States | $ 40,000 | $ 75,000 | $ 125,000 | $ 200,000 |
As you can see, have both CITI / AADVANTAGE World Executive Elite Mastercard and Aadvantage Aviator Silver World Elite Mastercard, and spend at least on aviator silver, reduces the amount that would need to spend for all the elite status of American airlines. After all, these cards offer additional loyalty points when they are with specific thresholds.
Therefore, you could obtain a first level executive platinum status with only $ 165,000 in expenses on AADVANTAGE credit cards each year of rating and $ 794 in annual rates. But, as I will discuss in the next section, the amount you will need to spend on your cards will decrease if you also gain loyalty points through other methods.
Related: 8 methods that won American AADVANTAGE Executive Platinum for 2025 and my strategy for 2026
How my Aadvantage credit card plays in my elite status strategy
Platinum Pro is my sweet point within the Aadvantage program, as it gives me Oneworld Esmeralda state. Therefore, I effort me to win at least 125,000 loyalty points every year of qualification to requalify the status of Platino Pro.
Winning 125,000 loyalty points every year of rating implies some planning. To start, I use the Aviator silver card as my general expenditure card in each qualification period until you have spent $ 50,000 on it. In doing so, I know that I will get 65,000 of the 125,000 loyalty points that I need for the state of Platinum Pro of spending in my Silver Aviator.
Then, I effort me to book some long -distance premium economy or business class flights in Aadvantage members who still win according to the rates class and the flight distance in each year of qualification.
I also get some loyalty points through Aadvantage Hotels, the AADVANTAGE ESHOPPING PORTAL, Simplymiles and American Airlines flights. But these income methods are relatively lower compared to my profits through expenses on Aadvantage cards and flights in Aadvantage Partners. After all, exchange miles for most of my flights, so I rarely win on flights unless reserving a long -distance economic flight couple to win many miles and loyalty points.
End
Aadvantage credit cards are a convincing way of winning loyalty points. As I showed in this publication, it is possible to win the status of an executive elite of higher level with only $ 165,000 in credit card expenses.
However, most travelers will get loyalty points through some methods, including flights, card expenses and eShopping aadvantage portal. Then, consider other ways to earn loyalty points, many of which probably have lower opportunity costs, before trying to win the state only through AADVANTAGE credit cards.
