How the Citi/AAdvantage Globe Mastercard benefits can easily save you thousands on your next trip
The newly introduced Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® is an enticing option for occasional travelers with American Airlines, thanks to its robust benefits and generous welcome bonus. With an annual fee of $350, new cardholders can earn a whopping 90,000 AAdvantage miles after spending $5,000 within the first four months. This card is particularly appealing for those planning a trip, such as a concert in Las Vegas, where the potential savings can significantly outweigh the annual fee. For example, after meeting the spending requirement, travelers can redeem 39,000 AAdvantage miles for two round-trip economy flights from Pittsburgh to Las Vegas, saving nearly $1,000 compared to purchasing the tickets outright.
Beyond the welcome bonus, the Globe Mastercard offers a suite of perks that enhance the travel experience. Cardholders enjoy benefits like preferred boarding, one free checked bag for themselves and up to eight companions, and four Admirals Club lounge passes each year. These lounge passes can be especially valuable for travelers with connecting flights, allowing them to relax in comfort before their journey. Additionally, the card provides up to $100 in statement credits for inflight purchases, which can be used for everything from Wi-Fi to snacks. With these benefits, two travelers could save an impressive $140 in baggage fees and up to $474 on lounge access, making the card’s annual fee seem minimal in comparison to the potential savings.
Moreover, the Globe Mastercard allows cardholders to redeem AAdvantage miles not only for flights but also for hotel stays, further maximizing the value of their rewards. For instance, while a standard redemption for a hotel room in Las Vegas might require 64,600 AAdvantage miles for a three-night stay, Globe cardholders can redeem just 48,400 miles, resulting in substantial savings. Additionally, the card features an annual “Splurge Credit” of up to $100 for concert tickets or hotel stays, which can be utilized to enhance the overall travel experience. When considering all these benefits, one trip could result in total savings of $2,401, highlighting the Globe Mastercard as a smart investment for occasional American Airlines travelers.
The newly launched
Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
(see
rates and fees
) is a great product for occasional 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 wonder if this card is truly worth its fee, especially if you don’t fly regularly, I’ve crunched the numbers to show just how much money you could save using this card on one single trip.
So, aside from the generous welcome bonus, here’s how the Globe Mastercard’s perks can benefit you on your next getaway.
Related:
5 reasons why I believe American Airlines miles are worth more than United Airlines and Delta Air Lines miles
American Airlines planes at Miami International Airport (MIA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Round-trip 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’ve met the spending requirement and earned your welcome bonus of 90,000
American Airlines AAdvantage
miles, you can redeem your miles for flights. You could book two round-trip economy AA flights from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) from as little as 39,000 AAdvantage miles plus only $22.40 in taxes and fees.
AADVANTAGE
By redeeming your AAdvantage miles, you’ll save almost $1,000 on the same Main Cabin flights.
TPG values AA miles at 1.55 cents apiece (as of our December 2025
valuations
). Using your rewards would net you a value of 2.5 cents per mile, which is a great redemption that helps you maximize your miles.
GOOGLE FLIGHTS
Related:
I used ChatGPT to plan a last-minute trip to Las Vegas: Here’s what worked and what didn’t
TSA PreCheck
You can save time passing through security at both PIT and LAS by signing up for
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
, for which the Globe card offers a credit of up to $120 every four years.
I’ve recently signed up for this, and it has been such a time-saver when passing through airport security.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Checked baggage, lounge access, preferred boarding and inflight purchases
The
Globe card
comes with numerous benefits when flying with American Airlines, which can both save you money and make travel more comfortable, even if you are not a frequent flyer.
On this trip to Las Vegas, you could enjoy:
Preferred boarding (cardholder and up to eight companions on 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
lounge passes each year. One pass is required per adult (18 years or older), and up to three children under 18 can accompany an adult on the same pass. Passes can be used at multiple lounges within 24 hours when flying American Airlines or any
Oneworld
partner.
Up to $100 in statement credits every calendar year on inflight purchases when using your card on American Airlines flights (this benefit applies to domestic flights and is not available on codeshare flights operated by another airline).
Checked bags typically cost $35 per person each way, meaning two people flying round-trip for the Vegas concert could save $140 in baggage fees with this card.
Since the above sample itinerary involves 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 the Admirals Club at both PIT and CLT on the outbound flights, as well as at CLT again on the return flights (there is unfortunately no Admirals Club in LAS). Admirals Lounge passes usually cost $79 each, so if you were to use the included passes to access three lounges for two people, you could save $474.
The inflight purchases credit can save you money on your flights to and from Las Vegas, whether you wish to stay connected with inflight Wi-Fi, purchase additional snacks, or perhaps start celebrating the weekend before you even land with some beers, wine or spirits.
Related:
Airline baggage fees: How much it costs to check a bag on major US airlines
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Redeem AAdvantage miles for accommodation
Did you know you can redeem your AAdvantage miles for a hotel stay, which can save even more money on your next vacation? While this isn’t usually a great value deal, if you are an AAdvantage cardholder, the redemption rate improves dramatically.
Remember, if you only spent 39,000 miles of your 90,000-mile welcome bonus on the round-trip flights to Las Vegas, you would have 51,000 miles left that you could use to save money on accommodation.
The
Flamingo Las Vegas
is in the heart of the Vegas Strip and just a short walk 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 accurate at the time of publishing.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
Anyone redeeming AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same dates without a cobranded credit card or
elite status
could redeem 64,600 AAdvantage miles to save the $488.06 (the resort fees would still have to be paid).
AADVANTAGE HOTELS
However,
Globe cardholders
can redeem just 48,400 AAdvantage miles for the same room on the same dates, saving $448.06 for three-night accommodation, and a redemption rate of around one cent per AAdvantage mile. Therefore, in this instance, redeeming your miles can save you hundreds of dollars.
AADVANTAGE HOTELS
Splurge credit for concert tickets
The card also offers an annual ”
Splurge Credit
” of up to $100, with the option to choose from two merchants: 1stDibs, AAdvantage Hotels, Future Personal Training or Live Nation (exclusions apply).
You could use the card to purchase your New Kids on the Block concert tickets through Live Nation, saving you up to $100. Please ensure that you select Live Nation as your preferred merchant and buy directly through Live Nation, rather than a reseller.
If you wanted to visit Vegas but not attend a Live Nation event, you could consider extending your stay (or staying in a more expensive room category or hotel) by redeeming your Splurge Credit through AAdvantage Hotels.
Related:
The best credit cards for concerts and music festivals
ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
Bottom line
You might not realize just how rewarding the
Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard
is, especially if you don’t regularly fly with American Airlines.
For this concert getaway to Vegas, after earning the welcome bonus, you could save:
$979 on flights by redeeming 39,000 AAdvantage miles
$140 in checked baggage fees
$474 on Admirals Club lounge access
$100 on inflight purchases
$120 on Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application costs
$488 on your hotel stay by redeeming 48,400 AAdvantage miles through AAdvantage Hotels
$100 on concert tickets through Live Nation
That’s a total savings of $2,401 from this one card in just 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
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
