Oct. 23, 2026 • 9 min read Jump to section Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy URL Email The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Editor's Note This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Citi is a TPG advertising partner Ever since American AAdvantage switched to using Loyalty Points as its sole metric for earning elite status, it's been possible to earn status without taking any flights. You can even earn all the Loyalty Points you need for any published elite status tier — including top-tier Executive Platinum status — solely via spending on an AAdvantage credit card .
But in practice, many AAdvantage members (myself included) combine spending on an AAdvantage card with other ways to earn Loyalty Points. So, in this article, I'll discuss earning American Airlines elite status solely through credit card spending, and then explain how my AAdvantage credit cards fit into my broader elite status strategy.
You can earn Loyalty Points when you spend on AAdvantage credit cards. All U.S.-issued AAdvantage cards earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on eligible purchases. Bonus-category miles, welcome-offer miles and other mileage accelerators don't earn additional Loyalty Points.
Here's a look at how you can earn Loyalty Points on American Airlines credit cards issued within the U.S.:
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) 1 Loyalty Point per dollar Earn 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after reaching each of the following thresholds in a status qualification year: 50,000, 90,000, 165,000 and 240,000 Loyalty Points (for a total of up to 40,000 bonus Loyalty Points) $695 Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) 1 Loyalty Point per dollar Earn a Flight Streak bonus of 5,000 additional Loyalty Points after every 4 qualifying American Airlines flight segments (up to 3 times per status qualification year, for a total of up to 15,000 additional Loyalty Points) $350 Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) 1 Loyalty Point per dollar None $99, waived for the first 12 months Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World Elite Mastercard® (not open to new applicants) 1 Loyalty Point per dollar None $50 American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card 1 Loyalty Point per dollar None $0 Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) 1 Loyalty Point per dollar, although the primary cardmember only earns Loyalty Points from purchases on their own card (employee cardmembers earn Loyalty Points from purchases on their respective cards) None $99, waived for the first 12 months Additionally, if you had an AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver World Elite Mastercard® that was converted to a Citi / AAdvantage Globe Mastercard when Citi became the sole issuer of AAdvantage cards in the U.S. , you can still earn Loyalty Points as follows during the status qualification year ending Feb. 28, 2027:
The information for the Citi AAdvantage Business Mastercard, Citi / AAdvantage Gold Mastercard, AAdvantage MileUp Card and AAdvantage Aviator Silver Masterca…