Do I have to purchase tickets with the airline's credit card to get the benefits?
I'm planning a trip with my family and would like to take advantage of the benefits on my wife's Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage® World Mastercard but purchase the tickets with another card.
The benefits we'd like to enjoy are first checked bag free, priority boarding, and bonus miles.
My question is: do we have to purchase the tickets with the card? Reading the fine print it looks like we'd only have to put her AAdvantage number on the reservation and have everyone on the same reservation. From the website:
For benefit to apply, the Citi® / AAdvantage® account must be open 7 days prior to air travel AND, reservation must include the primary cardmember's American Airlines AAdvantage® number 7 days prior to air travel. ... For the Citi® / AAdvantage® card, up to four customers traveling with the eligible primary cardmember will also get their first checked bag free of charge if they are listed in the same reservation.
It doesn't say anywhere that the ticket(s) must be purchased with the card.
Best Answer
It can be confusing because the card has a range of benefits. Some benefits, such as earning two AAdvantage miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases, only occur when using the card to purchase the ticket. Other benefits, such as priority boarding and one checked bag free, occur just because you are a cardholder, regardless of how you paid for the ticket.
If you go to aa.com and log in, on the home page, left side center, under where it says Welcome Back you should see the message Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember. This indicates that the system knows you have a Citi AAdvantage card and are entitled to the benefits.
You specifically asked about three benefits: first checked bag free, priority boarding, and bonus miles. The first two (one free checked bag and priority boarding) are yours just for being a cardmember, no matter how you paid for the ticket. The third, bonus miles, is only applicable when you purchase the ticket from American Airlines (or a travel agent who has the ticket issued by and your card charged by American) using the card.
Pictures about "Do I have to purchase tickets with the airline's credit card to get the benefits?"
What are the benefits of booking a flight with a credit card?
7 Valuable Benefits You Can Get With Airline Credit Cards- Free checked luggage. Airlines often let their cardholders check one or two bags for free. ...
- A companion pass. ...
- Sign-up bonus offers. ...
- Airport lounge access. ...
- Discounts on in-flight purchases. ...
- Complimentary travel protections. ...
- Spending credits.
Should I use credit card to pay for flight?
Make sure to use a credit card for any travel bookings. You'll shield yourself from personal liability due to fraudulent activity and be able to easily file a chargeback if your airline, hotel, or other companies go out of business and a refund is not issued.How do you get free flights with a credit card?
Earn thousands of miles as a credit card welcome bonus The fastest way to get enough miles for a free flight is to snag a credit card \u201cwelcome bonus.\u201d These offers typically include a big stack of points or miles, often in the tens of thousands.What card is best for getting free plane tickets?
NerdWallet's Best Airline Credit Cards of June 2022- Aeroplan\xae Credit Card: Best for International airline card.
- Delta SkyMiles\xae Reserve Business American Express Card: Best for Airline card for small business.
- American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp\u2120 Card: Best for No-annual-fee airline card.
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