Compare the Features and Benefits of Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard® and
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

If you and your immediate family members fly American Airlines often, the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard offers an outstanding slew of perks. As the most premium offering of all of the American Airlines’ AAdvantage credit cards, the most enticing and primary benefit by far is the ability the Admirals Club membership (though you’ll need a same day boarding pass on American or on any of the Oneworld partner airlines). You can bring your immediate family, which counts as your spouse/domestic partner and children under the age of 18 or two guests.

Valued at $500 – $650 per year outright, you can save quite a big chunk of cash by applying for the card instead. What’s more, you can add up to 10 authorized users to the primary card account with fees as follows: $175 total for the first three authorized users and $175 for each additional AU after that. While the card used to give free Authorized Users, that was simply too good to last. It remains a good deal on up to 3 AUs.

Your authorized users, whether you add your trusted friends or family members, will get their own American Airlines Admirals Club® membership. This makes the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard for larger families with lots of guests to bring along the way.

When you’re flying on American Airlines, you’ll not only get a 25% discount on inflight eligible American Airlines purchases for food and drinks, but you’ll get the VIP treatment at the airport. It starts with priority check-in, where you can bring a first checked bag free, and priority airport screening allows you to skip the line when available. Finally, priority boarding allows you to board with Group 4. Best of all, these three benefits apply to you and up to eight travelers on the same reservation!

Not only does the card help provide an enhanced airport experience, but you get to earn both American Airlines miles and Loyalty Points to help you qualify for AAdvantage® frequent flyer status. You’ll earn 2x redeemable miles on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1x miles on everything else. On top of that, you’ll earn 1x Loyalty Point per $1 spent.

As well, there are now Loyalty Point bonuses:

• A 10,000 Loyalty Point Bonus after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year
• A 10,000 Loyalty Point Bonus after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification years

And statement credit:

• Lyft – Citi/AAdvantage Executive cardmembers can earn a $10 Lyft credit after taking 3 eligible rides in a calendar month and paying with their card.
• Grubhub – Citi/AAdvantage Executive cardmembers are eligible to receive a statement credit of up to $10 per monthly billing statement (for a total of up to $120 every 12 monthly billing statements) on eligible purchases made at Grubhub.
• Avis/Budget – Citi/AAdvantage Executive cardmembers are eligible to receive a statement credit up to $120 every calendar year when purchases of up to $120 or more made Avis or budget car rentals or both are charged to their card.

It not only has Global Entry / TSA PreCheck reimbursement every 4 years, but now comes with a suite of Trip Protections:

• Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection
• Trip Delay Protection
• Lost Baggage Protection
• Worldwide Car Rental Insurance Coverage

In short, if you want American Airline’s Admiral’s Club access (and don’t need Priority Pass or other lounge access), the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard is a fantastic pick.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card comes with some valuable benefits, including Gold Elite status, which gets you free breakfast (or a daily food and beverage credit) on all stays at full-service Hilton hotels and resorts and is the only business credit card that earns Hilton Honors points.

With Hilton Honors points having an approximate value of 0.5 cents per point, you are earning roughly 6% back on Hilton stays (earning 12X)  and 2.5% back on your first $100,000 of eligible spend (earning 5X).

However, after $100,000 in a calendar year, all eligible spend outside of a Hilton property will earn 3X which we would value at about 1.5% cash value.

Also, you’ll get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. If you use all 4 credits in full, you’d more than cover the Card’s annual fee.

Hilton Honors Business Credit Card

The Hilton portfolio also has some breathtaking hotels and resorts at which you can spend your Hilton Honors points.

While we don’t recommend the Hilton Honors Business card as your only business credit card, it certainly is worth more than its annual fee if you frequently stay at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts.

Rates and fees for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card